Speeches

Mr President, first of all, thank you Mr Borrell, in the face of cacophony and irresponsibility, you have held the bar high in recent weeks and I thank you for that. Since yesterday, we've had two news. The possible humanitarian truce with the release of the hostages. This is good news and a permanent and lasting ceasefire must be encouraged. And proof that we never funded Hamas. Commissioner Várhelyi, who has reproached the European Union, the administration and endangered European staff, must leave and this is the honour of the European Union. We are audible in the world only when we are peacemakers, promoters of stability, guardians of international law, promoters of human rights. That is our role! So let's demand all this! And we have the means to do that, we are Israel’s first economic and trade partner, the first funder of the Palestinian Authority. We can weigh, we have tools. We must activate the sanctions regime against those who harm human rights and we must demand a lasting peace solution. Two states is the only condition for stability in the world.

Madam President, last year it was Egypt, this year the United Arab Emirates: Look for the error. At COPs, the future of humanity and life on Earth is at stake, but they can be organised in repressive countries – beautiful communication or camouflage operations for their governments that violate human rights. As an environmentalist, I can only raise my voice to defend the great forgotten of this diplomatic ballet: political prisoners. I want to talk to you about Ahmed Mansoor. Ahmed was sentenced to ten years in prison, and had an unfair trial for defending human rights in the United Arab Emirates. It was one of the last to do so openly. He has been held in solitary confinement for six years, and that is unbearable. I call on the representatives of the Commission, the Member States and the Council of this Parliament to: demand the immediate release of Ahmed and other prisoners of conscience from the Emirates. Climate justice and human rights must be the same fight.

Madam President, there are only three words worth saying today: Cease fire. You see, it’s simple, it’s easy. It takes strong convictions and a minimum of courage. So yes, the Hamas terrorist attack is filthy. It has been said, it has been repeated, it will be repeated as many times as necessary, but it does not give Israel the right to do what it does. Israel’s right to defend itself exists: it is, moreover, governed by international law and humanitarian law. But the international community must have the courage to demand that it be respected. It is not a right to indiscriminately kill civilians, it is not a right to target hospitals, journalists, it is not a right to target UNRWA schools, it is not a right to besiege a civilian population, starve it, deprive it of water and electricity. It is not a right to make a Nakba with refugees. As can be anticipated, it is not a right to revenge. Europe is witnessing the destruction of all the foundations of international law without saying anything. It is not up to the task. Let us have the courage to demand this ceasefire immediately, now, forcefully and ... (end of inaudible intervention)

Mr President, three years after the horror of Samuel Paty’s beheading death, France is experiencing another horror with the death of another professor: Dominique Bernard. France is in mourning; National Education is living a nightmare. If our schools are affected, it is not by chance. If this violence strikes at the heart of our Republic, where our young people learn, share and assert themselves, it is because our Republic, our principles and our values are disturbing. When terrorism strikes, it is to kill. And what terrorists hate most, above all, are our values of freedom, equality and fraternity. Islamism is a scourge. Islamism kills. He killed in schools. He also killed near a stadium three days ago in Belgium. Our European societies must stand as a bulwark: they must fight extremism at all costs, they must never get used to it. Here I want to pay tribute, a vibrant tribute, to teachers and educational staff, who have always stood up for the values of democracy, living together, dialogue, and for good reason! Samuel Paty died precisely because he defended secularism and the right of expression and tried to explain it to the obscurantists. So let's be strong and resist. Let us also resist easy solutions, those which would consist in stigmatising the enemy from within. We will defeat terrorism only when we come together. Let us also resist the political forces that are already seeking to prosper from this drama. These tragedies are hitting all over Europe. So what should Europe do in the face of this violence? How can we protect our fellow citizens? It is time to question our approach in depth. That is why I call on the Council and the Commission to take the time to reflect, together with us, and to define a concrete and common strategy, without confusion or denial.

Mr President, I strongly and unwaveringly condemn the terrorist attacks by Hamas, and on the left I resent those who do not, because they allow some on the right not to condemn Israel’s disproportionate response. My ancestors were Moroccan gum trees, they fought Nazism with the Europeans, they gave their lives to liberate my country, France, even though they had not spawned Nazism and had not collaborated with the Reich. Do not make this a war of civilisation between Israel, the West and Muslims. This is what terrorists expect: To generalize war everywhere. We have built ourselves on an ideal of peace. We have to carry this message, but we don't. Europe is not up to the task, it is not audible. The world is deteriorating without us having any influence.

