Speeches

Madam President, I too, of course, must strongly condemn the scandal. We have all done this in our speeches. Unfortunately, this scandal is affecting one of the key institutions of the European Union. It is obvious that the changes should have come sooner, that the changes are really necessary, but of course it is not possible to throw them all into one bag. Just as it cannot be the case with NGOs, so it cannot be the case with parliamentarians. This scandal concerns, in particular, the left as far as Parliament is concerned. And it must be said that even the left has prevented non-profit organizations from being under transparent control. We need to introduce clear changes, especially in the area of transparency. It is clear that anyone who wants the support of the European Union, who wants to receive money from the European Union, must be absolutely open, all contracts must be public and all donors of those NGOs must be traceable and there can be no funding from third countries. I think these are the minimum requirements we should have.

Mr President, I, of course, supported this motion for a resolution. What Russia is doing is denying how it participated in the creation of international rules of order after World War II. One state cannot attack the other state. These are not just questions of international law. Let's look at the pictures from Bucha, from Irpina, from many other Ukrainian cities. We see a real genocide, which is why I also supported the amendment by my ECR colleagues to call it that. The pictures show dead, dead children, kidnapped, totally decimated regions, where the boot of a soldier from Russia entered. I am in favour of providing Ukraine with maximum security guarantees for the future period, as well as providing arms and financial support to that state. They defended themselves, they were attacked.

Mr President, I also supported this report. In my opinion, the position of employees balances in the desired direction in relation to the largest companies, where the position of employees has not been very strong so far. We also have current experience in the Czech Republic, where one Korean company blocks collective bargaining and even does not let protesting employees into the factory. I think that there are examples where it is obvious that the current directive needs to be deepened. I therefore supported it also because there are a number of interesting proposals, procedures, as well as judicial practice and the approach of this European Works Council to the court to enable the removal of the blockade and to move negotiations forward. So, on my part, this is a desired deepening of the current directive.

Mr President, I supported this report because it is obvious that European democracies are under pressure from disinformation. These campaigns are running and we have seen them in the past and there is something to be done in this field. I agree that political competition should be as free and equal as possible, but it is also necessary to prevent attacks on our democracy, which are mainly carried out by third foreign states. Disinformation is the greatest tool for influencing people's thinking, and in modern times, technological progress is really blurring the distinction between information and political advertising. I think the instruments we are choosing in this regulation are a good way forward. It is important to make them even more precise, and for these reasons I supported this regulation. However, I am a little disappointed that the issue of financing political campaigns from third countries has also been left aside. We should think about this one more time.

Mr President, many mountain regions, but also structurally affected regions, poor regions continue to decline, depopulating as if they had no future. They are not attractive to young people, development is rather stagnant, and at the same time it must be said that these regions are actually abandoned, abandoned in our European Union. It seems as if cohesion policy is failing in some areas, as if our Just Transition Fund is not working as we imagine. Unfortunately, many regions, on the contrary, act as funnels, as poles of growth, where everyone wants to live. I think that we need to solve these issues of the failure of our cohesion regional policy much better than before. It is important to make agriculture more attractive, it is also important to find attractive lucrative jobs and opportunities for many companies in these regions. Otherwise our countryside will become depopulated and stagnant.

Madam President, at the beginning of the 20th century, Afghanistan was a relatively promising country. By the end of the 20th century, the country was already in turmoil. Although we have made a number of mistakes in Afghanistan, it is clear that this country had at least some hope. I don't think we can leave the Afghan people who trusted us. And it is important that we unequivocally condemn the violence that is being perpetrated against women, because it is really violence, it is apartheid, I completely agree with that, violence against minorities, draconian punishments that have been introduced, these are all totally unacceptable ways of the Afghan regime, and the resources by which it is financed must be stopped. Terrorist and religious jihadist groups must also be stopped. I think it is also important to say that it is good that we are talking about Afghanistan here in Parliament, but we also need to remember that there are also a number of really starving and abandoned Afghans in the European Union.

Madam President, last year brought clear significant political and security challenges. We are witnessing a regular war on the European continent caused by Russian aggression. I think it is important to say that there is a paralysis of international law, and we clearly support Ukraine in this report, and I think we also support our security policy, our budgetary policy in the field of defence, as well as our security ties. Previously, I supported shifts in European politics, in defence policy, I even supported the establishment of a regular European army. I admit that after the accession of Sweden and Finland, I am thinking about whether this is really the right way, whether it is not better to deepen the alliance within NATO, i.e. the Berlin Treaty, which we have already concluded, and therefore better to cooperate on what is already working. It seems to me that cooperation between NATO and the EU can be deeper and better.

