Debate contributions by Irena JOVEVA

Mr. President! More than 15 years of delay, inequality and the debt the European Union owes to its people. Such a long blockade of the horizontal directive is not a technical stalemate, it is a first-rate political absurdity and, in essence, a conscious decision that creates inequality as a legal fact. Millions of people across Europe remain unprotected in access to housing, education, goods, services simply because of who they are. And that's not a coincidence. This is due to our indecisions, in fact. This directive is not an ideological project, it is not protectionism of minorities, it is a minimum of equality. However, the Commission almost withdrew it in February. It is a great indicator of how quickly fundamental rights can disappear. And while the far right openly attacks equality and human rights, civil society is fighting for them, and they are the ones who have essentially stopped the withdrawal of this directive, not us or the fabulous political will. The hierarchy of discrimination must fall. The beginning is clear: adoption of this Directive. This will be a test of our values, after all, we have been learning about it for more than 15 years. That was enough.

Mr. President! I absolutely agree: We need to adapt the legislation to make it more coherent, to eliminate duplications and to make it easier for our companies to do business. It's in everyone's interest. But the way you approached it is not suitable and, above all, will not have the desired effect. Because you combine certain things where they are incompatible. Otherwise, I am glad that you took our Renew letter into account and removed from this digital package at least those really most controversial amendments. But the main problem remains. You loosen the fuses and widen the door for storing AI systems with Europeans’ personal data. And this will hardly help European startups who tried to comply with the rules, but it can be a gift to American giants. So it's like customs, but here as a currency, you're offering the data of our citizens. Apparently for free. Yesterday, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce was direct. He said: "We only lower tariffs on steel and aluminium if you water down your laws for our tech companies". And that is why I would expect directness and sincerity from our side. The privacy and fundamental rights of Europeans are not traded. It's a dot.

(The speaker spoke in a non-official language) It's in Serbian, but something should sound familiar. That's what the regime in Serbia called the people on the streets: Nazis. Let that sink in. Do you know that Novi Sad literally means 'new now'? The protesters' wish is simple: a new future. Not tomorrow. Not after another round of no doings. Now. So now get this grotesque irony, this theatre of power: those ordering the beatings called the beaten 'Nazis'. They invent fake students, 'Ćacis', while the real students bleed for democracy. And here comes the truth: the real students are the ones teaching us all the real lesson of courage. It's our turn to teach one back. To the students: we stand with democracy, with you. To the autocrats in Belgrade, your time of impunity is ending. Targeted sanctions should come to every single one responsible. Oh, and don't rush with those textbooks you promised, because your lesson by force is over. History will grade you. (The speaker spoke in a non-official language). We will see soon enough. I choose justice, I choose Novi Sad, new and now.

Mr. President! "There are crooks everywhere you look." This is a quote from Daphne Caruana Galizia and this quote gives a good description of the situation that still prevails in Malta years after her murder. She was telling the truth, exposing corruption, demanding accountability, everything that should be taken for granted in a democracy. And as her actions were resoundingly resounding, so is her murder, but yet justice is nowhere to be found. Those who pulled the trigger are in jail. Those who gave the order are at large and those who obstructed the investigation are still in their positions. And what does the government do? She's withdrawing the flower from her memorial site. The Commission's findings show that progress is not, which is completely, completely unacceptable. No corruption case has resulted in a final conviction, and journalists are still working in a hostile and dangerous environment. It is a European problem because the whole Union suffers without punishment. Therefore, it is high time for action, to change the situation that Daphne has warned us about, and not to let the thief be where our lives are decided.

Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues, for years, many of you sat here watching Gaza burn, debating, condemning, expressing concern – doing absolutely nothing. You watched the genocide and didn't dare to call its name. You spoke of principles and delivered none. We failed the Palestinians. We failed the world. We failed humanity. 'Recent peace agreement' is the title of this debate – a peace for whom? Is there a ceasefire – or is there, as Francesca Albanese said, 'you cease, I fire'. The mutual hatred between the far-right and Israel, and Hamas feeds them both, while the innocent pay the price. 'The role of the EU' is also in the title – where is the EU, indeed? Just yesterday the Commission presented the new Pact for the Mediterranean, preaching stability and security while blatantly favouring the aggressor and just symbolically addressing Palestine. Is that the role we want to play: watching human rights – humans actually – being erased and the world burn? All violations of the agreement must mean sanctions, isolation, consequences. So just act. Better late than never, but never again this late.

Mr President. Mental health is not a luxury. It is a fundamental human right and, above all, dignity. In the past mandate, the Commission presented a European strategy for mental health, which is not bad, but – frankly – not enough. Mental health doesn't start in hospitals, you know. It starts in societies that give people security, stability and opportunities. So we need real action: stronger social safety nets, accessible housing, reducing poverty and inequality, protecting against burnout and integrating mental health into the European Pillar of Social Rights. Today more than ever, when our societies are increasingly dependent on algorithms and artificial intelligence shapes our lives and our emotions. Artificial intelligence has led to the end of a teenager's life due to incorrect counseling. A teenager. This is also why action at European level must set clear rules and mental health must become a measure of the success of our Union. Because only a Europe that cares about mental health is a Europe that really, really cares about people.

Madam President, now or never. Not tomorrow, not next week. Now or never. This is the moment for everyone who still defends the atrocities committed by the State of Israel in Palestine, to prove that there remains somewhere inside – I hope – a spark of humanity. Sure, I welcome Trump's ceasefire plan, but only barely and only because it is less grotesque than the so‑called Middle Eastern Riviera plan that he had. But where in this plan are the mechanisms for protection of Palestinian people and provisions safeguarding their further displacement? Instead of unification of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, there is de facto separation of the two. Also, let's be honest, plans alone do not bring justice. Words do not stop bombs. Speeches do not feed starving children. The international community has failed to act when it mattered most, so it must not fail now with holding Israel accountable. So, I say again, colleagues, now or never. Let us prove that we are not just commentators or witnesses to tragedy, to a genocide. Now or never to stand on the side of humanity.

Thank you, I will do my best to speak in Croatian. I'm sorry, he's going to the other side, but I'll do my best. I never support nationalism. Never have. I do not support those who are ready for home, nor do I support any others who are so combative in their nationalism that they sometimes forget that in fact, this past is not the most important, but rather a more beautiful future for people. And that's not just for Serbia. You know what I mean? Thank you.

Madam President. "We are following the situation in Serbia very closely and we are really very concerned." This is the official line of the leadership, i.e. the President of the Commission and the Members. But they're blinking. Waiting for it to pass? Somebody else dies, maybe? I don't know. But I know that there is no understanding, no responsibility, not even the slightest gesture of solidarity with people on the streets. Because it is easier "up there" to ignore the brutality of the regime than to press on it. The protesters are persisting, but of course they are losing trust in the Union. And we are losing those who still believe in this Union in Serbia. Those who blink, therefore, tolerate violence and stifle hope for a better future. And not just theirs. Because, you know, that hope may one day be needed in your countries, too. Will you then remember the rotten compromises and even more rotten silence? I'll remind you. Even without deeds, words without deeds are betrayal. (Speaks in a language other than an official EU language)

Madam President! Listen to me, colleagues. This report is a report on the European path of one candidate country. The paths sprinkled with too many thorns, and the paths of the nation, which has been humiliated and imposed so many times, are still better than many within the Union. All honor to the exceptions. This report is not a report on the right to the existence of the Macedonian nation, the Macedonian language or Macedonian identity. Although, of course, I do not mind this part of the text in the report; I support him and will not vote for his deletion, but I must be fair and say to the Macedonian people: I know it hurts. Personally, too. But do not accept the narrative of a politician who will say that the European Parliament has thereby deprived you of your identity or language. Because it's not true. To those of you who say this because you want everything but justice, I say: The Macedonian language is authentic. Your experiments are modern fiction. An identity that has survived for centuries will not disappear because of one vote or your lobbying. (Speaks in a language other than an official EU language).