Statement by the Council and the Commission on the Islamist terrorist attack on French schools and the need to protect people and promote social cohesion.

Madam President, last Friday, the French Republic was struck in the heart: at school, where our young people are built, educated and asserted themselves, thanks to teachers such as Dominique Bernard and, like three years before him, Samuel Paty. I therefore propose this debate with the following title, amended to take account of the opinions of other groups: "Declaration by the Council and the Commission on the Islamist terrorist attack on French schools and the need to protect people and promote social cohesion". Our Parliament has a duty to organise this debate and to address the staff concerned. We often talk about our freedoms, our principles, our European values. What will happen without our European Schools? That is why we are proposing this debate. That is why we are proposing this title. This is to make sure that we all live up to the time when I tabled it with an amendment, anticipating the request of a number of groups.

Madam President, inflation, declining purchasing power, the most vulnerable are those who pay the heaviest price for this crisis. As always, as always. Over the last decade, Commissioner, the number of homeless people in Europe has increased by 70%. Every night, 900,000 people sleep on the street. In 2022, almost 2.5 million households in France were waiting for social housing. The Abbé Pierre Foundation estimates that there are 330,000 homeless people in France, 30,000 more than the year before. Faced with this observation, the European Commission can no longer hide behind the fact that housing is not a competence of the European Union. Yes, creating a normative framework to regulate financial markets is possible. Creating a fund dedicated to the fight against homelessness is possible. Allowing access to dignified and quality housing is possible. Europe must act quickly, Europe must do better. This is imperative for the European Social Pact.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner Schmit said: Statistics will never be able to tell the whole truth, all the realities, all the suffering that our fellow citizens are going through in this context of multiple difficulties. And, as has been said, there needs to be consistency between what the European Union does and what we do at Member State level. I regret that President Séjourné is not in this room – since this debate takes place on a proposal from the Renew Group – because I would at least have liked to congratulate him on his sense of timing. This debate is being proposed to us at a time when, in France, Emmanuel Macron and the presidential majority, which sits in large numbers in the Renew Group, are proposing, in a difficult situation, to force the most vulnerable in France to work – I was going to say: ‘to be forced to work’ – 15 hours a week to earn a minimum income well below the poverty line. There needs to be coherence and mobilization. Some figures: People's Relief tells us that 35% of people can no longer eat three meals a day; Restos du cœur are facing a 22% increase in applications from beneficiaries, and the cost of funding this food aid has more than doubled in recent months. We need a major mobilization. That is why Europe needs to mobilise its resources. In the French public debate, a donation of €10 million of a great international fortune was welcomed. But this represents very little given the gravity of the situation. Let us not substitute charity for the necessary solidarity, which allows respect for human rights. Commissioner, the associations are asking us to urgently strengthen European food aid schemes. What do you answer them in a concrete and precise way, here, now? Because in a few months, with the arrival of winter, this situation will be dramatic.

Mr President, Tunisia is now on the European agenda. Is this good news for Tunisians? I don't think so. In any case, not for the democratic Tunisia we dreamed of so much. Commissioner, if your objectives were real, you would not have had to go through this Memorandum of Understanding. There was the Association Agreement, which you could have activated. In reality, this MoU is just an expression of your panic. You see the far right moving forward on the topic of immigration and you gesticulate, you give the impression of acting. And what saddens me is that this mode of action makes us hostage to authoritarian regimes. Every time you hand over the management of our borders to dictators, authoritarian regimes, you make us vulnerable. Vulnerable to build a different destiny with our neighbors, vulnerable on our values and principles. Some, including the EPP President, have called us utopians. Fortunately, our European Union was built on this utopia of peace and prosperity. Tunisia and Tunisians expect something else. Commissioner, you are at odds with history.

