Debate contributions by Evin INCIR

Mr President, dear colleagues, dear Commissioner, acts of gender‑based violence, hate speech and disinformation are not only attacks on women; they are also a direct assault on democracy. The far right and their cronies stand as central culprits in this cynical trend, and pro-Kremlin groups attack women, journalists, politicians and anyone who supports women's rights. These acts of violence and disinformation frame feminism as a conspiracy meant to destroy traditional values. But let us say it like it is: these heinous attacks are committed by men that fear progress, gender equality and the fall of the patriarchy that has kept them all too comfortable. And obviously also women who hate women on the far‑right side. I had the honour of being a rapporteur for the directive on gender‑based violence, which addresses this issue. We must call out the actors responsible and ensure the swift and strict implementation of this directive, and intensify the work in candidate countries to align their legislations with ours. Attacks on women in politics must be seen as gender‑based violence, and must be seen as an aggravated circumstance.

Mr President, Commissioner McGrath, colleagues, disinformation is a real threat to our Union, to all of our democracies, and to our peace and security. It is a cynical, but effective, tool used by hostile foreign powers as well as right-wing political parties, unfortunately. The troll farm in Sweden, for example, belongs to the Sweden Democrats – a part of the ECR Group. It was exposed earlier this year and is a troubling example. Such activities, echoed by far-right movements across Europe, use disinformation and misinformation to spread lies and manipulate to try to influence our citizens during, for example, election times. Yet social media platforms also bear significant responsibility for this use and for this issue. Their algorithms prioritise engagement over truth and often allow disinformation campaigns to thrive unchecked. So not only do we need to ensure the Digital Service Act is quickly and ambitiously enforced, but we also need to ensure that social media platforms take their responsibility. The year is 2024, and even criminal gangs can recruit young people into organised crime. This is unacceptable.

Mr President, Madam High Representative, colleagues, at last, the brutal regime of Assad has been consigned to the dustbin of history, and the dream of democracy that sparked the 2011 revolution is emerging. For a democratic Syria to thrive, it must embrace diversity and equality, accommodating the hope of all its people – whether it is Arabs, Kurds, Christians, Sunni, Shia, women or men. And foreign powers like Turkey and Israel must cease their unlawful actions that violate Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity. International law must apply equally to all. I urge the EU to raise its voice against this violation, particularly as the upcoming US under Trump may disregard established global rules in this process. As we speak right now, Turkey, alongside its SNA terrorist allies, is attempting to invade the Kurdish city of Kobane – a site pivotal in defeating ISIS. The international community's understanding of the situation in Syria is being tested right now. It is unacceptable for a NATO member and an EU candidate to engage in such behaviour. A united front from the EU and NATO can send a clear message to Turkey about the limits of tolerance. To avoid missteps, the EU must support democratic allies, particularly the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, which has fought for freedom and played a crucial role in combating ISIS. High Representative Kallas, Syria stands at a crossroads. Dialogue among all factions – especially democratic ones – is essential, and Turkey and Israel must halt any violation of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Madam President, first and foremost, I want to start by thanking you for your vital work, EU Ombudsman O'Reilly. In these challenging times of backlash against fundamental rights and democratic erosion your role as a strong EU Ombudsman with integrity has been crucial. Transparency and access to documents are essential for democracy, protecting against corruption and authoritarianism. Unfortunately, the Commission and many Member States have consistently failed to meet these expectations. The Commission has excessively restricted access to documents and missed legal review deadlines in 85 % of cases. Even President von der Leyen has denied public access to SMS communication with a pharmaceutical CEO, overlooking that content defines a public document, not the medium. Even a pigeon – a message sent by pigeon – would and should have been seen as a public document. It's disheartening that Member States refuse to resume negotiations on the regulation of access to documents. The situation undermines the trust in the public institutions. It undermines the trust in democracy. Once again, I want to say thank you for...