Mr. President! The European Media Freedom Act is one of our greatest achievements from the previous mandate. It was also caused by the attacks of the Janez Janša government in Slovenia on the STA and on RTV. I'm sorry. And if you experience this, you know how important it is to have European safeguards. But the problem, as is often the case, is that the law is not enforced as it should be. It is precisely a month until the day when the law fully enters into force, but Member States are preparing too slowly for this. I therefore urge you, the Commission's officials, to bring the matter before the Court of Justice without delay and to enforce the law. Since media freedom has in fact regressed in many parts of the Union since its adoption, I mainly target Slovakia, and the media are not immune from attacks by the authorities anywhere. The freedom of the media is the same as any other freedom. When you suffocate her, it's hard to get her back. And you only realize the importance of freedom when you lose it. There are many important articles in the text of the law that make it possible to protect the media from undue state pressure, private interests or technological giants. All that is missing is the courage, and above all the courage, of the Commission to stand up to these pressures.

Madam President. Wars are raging around the world, genocide, the liberal order of the world order is falling apart, rights are disappearing, equality is a myth. Free from Draghi: a slow agony awaits the Union without change. What are your colleagues doing on the right? Using abusive procedures, they bring to the European Parliament a historically inaccurate resolution that would rewrite the post-war period in Slovenia, the period from the 1980s onwards, with the hands of neo-Nazis and neo-fascists. Political cynicism of the lowest rank. The fact that the resolution is confirmed, for example, by those who question Slovenian territory with an anthem in Styria, and, for example, by those who shouted at a concert in Croatia at the weekend that they were "accompanying". Slovenian "patriots" therefore love their home so much that they would sell it, and even replace the historical facts. They are "accompanying": they have started a revision of history, they will continue to destroy all the good in the Union. That's what they call achievement. I call it a disgrace. Let them be "modified." But they can't change the past as needed. Not on my behalf, nor on behalf of the Republic of Slovenia, and never on behalf of the Union.

Madam President, finally, with the title of this debate, this Chamber is officially acknowledging what some of us have been shouting for years: what's happening in Gaza is genocide. To those of you still refusing to see it and still hiding behind courts or legal formalities, you are not only complicit, you are shameless hypocrites. You are dismantling the very legal principles you so proudly aim – or claim – to uphold. You let the screams from Gaza be drowned out by Israeli attacks on Iran. What a coincidence, right? Just when the pressure on Netanyahu is mounting. And then the audacity: some of you still dare say Israel has a right to self-defence in that context. In what context? The Israeli army is shooting at people lining up for food. These aren't stray bullets in the fog of war. This is deliberate, cold and calculated. They've turned the little humanitarian aid into a big, deadly weapon. Stop being complicit. Impose sanctions on Israel. If not, you are still greenlighting the genocide, because when only one side has an army, military equipment and weapons, it's not a war, it is a massacre.

Mr President, the Middle East is gripped by conflicts, genocide, suffering, injustice, driven not by ancient rivalries, but by ongoing impunity, military aggression and systematic denial of human rights. Israel's ongoing assault on the people of Gaza, the legacy of its attacks on Lebanon, and its aggressive posture across the region are not isolated incidents of self-defence. They form a broader pattern seriously threatening regional security. This time it's Iran with an important addition: Washington's or rather Trump's footprints all over it, furthering escalations with ominous messages. Yes, Iran is an important Russian airline, but violence is never a solution, is it? Mahatma Gandhi said it best: 'Even when violence appears to do good, the good is only temporary. The evil it does is permanent'. And while some still speak about self-defence, it is so obvious who poses the greatest threat to the stability of the region. So if the EU really wants a peaceful diplomatic solution, then it's time to finally draw the line against this aggressor too, starting with the suspension of the agreement with Israel and with respecting the ICC ruling now.