Mr President, two billion tax cuts for the middle classes. This is the promise made by Emmanuel Macron last May. A large part of the population must have felt concerned because – I quote – they were addressing French women and men who work hard, who want to raise their children well and who today have difficulty closing the month and are overwhelmed by the taxation of income. In short, we had to understand that the downgrading of the middle class was unfair and that it was mainly due to the help of the poor, who also poorly raise their children. Contrary to what this complex thinking suggests, it is the long-term liberal misconceptions that have accentuated the erosion of the middle classes in Europe over the past decade: the development of non-standard forms of employment, the need for flexibility at work, between overwork to keep one’s job and part-time work, pressure on real wages, these are the real reasons for the deterioration of working conditions and the impoverishment of the middle classes. The gross opposition between social classes trades in populism and should not be the political project of the liberals. The middle classes are finding it increasingly difficult to find a properly paid job, but they are also finding it increasingly difficult to find accommodation. They live alongside the poverty of the working classes, who remain the first victims of the indecency of our economic models. Should we call him back? Not surprisingly, the most vulnerable and an impoverished middle class express their anger through far-right votes. To reduce inequality and consolidate a strong middle class, we need to build a social democracy across Europe. I expect Europe to abandon its liberal dogma and move ahead with its social transformation. I expect Europe to continue its normative work in terms of labour law and protection. I expect Europe to commit to social protection, poverty alleviation and dignity. I expect Europe to provide itself with the means to achieve this ambition with its own resources. It is at this price that we can put an end to the impoverishment of the classes by putting social nets that will be necessary for our living together, all of us in decency.

Mr President, Commissioner, the detonation of the port of Beirut on 4 August 2020 still resonates throughout the Mediterranean. Lebanon, which was recovering from conflict, was again shattered, again bruised by its inner demons – not the sectarian clash, this time, but the rampant corruption, the lack of sense of responsibility of its leaders, the complicit laissez-faire of their international supporters. As a result, Lebanon is experiencing incredible corruption and crisis. Inflation reaches 330%, and a family has to spend half the average income to get water. The promises of the international community – and I am also thinking here, particularly those of Emmanuel Macron, who had positioned himself as the savior of Lebanon – have proved hollow. The Council has not placed any officials under the European sanctions regime. Syrian refugees are being singled out as scapegoats. Normalization of the Damascus butcher is underway. What better scapegoat could be designated? In a few days we will go to Lebanon. Let's carry a clear message: Lebanese politicians must end corruption, stop looking for scapegoats and serve the needs of Lebanese women and men.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, in the face of crises, the Porto Forum must enshrine a new European social contract. There is an urgent need not to let people sink into poverty without protecting their rights. There is an urgent need not to let Eurosceptics thrive on misery. There is an urgent need not to allow the extreme right to spread withdrawal and hatred. There is an urgent need not to let the violence of poverty sabotage the European project. Finally, there is an urgent need to move Europe forward, a Europe of solidarity, protective, inclusive and emancipatory. Our leaders can no longer hide behind their own limits to social competences at European level. To ensure that economic freedoms are never again imposed in the face of social rights, let us vote for the inclusion of a social progress protocol in our Treaties. Ladies and gentlemen, vote in favour of Amendment No 1 which will allow us to move towards a greater social Europe.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, 1990: First IPCC report. 2023: First European Year of Skills for the Green Transition. In 2023, in France, student unions are still waiting for sustainable development to be a compulsory subject in all training courses. Look for the error. Some denounce a brutal transition. I denounce here 33 years of inaction hidden behind the myth of profitability and growth. While 14% of young people are unemployed and without training and only 23% of energy service employees are women, we environmentalists offer a inclusive and inclusive transition. A transition that accompanies innovative training projects, such as the +4 baccalaureate, such as the return to employment of those left behind. A transition that rejuvenates apprenticeships, at a time when, in France, vocational high schools are about to be sacrificed. So that the transition in Europe is finally there, Commissioner, look no further, listen at last to the environmentalists.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Vladimir Putin, at the head of a system where his arbitrariness prevails, believes himself to be above the law. Above the law in Russia, for the crimes it commits against opponents, journalists. Above the laws he orders in Ukraine. The difference with other dark periods in history is the existence of the International Criminal Court. Deporting children en masse to Ukraine is a war crime and Vladimir Putin must be held accountable. In the present case, the Court’s arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin is correct. This Court is a valuable achievement and I call on all countries that have not yet done so, including the United States, to join it. I also call on all Member States to fulfil their obligations and implement this arrest warrant. No one should be above the laws, which watch over our humanity. In Ukraine, Yemen, Xinjiang, Palestine, no one should be able to commit atrocities without being brought to justice.

