Debate contributions by Marc BOTENGA

Mr President, Mr Costa, Mrs Kallas, last year the President of the European Commission, Mrs von der Leyen, was in Washington and took some orders. We saw her with her little notepad. How many American weapons do we have to buy? Okay, it's okay. How much of your gas? Okay, okay. And how much do we pay him? It's okay. Total bid. We fell silent when the United States spied on our leaders. We fell silent when they bombed eight countries in a single year, from Venezuela to the Middle East. And even today, while Trump says he wants to annex Greenland, the president of the European Commission comes here saying: But we are still aligned. But Stockholm syndrome, it's powerful, it's very clear. If we make so much carpet, necessarily that we end up on the menu, it does not surprise me. Today, American imperialism has the honesty to say that it is the greatest threat to peace and security in the world. So what to do with it? Unite with others. Americans are powerful, but they are not all-powerful. And all over the world, from Brazil to China, from India to South Africa, the powers of the South are fed up with American imperialism. So let us unite, let us make the United Nations for peace. Ah but the United Nations exists, let's go!

I think the question is not "are we in solidarity, yes or no, with the Iranian people?" That, we are all and also the left. So what you're saying from that point of view is a lie, let's say. The real question I would dare to ask you is this: Why do you mind the Iranians being killed today, but a year ago, when the Israelis killed them, you didn't mind? Why do the Iranians, their dead, today worry you, but the Palestinians, you had no problem leaving them and seeing them massacred? Because that's double standards, sir.

Mr President, it might have been an interpretation problem, but I heard my colleague, Ms Latinopoulou, claim that the left was a cancer for Europe. I would like to have an investigation into these words, because I think that's absolutely inappropriate language that is not to be used. I would like to submit this to the presidency, because if there's one problem in Europe, it's been their complicity with Israeli crimes in Gaza and not the solidarity we have here with all the people. But it's mostly about the formal language. This cannot pass in this Parliament. We cannot treat each other this way, and we will not stand for this kind of fascist intimidation.

Mr President, colleagues, High Representative, we have seen the images, and the inhumane killing of thousands of innocent Iranians is vile, shameful and unacceptable. I hear your call for more sanctions, however, academic literature has offered a damning assessment of European and western sanctions so far. Since the 1990s, Iran developed very elaborate middle classes that became the backbone of a number of reform movements, like the so-called Green Movement. But since 2011, western sanctions have crushed those middle classes, pushed millions into poverty, trapped students, destroyed local businesses, with food prices skyrocketing – and who benefited? The IRGC, the military revolutionary guard that had the networks to control trade, to manage import and infrastructure. So the sanctions weakened the forces of social change inside Iran, fostering inequality, corruption and the militarisation of the Iranian economy. Sanctions do not birth democracy, sanctions breed chaos. Our double standards, as well, have been used against us as an argument. When the US-Israeli strikes killed Iranian civilians, this Parliament failed to condemn it. The Israelis announced covert operations in Iran and we were not able to condemn it. All of that plays into the card of the hardliners in Iran that claim the West cannot be trusted. Dear colleagues, Europe has claimed to stand for democracy in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya. Where do those countries stand now? If we want to support the Iranian people, we need to stop punishing them. Lift sanctions that hurt the civilians in Iran, restore those cultural exchanges and apply human rights consequently to all and everywhere, and we have the United Nations mechanisms to also apply to Iran.

Madam President, Rule 126. As you said, after two weeks of repression, thousands of deaths in Iran, you have banned Iranian diplomats from entering Parliament. All right, all right. But we have been asking you for two years to exclude Israeli diplomats from this Parliament, because they too come here, with the mandate of a prime minister under an international arrest warrant, defend crimes against innocent Palestinians and in fact represent a genocidal state. And now you don't, and I'd like to ask you why. Because the atrocities committed by our allies cannot be worth less than those of others. And just as when you excluded Russian diplomats for Russia's violations in Ukraine, neither can we have a pool at a time when the United States is threatening or violating Venezuela's sovereignty. So, Madam President, I would like to ask you again formally, so that this Parliament retains credibility in the field of human rights: Please deny Israeli diplomats access to these buildings.