Madam President, I also supported this draft own-initiative report. Online games are a very important part of the creative industry. The Czech Republic is one of the world's top countries. It is also important to appreciate the work of all those involved in this part of the creative industry. It is important to protect their rights, i.e. both the specific rightholders, i.e. those companies, and the specific creators. I think this report points to this very well. It is also important to protect consumers, which is the focus of this report. That is why I am very happy to support it, because it also thinks about protecting consumers from unfair competition practices. Of course also services on demand very often check the enforceability of European law. How the consumer can obtain his rights, e.g. the return of money for dissatisfaction with the service he received. It is also important to protect against addiction. And I think that report captures everything. That's why I supported her.

Madam President, I supported this motion for a resolution. I am convinced that 30 years of the European common market demonstrates its need and also its meaningfulness for citizens. For 30 years, we have enjoyed not only concrete economic benefits, but also other synergies from this single internal market. It is not only about jobs, but also about better access to markets, better competitiveness in global markets. Let's be honest - brand Made in Europe is a very good brand, it has a good sound in the world. Thanks also to the single internal market, I think citizens are more aware of the concrete benefits of the European Union, our common Union and in their own lives. What puts this Union – the single internal market – at risk? That it's enough on its own, that we don't need to deepen the rules? This, of course, is nonsense. We also need to strengthen the enforceability of the rule of law and the rule of law.

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, we all know and know the name Breivik. Unfortunately, how many young lives have been deprived of their future. In my country, the Czech Republic, right-wing extremists conducted a hunt for Romani people in the 1990s and, unfortunately, one extremist killed two young people with a minority orientation in our neighbours last year. All forms of right-wing extremism or extremism in general are unacceptable and must not create any space for it in Europe. Right-wing terrorism developed by first fighting the Jews he murdered. Subsequently, members of this ideology even denied the Holocaust. Then they found another target – Islam and Muslims. And now, from time to time, even our communities – the European Union or people with a minority orientation – are being targeted. All these forms that I describe here, any unacceptable violence, must be rejected as vigorously as possible. Recently, far-right terrorism and violence in the EU have also been perpetrated by individuals or groups even linked to organisations that also have political participation in our Parliament. Right-wing extremism poses a real threat to democratic development in the EU. What can we do about it? We must promote the rule of law, democracy and, of course, education for young people. This is our best investment for the future.

Mr President, dear colleagues, last Tuesday, former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, who is notorious for his populist agenda, visited French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. The meeting took place just three days before the first round of Czech presidential elections, in which Mr Babiš, currently leader of one of the opposition parties, is taking part. I must very strictly denounce this rendezvous under this circumstance. Although the Élysée Palace was trying to persuade the world that the meeting in question wasn’t meant to support Mr Babiš in his electoral effort, it actually helped him a lot. In my opinion, the heads of EU Member States and also high representatives of EU must show restraint when it comes to elections in the EU countries. Intrusions like the one perpetrated by the French President is simply unacceptable. Please mind your own business, President Macron, and let the Czech voters decide.

Madam President, I do not have to change anything in my speech, which I was able to make here in this room on 21 November, when the issue of relations with Qatar was discussed. Of course, this scandal has a very negative impact on citizens' trust in the Union as a whole, in the institutions and, of course, also shakes our relations with third countries. It's an extraordinary scandal. Unfortunately, I was unable to vote on this resolution today because of the weather. I am therefore unable to comment on the substance of that vote either. I would, of course, support this motion for a resolution. Well, at least I'll limit myself to wishing you all a Merry Christmas.

Madam President, sabotage of critical infrastructure is indeed an exceptional threat to our overall security. It is clear that critical infrastructure plays an extremely important role at these times and its security, stability of supply is crucial at this time. Of course, critical infrastructure is cross-border in nature and the responsibility for protecting it lies primarily with the Member States, but it is good that we have realised that responsibility must also fall on the entire European Union. I do not want to speculate who is the perpetrator of these attacks, but I strongly reject my colleague Beck's statement that Russia cannot be the perpetrator. There are many reasons why this could be Russia. Russia is a global spoiler, leading an absolutely unacceptable aggression in Ukraine, destroying the infrastructure there besides murdering innocent people and abducting children. What does that mean? Undoubtedly, our response must be decisive. Let's not get caught up in speculation and let's definitely protect our critical infrastructure. It's our common task.