Mr President, the situation in Tunisia is deteriorating at a glance. Kaïs Saïed installs stone after stone all the components of a dictatorship. In a few months, all democracy is on the ground, separation of powers, judicial system, freedom of the press, human rights, associative fabric. Democracy has a new page of tears. Elected mayors have been removed from office. This new system also has many victims, including Noureddine Boutar and many others. The president cynically jeopardizes the lives of sub-Saharans with racist speeches that open the door to abuses against migrants and Tunisians who have the misfortune to resemble them. Populism is at its peak. It echoes, an unfortunate echo, the same European racist populism. We have the friends we deserve. It is time to clearly condemn this regime. It is time to ensure that no European funding directly or indirectly serves the establishment of this dictatorship and violations of human rights. Our responsibility is immense. Let us stand with those who still defend the rule of law and democracy in Tunisia.

Mr President, with this debate, the Renew Group is inviting us to think about what the competitive economy of tomorrow would be like. It is a shame not to talk about what a strong, inclusive economy could be like for the Europe of tomorrow. In this tense geopolitical and economic period, however, this is the important one. That is what we environmentalists are systematically trying to say in this House. When we talk about platform work, we Greens dream of a model that controls algorithms and consolidates social gains. When we talk about equal pay, we Greens think of a transparent economic model that puts an end to discrimination. When we talk about jobs, we Greens are building the conditions for a just ecological transition and training for these sustainable jobs. When we talk about minimum wages, we Greens call for decency and the fight against precariousness. This is what we want for the transition of tomorrow's economy and jobs. The inclusion of the most vulnerable, training for a green, sustainable economy, respectful of humans and nature.

Mr President, Commissioner, Minister, there is no doubt that: increase in precariousness, crisis, increase in poverty and difficulty in feeding. We must guarantee a dignified minimum income for all. And to be able to guarantee it, we need a directive, a strong directive that imposes it. So I hear some people speaking out against this draft directive. How can your finger shake when it comes to finally protecting the most vulnerable? Today, in France, for example, young people are lining up to be able to benefit from food aid to feed themselves. And our RSA does not allow them to benefit from this minimum income. Today, there are only two Member States that guarantee their population a decent minimum income. So, ladies and gentlemen, I solemnly call on you to tip the scales so that a European directive is finally adopted and not to be in the camp of those for whom the dignity of the people is not essential.

Mr President, my colleagues have said so, but I will recall this figure: 11 %. Only 11% of the Tunisian population went to vote. What does this figure mean? Weariness, first of all, in the face of such an uninclusive electoral law, of women, young people and the diversity of society. The subsequent failure of Kaïs Saïed’s hyper-presidential policy: 89% of the population remained silent. And yet, that is not enough. Saïed continues to make the void to reign alone in master: constitutional review, full powers, puppet parliament. All that was missing was today’s wave of arrests to switch from an authoritarian to a repressive regime. How long will the European Union continue to hide its face on the state of democracy in Tunisia? What are we waiting for to wake up, we who placed so much hope in Tunisian democracy, the Tunisian exception at the heart of a disappointing Arab Spring? Hope gives way to disillusionment and calls for action. Tunisia has been sinking democratically, politically, economically and socially for a year. One year that we repeat ourselves, from meeting to meeting, that the situation is worrying, but that we do not move. There are dismayed mines, but no political strategy. Let us publicly condemn the Saïed regime, support the national dialogue proposed by the Civil Society Quartet. Tunisians are calling for political stability to restore their country’s economy. Let us not abandon them, let us express our unwavering support to them.

Mr President, Commissioner, this report is not just an invitation to the Commission to strengthen the 1994 directive. In reality, it is a signature. It is the signing of this mandate that says that for us, social Europe is important and social dialogue with Member States' differences is something important. And so this signature is important. I would like to thank Dennis, our rapporteur, for ensuring that this signature is clear and effective in the interests of social dialogue in European Works Councils. And these works councils, when they operate, are an undeniable asset for the well-being of employees, but also for the green transition and the economic performance of companies. They are essential for democracy at work, which contributes to the vitality of European businesses. Strengthening them by allowing them to effectively exercise their prerogatives should be obvious. In any case, that is the point of the proposals we are making to the Commission. We call for the European Works Councils set up by the 1994 Directive to finally have the means to exercise their rights. Nothing very original in fact, just the rule of law. Indeed, it is high time that employers could no longer delay or simply block the creation of such works councils. These works councils should be informed before any decision is taken. A gender balance is ensured in the composition of these works councils. That confidentiality clauses are no longer misused and that such works councils have the legal capacity and financial means to act in court in all Member States. By seeking to weaken the enforceability of the rights of these European Works Councils, the amendments of the Renew Group hinder employees in the exercise of their rights and deprive companies of an important asset for their success. I call on you, ladies and gentlemen, not to follow this path and I call on the Commission to take up this excellent draft report in order to consolidate social rights throughout Europe.