Madam President, 'in all actions involving children [...] the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration' is stated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Despite this, children continue to face significant challenges, and government responses are lacking. Eurostat reported that in 2023, 24.8 % of the children in EU were at risk of poverty or social exclusion. Additionally, there was 1.3 million reports of child sexual abuse in the EU that year and many children are being recruited into organised crime. How a society treats its most vulnerable is a measure of its humanity. While all Member States have ratified the convention, we must move from words to actions. We need to implement an EU-wide strategy to prevent child recruitment into organised crime; hold social media platforms accountable to ensure we protect children from online sexual abuse and recruitment, and ensure that all Member States provide provides housing, education, healthcare and basic needs for all children so that achieving one's dreams is not dependent on parental welfare. And finally, I want to say to the far right here, there is one sick ideology in here, and that is your ideology that is depriving so many children their right to be themselves, that even leads to...

Mr President, 'Jin, Jiyan, Azadî', 'Women. Life. Freedom': these three Kurdish words resonate deeply, instilling fear in the Iranian regime. The words embody the strength, the wrath and defiance of women across the whole of Iran. That is why the regime is so afraid. Women, girls and other groups in Iran need our support. We must strive to be at least a bit as brave as they are. In September 2024, the Iranian regime approved the oppressive protection of the family through promoting the culture of hijab and chastity law. These disgraceful measures must not go unchallenged. We must impose sanctions on those responsible. Colleagues, the Iranian regime is on edge and so is also the Turkish – recently, the slogan 'Jin, Jiyan, Azadî' was banned in Diyarbakır, my birthplace. This is unacceptable, especially as the EU Member States remain silent. Let us be clear: our priority should be democracy, peace and adherence to international law. If we fail to defend these principles, we will face grave consequences. You cannot pet a snake and expect not to be bitten.

Madam President, the latest developments in the Baltic Sea have highlighted the growing threat from Russian hybrid attacks, particularly targeting critical infrastructure such as undersea cables. Attacks from Russia and other anti-democratic countries against our societies are increasing, and their dreadful actions constitute a form of covert warfare. Hybrid threats know no borders, which means that Sweden and our neighbouring countries need the strong support of the EU to handle the situation. A threat to one of our countries is a threat to all, unless you are Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in Hungary. It is shameful that we have a government in one of our Member States that acts as Putin's lapdog. It is a shame he can continue holding the EU presidency. At the same time, criminal gangs are being recruited by third countries to carry out terrorist attacks as part of hybrid warfare. We must take strong actions and utilise all of the EU's resources to protect our collective security.

Mr President, gangs across the European Union are recruiting children and young people. Society has failed our children. Growing up in the district of Bergsjön in Gothenburg in Sweden, I loved my community, but we faced challenges I wouldn't wish on anyone. Already in the 1990s, we witnessed schoolmates being recruited. Today, in 2024, the situation has worsened, with even younger children being targeted and involved in violence. Children are killing grown‑ups. Children are killing children. New technology has made also homes unsafe and a place for the gangs to recruit. Gangs, exploit digital platforms to recruit children using influencer tactics and emotional manipulation. They frame illegal activities as challenges or missions, giving kids a false sense of purpose. We must act now to ensure that every child belongs in school, not on the streets with weapons. I urge, therefore, to the Commission to create a strategy to prevent the recruitment of youth into organised crime. Additionally, we need to hold the digital platforms accountable for protecting our children's welfare and to ensure the security of the whole European Union.

Mr President, let's be clear about the actions of some individuals and political groups in here. It is hypocrisy to question the ICC arrest warrant. It is shameful that the far-right groups and the conservative EPP attempted to block this issue from today's agenda. I expected such behaviour from anti-democrats, but what justification does the EPP Group have? The ICC arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, former Defence Minister Gallant and Hamas commander-in-chief Deif should not be questioned by anyone. It is an obligation of all our Member States to implement it. It is their obligation – not question it, by anyone. Respect for international law must be maintained consistently, regardless of who is the aggressor and who is the victim. And as far as I know, there is not an international law for Israel and another international law for the rest of the world. There is no difference between perpetrators and those silently and actively watching people being killed. Don't forget that silence is to be complicit. Stop defending war crimes, for God's sake!