Madam President, Russia is a terrorist state. It systematically murders innocent civilians, kidnaps children to Russia, leaves mines, mines whole large areas, bombs destroy property and also public infrastructure, crops are destroyed. All of Russia's international crimes will be investigated. And this is an unequivocal message to Russia, which we have spoken repeatedly in this plenary. However, there is now a need to help Ukraine in terms of the energy system and its stability, so that it has at least compensation for its energy network. We need to quickly offer help with both large and small generators. Also, across the great border that we have with Ukraine, try to help supply Ukraine with energy that the European Union should, at least in part, pay for. Despite their heroic resistance, Ukrainians are now feeling cold, deprived, lack of energy for their lives. We can't leave them. Their victory is our victory.

Madam President, I will try to keep one minute. Sustainable mobility is undoubtedly one of the biggest challenges of the next decades. We are facing huge impacts from growing traffic. People want to travel, they want to have affordable services, they want to travel to them, and so products and goods have to flow. This represents really huge impacts and increases in emissions. Both environmental and health impacts, impacts on biodiversity, are huge. It is also important to underline that finding a sustainable transport solution for the 21st century is a legislative and strategic task. It is important for us to put forward legislation in this Parliament that we stand for. I think this is one of the most important challenges we have to find a sustainable transport solution for the 21st century.

Madam President, we must certainly not forget the countryside in the long term. In the European Parliament, we deal with regions, cities and the countryside as if Cinderella were imaginary. Not that we do not pursue it, but as if cohesion policy and its results did not reach the countryside. And that's a great pity. Cohesion policy is, of course, intended to reduce disparities between regions and must primarily help to keep the countryside alive, a countryside that is truly a full place for farmers, for getting jobs, too, full of young people. And so far, it seems like cities are acting like a magnet that pulls in work, people, technology, services. So what we need to focus on is the availability of infrastructure and services in the countryside. That's unequivocal. Secondly, the weakening of the cohesion envelope of money intended to support regions must stop. We must also focus on supporting the countryside by maintaining the allocation that is to be secured.

Mr President, I supported this proposal. It is imperative to remember that diabetes is unfortunately a very on the rise and is still a dangerous disease. In the European area, 35 million people suffer from this disease and it is mostly type 2 diabetes, i.e. acquired through, say, lifestyle, certain habits. And this is undoubtedly a major challenge, but also a burden on our health system. It is important that states set clear, measurable targets, their plans to prevent the development of this disease. I think that the report was very good, and I supported it, and it is important that it also finds a hearing in those to whom it is addressed, that is to say, our European citizens, so that they also think about their lifestyle.

Mr President, I supported this draft resolution. I also hoped that this House would support this motion for a resolution because Russia is murdering Ukrainians, Russia is torturing Ukrainians, Russia is raping Ukrainian women and men, Russia is abducting Ukrainian children, Russia is looting and destroying Ukrainian property. Tell me: How is this different from any other terrorist? It is clear that Russia presents itself to us as a terrorist. As a terrorist who does not hesitate, he does not shy away from using all the nefarious procedures. And it is clear that today's cyber-attack against this House has only increased our determination to persevere.

Mr President, I supported this report by our colleagues. I think we need to look for the EU's own resources and reform our budget. It is responsible for the future of the Union, for the future and for our children, and we must certainly not rely solely on the Member States. I therefore supported this report. We have big commitments, big challenges from the past period, from the coronavirus period, to repay debts. We are facing new spending in the Social and Climate Fund, spending on Ukraine, on its defence and on its reconstruction, I firmly believe. And all these new challenges need to be borne in mind and appropriate budget chapters must be prepared. Europe must look for its own sources of funding, and I think this report is going in the right direction, which is why I really supported it.

Mr President, the coexistence of cattle and large carnivores almost sounds like a big contradiction. Yet the success of the European Commission, and I think that of all of us, was precisely that these beasts have multiplied in this way on the European continent. Perhaps, according to some, too much. Of course, grazing cattle, where there is a wolf, is complicated. I will not deny it at all, and I understand people's concerns. I also understand the indignation of the farmers. I think it is good to use the best practices discussed here again. There was talk of compensation, monitoring. Maybe that's not enough. I'm not going to question that. In any case, finding a solution to coexistence, as the Commissioner said, will be very difficult. Personally, I am against hasty shifts and changes. I will personally support the motion for this resolution, but I think that biodiversity should also be a very important value for us.

