Speeches

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, because imagined for the first time, the European recovery plan was perceived as politically unfeasible. And yet, we did. And since its launch, the effects on our growth, on our GDP, have been significant. The financing of 'MaPrimeRénov' or the Ségur de la santé in France, the modernisation of hospitals in Romania, high-speed lines in Italy: This is very concrete for Europeans. Nevertheless, these successes are not the result of chance. If the recovery plan is successful, it is because the countries benefiting from it share one thing in common, Commissioner: they have respected the jointly agreed objectives and conditions for receiving this money. Some have embarked on courageous and historic reforms. They respected what they had promised their partners. Today, Commissioner, Poland does not respect the conditions assigned to it, in particular by the President of the European Commission herself – the re-engagement of judges who have been arbitrarily removed from office; end of judicial reform; abolition of the Disciplinary Chamber or any other similar body. And so we in the European Parliament remain determined – and particularly at Renew. Not a single euro should end up in the pockets of those who unravel Poland’s democratic institutions that have been so badly torn from history. The same goes for Hungary, of course. Colleagues, the European recovery plan is a success, it is undeniable. We must now complete it by finalising the own resources for its reimbursement and preventing it from being paid to those who persist in not respecting the values that underpin our Union – the Union that is at the origin of these funds.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Madam President of the Commission, like many of my colleagues, and while I understand a number of your Commissioners as well, I consider that your decision to approve the Polish recovery plan is a political error and an unacceptable renunciation. The question was, however, simple. What concrete progress has been made by the PiS government to return to the rule of law since October, that is, when you yourself set three clear conditions for a green light? Have the independent judges sanctioned by the government regained their seats? No, no. Has the Polish government dissolved the Disciplinary Chamber, which cuts off food for judges applying European law? No, no. Has the Polish government ended its judicial reform that allows it to place relatives of the party? Not yet. Clearly, the conditions are not met, Madam President, for a single euro to be paid to Poland, as the most basic democratic principles are still being flouted. The independence of the judiciary, as I mentioned, the freedom of the press, the rights of all, especially women. The European Commission cannot turn a deaf ear to calls from Democrats across Europe to bend apprentice dictators. It must honour its primary mission: upholding the law and above all protecting our democracies. Madam President, it is your responsibility to the Poles who fight every day for their freedom. I will be, together with my group as a whole, intransigent about the abuses of the Polish government. We were elected in 2019 to fight illiberalism and certainly not to support it.

Mr President, Mr Vice-President, Minister – dear Chrysoula – ladies and gentlemen, every day we look with alarm at the devastating effects of climate change. For decades, leaders have blamed themselves and blamed themselves for their lack of courage. But, since 2019, we have started the necessary reforms and efforts: we have declared a climate emergency, we have negotiated for months for big polluters to pay more and for the most vulnerable to pay less, we are the ones who will finally implement this carbon tax at the borders, because it is no longer acceptable for products imported from the other side of the world to derogate from our environmental rules, and we have ensured that the recovery plan, which invests so much money in the green transition, will not be reimbursed by citizens, but by those who do not pay their fair share of taxes today. Large polluters will contribute, and this is also the case, to tax and climate justice. Our promises are therefore fulfilled here. So let's be very clear: It is now that we are going to see who really wants to save the planet. We will remember that those who oppose this transformation – for whatever reason, for that matter – will be on the wrong side of history. I have no doubt that they will be in the minority in this Chamber – because in the end, who really wants to destroy the planet we live on? Who really believes that our businesses will thrive in an environment that struggles to survive? Colleagues, the climate emergency is everyone's business. It must not suffer from conservatism, demagogy or manipulation. This week will mark a historic turning point in the fight against climate change. Let us be proud to make Europe the world leader in this field.

