Speeches

Mr President, Commissioner, Minister, allow me to thank the rapporteur, Mrs Adinolfi, and other colleagues for this initiative report, which makes it clear that the European Parliament supports culture and sees it as a very important, indispensable part of our lives. As we report, culture helps to improve mental health, culture helps to improve educational outcomes. We were able to appreciate, together with Minister Balash last week, how culture unites. The European Parliament, seven hundred participants in the conference on the European Year of Youth, applauded the musical performance of the pupils of elementary art schools standing up. Culture is united. Already during COVID-19, the European Parliament called for Member States to invest at least 2% in culture from their investment plan. And I am glad that the Czech Republic is among the 16 countries that will actually invest more than 2%. The European Union does not have to govern culture. Culture needs freedom and support. However, the European Union must protect its cultural roots and safeguard its cultural heritage. That is why we have a cohesion policy, that is why we have a Creative Europe, and that is why we also have a European cultural heritage label, and I believe that we will continue to develop them together.

Madam President, I would like to publicly thank the organisers of the final conference of the European Year of Youth, which took place last week on 6 December in the European Parliament. This conference was jointly organised by the European Commission, the Council, represented by the Czech Presidency, and the European Parliament. The important thing is that young people were involved in the organization. Seven hundred young people filled the European Parliament in Brussels. It was a unique event and I hope that next year, which is also the Year of Skills, will continue this tradition of joint cooperation between the Council, the Commission and Parliament. I would also like to thank the thirty children from elementary art schools from the Czech Republic who presented their musical performances at this conference. This is not a unique event this year, but a final and significant one. Finally, let me say that what we have promised here today, that we will investigate the corruption that took place in the European Parliament, we will also do. It is also our commitment to the young people and the young generation that belong to the European future.

Thank you very much, Maria. I know that you are very motivated. You are very hardworking for youth. You mentioned many activities where you participated and actions for youth. But many of our colleagues mentioned that it was late, it was less time for how to raise awareness about a European Year of Youth. So really, do you share these concerns about awareness of the European Year of Youth? And how can we enhance this awareness of young people and include young people in this decision policy process?

Madam President, hello Commissioner, hello to all those who are young of age but also of spirit. – Paní předsedající, Evropským rokem mládeže chceme povzbudit mladé lidi, kteří v době COVID-19 pandemic přišli o mnoho příležitostí. Víme, že mladí lidé nemají rádi formalismus a vědí dobře, že za jeden rok nemůžeme vyřešit všechny jejich problémy. Ale když už tuto příležitost meme, tak ji využijme. Já velmi ráda spolupracuji s mladými lidmi. Potřebuji jejich podněty, feedback a také jejich energii. A chtěla bych v tuto chvíli poděkovat těm, kteří jsou velmi aktivní v rámci Center for European Volunteering, European Youth Forum, českým mladým lidovcům a mladým demokratům, kteří mě zásobují svými podněty, a vím, že se také do letošního roku zapojili. Bylo to např. setkání EPP4Youth, kterého se zúčastnily stovky mladých lidí, a byli nadšeni z té možnosti potkat se svými vrstevníky. Další akci připravujeme společně s Evropskou komisí a Radou. Bude to 6. prosince závěrečná konference s mladými lidmi, která věřím, že přinese další podněty. Z těch, které jsou velmi často zdůrazněny právě mladými lidmi, chci zmínit jeden, který oni považují za velmi důležitý, a to je požadavek mnohem lepší informovanosti o EU v rámci školního vzdělávání. Možná to někoho překvapí, ale je to logické. Mladí vidí svoji budoucnost v Evropské unii a obávají se dezinformací. Ukazuje se, že jednou z cest by mohly být společné projekty učitelských akademií realizované v rámci Erasmus+ nebo Jean Monnet, a Evropský parlament ve svém usnesení žádá Evropskou komisi, aby přijala opatření a umožnila vznik konkrétního vzdělávacího rámce pro evropské občanství. To byl skutečně hmatatelný výsledek letošního roku mládeže a byl by užitečný i pro mladé v budoucnosti.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I support this resolution because it is important for the European Parliament to support those who fight for human rights, in this case especially for education, women who claim their right to education. It is unbelievable that Afghanistan, which received €1 billion in financial aid from the EU last year, is capable of humiliating women in this way, persecuting religious minorities, including Christians. The Taliban know the power of education, and all the more I want Afghan women to persevere in their protests and not be silenced as much as scientists and journalists. We call on the European Commission to make the continued use of financial assistance conditional on respect for human rights, including the right to education.

