Speeches

The issue of instrumentalisation of refugees at the EU's eastern border is a problem that we have not been able to solve for many months. Poland, Lithuania and Latvia need EU support, but the proposal for emergency measures discussed today could have very inhumane consequences. Under European law, refugees can lodge applications for international protection with the guards they encounter. However, the Commission's proposal aims to change this. It is difficult to even imagine how we can expect a person who wants to submit an application, a person who has lived in the forest for months, is starved and frozen, on the verge of exhaustion, to be able to reach the nearest application point, which may be 20 or 30 kilometers away? What the Commission calls "a more structured handling of applications" will in practice mean fewer applications and an even larger cemetery in the border forests. There is also considerable controversy about the possibility of speeding up the border procedure, which is actually an endorsement of, for example, the Polish ‘export law’, thanks to which the Polish government, contrary to international standards, disposes of immigrants by preventing them from re-entering the territory. You are trying to get rid of the problem with this EU project in white gloves, disregarding our fundamental values, which include respect for human dignity and human rights.

Madam President, Madam Commissioner, the Russian invasion of Ukraine had an unintended consequence: it turned the Arctic region, which for decades has served as an area for peaceful cooperation, into yet another area of geopolitical competition. The European Parliament recognises this shift by making several important recommendations on how to increase Europe's security. We need to invest in our capabilities in the Arctic – including underwater drones and sea-floor mapping – in order to detect potential military activity. But Russia is not the only threat in the Arctic: so is climate change. The Arctic is one of the fastest-growing warming regions in the world, and what happens in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic. Improving Europe's military capabilities and implementing ambitious climate policies go hand in hand. Only a comprehensive approach can give us a chance for a safer future for all Europeans.

Madam President, I'm sorry. These words must be resounding from the European Parliament today: Lukashenko is a dictator, usurper, Putin's footstool, and his place is not in Minsk, but in The Hague before the International Criminal Court. The second thing is extremely important: We have been, are and will always be on the side of the Belarusian people. The Belarusian people, who 5 years ago exceptionally proved their dream of an independent, free Belarus. They paid the price for it. Half a million Belarusians had to flee Belarus. In total, more than 60,000 people have been imprisoned since 2020. One such person is Ales Bialiatski, not yet mentioned today, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who must work six days a week in a camp in a penal colony. His health is deteriorating every day. We must do everything to ensure that everyone imprisoned by the Lukashenka regime is finally and finally free. Žyvie Bielaruś!

Madam President, the message from this House must be clear: Russia will pay for the destruction of Ukraine. Law experts have confirmed that the confiscation of the frozen assets from Russia would be legal. But the reparations loan proposed by the Commission is the second best option. Either way, one thing must be clear: those who violate international law, commit war crimes and destroy civilian infrastructure must bear the consequences of their actions. Of course, we have to guarantee that Ukraine continues to have the right military equipment, opposite to the friends of Putin from the right part of this Parliament. But we also cannot forget about the reconstruction of Ukraine, which is estimated to cost around USD 1 trillion. This reparations loan would be an opportunity to lay the foundation for a more inclusive and resilient society. Imagine Ukrainians going to a newly built or reconstructed school or a hospital, and seeing a sign that says 'financed from Russian funds thanks to the European Union'. This is how Europe should act.

Mr President, High Representative, when the Colombian peace agreement was signed in 2016, it brought an end to half a century of terrible violence and destruction. It was a remarkable achievement. The situation ahead of the upcoming presidential elections is already very tense and polarised. What this House should do is to offer our condolences to the families of murdered Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay and other victims of violence. But what we need to do also is to support the Colombian authorities in their efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice, fight against criminal organisations and to build a real, sustainable and just peace. The EU has to play a constructive role in Colombia, and I want to thank the High Representative for her words on that. The people of Colombia should not be paying the price for this Parliament's political tricky games on the situation in Colombia: what we should do is to focus on how to bring peace and stability instead of accusations and allegations, and I call on all my colleagues from different political groups to do so.