Madam President, the European Commission has just invented the concept of ‘selective independence’: We will cut our ties with Russia for gas, but increase our dependence on the United States. If, in addition, it increases production costs for our industry, it also risks weakening Europe, by the way. There is also selective outrage over foreign interference: Russian, Belarusian and other interference is offended, but when a scandal breaks out here about an Israeli strategy to influence courts and cabinets in Europe, total silence. When we read, in the US national security strategy, that the Americans will rely on the extreme right to change Europe, we see here that the right votes quietly with the extreme right to facilitate these projects. Yet you are not criticizing the United States. You say: "Yes, but we want to defend our way of life", but these are your social measures; your economic measures that undermine the way of life of our workers, who are afraid of the price of the cart, who are afraid of the price of energy. You are not defending it, our way of life, you are undermining and torpedoing it. "At least, on the military, we do something," but to do what? Are you going to spend as much as the United States to do the same as the United States? Wars all over the world? Are you jealous of not being able to bomb Venezuela or Iraq? What Europe needs is a very clear thing: a diversification of our diplomatic relations and a position fundamentally different from that of the United States in this world.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, what is being proposed here is a robbery: A whole range of European funds – our money – which should be used to improve the daily lives of European citizens, will be diverted to the service of the big multinationals and the war, to the benefit of their shareholders. Taxpayer money, public funds for technology: at the service of multinational armaments companies. Public funding for research: military projects. Public funds for recovery: in the service of war. Even public funds for transport will be diverted to the service of war. Do you think that today the civil infrastructure in Europe is too good? Do you think trains run too punctually or highways are too good? Look, you'll have to get out of this assembly to realize the reality. The real question that should be asked is: Why, by spending three times as much as Russia and much more than almost any other country in the world, would we not be able to defend ourselves? Either you're lying to us, or there's something behind it: I do not know about incompetence in the management of funds, corruption. But that’s what you need to explain before robbing our public funds.

Madam President, Articles 11 and 213: European newspapers have just revealed, based on Israeli documents, that Israel is piloting what journalists call a ‘true war machine’ to influence cabinets of ministers, courts in different European countries. It is a direct interference in our societies by a third country, and I wonder what the situation is at the level of the European Parliament, because I read that Israel would have tried to organise legal proceedings against a Member of the European Parliament. I know that organizations aligned with the Israeli government organize sponsored trips for MPs and, of course, some MPs use sources provided by organizations also aligned with Tel Aviv. We had two special reports on foreign interference. There has been a lot of talk about Russia, China, Iran, but never about Israel – so that sounds a little weird to me. Now that we know that there is a deliberate strategy by Israel against our democracies, we can no longer turn a blind eye, and then either we make a new special committee or we integrate it into the special committee on the democratic shield. But we must take this subject seriously.

Madam President, yes, I would like to talk a bit about what can almost be called the new ‘Pirate of the Caribbean’. We're not talking about Jack Sparrow or One Piece, but of Donald Trump, who first extrajudicially executed dozens of people in the Caribbean Seas – UN experts have spoken of ‘extrajudicial executions’, so this is extremely serious. We did not talk about it. Today you tell me: ‘This is drug trafficking’; But even the US DEA says Venezuela's role in drug trafficking to the US is minimal. But today we don’t even talk about it anymore. Today, we are talking about the confiscation of a tanker, an oil tanker – and that is oil, it is not drugs – by the United States. I think it is extremely serious because we are starting to steal oil. We are starting to say that we want to control the whole region, all the resources, and here we do not dare to talk about it. It’s still amazing! Colleagues, a little courage. I guess you'll still dare to contradict Daddy Trump on that point. So, yes, Madam President, we want a statement from the Council and the Commission on this aspect.

Mr President, dear colleagues, it's good that we're here all this together to condemn discrimination, unjust imprisonment or, of course, the death penalty. But in order to be credible, I want to address an oddity here, because many of you claim concerns for the right of a religious minority, which is discriminated against or unrecognised in many Middle Eastern countries – Qatar, Yemen, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq and so on. But the only place where this discrimination or the fate of this group interests you seems to be Iran. That's odd, because is discrimination only bad when it happens in a country whose government you don't like? When the discrimination is perpetrated by countries you consider allies, strategic partners, there is no problem. Let us be honest: I don't think your concern with human rights is very sincere. Otherwise, you wouldn't let your buddies violate the human rights of the same minority you claim to defend right now. I also think that we need to be clear that Europe itself is violating human rights in Iran right now. Western sanctions massively violate the fundamental rights of the Iranian people every day – all Iranians. They even limit access to cancer medicines – cancer! Sanctions kill. Yet many of you propose to strengthen them. This is not about human rights. This is an instrumentalisation of human rights that are so important and that takes away credibility from the action of Europe on human rights. If we want to promote human rights sincerely, then we need to start by lifting sanctions and allowing the Iranian people to choose their destiny and to build the country they want.