Mr President, Commissioner, Minister, ladies and gentlemen, every day we send 800 million euros to Putin through our purchases of oil, gas and coal. These 800 million allow him to feed his soldiers and recharge his tanks. As long as we continue, the horrors will not stop. So yes, we must suffocate this war economy and not fuel it. But Commissioner, it is illusory to believe that Europeans will emerge unscathed from this situation if there is no solidarity with those who will be most impacted. I am even convinced that this is the condition for going further. We must therefore pool the costs of this war for our households and for our businesses. If we impose sanctions as Europeans, we must also bear the consequences, as Europeans. But that’s not all: dressing wounds is one thing, anticipating problems so that they do not arise is another. So, ladies and gentlemen, let us take a step back, would we be as much at the mercy of Vladimir Putin if we had undertaken the necessary investments eight years ago, when Ukraine was amputated from Crimea? Wouldn’t history have been completely different today if we had moved away from our dependence on Russian hydrocarbons and even hydrocarbons at all? Yes, there have been strategic mistakes that have been made in recent years. Undoubtedly. This invasion and its consequences must therefore sound like the ultimate alert. So, here I recall my and our conviction: we need to create SAFE, a fund for our strategic autonomy in Europe, a fund to get out of our dependencies by the end of the decade: hydrocarbons, agricultural inputs, critical industries, defence too, of course. It is our responsibility to finally assert ourselves, to finally take our destiny into our own hands. We were elected, ladies and gentlemen, to make Europe a Union that protects: The present times compel us.

Madam President, Secretary of State, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, Viktor Orbán tells us that his electoral victory is so great that it can no doubt be seen from the moon, and certainly from Brussels. So yes, we have been seeing it from Brussels, from Strasbourg, for twelve years now. Twelve years of cleverly building his system to ensure his re-election: prohibited opposition of air time, tailor-made electoral breakdown, disinformation. A further proof, if necessary, that once the extreme right reaches power, it stops playing the game of democracy that it claims to defend. So you, to the right of this Chamber, the friends of Le Pen and Zemmour, yes, you are playing. And you who play the autocrat apprentices, we will remain firm until the end, in this Chamber, in the polls, in Hungary, in Poland, in France too. Because over your lies, because over your destructive projects, our democracies will always prevail.

Madam President, Minister, Commissioner, we all want a strong, independent and sovereign Europe here, but we must not lie either: The reality, ladies and gentlemen, is that we have only a few billion left in our European budget. So redeployments, leverage and everything that can be invented to avoid putting fresh money on the table will not be enough this time. Let us therefore be consistent and create SAFE, a new fund for Europe’s strategic autonomy, just like the recovery plan, to wean our hydrocarbon states, to ensure agricultural independence, to strengthen our armies, to Europeanise all strategic sectors for our future: chips, batteries and semiconductors. Commissioner, Minister, nobody here wants a Europe weakened by a flurry of dependencies. If we really want a Europe that protects and assumes itself in an increasingly unstable world, then we will have to take courageous action.

Mr President, Minister, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, we thought Europe was rid of barbarism forever. We had come out of two world wars with confidence. Never again. Never again the sounds of boots on our borders. Never again tanks invading a European country. Never again are families displaced by the bombings. Peace is never achieved, even on our continent, which has been bruised by the worst atrocities. As I speak, respect for human rights is once again shamelessly trampled on by military personnel blocking humanitarian corridors. Colleagues, we are witnessing a dirty war, a war that Ukrainians are paying for with their lives. By sending missiles, by propaganda, by cyberattacks, Vladimir Putin is attacking a peaceful people, but also our European values and democracies. That is why, until Russia is defeated, we will have to welcome all those who are victims of Vladimir Putin’s crimes. Dear friends of Ukraine, our doors are open to you. Never doubt it.

Madam President, Minister, Commissioner, the Court ruled: Orbán and Kaczyński just lost – unsurprisingly, because, frankly, we all knew that this mechanism was legal – but during that time we lost more than a year. A year when opponents and Democrats were wiretapped with Pegasus, a year when Orbán was able to pass his anti-LGBTI law, another year when Polish political justice banned independent judges. Commissioner, these democratic attacks have been on the rise for more than a decade now, and they are stained with oil. These leaders have become omnipotent; They sit on our democratic principles. When the judges finally agree and confirm that we have the right to act as we have been hammering for more than a year, what does your president say? She replied that the Commission would draw up guidelines in a few weeks' time, based on assessments of the reasons for the judgments and their possible impact. But no! It is now that we must act, because tomorrow will be too late, and because, Commissioner, the day an autocrat sits in your place, do not believe for a single second that he will refrain from cutting funds to pro-democracy NGOs, journalists and those who defend judges. There, we will no longer have a hold on them, and there, it will definitely be too late. So now we're going.