Mr President, Commissioner, Minister, thank you very much, colleagues, for voting today my and Mr Farantouris' report on SDGs. We go with a strong mandate finally to the UN meeting in New York. But with five years remaining to implement the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development, the world is on track to achieve only 17 % of the targets. We are falling short of trillions of dollars, euros, whatever. We are unfortunately losing a lot of opportunities, and as the UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, the conference was not about money, it was about investing in the future we want to build together. He was right, because we know there is no plan B for SDGs. That's why we need to seize this opportunity and start implementing policies. I fully agree with Minister Bjerre: we have 'compass', we have 'pathway' and now we need 'delivery'. This essential for us. This is the obligation, because the promise of SDGs is that no one must be left behind, and we need to deliver.

Madam President, dear colleagues, the Sustainable Development Goals is the only plan for the future of humanity, the future of our planet. It's the biggest project humanity has ever undertaken. Agreed by 193 countries, there is no Plan B. The European Union has to show its leadership on the global stage, and openly and vocally recommit to the SDGs. I would therefore urge all of you to vote in favour of this report. The European Parliament cannot afford to attend a second UN conference in a row without a political mandate. The credibility of this House is at stake, and the world will be watching whether the EU can still be considered a reliable partner. It's a great compromise. I want to thank all the shadow rapporteurs and, of course, my excellent co-rapporteur, Nikolas. Thank you very much.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Ales Bialiatski, Maryia Kalesnikowa, Ihar Łosik, Viktor Babaryka, Andrzej Poczobut: These are just a few of the names on the list of more than 1,150 political prisoners that Lukashenko's brutal regime continues to illegally hold, locked up in inhumane conditions. A few kilometers from the border with the European Union, the Lukashenka regime still maintains Europe's last penal colonies, tortures people and rapes women in 2025. That is why we, as the European Union, cannot forget the most forgotten nation of Europe, as Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya says. We can't stand idly by. That is why I appeal to High Representative Kai Kallas, to all foreign ministers of the European Union countries: Let us stand in solidarity with Belarusians and Belarusians. Belarus is our neighbour. Belarus is part of Europe. As long as Belarus is not free, Europe will not be free. It's a live Belarus!

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, I'm sorry. I wanted to say, first of all, listening to this debate, that I would not be here today if it were not for Radio Free Europe. I remember from my mother's story that when I was in the early '80s. Radio Free Europe was one of the few media we could listen to in Poland, free media, my mother learned about the nascent Solidarity movement – the largest movement in the history of people of good will who dreamed of living in a free country, in a free Poland. And these people, people of Solidarity, listening to Radio Europe, have led to the fact that today I live in a free Poland, that today Poland is part of the European Union and the Polish flag, like the flags of other countries whose societies listened to Radio Free Europe, can be in this room today. And that is also our duty. The European Union cannot leave Belarusians, Russians good or bad will dictators. Free media should also function in these countries, and it is our duty not only to finance them, but to support them from every possible position.

I would like to thank the Honourable Member for taking such an emotional approach to this matter and here he is telling us how to change it. Please join us. I think that here it is worthwhile that we all, beyond divisions, protect every citizen and every citizen. As far as EU law is concerned, it is worth noting that the European Court of Justice has ruled on this matter. The absence of such regulation is not only a violation of treaties, but also a violation of fundamental human rights. Therefore, Commissioner, I thank you for this initiative, which I understand Mr Rzońca will support.

Madam President, thank you very much. Valentine's Day tomorrow, February 14th. Unfortunately, not everyone in this Equality Union will be able to celebrate this holiday. We still have better and worse citizens in the European Union. We still have families in the European Union that do not have equal rights. We still have 2 million children in the European Union who are not protected. The European Certificate of Parenthood wants to change that, it's a good direction, and that's why I'm surprised, I'm really surprised, the right wing is so hateful about what you've always supported - protecting the family and protecting children. This is about the safety of the child. The point is that when his parents are in a situation that is not regulated by law, it would simply be the most normal child in the world to be safe. Nothing more and nothing less.

Madam President, the new Trump‑Musk administration is making things clear: this is a government by the oligarchs, for the oligarchs. Those disastrous decisions on climate, health and development aid will cause immense suffering for billions of people. But this is exactly the moment when the EU has the chance to step up on the global stage. Yes, it is our moral duty to defend our values, to act in line with the Treaties. But I hope that the Commission President, High Representative and Member States understand that it is also in our self-interest to show leadership on those issues – for a number of reasons. First, it is obviously an illusion that we can isolate ourselves from climate disasters, new diseases, and the consequences of humanitarian crises. Secondly, at a time when Europe's image has suffered in the countries of the Global South, this moment represents a unique opportunity to prove to our partners that we are their reliable allies.