Madam President, Commissioner, the situation in Sudan has obviously been horrible for years: tens of thousands dead, hundreds of thousands at risk of starvation, and more than 13 million displaced. I see that everyone here has words of compassion, and I rejoice. I have even heard that you are now condemning the Rapid Support Forces, which are responsible for horrific massacres. But it would have been nice to have an ounce of self-criticism, because the same belligerents who are now killing have, for years, benefited from funds or support from Europe thanks to the Khartoum agreements, among others, which were to absolutely block refugees in Sudan and Africa. Even today, between two tearful speeches, there is still support for the United Arab Emirates, for Saudi Arabia, which finances, which supports armed groups and therefore the massacres there. I wondered why. And in fact, there is consistency. When we saw that Rwanda supported the looting of the Congo, we made an agreement with Rwanda. When we saw that the Israelis were going to steal gas from the Palestinians, we made an agreement with the Israelis. Today, we support, we work with those who want to steal the gold, the oil of Sudan. In fact, you like to talk about human rights, but European politics today is based on economic plunder that doesn't care about human rights. And that has to change.

First of all, dear colleague, when you do not understand the language, please don't attack the language itself. I mean, once you study French, you will understand it. But indeed, I do believe that accepting, from the Social Democratic side, working days that are over 13 hours or working weeks that are over 48 hours a week, that is a betrayal of the working class. That is a betrayal of the working class. We do not expect at all that the right or even the far right would ever support the working class. They are their natural enemies; we know this. But from the Social Democrats, we expect their support. And I still expect that the Social Democrats will oppose this text at the vote here and refuse these passages that attack workers' rights.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, what a nerve! All united, happy to celebrate here a text that tells workers that they may have to work more than 13 hours a day, more than 48 hours a week. And all this for the military, in a sector where it is already, thanks to the war in Ukraine, the jackpot for the bosses and for the shareholders. Do you know what fatigue is when you work in a dangerous industry, with explosives, toxic products? No, obviously, you don't know. I'm not surprised that these kinds of ideas come from the right. You are always willing to sacrifice the interests of the workers. But let the S&D group support this, frankly, but what a betrayal! Hand in hand with right... Mr. Glucksmann, don't make that head! No, but frankly? Yes, I know that you would go even further, you, you would even send the workers to death. I understand that when your French general said that we must prepare to lose our children to war, you applauded with both hands. Well, listen, frankly, after four years of war in Ukraine, it's easy to give lessons from your chair. It's easy, isn't it? Why don't you go? Why are you sending the workers' children? Go for it yourself! Go ahead yourself rather than lecture others, Mr. Glucksmann. Frankly, contempt for the workers, we're a little tired of it here. Respect people at the end! You say you are defending Europe, but what are you doing in the end? You are attacking European workers. No, we won't pay the price for your diplomatic failures and we won't give in. Mr Gahler, we will not give up our social rights. Enjoy your privileges here, the workers will make you pay the bill.

Mr President, Commissioner, for decades Europe has been Africa's main partner. European leaders after European leaders have made great promises: Africans have been promised peace, they have seen war, they have been promised prosperity, they have seen poverty and they have seen underdevelopment. For years, we have imposed unfair economic agreements and neoliberal reforms on Africans with great promises, once again. What is the net result today? African economies remain heavily dependent on the export of raw materials – 75% of their exports –, every year Africa loses €76 billion through capital flight and tax evasion, and when they arrive in Europe, even with all their papers and passports in order, Africans still risk being humiliated and sent back to airports. Then you come and whine and say: "Ah yes, but the Africans they're going to see the Chinese." Well yes, that's normal. Africans tell us: "They offer us a better deal, they respect us." Don't whine, you whine, because you still want their resources and wealth. Let's change course. Let's stop despising Africans, stop seeing only their wealth as a source of looting and start, let's launch fair trade and a partnership of equals.

Mr President, Minister, Commissioner, 'I never go on holiday', 'I skip meals so that my children can eat', 'In winter, I die of cold between my medicines and heating': These are some of the messages I have received from people, and it is the reality of part of Europe, about 100 million Europeans who are now at risk of poverty. So on one side you have this Europe and on the other side you have a different Europe, a Europe in particular of arms companies, which today have record profits. Take the German Rheinmetall, who posted a 61% increase in profits the year before, and you see who needs the money. So where are the priorities in this budget? Who's going to get the big raise? Where are we gonna put the money? But above all in the big boxes of armament, those who do not need it. What, do people have to eat tanks? They're going to see fighter jets flying? Ah, it's my pension that steals! It won't work that way. We need other priorities. Let's get out of this European bubble. Let us say it, to these ministers, let us say it, to these commissioners, that it is the people who need this. And for that, let's tax the rich if you need money.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, Israel has killed more than 70 000 Palestinians in Gaza. In total, with the wounded, 200,000 people were affected. That's 10 percent of Gaza's population. Israel now occupies more than half of the Gaza Strip, which is already not very long, it is 42 kilometers long, it is approximately Brussels-La Louvière or Brussels-Antwerp. And what do you come here to say? It is high time to disarm the Palestinians, not just Hamas, and deradicalize the Palestinians, because we must guarantee Israel's security. So who needs security more, the occupier or the occupier? That is the question. And your answer is the wrong one. Congratulations, Commissioner, on two years of genocide, not a single action. Frankly, one day I think your whole Commission will come home filled with shame. Let's be clear: When Russia destroys in Ukraine, everyone wants Russia to pay for the damage. But when Israel razes the Gaza Strip, no one dares to demand that Israel pay. Oh no! Israelis are immune for one reason or another. The reality is that the European Union, the European countries, have been financing and arming genocide for two years. You must be ashamed for the rest of your life.