Mr President, we hear a great deal of determination here to agree on asylum legislation. I expect this agreement to take reality into account and put security first. After all, security, responsibility and solidarity is an approach that is also clearly successful in helping Ukraine. We are helping Ukraine defend itself against the aggressor, putting security and peace first and helping Ukrainian refugees in solidarity. We don't want people fleeing their homes and dying at sea. No one wants that. But we see clear causes. Dictators like Bashar al-Assad and others in the Middle East and Africa do not mind at all that their citizens have to flee violence and hunger. Putin and Lukashenko use this as a tool in the fight against EU unity. That is why we must address this situation now, now and with the tools at our disposal, and we cannot wait. Agreements with third countries, the end of smuggling mafias and, above all, the protection of the external border against illegal migration must be our priority, this is a task for the Member States and for the European Commission. It is not possible to criticise the Czech Republic for having introduced enhanced controls at its borders and for detaining and returning refugees from third countries. If the external border is not fully protected, if refugees are not detained in registration centres immediately after entering the EU, we will have to guard this external border. Frontex is a tool to help. Finally, I would like to thank all those who are fulfilling this role, thousands of police officers and volunteers who are helping people fleeing.

Mr President, dear colleagues, the Russian aggression against Ukraine continues and children bear a particular toll. Ukrainian authorities confirm almost 11 000 deported children, while only 96 returned. However, the actual number of deported children is hard to confirm and might be higher. We had a chance today to hear the real testimony of Yulia Payevska. She’s a Ukrainian paramedic who filmed the atrocities and was released after three months of captivity. She also spoke about children who are being kidnapped and put up for adoption by Russian families. Her message was clear: ‘help them, please’. Therefore, I call for strong cooperation with the UN and international organisations such as UNICEF and the Red Cross to find these children and give them back safely to their families. There is our strong commitment.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, we are in an exceptional time, which requires exceptional action and it is impossible to leave citizens, businesses, farmers in the precariousness of winter with rising inflation. They expect a European solution and the European Council has agreed. It agreed on measures to combat high energy prices. I welcome these proposed measures. I think this is also a good work of the Czech Presidency. But now this agreement needs to be put into practice. And the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, spoke here about expecting a concrete proposal from the Commission. It is a proposal that would make it possible to cap the prices of gas that is used to produce electricity. The information we have shows that the European Commission is hesitant or unwilling to put forward this proposal. And I would like to ask the representative of the Commission, what will he do with the Council agreement? Thank you in advance for your reply.

I don't know if you can listen to interpretation. I would like to ask you a question about the situation in Hungary. We visited Hungary last week with a delegation from the CULT Committee. We have registered a campaign that says that the Brussels sanctions are ruining Hungary. Do you think these are sanctions? Or is it the Russian aggression in Ukraine? I am very sorry that the cause is confused with the effect.

Mr President, dear colleagues, Ms Commissioner, Mr Minister, food security became a topical issue for the EU and for all world leaders. The situation that would have already been hard due to the impact of climate change and COVID—19 pandemic is now even more severe due to the Russian aggression and the disruption of crop markets. The European Union must ensure food security for European citizens and also support countries that do not have sufficient resources. According to the World Food Programme, it is estimated that by 2022, up to 345 million people will be food insecure. War is the reason why we fear that the situation will get worse. I am convinced that green agriculture policies must not go aside. The goals of the Green Deal and Farm to Fork are long term. However, since February this year, ensuring food security is again a crucial issue, and we should temporarily relax some environmental measures. I agree with postponing obligations to rotate crops to leave 4% of the arable land set aside or to reduce the amount of used pesticides. We call for using new genomic techniques in European agriculture. It is the duty for the European Commission. Of course, we all know that peace is the precondition of food security and we all should thank and support our European farmers.