Madam President. Our Rule of Law Report for the past year has all the key highlights necessary for the functioning of democracy and trust in our institutions. So: independent justice, anti-corruption measures, media freedom, free functioning of civil society, equality before the law. And yes, the reports on the rule of law are great - on paper. It usually stops at recommendations instead of following up on infringements. Actions by the Commission should be faster and asset freezes should be systematic. Slovakia, with Fico at the forefront, is a typical example of the European Union being too lenient – again. I'm not going to talk about Hungary at all. But, okay, I will not just criticise, but I welcome the clear direction in the report for new tools in defending the rule of law, especially this clever conditionality, with which money would flow directly to the people despite the freeze, because they are really not to blame for the actions of illiberal governments. They have been harmed: first because of the freezing of funds, and then when dangerous populists finally kidnap the country. But don't just keep it on paper, please.

Mr. President! Boosting the economy for greater competitiveness – this is the main political direction of the current mandate. All well and good, but, dear colleagues, the economy stands on people, on the work these people do every day. And if we do not take care of them, we are faced with burnt-out workers and workers who remain at home, with a health system that covers the consequences, and with companies that are losing this lauded competitiveness. As many as 84 million Europeans are experiencing mental health problems. This is statistics. I believe that there are actually more of these people, and many of these problems stem precisely from poor working conditions, most often from the complete blurring of the boundary between the profession and private life. Digital presence 24/7 is becoming the norm. An eight-hour workday on paper, but in practice an immeasurable time without disconnection, without peace. And in the end, people who live worse after all this work. That is why I really want you, Commissioner, to propose a directive on the right to disconnect, which will set minimum standards to protect the health of workers. For healthy workers are not a cost, they are the foundation of Europe's future, and only in this way will we really be able to fulfil the main political direction also of your commission, that is, to stimulate the economy.

Madam President, colleagues, nothing – and I mean nothing – justifies the human suffering in Gaza. The starvation, the killings, the genocide; no one should be able to turn away from that. Yet, that is exactly what has been going on. In the world, in Europe, in this House, the majority stood by while the situation in Palestine got worse and worse and worse. Meanwhile, some of us insist, and some of us have been demanding that the EU act for years now. Today I can finally say our pressure was not for completely nothing. So, the EU will review its association agreement with Israel. In my opinion, there is nothing to review. Israel is in clear violation of Article 2, so the only thing to do is to suspend the agreement. However, the intention at least is a good political signal – a signal that will sadly have no impact on the people in Gaza. We have to act not to review documents, not to raise concerns. We have to be clear and tell the Israeli Government: 'End this madness or face sanctions.' It is the bare minimum, because the 'never again' is now.

Mr President. Gold passport schemes, i.e. investments in return for citizenship, have also been a practice in the European Union. It seems to me unacceptable that this was even possible, let alone that it could take so long. Cyprus abolished it in 2020, Bulgaria two years later. Malta, the last country to use it, must now put an end to it. And that's it - at last. What has been done with these schemes? It put a price on citizenship, but it was mainly money laundering and corruption that was made possible. Citizenship should not be cheap, not cheap, but cheap commercialization. Citizenship is the inalienable right of a person, arising from the connection with his or her country, from the rights and duties from and to his or her country, as well as the identity of the individual himself or herself. So the decision of the European Court of Justice, which has made these practices illegal and can no longer be abused, is absolutely in place. Because you become a citizen legally – including in European countries. Respect our culture, our laws and our values, not our money. There will be no more gold passports. Next step: Do the same with gold visas.

Mr President. Systemic corruption, worsening repression, sound cannon, expulsions, police violence, arbitrary arrests. Regime attacks, therefore, targeted at those who are simply fighting for the values that we in the European Union are supposed to embody. I do not support the rule of law, justice and democracy on paper. Do not underestimate the seriousness of the situation. Do not allow authoritarians to sit on two chairs and manipulate. Dear Commissioner, the continuation will be for your superior. Maybe she'll understand me better if I try something like this this this time: “You have committed to implement reforms, in particular as regards the fundamentals of the rule of law and democracy, as you have just said. And you have shown that your words are followed by actions." That, Mrs von der Leyen, you said to Aleksandar Vučić. Do you know what happened eight days later in Novi Sad? Ignorance kills, Madam President. Literally. They should be an example of European values. Then prove it, too. Words are followed by deeds, right?