I fully support your statement, but your colleague from Renew just proposed that there should be a referendum organised on abortion. I never found any referendum in our political culture, you come from Slovakia, I come from Poland. We never organised referendums on human rights, whether it's on abortion or death penalty. I fully agree with your group to put abortion in the Charter of Fundamental Rights. I want to know then, in your opinion, whether you support organising referendums on human rights or whether putting it as a right, which should be not questionable even in referendum?

Mr President, thank you very much. Madam President, thank you very much. Kesaria Abramidze was one of the first women in Georgia to openly talk about her transsexuality. Her struggle for equality was a daily effort. She believed that step by step she could build a better tomorrow. Unfortunately, tomorrow never came. Her life ended tragically, just a day after the Georgian parliament passed a law hitting the LGBT community. Her murder is, among other things, the result of policies that exclude and divide. Kremlin-style anti-LGBT laws aim to demonize those who are already marginalized. Let's be the voice of the marginalized. Let us fight against hatred, against discrimination, against injustice. Let us fight together with our Georgian brothers and sisters who are courageously protesting against Putin's anti-democratic law. In this House too, let us build a community open to all, so that Georgians know that their place is where their home is in a democratic Europe.

Mr President, thank you very much. The women's hell continues. The barbaric anti-abortion ban is in force in Poland, Malta. Women's rights are also being restricted in many countries. Of course, this initiative of the Renew Group is extremely important. I am only appealing here that colleagues from the same group in Poland hear your voice, because it is this group in Poland that blocks, among others, good changes for good law allowing women to decide about their lives and health. The ban on abortion has its real repercussions, but discrimination against women and girls unfortunately continues in many other areas as well: in the economic, social and cultural spheres when it comes to global challenges, which is why we need a European Charter of Women's Rights. I call on the European Commission to start work on this important document in the next term. It cannot be that in 2024 we have standards in many different areas in the European Union, and we still do not have a single standard when it comes to women’s rights. We have to change that.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Colleagues and colleagues! The European Union has set standards on a number of issues. We have one standard for e.g. license plates, we have one standard for pet rights, we have one standard for bananas or carrots, but to this day, unfortunately, we do not have one standard when it comes to LGBT+ people. It is absurd, it is a shame that in 2024, when we introduced standards really in so many areas, we are still in the European Union discussing whether LGBT-free zones should apply or should we use reparative therapies? Do LGBT people have the same right to love as others? Commissioner, really, for the future Commission, another challenge is to introduce also a single standard for equal rights for all without exception.

Mr President, dear Commissioner, colleagues, thank you very much. Next month a delegation of the FEMM Committee will go to New York to represent this Parliament at the 68th Commission on the Status of Women organised by the United Nations, called, in short, the CSU. This is the biggest inter-governmental body dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. This year, the conference will focus on achieving gender equality through addressing women’s poverty. It will also focus on gender budgeting and gender mainstreaming. The principles that we, as the FEMM Committee, have been asking to fully incorporate into the works of our institutions for a long time. We will go there with a good message. As a representative of this House, we can say that we have fought hard and adopted some key files this term, like the Pay Transparency Directive or the Women on Boards Directive, to name just a few. Yesterday we also finalised the negotiations on the Directive on Combating Violence against Women, which is a great success and a revolutionary law coming from our continent. All this shows that we, as the European Union, are global leaders when it comes to fighting for gender equality. Remaining to be a global leader it is the fight and achieving true gender equality in our union should be our shared ambition and our joint commitment. But dear colleagues, we still have a long, long way to go. The European Institute for Gender Equality tells us that, at this pace of progress, it will take us 60 years to say that men and women are truly equal in our Union. It is a long time, but dear colleagues, at last year’s CSW, we learned that globally it would take around 300 years to achieve gender equality. 300 years! This is completely unacceptable. It sounds like it cannot be true. But then, when I think about it, even here in the EU, recent data shows that 95 million people live at risk of poverty, and that it is women that are more likely to end up in this tragic situation. The gender pay gap is still at 30 %, and women are still under-represented in the decision-making bodies, including this House. And I could go on and on and on colleagues to give more examples. This is why on this international stage, we must show our joint commitment to this fight. We must remain global leaders in gender equality policy, and this we can only do when we are united. Unfortunately, dear Commissioner, I do not see the Minister, but in the past that has not been the case. We as European Parliament have been sidelined in the past during such high-level meetings. We did not even receive access to the EU position document ahead of the negotiations. We like to say as European Union that we are all Team Europe, but sometimes it seems that we are split Europe and it is really, again, a shame. That is why we address those questions to the Commission and the Council to present us a clear plan of our Union in this matter. How can we ensure that we continue to adopt relevant legislation helping women and girls in the EU and worldwide? How how are the principles of gender mainstreaming and gender budgeting implemented in the EU? And how can we ensure that we, as the delegation of the European Parliament, are fully involved? I underline fully involved, Commissioner, in the negotiations and conclusions during this year’s CSW. Side by side, united Team Europe with the representatives of the Commission and the Council. If we are to show strong global leadership of the European Union as representatives of this great Commonwealth, we must act together.