Mr President, Commissioner, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, today we are finally legislating against illegal content, for our online protection, and that is what is remarkable. Europe is the first in the world to have such legislation. We vote for fair rules adapted to the different digital players. We call for a greater fight against fraud, against the sale of illegal products, against counterfeiting. Large digital platforms need to do more to assess the risks they pose to our citizens and reduce them accordingly, of course. Colleagues, I think we can welcome this, because by defining the internet of tomorrow, we are proving once again that Europe, this normative power, can weigh on the international scene against the American and Chinese giants. Here we propose a fairer internet model that guarantees the rights of Europeans, that protects the youngest, that allows the smallest actors to grow. To those who defend a weaker Union, who believe that our treaties and laws are inferior to national law, we are still proving the weakness of their project today.

Madam President, Mr President of the Republic, welcome to this Chamber. Colleagues, we are not here in the National Assembly or in a campaign meeting. We are here in the European Parliament and we are here in the European Parliament to build political majorities to change the lives of Europeans. Not to make the buzz for the presidential candidate. And then leave the Chamber without having received an answer to the question. Clearly, some here have not yet understood this. I do not want this debate, which is so important for our Europe, to be so misguided that it is tainted by bad faith. You cannot both complain that the Presidency has not been postponed and systematically regret that we are not moving fast enough. You cannot claim that France is isolated when your own political groups share the political priorities of this French presidency. You cannot take the European idea hostage for your political calculations. Mr. President of the Republic, you are here in friendly territory. You will find a strong majority there to transform Europe, don’t doubt it.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Europe is investing like never before, and these investments are the guarantors of our economic recovery, but also of our future. And it is this future that investors are optimistic about when they over-subscribe seven times – seven times – the amount of planned European bonds. This means that investors – who feel the economic situation – give their money to the EU without hesitation. Already 80 billion this year, much more in the years to come. Because they know that Europe will reimburse them, because they know that Europe will reimburse them through own resources, as we have collectively committed ourselves to and which are due to be presented on 22 December, Commissioner, I remind you. Because investors know that in 40 years the EU will be there again and again. More and more strong. Because they have confidence, as we have confidence in Europe and its future. Colleagues, the success of this great loan is a failure for sovereignists and Eurosceptics of all stripes. It marks the defeat of their ideas that Europe should not interfere with economic recovery, that Europe should cease to exist tomorrow and therefore not be able to repay. Well, to those, I say: You're wrong. And the attractiveness of this large loan has just proved it again.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, this summit will have the task of coordinating us in the face of our enemies, Omicron in the lead. It will also have the task of advancing our common defence through the Strategic Compass. So, remember. Remember, on March 5, 1953, Stalin died. And then the Soviet pressure started for a moment, the idea of the European Defence Community went away for decades. Commissioner, Minister, it is 15 December 2021, 67 years after a genuine joint force was beered, that Russia has just deployed 100 000 troops to the Ukrainian border. Seven years after illegally annexing Crimea, almost with impunity. History shows us this: not having common strategic autonomy, common defence, has not made us stronger. It has threatened us no less, quite the contrary. So let’s go, because the urgency is there.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the adoption of the budget this year has the scent of victory, that of having been able to release an additional EUR 1.4 billion for vaccination in the most disadvantaged countries. However, it did not go smoothly. As every year, states have found themselves at the negotiating table with their national budget constraints and demands for cuts on health, on environmental protection, on development aid. That is why I would like to recall here that the Member States are also obliged to defend the interests of all Europeans. This is not the only job for MEPs. It is therefore urgent to change software. And this call is also addressed to the Commission, Commissioner. Colleagues, this year marks another victory. And next year, it’s Renew’s turn. Rest assured that we will negotiate even more firmly for a Europe that delivers on its commitments and provides the means to do so. I would really like to thank all the rapporteurs and teams involved in these negotiations.