Madam President, Commissioner, Trump and Bolsonaro have inspired attacks by Brazilian and American institutions. The far right is settling in Israel, Hungary, Sweden and small groups are planning attacks in France and Germany. France accounts for 45% of arrests for far-right terrorism. The far right moves forward unhindered. We are much to denounce it, but too little to fight it. Our silence is guilty, our complacency too. We parliamentarians should be the first guarantors of democracy. But what to say when the French National Assembly puts a far-right politician at the head of its committee against antisemitism? What can be said today, right here, when the majority political groups give more votes to the far-right candidate than to an environmentalist candidate for vice-president? Colleagues, each of your compromises poses a great risk to the rule of law in Europe. Faced with the terrorist threat, soft defense will never be victorious. We must fight the dangers of the far right. We must act as quickly as possible.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the corruption scandal plaguing our institution today is of the worst kind, because this corruption sought to silence our institution on human rights. Many authoritarian regimes interfere in the democratic life of Parliament, seek to promote their objectives and try to redeem their image. Today, Qatar built its World Cup on the bodies of exploited workers. The Green Group has been sounding the alarm about corruption for years and we have been calling for action. We demand an independent European ethical authority and a commensurate commission of inquiry. Today, we are dealing with what happens when transparency does not exist and those responsible have not taken the necessary deterrent measures. There will always be corrupts and corruptors if we do not put a real anti-corruption system in place. I say to corrupting regimes: “You will only buy back an image by respecting law, human rights, freedom and gender equality, not by buying Members.”

Mr President, Minister, Commissioner, a quarter of our young people live below the poverty line or are at risk of exclusion. The figure is colossal, and the observation overwhelming. However, our countries are slow to submit their action plans to combat child poverty. Parliament needs to strengthen controls on this implementation. Growing up in poverty marks all children for life. Refugee children must also benefit from the funds – Ukrainian children, of course, but also Afghan, Syrian and Sudanese children. We cannot discriminate against children on the basis of the wars they are fleeing. With the Child Guarantee, the EU introduces a minimum package for the rights of the child: housing, health, food and education. However, this is not a magic wand and the Child Guarantee is facing the crisis. That is why we are asking for an additional €20 billion. We also call for structural reforms and the renewal of public policies on issues such as access to education and childcare, as well as real safety measures for their parents: minimum income, minimum wage, dignity in short. We are one of the richest areas in the world. But what do we do? It's time to prioritize our choices for our children.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I am speaking tonight on behalf of my colleague Alfonsi, who apologises for not being with you. I welcome Mr Pisapia's report because it takes strong and useful positions on the situation in Libya: firstly on the lack of a unified, legitimate and democratic government that could benefit from international recognition, but also on the deep crisis of human rights, particularly concerning migrants. We call for an end to all collaboration with Libyan stakeholders who are suspected of serious human rights violations and human trafficking. We also denounce the relentless external interventions that hinder the search for a democratic and lasting political solution and discrimination against women in reconciliation processes. Although my group will support this report, I would like to denounce here the implicit support for the Libyan Coast Guard and the outsourcing of our border control. These policies are implemented without any respect for human rights in Libya. They dishonor our Europe. Finally, let me welcome the progress made in France after ten years of judicial investigation of the trial for complicity in torture against the managers of a company, Amesys, which delivered surveillance tools that were used to track down, torture. We too in Europe must bring to justice those who violate the rights of Libyans.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Salah Hamouri is Franco-Palestinian. He is an Israeli lawyer committed to defending Palestinian prisoners. Yes, but for months, Salah himself has been a prisoner in administrative detention, without trial, for periods of six months renewable indefinitely. And for what fault? Non-Allegiance to the State of Israel. But what are we talking about? For years, Salah Hamouri has been harassed by the Israeli authorities. He, but also his wife, his children who have no right to set foot in Palestine. There is nothing to do with it: The hunger strike that caused him to be isolated, the constant mobilisation of his wife, conferences, tribunes, mentions of his name, meetings between leaders... Salah is still in prison. Worse, he risks being exiled to France against his will. But what are the French authorities doing? What are we MEPs doing? When will we stop staring at the Israeli government's political imprisonments, evictions and abuses? We are unable to take action. For Palestinians, double standards can no longer be understood. Unfortunately, this resolution is not up to the task. When will we take clear sanctions to ensure that international law, quite simply, is respected?