Speeches

Alexei Navalny's name has been associated with a long list of opposition figures and supreme opponents who have been cleared out of their way by dictator Putin. The real opposition of the country is either in exile, in prison or murdered. Former President Medvedev recently said that pro-Ukrainian residents living under Russian occupation must be sent to labour camps in Siberia. Tens of thousands of children have been abducted and attempts are being made to discredit their Ukrainian identity. There's a genocide going on. Political killings are not isolated incidents in Russia. There is a homicidal cult of death in the country, where human dignity does not matter. Everyone who fights this Putin terror machine deserves respect. Despite his shortcomings, Navalny played a role in exposing corruption in the regime. However, the greatest heroes can be found on the front line of Ukraine in the circle of troops defending their country and families from Russian imperialism.

Mr President, we are fighting against a relentless opponent, money laundering. Europol estimates that up to around 1% of the EU’s annual GDP is linked to suspicious economic activities, including the financing of terrorist organisations. The proposal for a directive before us serves as a barrier against the forces that seek to sow chaos and destruction in our midst, which threatens the structure of our society and the security of our citizens. We must firmly close all the loopholes that criminals and terrorists are currently exploiting. This is not just a bureaucratic act. Ultimately, it is about protecting life and defending the principles of freedom and democracy. By strengthening our anti-money laundering efforts and enhancing cooperation between Member States, we will strike at the heart of terrorist networks and disrupt their ability to finance their criminal activities.

Mr President, Russia is trying to influence European politics in particular to undermine the support of the EU and its Member States for Ukraine and its people. Russian disinformation campaigns have been uncovered across Europe. I consider extremely serious the information revealed by Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo that Russia has approached some MEPs and offered them money bribes to promote Russian propaganda. Belgian and Czech intelligence agencies reportedly worked closely together to destroy this propaganda network. Putin's agents in Brussels must be unveiled. It is imperative that information on who received Russian electoral money is made public before the elections. A full opening of election funding for all candidates could be one way to find Russian and other corruption money. The recipient always remains in debt of gratitude and, when elected, promotes the donor's cause. As the saying goes, you sing the songs of the one whose bread you eat. We need to put an end to this circuit play.

Mr President, the European Semester is part of the EU's economic governance. During this period, EU Member States adjust their budgets to the rules agreed at EU level. I think it is important to maintain the focus of the Semester on key economic and social policy issues without overburdening the process. Social policy must remain largely in national hands. I am opposed to the reforms proposed in the report aimed at strengthening the role of the European Parliament in the Semester. Nor can I support the report's call for an increase in EU funds for social objectives at a time when the EU and many of its Member States are falling into debt at a worrying rate. For these reasons, I will be voting against the report.

Mr President, for my part, I would also like to welcome you, Prime Minister Orpo, to the European Parliament. In this way, I would also like to take the lead in correcting the harshness of the Group of the Party of European Socialists' speech, and I say that there is no far-right party in the Finnish government. We have a patriotic government that is doing its best to repair the catastrophic legacy of the previous Socialist government and the enormous debt burden left by it, which cannot be dealt with by always taking on more and more new debt and continuing to maintain a reckless economy. Last autumn, Russia launched a hybrid operation on the Finnish border using migrants as a weapon. The Finnish Government acted very decisively in this matter by closing the entire eastern border. Russia, which is waging a brutal war of aggression for the third year, is extremely unpredictable. All possible scenarios should be considered. Border crossings by irregular migrants shall be prevented, if necessary by force. It should be remembered that Finnish border guards protect the entire EU's common external border. Support to Ukraine needs to be continued and further strengthened. Ukraine must win this war and it is our duty to do everything in our power to achieve this goal. Responsible economic management is important throughout the EU and in all its member states. You can't live beyond money. For the first time in its history, Finland did not support granting discharge to the European Commission, from which I raise my hat. This decision was motivated by the worrying findings of the EU Court of Auditors regarding material and widespread errors in the management of EU budget expenditure. The competitiveness of the European economy must be taken care of. It is imperative that the Finnish economy is put back on track. I therefore hope that the government you lead will be determined in the face of political strikes.

Mr President, I warmly support the orientation of the new candidate countries towards the West and their rapprochement with the Western institutions. At the same time, I believe it is important that accession to the EU must always be a merit-based procedure, and there are no bypasses. Candidate countries must meet the strict criteria they have been given before membership can become a reality. The report before us proposes changes to the Treaties. I do not think that a possible enlargement of the EU should be used as a stickhorse to open up the Treaties and to promote the development of a federal Europe. For example, the report contains calls to simplify the EU decision-making process and move away from unanimity towards qualified majority voting, which I cannot support. The EU must be composed of sovereign Member States and not develop into a federal state or a superpower.