Today, what is really happening in the Middle East is that Israel is erasing the Palestinian people. Israel is erasing the Palestinian people from the map in Gaza through a genocide, in the West Bank through ethnic cleansing. Are you ready to condemn that? My personal belief is that, yes, we need a Middle East without nuclear weapons. This means take away Israeli nuclear weapons and indeed, get a nuclear‑weapon‑free zone in the Middle East. But it also means that everyone should respect international law and that we cannot have double standards here by talking about Iran, but giving Israel a free pass. Do you condemn Israeli genocide, yes or no?

Madam President, dear colleagues, you say you care about non-proliferation and human rights, but if we look at the Middle East, why do we accept that Israel has a nuclear bomb? This is absolutely unacceptable. You call Iran the main threat, but look at Israel bombing Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen. What else? Qatar recently. Secondly, why did you not condemn or even mention the fact that it was the United States that pulled out of the nuclear deal? It was not Iran. It was the United States pulling out. Finally, why did we not condemn, as the European Union, the illegal US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which made a lot of civilian casualties and which made nuclear diplomacy more difficult, not less difficult. Basically, we are worsening the situation, and we are imposing sanctions that hurt ordinary Iranians, who have more difficulties now to buy medicine and to buy basic goods. We are saying, 'Hey, we're the good guys. We care about nuclear non-proliferation and about human rights.' While our policies do exactly the same. Let us be honest – and I will conclude on this – our policies have only one goal, and that is weakening Iran in order to turn it into a new Syria, a new Lebanon, a new Iraq. That the people of the region will not stand for.

Yes, first of all, please go back and study international law before you mention it. There's a right of free passage, especially for humanitarian aid, so go study and don't come and waste our time with these kind of ridiculous questions. Secondly, in regard to phones, you have one state that has been developing software to spy on Europeans that is committing a genocide in Gaza. Would you hand over all of your private data to them? No, you wouldn't. No one would. So, rather than accuse the humanitarians, as you generally do, start accusing the genocidal maniacs that are today in Israel and are killing Palestinians. But no, you want to shoot on the boats with humanitarian aid. Go shame yourself.

Mr President, Commissioner, in your speech you forgot the phrase 'sanction Israel'. Why do you still not sanction Israel, two years after the explicit request of the International Court of Justice? However, it had indicated that third States were complicit in continuing to finance Israel. Today, the European Union funds Israel through research funds, military funds, the European Investment Bank and its space programme. But you do not sanction Israel. I heard Mme Kaja Kallas declared that the European Union should have its place in the transitional authority for Gaza, alongside war criminals like Tony Blair and Donald Trump. That is colonialism. What we see today in your Commission is an internalization of colonial logic, where you think it is not the Palestinians, but the Europeans, the Americans, even the British, who govern Gaza. I want you to break with that and do one thing: I want you to come back here and say: "Yes, we will propose sanctions against Israel." Israel must be sanctioned today, because otherwise we are complicit in the worst war crimes.

Madam President, representative of the Council, Commissioner, we are being proposed to further reduce the rules in order to complete this wonderful internal market, as usual. We know the chorus. It's been the same for at least 30 years. I want to take stock here in 30 seconds. 25 years ago, the European Commission promised us that with fewer rules and more privacy, we would have the most competitive knowledge-based economy in the world. Twenty-five years later, we are lagging behind not only the United States, but also China. We've been promised better services. Thirty years later, our public services are deteriorating: railways, post offices disappear. Go ask people if it's better now thanks to your market. Industry. In four years we have lost one million jobs in European industry. Congratulations! You talk about posted workers. For many workers, in many factories, this reduction is synonymous with social dumping, because these workers did not get the same rights, the same wages, the same social protection as the others. And what are you coming to tell us today? That with a new European social security system, you will undermine all social security systems? You don't say it, but that's the effect, sir. As you know, the 28th regime is only going to serve one thing: undermine social security schemes, because otherwise you don't need them. And as usual, Mr. Stayé, you position yourself as a watchdog of large boxes. Yeah, big boxes. Yes, yes. But I'm glad you're challenging me, because people outside know that between your rhetoric and their reality, there's a gap, there's a Grand Canyon. Congratulations!