Mr President, colleagues, I could shout at the top of my lungs, but it wouldn't compare to the cries of women and girls suffering right now. Women and girls face various forms of violence throughout their lives, including physical violence, threats, psychological violence, sexual violence, socio-economic violence. The reason for this? We are women and girls. We are female. Each year, over 2 300 women in Europe are killed by their partner or ex-partner. In our European Union, 31 % of women are survivors of physical or sexual violence. In the EU in 2015, more than 90 % of rape victims and 80 % of sexual assault victims were women and girls, while nearly all perpetrators – 99 % – were male. Behind each statistic is a person whose life, freedom and dreams have been shattered. Colleagues, it has been an honour to lead the fight for the EU's first and historic directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence along with so many strong feminists, but this is just the beginning. However, it is shameful that some Member States rejected the inclusion of consent-based rape legislation. While I expected misogynistic policies from the far right and national conservatives, it is particularly disgraceful that those who claim to be feminists have acted against the inclusion. One major obstacle was President Emmanuel Macron in France. Only 'yes' means 'yes'. This must be stated clearly and enshrined in law. The horrific experiences of Gisèle Pelicot must mark the turning point in recognising the necessity of consent-based rape legislation in France and across the EU. Colleagues, we need a Gisèle Pelicot law: legislation that ensures that only 'yes' means 'yes'.

First and foremost, I think Charlie Weimers knows himself that what he just said were lies. But I'm happy that he's condemning his own party colleagues, because it's actually the first time I've ever heard a Sweden Democrat take responsibility and condemn the antisemitic words that have come out of many of the leading figures in the Sweden Democrats. So thank you for daring to do that, Charlie Weimers.

Mr President, on the Socialists and Democrats, and on the Left bench and the Green bench, we are being very, very clear. We have been condemning all kinds of hatred: antisemitism, islamophobia, anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab, all kinds of hate. I haven't heard Charlie Weimers or his friends with one word condemn any, any of those points that we have raised. You said you want to take citizenship from some people. Would you, say, deprive your own party colleagues of their citizenship, those that have made antisemitic comments also? It's a concrete question.

Well, first and foremost, I didn't compare anything; I just said what happened. I also clarified that any kind of hatred – verbal or physical – is unacceptable. And those that have committed crimes need to be put on trial and need to be convicted – and be put in jail. So I didn't compare. But one thing that is for sure is that I haven't heard one word from anyone from the right side to condemn the anti-Palestinian or anti-Arab hate that has been spread by some of the Maccabi hooligans. I have been clear on the condemnation of antisemitism. Can you be clear on the anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab hate speech?

Hate and violence has no place in our Union. When we say 'never again', it must mean 'never again'! Nie wieder! Nunca más! Aldrig igen! Our Union must be a place where all people – Jewish, Arabs, Muslims, Palestinians, Israelis or anyone else – can live in peace and freedom. The behaviour showed by Maccabi hooligans, characterised by anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian hate speech and vandalism – taking down the Palestinian flags and singing awful songs glorifying the murdering of people in Gaza – is completely dreadful. The horrific violence that followed – which was driven by antisemites actively searching for Jewish people, and screaming antisemitic insults and physically abusing people – was heinous. Hate and violence must be condemned with the strongest terms, prevented and combated. Furthermore, it is unfortunate that the far right has exploded this situation to promote once again their own hateful agendas. Hate and violence cannot be countered with more hate and violence. It is essential that law enforcement is equipped with the necessary resources to ensure that all crimes are met with judicial trials and convictions.

Madam President, Hungary ranks 31st, Bulgaria 30th, Greece 29th, Croatia 28th, Romania 27th, Poland 26th, Slovakia 25th, Italy 24th, Cyprus 23rd. Following this, Malta ranks 22nd among the EU, EFTA and North American countries according to the World Justice Project's Rule of Law Index. Now, let's discuss corruption and the rule of law in the EU as a whole, even though the EPP and its far‑right allies seem disinterested in addressing these issues, likely to avoid drawing attention to the many countries that they govern that rank lower than Malta in this index. Instead, they attempt to exploit our democratic platform in here, in the European Parliament, to score political points. The murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia should not be politicised for gain. Such behaviour is disgraceful. The EU Rule of Law Report for 2024 clearly states that Malta faces challenges and concerns regarding the rule of law, and no one disputes this. Much more must be done to guarantee media freedom and the rule of law. The same must apply in all countries with all different governments, regardless of colour.

