Speeches

Mr President, thank you very much. Ladies and Gentlemen, Even a very interesting report with a lot of very interesting data, and I agree that we should work very hard on equality between women and men, because the term gender does not appear at all in any treaties, there is no legal explanation, it is vague in terms of conceptual issues, and it is not primarily binding on the Member States and the European institutions. But, of course, it is worth talking about ensuring equality in the first place, e.g. in earnings between women and men employed, for example, in the same positions. There has been little debate on this issue for more than a decade. I think that when we talk about these issues, it is worth to stand in the truth. Please note, for example, in my country, a woman, Mrs Beata Szydło, received the highest number of votes in the history of the European Parliament, that is more than half a million votes. What is happening in the European Parliament? She was brutally cut out. She does not have the right to be an ordinary chairperson of a committee. Is this how this respect for women who really do a lot to make women careers looks like? It's just one example. And in my country it is also the case that these salary scissors between women and men are probably the smallest. So that you can do a lot, but you can say a lot and do nothing, I'm just embarrassed, the data is very good, but we actually do little about it.

Commissioner, I'm sorry. More than two million refugees have already crossed the border with neighbouring countries. In Poland alone, we welcomed over a million people. Only yesterday, 100,000 more people crossed the border in one day. Today we brought the children of Ukrainian officers who are fighting on the front. We bring sick children, children with cancer, children with disabilities, also adults. And in this situation, Poles have a big heart. Today, with their own funds, they finance the stays of these people in Poland. Meanwhile, 660 million euros per week are being sent to a criminal from the Kremlin for oil and gas. With this money, he is now carrying out his bloody invasion of Ukraine. Sanctions are needed, but measures are also needed as soon as possible, Commissioner, for Poland, which is currently receiving the most refugees, so that we can bring this aid together. The Kremlin, Putin even attacks humanitarian corridors. These are simply crimes, this is genocide. We have to stand up to that. Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, today is International Women's Day. I received a rose from our gentlemen here in the European Parliament. I want to dedicate this rose to Ukrainian women. You can do it! I want to dedicate this rose to girls who have already been raped by the regime. You can do it! And I want to dedicate this rose to Polish women who help today, to Polish women in Poland and in other countries.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Africa is a beautiful and proud continent, unfortunately still plagued by further unrest. This time the coup hit Burkina Faso. A country that has been struggling for years for macroeconomic stability and security is once again at a crossroads. On the one hand, the military junta and Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group actively participating in the coup, but on the other hand, attacks on Christians and religious unrest, which may turn into another bloody religious conflict similar to the one that has been going on in Nigeria for years. Parliament’s resolution clearly describes the security problems and the involvement of foreign mercenary groups. However, it lacks a reference to and condemnation of further attacks against Christians in Burkina Faso. Only in recent days, there have been several major incidents, including the desecration of the St. Peter's Seminary. Kizito, that's it. Islamic radical organizations are behind them. The same ones that seek to destabilize the internal Burkina Faso. Their actions must be clearly condemned and active countermeasures, including sanctions, must be taken against international sponsors of terrorism operating in Africa.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. It's a very sad day. The treaty has been trampled on, the sovereignty of states has been trampled on, and only because sovereign Poland and Hungary are the biggest obstacle to the creation of Europe – a federalist dream with a single government of unelected officials. You do not like the Polish government, you are sending a deputy who supposedly wants to overthrow our government, of course with the help of a very inept opposition. You are exceeding your competences, playing with fake news and, above all, you are undertaking comfortable interpretations of the law. You are blatantly applying double standards, violating Poland and Hungary, and at the same time dismissing in silence when human rights are violated in France and the Netherlands. You are shouting that your values must be defended. And what are your values? What are your EU values? Because our conservatives are the civilization of life, the protection of the lives of innocent children, the protection and support of the family, freedom of assembly, freedom on the Internet. Should we be punished for this, because we do not want the values of supposedly progressive Europeans, because we do not want judges who have charges or are convicted? What values are we supposed to have? Abortion, euthanasia, surrogacy? When it comes to legalizing surrogacy, yes, Mrs. in 't Veld, it's not a money dispute, the money here is just blackmail and baton. It's a crazy plan to implement a new man's engineering. On this sad day, I have sad news for you, we just won't break.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Mr. High Representative, thank you very much. Relations with Africa rightly occupy an important place in the politics of the European Union, although today the situation on the Russian-Ukrainian border should be a nightmare for us. But as far as Africa is concerned, our cooperation with the African continent in terms of security, economy and, above all, migration is particularly important. We should find the best solutions that would allow the Union and Africa to step up trade, investment and information flows, but all in mutual respect. The new strategic framework for EU-Africa cooperation should also take into account the economic and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in particular the identified health shortages of millions of people. I would like to pay particular attention to the situation of children in Africa, which in many parts of this continent is simply dramatic. The youngest are not only condemned to a life of poverty and malnutrition, but also to hard work and therefore to the interruption of education, early marriage or incorporation into armed groups. That is why we must work together to find comprehensive solutions also to such problems, so that the assistance provided by the European Union is effective and reaches those most in need and at risk. Through our partnership with Africa, we must contribute to building a more sustainable and secure (inaudible words) ...and future generations.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Commissioner, I'm sorry. The pandemic has shown how much more needs to be done on health systems in the European Union. At the same time, it showed how much the European Union and the institutions can do in this matter. An example of this is today's discussion. Today, as the pandemic is slowly coming to an end, we are facing another challenge of a huge number of patients whom we have not been able to pay due attention to and treat properly due to the pandemic. This urgent problem occurs especially in oncology, where taking rapid treatment is tantamount to its future success. Early diagnostics, free tests are the key to victory here. Therefore, as the European Union, we must do everything we can to inform and raise awareness among citizens and patients about cancer prevention. But another important issue is access to modern forms of treatment, and it's quick access. There are no better or worse countries. It is important that therapies available in Germany and France are also offered to patients in Poland, Croatia and other countries. Every patient has the right to fight for his or her health with the best available methods and there should be no borders within the European Union in this regard.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, Key words: depopulation, reproductive health – a very nicely and beautifully wrapped ideology of new human engineering, the ideology of the civilization of death. Meanwhile, what facts do we have? Europe is becoming depopulated, fewer and fewer Europeans are being born. Today, therefore, the European Parliament is practically the second day of the fight between the civilization of death and the civilization of life. Where will this lead? Today, all of Europe's efforts are moving towards solutions that will bring more and more people here using the bluecard and many other incentives. Why is that? There is a lack of hands to work. What is the result, what is the result? Answer yourself. Why are there no good solutions, why are there no good practices to support the family to have children? Why is that? Answer this question today. The European Union grew out of condemnation of this type of system and directions of thinking. Why is the tragedy of abortion for women overlooked in the debate today? Why is that? Why not talk about post-abortion syndrome, about depressions that accompany women after surgery? Why isn't there a helping hand before and after the decision? Why is she often alone with this? Without all of you here preaching these theories – and suffering. Why does everyone leave women and leave them alone? Can the European Commission provide us with data on this?