Mr President. What do a resident of one Nordic Member State and a resident of, say, one Mediterranean Member State have in common? Both are citizens of the European Union and both should be guaranteed equal social security. Well, it's not. This is because the Union does not have sufficient competence in this area. A truncated sentence, but unfortunately true, until in some other areas it is not. We are only putting competences at the forefront today, as some people see fit. We also loosen the rules, as some people like. An illustrative example: the recently presented Union Preparedness Strategy. The basic treaty clearly excludes the possibility of financing the military, but a possible way has been found around by allowing Member States to borrow. So yes. We also need this kind of flexibility and this kind of will, or above all, in social Europe. Joint procurement of medicines to make them accessible to all, quality jobs with decent pay, securing finance, implementing the Pillar of Social Rights. I really hope that the Commission will pursue this and do something about it. Not because it fits some, but because it has to fit everyone. The fact that there will no longer be this huge gap between two people, each from their own part of Europe – one unrelated to physical distance.

Mr. President! The United States has decided to strike a severe blow to liberal democracy by ending the financing of independent media. Radio Free Europe, but also Voice of America, Russian Medusa, Belarusian Belsat and many others, just where people need it most. Why do the U.S. do everything it does? With such questions, even if they are in place, we do not solve anything. Let's try this. How can we fill the vacuum when we can no longer rely on the US for democratic ideas? Some of you talk a lot about the military, even about weapons, but too often, unjustifiably, much more effective, soft power is overlooked. The Soviet Union fell without a bullet, with the help of Radio Free Europe. It is therefore in the interest of the European Union, of course, to support these independent media. But let's also look beyond the press, on the web, where public opinion is increasingly being formed. We are losing the information battle against authoritarian regimes. Not just outside the EU. I mentioned Voice of America, do we still remember Voice of Europe? We need to fight false narratives more vigorously. We may have lost our ally, but democracy remains our most powerful weapon.

Madam President! Dear colleagues! The first 100 days of the new Commission were marked by a turbulent geopolitical environment. The new US administration has shaken the rules-based order of the world. I really do not want to be too critical because I firmly believe that we urgently need to work together in the European Union, but these last 100 days have once again confirmed that we need radical reforms of the Union's action towards greater efficiency. And in practice, in addition to a few Commission proposals, we have not moved anywhere in recent weeks, while competitive forces can turn a lot upside down in one day, and so can we. The proposals on urgently reducing energy prices, increasing investment in technology and measures to increase the competitiveness of the European economy are absolute steps in the right direction, but I fear that they are not ambitious enough and too late. Now is the time for more decisive action and the European Union still has ample room for manoeuvre. There is, of course, a lack of political will and of the Member States finally realising that national interest is intertwined with the strength and unity of the Union. I agree with the unification of the European army and common sources of funding, but this should not mean neglecting other areas. We need investment in infrastructure, energy and, above all, in people. This is the European Union's best defence.

Madam President, and then there was darkness. And then we reached the point where a person – a human being at least – has no words left. Not even someone who, despite the darkness, clearly sees what is happening. Someone who will never turn a blind eye, who will never sway their position, who clearly and loudly speaks about facts. The fact is that after Israel once again cut off electricity to Gaza, nine out of ten people no longer have access to safe drinking water. Nine out of ten. The fact is that after Israel once again halted the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, the genocide is only escalating. Generations are being wiped out before our eyes. And still the powerful are turning a blind one or worse. If those of you who had even a shred – just a shred – of humanity in you, you would not look away. You would not excuse the inexcusable. You would do something that should have been done long ago. You would deliver.