Madam President, the last time I checked, it's not the man who carries the child. It is the woman who carries the child. So the person who carries the child has the right to decide what the person does with their body. Nobody else – you or any other person – has the right to choose for that person what to do. And don't forget, there is really a special place for women who don't support other women.

Madam President, colleagues, it's outrageous that we continue to face backlash regarding our rights, women's rights within the EU. What we choose to do with our bodies should not be dictated by men or women that hate women. No woman has ever sought to control what men do with their bodies. So why do we still encounter this outdated mentality and obsession with regulating women's autonomy? The report on Poland's abortion laws highlights the severe discrimination faced by women in Poland and the immense suffering and challenges imposed by the laws in the country. To all the women haters here who believe they know better than us women what we need: how are you any different from the mullahs in Iran when you seek to imprison and punish women simply for wanting independence and the right to make decisions about our own bodies? These laws in Poland target women specifically, stripping us of our bodily autonomy. Enough is enough.

Where hatred and threats against our religious groups in Europe primarily come from is very, very clear. It's from your group and like-minded people. If you listened to what I said at the end, I said: All hate is hate and is unacceptable and we must be able to have multiple thoughts in our heads at the same time. I condemn all forms of hatred, including against Christians. Do you condemn the hatred of Muslims and Jews?

Madam President, I would like to thank you for your Religious people, especially Jews and Muslims, feel unrest and fear in our Union. The extreme right and other dark forces are actively working to contribute to this. It feeds this fear and division. The extreme right wants to spread and normalize its worldview that hatred of certain people is acceptable and that there is a difference between people and people, that there is a difference between people depending on their country of birth, skin color, ethnicity and religion. This is the ideology of the far right. These forces and ideas are threatening to society and have already historically ruined the whole of Europe. Just under three weeks ago, I stood here and condemned the Swedish Democrat Richard Jomshof, who was then Chairman of the Justice Committee in the Swedish Parliament, when he had been notified of the suspicion of a crime by sharing racist images of Muslims. I then urged the Moderates, Liberals and Christian Democrats to stand up for what is right and to end their cooperation with the Sweden Democrats. That didn't happen. What happened instead was that Sweden's prime minister, the moderate prime minister Ulf Kristersson, chose to reduce the vulnerability that Muslims are exposed to. He said in an interview that there is a difference, that anti-Semitism is worse than Islamophobia. A prime minister who is the prime minister of all must be able to have two thoughts in his head at the same time. All hate is hate.

Madam President, colleagues, the proposed legislation in Iraq is a disgrace and yet another proposal to limit women's and girls' rights. Thirty thousand girls are married off every and each day globally. One out of five girls are already married. Girls are not brides: girls are children and should be playing with toys, not giving birth and satisfying a man. We live in a world where gender equality is on backlash: our bodies, our voices, our lives, our existence are still not in our hands today, regardless of if we talk about the Middle East, Europe, South America, North America, or Asia. Patriarchal norms, a medieval mentality, cemented gender roles, poverty and lack of respect of children's rights: the reasons are many, but the consequence is the same – a violation of our fundamental rights as women and girls. Iraq risks taking a step towards a gender apartheid, as in Afghanistan and Iran, with this new legislation. The Iraqi people are very clear: over 73% strongly oppose this evil proposal. The Iraqi government should listen to its people and consign this proposed legislation to the dustbin of history.