Madam President, Commissioner, let me thank the Czech Presidency and say that I am proud that you have managed to organise this European political community, to give it its form and its content. This project is of the greatest importance from a geopolitical point of view. Undoubtedly, this is a space for dialogue, for meetings, but it is precisely in view of the Russian aggression in Ukraine that it is a clear expression of the unity of the continent against this aggression. The European political community must not become a double-edged weapon from the perspective of the enlargement of the European Union. On the one hand, it can be a boost for countries in the Eastern Partnership that have aspirations for membership and an expression of their commitment at the highest level of European policy. On the other hand, it cannot be a sort of postponement for these countries, an unwanted alternative to membership. In 1991, France came up with the European Confederation project, which essentially had the following objective: politically establish contact, dialogue with post-communist countries and at the same time prevent them from joining the then European Community. Post-communist countries rejected this vision because they were clearly on the path to EU integration, and they did the right thing. Mr Lebreton reminded us today that this idea is not dead. The meaning and future form of the European Political Community will certainly crystallize in the years to come. However, the content orientation of this platform will certainly always relate to security issues. Therefore, the participation of the United Kingdom and Turkey is crucial. One thing is certain now. Prague will go down in history as the place where 44 representatives of European countries met for the first time in a new format. In the history textbooks there will be a photograph of the leaders from the Vladislav Hall of Prague Castle, a place where pan-European history was formed already in the times of Emperor Charles IV in the fourteenth century.

Madam President, (start of speech off microphone) ... government. Lukashenko has sold the Belarusian people’s international sovereignty to maintain the dictatorship and his power. Lukashenko is just a servant to Putin. His dependence is so deep that he is willing to deploy his people into the joint regional military group while letting thousands of Russian soldiers move to Belarus. Lukashenko is well aware that most Belarusians are against involvement in the Russian war. Hundreds of Belarusian volunteers are fighting for Ukraine. Belarusians do not want to fight Ukraine for Russian interests. We appreciate the courage and effort of the democratic opposition facing oppression in Belarus. The EU must maintain its pressure on the regime and implement appropriate sanctions. We call on the Commission to submit this proposal and the Member States to respond appropriately. We support the democratic Belarusian opposition and its leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, in their fight, including journalists and students, who continue their fight in exile. We will stand by you until the freedom prevails. (Exclamation in Belarusian)

Madam President, Commissioner, thank you for your commitment. Undoubtedly, we must support the tools and organisations we have, whether it is the Schengen Information System, whether it is Missing Children. I am speaking at this moment to remind you of our commitment to help Ukrainian children who have been taken away. These children have not disappeared, they live, but we do not know where. These children were torn from their homes. There aren't a few. We know that according to official sources, there are at least seven and a half thousand of these children being taken away. I recall this because on 15 September the European Parliament called on both international organisations and the European Commission, the Member States, to work together to get to the Russian camps where these children have been taken, the so-called filter camps, to find them, to identify them and, above all, to return them to their parents and to Ukraine. I think this is our commitment that we have to live up to.

Mr President. What is the impact of the Russian invasion? It turns out that this has a major impact primarily on the suffering of the Ukrainian people, but it also shows their bravery. And I believe that tomorrow the European Parliament will appreciate this bravery by awarding the Sakharov Prize to the Ukrainian people. Migration has an impact on the Member States, and I would like to remind you that it is also the Czech Republic that is hosting more than 450 000 refugees. We like to do it, they're our friends, but it has a million-dollar cost. And we also expect the European Union to stand in solidarity and help not only morally but also financially bear these costs in order to meet the necessities of life. Temporary protection works, it was said here, but it also works because it is properly targeted. This is not a solution for everyone, especially not for Russian refugees, although they too, if they are entitled, are granted asylum.

Mr President, colleagues, farmers are asking us for help so that they can provide food, and we must support them. It is worth remembering the reasons why artificial fertilizers are insufficient and their prices are up to three times higher than a year ago. It is above all Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, namely Putin, the cessation of imports and the rise in prices. Our dependence on imports of nitrates, especially phosphate fertilisers from Russia and Belarus, is another very negative feature. Inertia also prevails in industrial fertilization, and there is great pressure to reduce livestock production and great unevenness in the distribution of livestock production. And I also add an absurd ban on the use of innovation in breeding and new genomic techniques. Farmers are waiting for our answer, and it must be immediate. I welcome the proposal for a communication that will be strategic, but I expect the Commission to also financially support the availability of fertilisers so that farmers can produce sufficient basic crops next 2023, of course increase the use of organic fertilisers and start using new genomic technologies for greater efficiency in agricultural production.