– Madam President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, hate speech and hate crimes are our shared European problems. It is clear that with the internet and social media hate does not stop at any borders. It becomes widespread. It becomes our European problem. This is why we call again on the Council to take the decision to add hate speech and hate crimes to the list of EU crimes. I am disappointed that this seat today is empty. What is more, we need to ensure that sexist and gender-based hate speech will be explicitly defined in the legislation that will follow. Today, 52 % of women and girls have experienced online crime, including hate speech and sexual harassment. Women and minorities are targeted in the real world and online by individuals and as well by well-organised, far right and anti-gender movements who work to undermine our European values. Tolerance and respect for one and another are principles that all Member States share with each other and therefore tackling hate crimes should be our shared common responsibility.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Living in law, not merchandise. Why is that? Because, among other things, 70% of Poles cannot afford credit. Over the last decade, average rents in the European Union have increased by 19% and house prices by as much as 47%. People must have a place to live without spending three-quarters of their wages. We take for granted the right to health protection, good education and the environment. It is therefore time for Europe to take responsibility for meeting our basic security need when planning our future – the right to housing. Such a vision of housing policy is possible. I did it as President Slupsk. It is being implemented by more and more local and regional authorities in Europe, which must finally start receiving appropriate support from the governments of the Member States. That is why we need a European plan to build low-rent housing. We did it in Słupsk, Włocławek or Vienna – we will do it all over Europe!

Mr President, thank you very much. The hypocrisy and cynicism of the PiS government reached its zenith. On the one hand, PiS pisses on poor people who are stuck on the Belarusian border, feeding politically on their misfortune. On the other hand, he sells visas to the left and right like lettuce in a stall under Polish consulates. Today we have to be clear: PiS created the visa mafia, which violated the security foundations of Poland and the European Union. There is a mafia in every country, but Poland has become the first state ruled by the mafia. Law and Justice politicians turned out to be cynical traffickers of the safety of Poles and Europeans, their work stability and the safety of children. I would like to remind you that every day almost one hundred thousand Poles commute to work in Germany. Find your passports in the drawers, because soon we will need them because of the stupidity of the Law and Justice party. In 2007, President Lech Kaczyński introduced Poland to the Schengen area. Today, he would burn with shame if he saw his brother demolish Poland's interests in Europe. Poles want to feel that the government cares about their safety. Poles want to be in the Schengen area. Poles want to be in the European Union. We're about to testify to that.

Let me first address my colleagues on the right, it seemed to me that adult men no longer believe in fairy tales, in monsters, and I am surprised that colleagues here in this room talk so much about gender ideology and the gender monster. I am astonished to accept this, especially since your sons are listening to you. And violence starts with words, and then unfortunately we have what we have. So I appeal for common sense to my colleagues here. My speech was supposed to be for less than a minute. In the European Union, one woman experiences violence in less than a minute. That is why this convention is so important and I am, of course, very pleased with its ratification. But I still wonder why, as the European Union, when we have unified so many things, we have common roaming, we have common license plates, we have one standard for cucumber and carrot, we still do not have one definition of rape. Why is this happening? That's a very simple definition. ‘No’ means no, only ‘yes’ is consent. Sex without consent is rape. After all, this definition is very simple. As parliamentarians of the European Parliament, when working on a new directive, we must finally standardise this once and for all, like many other things in the European Union, because it affects more than half of society and it concerns human rights.

