Debate contributions by Arba KOKALARI

Mr President, dear colleagues, you would think that by this time that fundamental human rights are protected and respected in the European Union. But this is not the case. That is clear in this debate tonight. I want to tell you about Agnieszka from Poland that was pregnant with twins. After one foetus died, she was denied an abortion and forced to carry the dead foetus. Doctors acted only after the second foetus died. But by then it was too late, also for Agnieszka. She died, leaving behind her husband and three children. Agnieszka is not alone. Being denied abortion is the reality of 20 million European women today. So if you are really pro-life, help us save women's lives. And thanks to this citizens' initiative, 1.1 million signatures across the EU, we now have a chance in the European Parliament to send a clear message. So, colleagues, please stand up for human rights. Stand up for every woman's right to abortion and vote yes to the resolution on 'My voice, my choice'.

Mr President, dear colleagues, you would think that by this time that fundamental human rights are protected and respected in the European Union. But this is not the case. That is clear in this debate tonight. I want to tell you about Agnieszka from Poland that was pregnant with twins. After one foetus died, she was denied an abortion and forced to carry the dead foetus. Doctors acted only after the second foetus died. But by then it was too late, also for Agnieszka. She died, leaving behind her husband and three children. Agnieszka is not alone. Being denied abortion is the reality of 20 million European women today. So if you are really pro-life, help us save women's lives. And thanks to this citizens' initiative, 1.1 million signatures across the EU, we now have a chance in the European Parliament to send a clear message. So, colleagues, please stand up for human rights. Stand up for every woman's right to abortion and vote yes to the resolution on 'My voice, my choice'.

Mr President, colleagues, the US and China are running ahead of us in the global AI race, and Europe's prosperity is at stake. Today, we are voting on the first AI report since adopting the AI Act, and it concerns a key sector for AI: the finance sector. Today, we are sending a clear message from the European Parliament that now is not the time for more legislation. Now is the time to make our laws easier to follow and less bureaucratic, and to boost investments. To benefit from AI, we need to apply it in all of society and in all sectors, especially in the finance sector, where AI can be used to detect fraud, to make businesses more competitive and to give consumers better services. So, let's encourage that. Let's build an AI continent that will tell a positive story for the future of Europe, that will encourage innovation, that will enable more possibilities and that ensures that we together build a stronger economy in Europe. It's time now to step up.

Mr President, thank you very much. Saving on the stock market is not just about investing in companies. It is also about people being able to realise their dreams of a better life, about saving for their first home or for the dream trip with their family or putting a golden edge on their retirement. Since the alliance government introduced the investment savings account, ISK, in Sweden, the stock exchange has been democratized. Eight out of ten Swedes are saving in mutual funds and shares today. It has become easier and cheaper for more Swedes to save and improve their personal finances. The Conservatives' election promise in the European elections was to export ISK to Europe. I am therefore pleased that the European Commission has now launched ISK as a recommendation for all EU countries to introduce. It is often talked about how much the EU affects Sweden, but now we are doing the EU a little more like Sweden. So thank you, Commissioner Albuquerque and Commissioner Hoekstra, for delivering, for European small savers and for a better economy in Europe.

I'm not really sure which apps you are talking about, but we have already decided in Europe that transparency is one of the key things in AI regulation – that users and consumers need to understand whether what they see on the screen is AI or a real picture. That is an important principle. But I also think that in Europe we have been focusing too much on being scared of the new technology and scared of AI, because AI will also be the key to combat fraud, illegalities and deepfakes. So I think that technology is the key for a better society as well. We cannot only be afraid of AI, but I think AI is the solution for those problems.

Madam President, dear colleagues, Commissioner Virkkunen, I think it is time for Europe to focus less on other countries and more on helping European companies to grow. Because this is our market, it's our rules and it's our responsibility. Our digital policies play a key role for Europe's competitiveness. With the DSA and the DMA that we are discussing here, we are creating one set of rules across Europe instead of 27 different sets. We're setting a global standard on user rights, on transparency online, on freedom of speech online and on open markets. Now we need to enforce these laws that we already have in place, but we also must become much bolder and faster in creating a business environment in Europe that makes start-ups and tech thrive on this continent. We need to have simplification of the rules, we need to invest in digital infrastructure, we need to enable more data sharing and have faster AI adoption. Because this is what is going to make Europe richer, this is what is going to make Europe independent and this is what is going to make Europe globally competitive. We must understand that we need to work with the technology, not against it, because tech is the future of Europe and AI is the future of Europe.

Mr President, thank you very much. Colleagues. European Commission. Most of us know someone who has been forced to cancel a charter trip, especially during the pandemic. For a family with children, it can be a lot of money. As a consumer, you don't always know what your rights are. However, cancellations of package tours shall not constitute cancellations of rights. Therefore, we are now making it easier for Swedes to get their money back if they are forced to cancel their charter trip due to a pandemic or if the travel agency goes bankrupt. We make vouchers much more attractive. We are introducing clearer information requirements vis-à-vis consumers, and I have pushed for clear rules: strengthening the protection of travellers without imposing excessive red tape on small travel agencies. After all, it is small businesses that are at the heart of the tourism industry in Europe. That is why we here in the European Parliament want travel agencies to continue to be able to charge in advance. This year, the Swedish charter celebrates 70 years, and with an even stronger protection for consumers, there are now even more reasons to choose a package holiday on Christmas or summer holidays.