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, on behalf of the EPP Group author, Željana Zovko, let me thank all the co-rapporteurs for their cooperation. The civil war in Ethiopia between the Federal Government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front has been going on for two years. The recent deterioration of human rights is of utmost concern. On 24 August, the truce was broken and hostilities in the region culminated. As a result, one of the federal air raids hit a kindergarten in Mekelle, killing several children. We want to emphasise the alarming situation of children. One out of three Tigrayan children under the age of five is malnourished. We are shocked by news about the killing of children based on ethnicity. We are concerned about children being used as child soldiers. These actions constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. We should act. We call on the Commission to step up its effort to ensure the safety of children. Besides the danger of war, Ethiopia is expecting the worst drought, and millions of people will suffer from hunger, including children. That’s why we call for an immediate ceasefire and condemn the invasion of Eritrean forces into the region of Tigray. This week, a promising step might be the peace talks between Ethiopia and Tigray leaders in South Africa. Parliament welcomes the renewal of the mandate of Olusegun Obasanjo as the African Union’s High Representative for the Horn of Africa. His role is crucial for facilitating peace talks. Parliament urges the EU and its Member States to request the UN Security Council to hold regular public meetings on Ethiopia, to ensure humanitarian aid access, and to protect civilians. Dear colleagues, thank you for your support on this resolution.

Mr President, Minister, colleagues, today and every day we feel how powerful the Russian disinformation campaign is. Disinformers also exploit fear of rising energy prices and provoke hatred among people. This is why anti-austerity measures at European and national level are so important. We must fight the disinformation war by refuting lies and half-truths. And since we do not have the opportunity to put down a blue card in this debate today, I would like to ask my colleague David to reply to me in writing. So who is funding blocked disinformation sites when they say they are not Russia and its allies? If he doesn't know the real investor, then don't spread this disinformation. I thank the Commission and the Czech Presidency for their efforts and call for even greater financial support for effective instruments such as StratCom and the European Digital Observatory. Ladies and gentlemen, our greatest weapon is the belief that the truth is on our side.

Madam President, I would like to thank the European Parliament for this important call and for the broad political support it has. The human rights situation in Nicaragua is deteriorating. Thousands of people have had to leave this country, thousands of people are in prison, they are being persecuted. They are students, journalists, civic organizations, as well as the Catholic Church. Especially the Catholic Church, because it supports people in need, helps them and fights for human rights. The last such person to be imprisoned is Bishop Álvarez, for whom we ask that he be released. We also demand the release of other political prisoners. We demand that Daniel Ortega be brought before the International Criminal Tribunal for crimes against humanity. I believe that this challenge will have broad support.

Dear colleagues, thank you to all the co-rapporteurs for your cooperation on this resolution. We raise our voice against the massive deportation of Ukrainian civilians, including children. According to estimates, more than 1 million Ukrainians have been deported to Russia, including more than 200 000 children forcefully taken there. Ukrainian children are being separated from their parents, seized and put up for adoption. Russia is actively trying to steer the future of Ukraine. If we want to help Ukraine, we must ensure that their future children will be returned. That is why we call on Russia to immediately cease the forced deportation and forcible transfer of Ukrainian civilians, especially children. Russia must repeal all legislation facilitating the adoption of Ukraine’s children and allow for the reunification with their parents. We stress the urgent need for EU and international organisations such as the United Nations Refugee Agency and UNICEF to have access to visit to the filtration camp, those facilities, and assist Ukrainian citizens, especially children, in their return to Ukraine. As President von der Leyen said today, courage as a face, the face of Ukrainian brave people, mothers and their children. We will follow the track of these children and we will not stop until their safe return.

Mr President, I very much support this regulation and I also support the European Parliament's position. I think it is finally a concrete step by which we say that we are serious about climate protection, about combating climate change. In short, we are taking action and the European Parliament is expanding the range of products that will not be marketed due to deforestation, i.e. the destruction of forests. So to the soybean, to the palm oil we add rubber, corn and pork. It is very important that this proposal is adopted and that we also speed up the trilogue process and that concrete measures finally start. I think President Bolsonaro in Brazil will not be happy about this regulation, but it brings us even more joy.

Mr President, I would like to thank the rapporteur, Ulrice Müller, for this report, which we are actually responding to the European Commission's strategy presented. We all know that eight years to 2030 is a very short time, but there is still much that can be done to support what we are talking about here, i.e. the multifunctionality of forests. Each country has a different approach, but we all have one common goal: that forests are healthy, that they are not depleted, that they perform their environmental function, that they can absorb carbon, that they meet those goals for combating climate change and at the same time that they are economically usable and also that they bring us joy and the possibility of rest. I think forests can do all this if they have protection, if foresters have our support, and all this is included in this strategy, and I thank you and look forward to implementing it.