Mr President, first of all, congratulations Janusz for your work – excellent. I have been involved in the works of the budgetary procedure for a few years, and now I must say that from the position of the FEMM Committee, it resembles ‘Groundhog Day’. We repeatedly called for the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme to include separate gender-related budget lines, with no success. We called for the Daphne programme resources to increase the special budget for gender-related issues, but with no success. We continued to call for the connection between attacks on the rule of law and worrisome backlash against gender equality and women’s rights in the EU, and attacks on LGBTI+ people will be connected to the budget issues, without success. And what’s most important, we repeatedly call for gender equality perspective to be fully integrated into all policy areas, at all stages of the budgetary process. Yet, the European Court of Auditors found again that gender mainstreaming is the least successfully implemented overarching policy priority, again and again and again, without success.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Fundamentalists ruling Poland know that for Polish women freedom and the right to decide about their lives and health is like air. That's why they'll do anything to cut off the air. They attack, they push their knees, they harass. As a result of their actions, at least 6 women died: Iza, Anna, Justyna, Dominika, Agnieszka, Marta. But we know there could be more victims of the barbaric ban. Yesterday's show trial against Justyna Wydrzyńska, a human rights defender who provided assistance to another woman, is a show tailored to the Belarusian Lukashenka. Justyna is the first person in Europe to be convicted of helping with abortion. But Justyna's not a criminal. Justyna is a heroine who will become a symbol of the fight for women's rights. Justyna is like millions of Polish women. She is steadfast and will continue to fight. It's unstoppable. However, Polish women cannot go alone. Once again, I appeal to all the European institutions for solidarity. After all, Polish women must have the same rights as Finnish, Spanish and French women. And one more thing. The prosecutor accusing Iza said that giving that phone number was a crime of aiding and abetting. Therefore, I am proud to take part in this crime and give a number that saves the lives and health of millions of Polish women. The Pole hasn't died yet.

Mr President, Commissioner, minister, dear colleagues, as you are aware, in March, a delegation of the European Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, which I have an honour to chair, will attend the 67th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women called CSW. This year’s CSW will focus on innovation and technological change and on education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. The gender gap in digital access and skills persists, with women remaining digitally marginalised. Growing gender inequalities exist in terms of access to connectivity, digital education and skills, as well as access to technologies, preventing women’s economic independence and empowerment. However, when women and girls do have access to Internet, they also face online violence and experience different forms of cyber harassment. This is why it’s of the utmost importance that the European Union shows strong leadership and takes a unified position on the importance of empowering women and girls in all their diversity and achieving gender equality in the digital transformation. In light of the current backlash against gender equality happening across the EU and worldwide, we must take strong action to unequivocally denounce attacks on women and girls and support calls for the standardisation of women’s rights. We need to ensure that all women and girls can finally enjoy equal rights. But this can only be achieved if all EU institutions – I stress, all EU institutions – cooperate and speak with one voice. Therefore, I want to use this opportunity to call on my colleagues from the Commission and from the Council to ensure the full involvement of Parliament and the FEMM Committee in the decision-making process concerning the EU’s position at the 67th session of the CSW, and to guarantee that we are properly represented, which was not always the case at the events and high-level meetings organised during the session. We also repeat our constant calls, which have not been always heard, for this Parliament to receive adequate information and access to the EU position document ahead of the negotiations. Given this, on behalf of the FEMM Committee, I would like to ask whether first the Commission can provide details of the main points in the European Union position for the UN CSW 67 and on how Parliament’s priorities will be incorporated. Will the Commission grant Parliament access to the EU position paper on the preparation for the 67th session? How will the Commission ensure a stronger coordinated EU approach and ambitious and robust commitments, including specific measures to promote real, real progress towards gender equality? How can we adjust our policies to improve widespread access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics? Secondly, what can be done to accelerate the implementation of the international commitments already made? What new measures are planned against the effects of digital marginalisation and against their disproportionate impacts on women and girls? Taking into account all forms of discrimination with specific attention to gender-based violence, including online violence, of course. What concrete actions through the relevant future EU strategies and policy processes, including budgetary policies and collection of relevant gender desegregated data, are planned? Specifically, what steps will be taken to mainstream – really mainstream – the gender perspective in all real regular prevalent EU policies and programmes? Thank you for your time and I count on your fruitful cooperation in this regard, finally, and for the future.