Mr President, thank you very much. Viktor Orbán has for years committed crimes against the rule of law, most recently through a ban on LGBTQ people's right to meet and meet. The right to live one's life openly and safely is slowly being erased in Hungary. In the midst of all this, and during a burning war, Orban has approached the dictator Putin. This is a betrayal of the Hungarian people and it is a betrayal of the fundamental values of the European Union. It is a betrayal of all those Europeans who have fought for rights and freedoms for generations. The EU is not a leisure club where you can come and go as you please. The EU is a commitment to democracy, the rule of law and the equal value of all people. Human rights and democratic principles are non-negotiable. So Viktor Orbán: It is time to act now or face the consequences in court.

Mr President, thank you very much. Insecurity is the biggest freedom issue of our time, and women's rights are at the heart of that struggle for freedom when one in three women in Europe has been subjected to violence, when Russian soldiers use women's bodies as part of Russian warfare. I want all the girls and young girls growing up in our Europe today to feel that we are standing up for their future and their freedom. Then we must do everything we can here today to support Ukrainian women, to ensure that the Violence Against Women Directive and the Istanbul Convention against Violence Against Women are well implemented. That we stand up and constitutionally protect the right to abortion for all women in Europe and that we introduce a law of consent throughout Europe. History is happening right now, and women's rights and the struggle for freedom are being decided now. Now we need to make sure that Europe is on the right side of history.

Mr President, thank you very much. Lukashenka's dictatorship in Belarus is a disgrace to Europe. For 30 years – for 30 years – he has held on to power by committing systematic human rights abuses, by imprisoning journalists and opposition figures. He has repeatedly stolen the presidential elections, and now it is time for the EU to take a hard line, because it is Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya who is the rightful president of Belarus. We must have tougher sanctions against Belarus. Lukashenka must be held accountable for his atrocities and violence against his own population and for his involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine. Putin hugs and dictators have no place in Europe, and freedom must be defended every day. It is our responsibility for the Belarusian people's struggle for freedom.

Mr President, colleagues, we have war in Europe and we are fighting the battle both on the ground and online. In Romania, we see the results of the Russian attacks on European countries and our elections enabled by Chinese social media platform TikTok. This must be stopped because next year we have new elections in Europe: in Germany, in Denmark, in Austria, in Poland, Portugal, Romania, Ireland, Czechia. It's a long list and they are also under the risk to be attacked by Russia. It's enough now with the fine nice words and the excuses from TikTok. TikTok must follow the EU laws and if TikTok does not take actions against Russian disinformation, we will take actions against TikTok. It's enough now.

Mr President, I would like to thank you. The Single Market has made the EU one of the largest economies in the world with less regulatory burden for consumers and businesses. It has created prosperity, growth and a stronger Europe. We need to take care of this. But the EU's freedom of movement must also apply to the labour market. Today, our citizens – those who have trained as chefs, nurses, architects, engineers – cannot work freely between all EU countries: Despite having received training and qualifications, they are hampered by bureaucratic processes and regulatory complexity, even though they have the experience to do the job. This is a real problem, which very few people talk about. It not only hinders the development of the individual, it hinders the right of our citizens to use and enjoy freedom of movement, to work across the EU. It also hinders companies that need skilled workers. History has shown that free markets bring prosperity. I want to see a Europe that offers more opportunities and prospects for our citizens and for our children. Then we must become much better here at breaking down the barriers to trade and the bureaucracy that are hindering the positive development of our continent's future.

Mr President, I would like to thank you. Abortion can never be taken for granted. When the U.S. goes to the polls, women's right to their bodies is at the center. In Texas, where abortion has been banned, maternal mortality has increased by over 50% in a few years. In fact, we are in the same battle of values in Europe. In Poland and Malta, women are forced to risk their lives when they are denied a safe abortion and the right to basic care. In fact, I have a question for you opponents of abortion here in the European Parliament. How can you claim to stand up for the right to life when women are dying right now because they are denied an abortion? What do you say to the families whose daughters have died because they have been banned from having an abortion? How can you say that you are standing up for democracy when you are against denying half of Europe's population and citizens the right to control their bodies? This is actually insanity. Stop it. Stop interfering in women's life choices. Europe must be on the right side in the fight for freedom and democracy, and we must act now. Therefore, it is time for us to constitutionally protect the right to abortion throughout the EU.

Mr President, Commissioner Vestager, thank you very much. We have put in place a historic law that sets clear requirements and rules for social media giants to stop crime online and protect the freedom of ordinary people online. At the same time as the EU's new digital law, DSA, has entered into force, we see how gang criminals in Sweden are recruiting openly on social media. On TikTok, on Snapchat, on Telegram, they find minors for murder missions. We have Swedish child soldiers hired via online advertisements to commit crimes in Denmark. Thread crime has no limits. It moves across national borders and it moves openly online. What is happening online right now is part of the gang war we see on our streets with major consequences for people's safety. I, as one of those responsible for this law, will push the new European Commission to force these tech giants to follow the laws we actually have in Europe. For now, excuses are over. Now it's up to the tech giants to deliver to end online crime and ensure that social media and our digital lives become a safe environment for all of us.