Madam President, dear colleagues, I strongly support this resolution and I thank all co—rapporteurs, especially Miriam Lexmann, for your work. It has been 56 days since Hong Kong’s national security police arrested the 90—year—old Cardinal Joseph Zen, one of Asia’s oldest and most outspoken Catholic clergy. He was arrested along with three other people from completely different fields of activity: singer and actress Denise Ho, lawyer Margaret Ng and scientist Hui Po Keung. Reason for the arrests: alleged collusion with foreign forces. One thing they had in common – and as we know now, the thing that was the real reason for their arrest – was their role as trustees of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund. As political activist Nathan Law, a former student of the arrested scientist Hui Po Keung, said, when you want to punish someone, you always find an excuse. And this is doubly true for countries with an authoritarian regime. The arrests were the latest move by authorities in enforcing the controversial National Security Act, which was imposed on this city in June 2020. I fully agree with what Labour’s Shadow Minister for Asia and the Pacific Catherine West said: that the arrests are further evidence of China’s effort to suppress the opposition in Hong Kong, which is completely contrary to the freedom promised to Hong Kong. The activities of Cardinal Zen and the rest of his team were completely peaceful and lawful. Their arrest is an example of the appalling decline in respect for human rights that we are witnessing in China. Support and respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law should be central to the EU’s relations with China. That is why the European Parliament calls upon the EU and its Member States to take all necessary steps to push China to end the breaking of human rights and ensure responsibility for these crimes committed. We also reiterate our call on the Commission and the Member States to review the agreement between the European Community and Hong Kong, China on cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in custom matters, the status of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels, and the Hong Kong seat at the World Trade Organization. Thank you for your attention and for the support for the resolution.

Madam President, Madam President of the Commission, Prime Minister, I am sincerely glad that it is you who I can welcome here today. The priorities of the Czech Presidency reflect reality. If we want to protect our freedom and security for future generations, we have no choice. Assistance to Ukraine in the fight for freedom and independence by all available means, including assistance to Ukrainian refugees. That's our only choice. We cannot have any other priority than independence from Russian energy sources and the strengthening of European security capacities. We must promote social cohesion and food security, and we must not lose the trust of citizens. I appreciate you facing these challenges head-on. And to you, Prime Minister, I want to thank you personally for your example of solidarity with Ukraine and I want to thank the citizens of the Czech Republic that we, too, are today an example for Europe of effective aid and integration of refugees. The European Union has set itself ambitious targets to combat climate change. Not because we are naive, because we ourselves will save the world, but because we want to be an example for those who can really do it together with us, such as China, the US, Brazil and others. Here, the Czech Presidency will have a very important role in the negotiations on legislation, and I wanted to ask you on this topic whether you are ready to finalise the negotiations on the legislative package and whether you believe that it is possible to achieve the goals for climate neutrality while at the same time getting rid of dependence on Russian resources. Prime Minister, you have answered that question, so I do not have to ask that question at this time. I think everyone heard your clear position. Let me just conclude by wishing the Prime Minister and the Presidency a lot of strength. I think that Europe needs concrete action now more than ever. Europe is our common task and I thank you for leading Europe with this idea.

Mr President, Commissioner, thank you for the Commission's approach and thank you to the Vice-President of the Czech Republic for the Presidency, who is now taking over, because this will be a very difficult time, when it is the Member States that will have to deal with the social policy impacts in particular, but the European Union's assistance is expected here, and you mentioned it. You mentioned important programmes that can be used by Member States. These are programmes that have been in place for a long time, such as the Youth Guarantee, but it is the recovery plans that Member States in particular should use to benefit from social assistance for families, employment and SMEs. I would be very much in favour of targeting this assistance, and I would support the proposal mentioned here by my colleague Miriam Lexmann, that is to say, taking all measures with regard to subsidiarity, because Member States can very well address this situation, and we should address at European Union level what we cannot do at Member State level. Finally, let me wish the Vice-President a good debate, a good discussion that will help to address the social consequences.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, the emphasis on inclusion in education and mobility is very important at this very time when we are experiencing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the young generation, when COVID-19 has also aggravated disparities in educational outcomes. And for a long time, we'll be catching up on what we've missed over the past two years. Therefore, all those inclusive actions in both Erasmus+ and Solidarity Corps are very important. The result should be equal chances for all applicants and their support, from the application to the actual course of the project. We therefore stress the need for an increase in funding and call for an increase for 2023. Erasmus+ should also allow inclusion for exchanges with third countries, including the UK, and it is very important that it also supports inclusive education and inclusion of students from Ukraine and cooperation with Ukrainian schools. Let me end by making a point. In order for this programme to be truly inclusive, it must first and foremost be significantly increased.