Mr President, Madam President, Prime Minister, I have listened carefully to you and your explanations – if you can be considered as an explanation – are clearly not up to par. There was a time, not so far away, in your country, when a central power kept the judges a little too free. A time when judges were appointed for their party cards. A time when judgments served to strengthen the power in place. It was the time of the Soviet Union. So, Prime Minister, let's face the reality. Today, the judges sitting in your Constitutional Tribunal have nothing to envy those of that time. Yet in 2004, the contract was clear: your predecessors had done this work of building a rule of law. This was the condition for reaping the benefits of our integration. Madam President, we say stop. Stop impunity. For years, the PiS government, among other things, has been challenging our basic democratic principles. Years of hesitant dialogue have taken us to where we are. So if Europe is no longer able to uphold its democratic foundations through strong and concrete actions, it will have failed in its primary mission: protect our rights. This is your responsibility, Madam President, as you yourself have recalled.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, we hear the sounds of corridors: the Commission would be close to approving the Hungarian and Polish recovery plans. But frankly, are we really going to send the President to shake hands with Viktor Orbán and his Polish sidekick? There are still anti-LGBTI zones in these states, areas that attack the most basic rights of Europeans because of what they are. However, these areas are being dismantled one after the other, thanks to threats of sanctions and, it must be said, to pressure from the European Parliament. It would be absurd to stop halfway, while Orbán has still not withdrawn its homophobic law. I say it all out of go: I will not accept, we will not accept that our values continue to be trampled on and that Europe continues to finance the illiberals. So, Commissioner, I have a simple question: Can the Commission ensure here, publicly, that the widespread corruption put in place by Orbán will stop? Can the Commission ensure that ultra-conservatives will no longer discriminate against their citizens and stop punishing judges, forcing them to retire, buying the media, dismissing independent journalists and enriching their childhood friends with public funds? These conditions are absolutely essential, they are the emanation of our democratic principles and our principles of sound management of public money. This is where we will all be collectively judged when the time comes to take stock. For now, however, what we are seeing are the checks and balances collapsing one after the other. I sincerely believe that Europe is the last bulwark in the establishment of kleptocracies in the heart of our continent. If she does not act, who will, I ask you? Commissioner, I will be very clear: this money is intended for Hungarians and Poles; This is why we refuse to allow Orbán and Kaczyński to divert this aid to enrich their loved ones, and why we refuse to allow them to continue punishing judges who defend fundamental freedoms. Colleagues, 43 billion is the money for Hungary and Poland. These 43 billion will only be returned to them if these governments provide the necessary democratic guarantees. It should not be otherwise for the defenders of democracy.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, empty shelves in supermarkets, a shortage of drivers, crippling administrative paperwork, basic necessities whose prices are soaring... While the consequences of Brexit are hitting the British hard, Boris Johnson voted last week a massive tax hike to refinance the British health system, the famous NHS. The same NHS that brexiters promised to refinance five years ago. Thanks to what? With the end of their contribution to the European budget. Today, the British people are paying for the madness and lies of Nigel Farage, Boris Johnson and other Eurosceptics. They promised them mountains and wonders. They promised them that through Brexit, the NHS would be bailed out. But what a failure! Instead, 12 billion taxes will be needed to keep it afloat. But let us also look at home, because the blindness of Eurosceptics does not only have consequences for the British. At home, too, we suffer from this disastrous choice. So, at a time when Boris Johnson is missing subscribers for all his fellow citizens, we must be at the rendezvous of Europeans. This Brexit fund will aim to help the most affected: to those for whom trade with the UK is so essential, to our fishermen on the front line in the face of Brexit, to our SMEs who are abandoning the UK market. I am pleased that we have reached an agreement on this 5 billion aid. They demonstrate our solidarity with the most affected regions and sectors, without unfairly setting aside any state. I would like to thank my fellow Members, and in particular the rapporteur, Pascal Arimont, for this important joint work. Ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, Brexit is a failure in the United Kingdom, where lies have broken out in the eyes of all, just as here on the continent. So, unlike Eurosceptics, we, however, respond present.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Viktor Orbán tells us that his law is not homophobic. Who are we laughing at here? Who are we kidding? Of course this law is homophobic. Of course it will discriminate against LGBTI people. No one is fooled. Nobody. Your retrograde ultra-conservatism - you here, yours, to the right of this Chamber - undermines the rights of Europeans who demand nothing but to love and live freely. But that is not all. Not content with shattering hopes, you maintain fraud and corruption in Hungary. It is therefore imperative, Commissioner, that the Commission does not approve the Hungarian recovery plan as it stands. Orbán and his cronies cannot get rich at the expense of the European taxpayer. So, Minister, do you really want to put the rule of law at the heart of your Slovenian Presidency? Well, go ahead, uphold the rule of law in Hungary and Poland, uphold the rule of law and beware of joining these governments in their illiberal project.