Mr President, according to recent reports, the humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is intensifying dramatically. Tens of thousands more are fleeing their homes in the east of the country amid fighting between M23 rebels and government forces. Residents no longer believe that the new negotiations in Kenya will bring peace. Most refugees lack basic necessities, clean water or even sails to build shelters from frequent rains. Cholera even appears in the refugee camps, and this, of course, greatly multiplies the problems that the whole region may soon face. Attempts to restore peace in eastern Congo were only renewed a few days ago. Kenyatta, the former Kenyan president who facilitated the talks, urged the rebel groups to lay down their weapons, but so far, of course, this effort has had no effect. Meanwhile, other people are dying and suffering. Tomorrow, I think we must take an adequate stand in the interests of these tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of people at risk.

Mr President, the Belarusian regime has been showing its true face for many years – torture, arrests, imprisonments, the dead, journalists who are being persecuted, families destroyed. This is the terror of the people of Belarus. It is a terror, an undeclared war of its own society, waged by President Lukashenko himself. He is not the president, he was not elected in a legitimate way, but he is also waging this undeclared war against Ukraine. And it must be said that there will be no place, there will be no zemlyanka, where Lukashenko and his minions will hide. We will investigate every crime, we will judge, and I think justice will be found for all the victims. Live to Belarus!

Mr President, Minister, Commissioner, our fate is inextricably linked to that of the rest of nature. In 2019, the Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services warned that the loss of nature is accelerating at an unprecedented rate with severe impacts on the quality of life on Earth and that one million species are facing extinction. It is therefore of the utmost importance that the forthcoming negotiations take place and that they succeed. Its goal is, among other things, to adopt a new plan to save life on Earth. And this latest roadmap includes four long-term targets for 2050 and 22 targets already for 2030. The four objectives focus on the conservation, sustainable use of biodiversity, as well as the expansion of, for example, protected areas, the reduction of pollution, as well as ensuring sustainable food production and the phasing out of billions of dollars of public subsidies when they harm nature. Some also suggest that the ultimate goal should be to maintain 1.5°C under the Paris Agreement. I consider this target to be one of the possible ones, but I think it could be complemented, for example, by an assessment of the overall state of biodiversity or global extinction rates, i.e. to set other targets. Digital storage of genetic sequence information is another topic to be addressed by negotiators at COP 15. And the mobilisation of resources, in other words, how to finance activities related to the implementation of the global framework, should also be the subject of negotiations. Egypt's misunderstanding among key countries should not be repeated. I hope the COP will be successful.

Mr President, the European Union has faced a number of challenges in recent years and increased migration is one of the most significant. The current system is not working, but Member States have not been able to find an agreement on how migration and asylum policies should be reformed for years. Some countries bear a huge burden, and Russian aggression has shown that the refugee onslaught can affect virtually every EU country in a short time. My country also hosts hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees. What was previously unimaginable for Eastern European countries, millions of refugees in their territories, became a reality overnight. I also voted in favour of temporary measures in the past period in favour of Italy and Greece, in the hope that a balanced EU-wide solution can be found. However, this has not really happened until now. Our aim should be to move away from provisional solutions and put in place a predictable system to manage migration. Of course, to protect the Schengen area, but also to step up diplomatic efforts and conclude readmission agreements, to set up hotspots outside our territory. What we are experiencing today may be nothing compared to the movement of hundreds of millions of climate refugees in the middle of this century. These people have already been born and will have to leave their homes due to extreme weather, natural disasters. Already, their number is comparable to the number of refugees fleeing wars. Migratory waves will affect the entire planet. Our only chance is to realize this as soon as possible and use the time for real preparation. The Council may also be aware of this. I also hope that the agreement will be concluded as soon as possible.

Madam President, the huge protests of Iranians in recent weeks shows their will for freedom and democracy. Iranians have for long not supported the dictatorial regime of Khamenei’s governments. This regime is punishing them with death, violence and oppression. What we see in these days in Iran is thousands of victims and imprisoned young people and women, just in the last few weeks. We must clearly condemn this state of violence. Who are the Iranian regime’s partners today? Only dictatorial regimes like North Korea, Russia and, recently, the Hungarian foreign minister is shaking hands with representatives of this regime. We have to stress today that we are on the side of the Iranian people and every crime committed in Iran will be investigated and punished.