Madam President, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, At least 71 people have been killed and more than 2 000 injured in Sudan since the coup d’état of 25 October 2021. I believe that the European Union and the international community should exert strong diplomatic pressure and call on the authorities in Sudan to respect freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, but above all to stop the violence. Let us not forget the impact of the protracted political and economic crisis on the lives of the citizens, the many migrants in the country. In 2022, it is estimated that more than 14 million people, almost one in three people across the country, will need humanitarian assistance. And that number will continue to grow. There are about 1.2 million migrants in Sudan. Aid is urgently needed in the camps to meet basic needs, including food, water, shelter, sanitation. Therefore, our commitment is needed both to peace-building and stabilisation in Sudan and to ensuring basic livelihoods for those most affected by the protracted political and economic crisis in the country. Furthermore, I agree that the democratic world should account for these crimes as it should account for other crimes against Yazidis and Christians in Iraq.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Commissioner, thank you very much. There is no greater value than human life. We in Poland are well aware of this and we fight for every human life, with special protection and care for the one that cannot claim itself – the unborn life. The institutions of the European Union have no right in any way to assess or instruct the Member States on how they legally organise the protection of unborn life. EU law is clear and transparent on this matter. The judgments of the Court explicitly refer to the primacy of national law. Instead of dealing with issues that are important for the people of Europe, we are wasting time on debates that, in my opinion, do not make much sense. We are running away from the issue of energy prices, because for the European Union institutions it is a direct admission of errors in the energy and climate policy. We are silently dismissing the problems with the integration of refugees from Africa and the Middle East. Despite the fact that there is no logic in this debate that the Commissioner himself says that the EU Treaty does not provide for Member States to be scolded for this, you are debating. Therefore, at the very end, however, in a Christian way, on the occasion of the upcoming Christmas, I wish you all joy and serenity. May the newborn Jesus Christ give you courage and bless you all!

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, The plague of hunger has become a fact in the modern world. Nearly 6 million children under the age of 5 are currently hungry. This is more than 50% more than in 2019. One in three children in the world is undernourished. Every year, 2 million of them die from lack of food. The plague of famine continues to spread to new regions of the world. It is estimated that food insecurity affects 40 million people today. Government and private sector donors pledged more than $27 billion at the Nutrition for Development Summit in Tokyo to address the global malnutrition and hunger crisis. This is a very valuable initiative. These are very valuable declarations. But we must remember that a separate problem is food waste. It is unacceptable that in practice we produce enough food to feed the entire world population, and millions of people suffer from hunger or malnutrition. The European Union has the appropriate means and capabilities to address this. We must use them properly to end the plague of hunger, which is the shame of the 21st century.