Mr President, Russia's interference in the EU's democratic processes raises concerns and calls for a decisive response. Last autumn's parliamentary elections in Slovakia reported a large-scale spread of pro-Russian propaganda. Generally, public debate has focused on the right-wing parties' ties with Russia. Often the debate forgets the corresponding sins of those representing other political positions. It is a fact that many prominent demars have been eagerly lobbying for energy dependence on Russia, which has since enabled Russia to finance the war of aggression against Ukraine. It has also been reported that a Latvian MEP, a long-time member of the Greens, has been a spy of the Russian intelligence agency FSB for at least a decade. There's rot everywhere. All vague links with Russia must be broken, no matter what political reference group they appear to be.

Mr President, the objective of a sustainable water strategy should be to reduce the use of water, to maintain its sanitation and to improve the sustainability of water bodies. Water reuse and rainwater collection should also be promoted. Resolving the water crisis requires broad cooperation – at all levels. Each of us has a role to play in achieving these goals. As consumers, we can make choices that reduce water consumption. Companies can adopt more sustainable production methods. Governments and international organisations can create policies and programmes that promote the sustainable use and protection of water. Water is a prerequisite for life. The water crisis therefore affects everyone, and a joint effort is needed to resolve it. The EU alone cannot solve the world's problems, but it is our duty to contribute to the sustainable use of water.

Mr President, the corruption scandal uncovered a year ago has shaken the European Parliament and undermined public confidence in decision-making. Transparency in decision-making is a cornerstone of democracy. Transparency increases voters' confidence in the political system by reducing suspicions of hidden interests and unethical practices. More transparency and stricter rules are also needed for electoral funding. It is important for voters to know who is funding the election campaigns of politicians, so that they know who the candidates will be on when they are elected. I believe that there should also be campaign ceilings for the size of electoral campaigns. This will prevent hidden influence attempts and ensure a more level playing field for all candidates. Throughout my political career, I have strongly advocated transparency in all decision-making, including election funding. Openness is the path towards a just society, where decisions reflect the interests of ordinary voters and not the interests of monetary lobbyists.

Mr President, thank you for giving us the opportunity to discuss the housing and cost-of-living crisis for young people. I myself will focus on describing the problematic situation in the housing market in Finland, where too many overexpensive dwellings have been built during zero interest rates and over-indebted housing companies have been established already at the start-up stage. The overall situation is further aggravated by the high personal debts of home buyers. At the same time, all other mandatory costs of living and living have increased considerably. During the past ten years or so, Finland's taxation practices have quietly shifted to favouring housing investors in the acquisition of housing instead of young people and families with children. This may be due to effective lobbying by capital groups, such as the financial sector. In taxation, a housing investor operating with large debt money can deduct from the rental income of his rental apartments not only normal maintenance charges, but also financial charges, i.e. interest expenses on a corporate loan and even loan repayments in full. What has become of this dream of home investors during the zero-interest period? What happens after interest rates return to normal levels? If over-indebted housing companies are unable to service the repayments and interest on their loans, the housing company may go bankrupt. Now, these housing units of debt-driven housing companies are marketed with up to two years of free housing, i.e. a discount on the purchase price granted for a couple of years of company consideration. The temptation of two years of free housing can lead to the loss of all savings and property of a gullible buyer. In the worst case scenario, we may still have a debt balance that we have been married to for years. I believe that the risks associated with the purchase of a dwelling should always be communicated in plain language, especially to all first-time home buyers who have not yet had to get acquainted with construction and real estate villains on the heel. This would avoid many housing problems.

Mr President, this new leak of information from Cyprus revealed alarming information about the links between the country's financial sector and Russia. For example, the Cyprus office of the accounting giant PwC has been assisting Putin's close circle at the same time as Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Cypriot companies have assisted individuals subject to EU sanctions in circumventing sanctions. The country's financial sector has long been full of Russian money. More than two hundred billion dollars of Russian investment has been made in the country. In this context, I would like to highlight investor citizenship schemes, i.e. golden visas. In Cyprus, it has been possible to obtain an EU passport for €2 million until recent years, after only six months of waiting. For many Russian oligarchs, obtaining an EU passport may therefore have been possible with a simple bank transfer. I believe it is important that these golden visa practices be banned throughout the Union and that EU citizenships that have already been purchased be annulled.

Mr President, let us be frank. Russia has launched a hybrid operation against Finland and is using migrants as a weapon. Young men with inadequate documentation from Somalia, Syria, Yemen and Iraq, among others, have flowed to Finland's eastern border of more than 1,300 kilometres. However, we cannot be sure of nationalities, because the identity papers have mysteriously drowned on the way. It is clear that this is an entry promoted by the Russian authorities and not a normal application for asylum. Bicycles have been arranged for the arrivals and they have been transported to the border. Some border crossing points have already been closed by the Finnish Government. I think it is likely and desirable that the entire border will be closed. I am pleased to note that Comrade Heinäluoma, who has maintained warm relations with the East for decades, enthusiastically defended the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and, as a reward for a job well done, received the ‘Friendship Medal’ from Putin himself, has finally found a critical voice in his speeches. It is the right of each independent country to decide which persons it will allow into its territory. We certainly do not need the masses of people pushed into our country by Russia. Finland should not enter this trap set by Russia. Border crossings by persons wishing to enter Finland must be prevented by force if necessary. This needs to be understood in the EU, as Finnish border guards also defend the EU's external border.