Madam President, I would like to thank you for your While young people in rich areas of Sweden and the EU engage in the use of illegal drugs, the justice system targets almost exclusively those who supply the drugs, who often live in less affluent areas. To effectively prevent and combat drug-related crime, society needs to address both demand and supply. Without demand, there is no supply. Drug sales, which are largely run by wealthy people, feed the gangs and lead to gang wars. It has also led to the recruitment of children into crime. The EU urgently needs to put in place a task force under Europol to fight drug and arms smuggling more effectively. It should cooperate with Eurojust and Frontex and bring together top experts across Europe to provide support and coordination for operations. And the EU needs a strategy to prevent and combat the recruitment of children into gang crime. Drugs and gangs pose a threat to our democratic societies, and kill. Today we even see children killing children. Children should play with toys and have fun, and not sell drugs and carry weapons.

Mr President, the situation in Sudan is urgent: millions of people are facing unprecedented suffering due to the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis since the outbreak of the armed conflict, and especially the recent escalation in Khartoum and El Fasher. The humanitarian impact is one of the worst in the world. Over 10.9 million people have been driven from their homes, and out of them, 2.9 million have fled to neighbouring countries. Access to food, water and healthcare is severely limited and the most vulnerable, including women and children, bear the brunt of this crisis. We should enhance our humanitarian aid effort, ensuring that assistance reaches the most in need, in particular women and children. We must also advocate for an immediate ceasefire and support a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Women are playing a key role in local peace and mediation efforts, and we stand in solidarity with them as part of the social-democratic feminist foreign policy. Furthermore, we must hold accountable those who perpetrate violence against civilians and violate international humanitarian law. We can do so by supporting the ICC Prosecutor's investigation into apparent war crimes and other atrocities in Sudan. There is also a critical need to strengthen civilian protection mechanisms and programmes in the country.

Madam President, colleagues, transforming talks about peace into actions has maybe never been more urgent now than for long. The Summit of the Future that took place on 22 September was therefore welcomed and urgent. It is now time to go from words to action to turn the Pact for the Future – which include intensifying diplomacy to peacefully resolve conflicts and disputes – into concrete actions. As a Swede with Kurdish roots, I know too well how oppression and wars affect a people, a society. Wars and conflicts are on the rise. We need to ensure respect for international law and the norms-based international system, and increase multilateral cooperation, so that we can find a shared solution for challenges we face today and will face in the future. As a Swedish Social Democrat, I'm proud that my former party leader and prime minister of Sweden, Stefan Löfven, has been one of the driving forces in preparing the Summit and the Pact. We have a long way in front of us to ensure peace and security, but the work must start now. I want to end with quoting Olof Palme, another former Social Democratic Party leader and prime minister of Sweden: 'No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it.' Colleagues, it takes our joint effort to create peace and security.

Madam President, in comparison to Ms Teodorescu Måwe, I don't make any difference between suffering and suffering. Hamas' terrorist attack on 7 October last year was heinous and rightly condemned. Can you condemn Netanyahu's actions? Killing over 40 000 Palestinian people, over 40 % of them women and children? Can you condemn those pictures of mutilated bodies that we constantly see in the news after news? Can you do that? I condemn Hamas. Can you condemn Netanyahu?

Madam President, Gaza, Gaza, Gaza. Despite Netanyahu's tentacles in our Parliament's efforts to silence discussion on Gaza by taking 'Gaza' out of the title of today's debate, we Social Democrats will keep repeating: over 42 000 Palestinians have been murdered by Israeli bombs and tanks in Gaza alone. More than 1.9 million people are displaced, and even Israeli-claimed safe zones are not safe from bombs and tanks. Why is it so difficult for some to acknowledge that war crimes are taking place? Hamas terrorist attacks on 7 October last year were despicable and rightly condemned. But Netanyahu's heinous attacks on the entire Palestinian population are equally reprehensible, and so is the over 50 years of occupation. Images of the mutilated bodies of children, women and the elderly should horrify us all in here. The lives of Palestinian children deserve the same value as anyone else's. All this bloodshed, death and suffering, what purpose does it serve? Palestinians, Israeli and Lebanese are in danger. A full-scale war is around the corner if we don't act. No one – not Israel, not Hamas, not Hezbollah or the regime in Iran – is above international law, and the credibility of the EU is at stake.