Mr President, it is important that we talk about things under their proper names. Over the past few weeks, Russia has launched a hybrid operation against Finland. Young men with inadequate documents, including Somalis, Syrians, Yemenis and Iraqis, have increasingly crossed the border between Finland and Russia. There are very strong indications that this is instrumentalised entry promoted by the Russian authorities and not spontaneous asylum applications. Commission President von der Leyen has also spoken about Russia's instrumentalisation of migrants. The alternative title of the demarcation group obscures what is actually happening at the border. The hands of Finnish border guards must not be tied when they are defending the border. In response, the Finnish Government has decided to close some of the border crossing points. It is possible that the entire eastern border, 1300 kilometers, will have to be closed.

Mr President, the debate on EU enlargement has intensified as a result of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. I am in favour of the candidate countries heading west. EU countries and the international community must stand in support of Ukraine until Russian troops are evicted from Ukrainian territory. Russia must also withdraw from the occupied territories of Georgia and Moldova. I myself have reservations about the too rapid enlargement of the EU. Enlargement will put additional pressure on the membership fees of net contributors such as Finland. The accession of new Member States may further complicate EU decision-making. I believe that the candidate countries must meet all the criteria before we can talk about EU membership. This will require many economic and political reforms.

Mr President, the EU and many of its Member States are in debt in a worrying way. Last year, the EU's debt increased by more than EUR 100 billion, reaching EUR 344 billion at the end of the year. The auditors' annual report is a worrying read. There was a significant increase in errors in EU budget expenditure. The total risk to the EU budget at the end of the year was close to EUR 250 billion. When will the house of cards collapse? The use of taxpayers' money must be accurate. How will these funds be used? In Italy, for example, a farmer received EU support for maintaining lemon trees. Agricultural subsidies ran even though no lemon trees grew in the area. Unsurprisingly, the national authorities did not notice this minor fact. It is important that every euro that is channelled through the EU budget is used transparently and efficiently. The EU should focus on its core tasks and cut unnecessary spending. We also need better control over the use of funds.

Mr President, media independence and pluralism are important objectives. In festive speeches, everything seems to be going smoothly, and democracy is flourishing in several EU countries where the media is said to be independent. However, reality may differ much more than we think. And now I'm talking especially about my home country, which is the media world I know best. In Finland, I have encountered situations where media independence is directly influenced by ownership. In particular, media owners who are themselves active in politics or supporters of politicians can easily influence positive publicity and, at the same time, election success for themselves and for those who promote their own businesses. This also makes the business better. Of course, there is a risk that sooner or later there will be credibility problems. That is why I attach great importance to the objective of achieving greater transparency in media ownership.

Mr President, clean surface water and groundwater are a valuable resource that we must protect. I believe it is essential that companies and private operators should take responsibility for the pollution they cause. Environmental crimes should be investigated more across the EU and polluters should be made to pay for the consequences of their actions. Clean water is vital to our health and the environment. Many industries, such as nature tourism, food production and fishing, depend on clean water bodies and clean nature. Therefore, industry, and in particular the mining industry, must comply with strict environmental criteria so that their operations do not cause pollution of water bodies or groundwater. We need to create stricter regulations and improve their enforcement. We need to promote responsible waste management and invest in advanced water treatment technologies. By protecting our water resources, we ensure a cleaner and healthier environment also for future generations.

Mr President, free cheese is only in a rat's trap, according to an old Russian proverb. Since 2014, Russia has secretly diverted hundreds of millions of euros to foreign political parties and candidates in an attempt to influence political content. Apparently, Russia has achieved its goals. An effective way to fight corruption in politics is to make election funding fully transparent. If the donations to the electoral fund exceed 150 euros, the donors should be notified by name to the election funding supervisory authority, which keeps a public register of the candidates' election funding income and expenses. In this case, the representatives of the media would have the opportunity to monitor whose interests the politicians primarily represent in decision-making. Campaign ceilings should also be set for the size of electoral campaigns, so that the temptation to attract large financial flows is not too great.

Mr President, it is important to carefully review the experience of the Pandora Papers and other revelations in order to focus in the future on the most effective and efficient methods in the fight against tax evasion. When the richest people in the world don't want to pay taxes, they can easily find experts who help with tax avoidance. Four large audit firms control almost 90 per cent of the tax advisory market. It is essential for the public interest that experts from these companies are not used as public sector consultants when creating new tax regulations. The ‘revolving door’ phenomenon often shifts from the public sector to the private sector. For example, the former OECD Director of Taxation and former Commissioners have shifted to monetary tasks in the private sector. I do not at all believe that different paid cooling-off periods prevent public interest information from being leaked to companies. Tax avoidance shifts the tax burden from large companies to small companies and to the side of personal taxation. There is a high degree of injustice in tax evasion, which undermines public confidence in the fairness of society. Tax avoidance in the Member States could be effectively prevented if interest, royalties and service charges were made wholly or partly non-deductible for tax purposes. Extending withholding taxes would also be an effective way to raise more tax revenue.