Mr President, thank you very much. Given the current global situation and growing humanitarian needs, we need to find a way to ensure that the differences in quality of life between our part of the world and developing countries do not deepen. I agree that the European Commission and the European External Action Service should develop a strategy to link humanitarian aid with development and peace-building efforts. Humanitarian aid, development programmes and peace-building are not independent processes. They are all needed at the same time. The report also rightly highlights the alarming situation regarding violations of international humanitarian law. The European Union should not only monitor such cases, but also use all possible tools to prevent this. The report rightly notes the benefits of putting the air bridge into operation. Such solutions should not only be used during a pandemic. However, I do not believe that this report adequately emphasises the role of civil society, especially religious actors, with whom cooperation is extremely necessary if we are to reach those most in need with help. It is Church activists, missionaries, who are the first to provide basic social services on the ground, and who remain on the ground when many others often leave. The European Commission should therefore adopt a strategy for partnership with churches and faith-based organisations in development and humanitarian cooperation.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Somalia is facing its biggest food crisis in the last two decades. It is the epicenter of the crisis in this part of Africa. The economic impact of COVID-19, seasonal floods and the scourge of desert locusts contribute to increasing food insecurity there. Humanitarian action in Somalia faces great difficulties. Despite this, international society, donors, humanitarian organizations are making huge efforts to come to the aid and support the Somalis. We have to thank them from this place. However, it should be borne in mind that in Somalia aid reaches only 20% of those in need of immediate support. Difficulties in providing humanitarian aid have been causing the country's political instability since the early 1990s. Therefore, the European Union must be at the forefront of the international arena in order to contribute, firstly, to stabilising the situation in the country and to enable humanitarian workers to reach those most in need with the necessary assistance. Somalia alone cannot cope with poverty and malnutrition. Coordinated action and multilateral cooperation are needed to save Somalis from starvation and, in the long term, to rebuild infrastructure and boost the economic development of the country. Tomorrow in Wroclaw there will be a conference, which I am organizing, on hunger as the greatest shame of the 21st century. And there we will talk about best practices in helping.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, thank you very much. This debate is indeed something we think, both in Poland and, I think, in Hungary. Today, we stand in solidarity with the Slovenians, who have democratically elected a government and no one has reserved democratic elections and the legitimacy of these elections. In our consciousness, according to you, there are no concepts of a sovereign state, free citizens, democratic decisions or free elections. Because everything that is not done according to the German-Dutch federal plan of Europe is a threat to you and a violation of the rule of law. At the same time, let me remind you, the bloody suppression of protests in the Netherlands, Belgium is swept under the carpet, woven of silence and indifference, and we bypass the list of judges from Spain with a wide arc of silence, because your left-liberal supporters rule everywhere. Yesterday Poland, today Hungary and today also Slovenia on the line of attack of EU institutions. Ladies and gentlemen, we demand respect for the democratically elected governments in our countries. We demand respect for our citizens. If they want changes, then these changes must be made, and you consider these changes to be a violation of the rule of law. I don't think we should agree to that.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, I'm sorry. There is no Energy Union without solidarity, and this solidarity is lacking in the European Union today, when Poland unilaterally opposes Russia's energy policy of sharing European countries. There should never be a European agreement on NordStream and NordStream 2. These are two projects that openly threaten the political and energy cohesion of the European Union. Talking about energy today, one cannot ignore the subject of rampant and rising electricity prices. This is the result of a badly planned and harmful green energy policy for European economies. A clear example of this is the manipulation of the market for certificates of origin for renewable energy, an almost 100% increase, and in nine months, when it comes to the price of certificates. Without profound changes in this market, it is impossible to lower energy prices and carry out any green transition, dreamed of mainly by the Euro-left. Therefore, when thinking about our citizens, who bear the costs of EU climate policy every day, it is important to consider suspending the EU's energy and climate package as soon as possible and, above all, to abolish the system of certificates of origin for green certificates. Otherwise, ordinary families, ordinary citizens will pay for the dreams of the great of this world.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Public debate in the Member States is becoming increasingly limited. On the one hand, we have the blocking and censorship of content, especially under the guise of hate speech, and on the other hand, the abuse of legal mechanisms against journalists and citizens involved in public life. SLAPPs are dangerous, especially when a stronger entity tries to paralyze journalists who inquire about the truth under pressure from a court-appointed plaintiff. However, defense against intentional difamation actions carried out by large media corporations cannot be treated in the SLAPP category. Sometimes it is these types of companies, which have made a source of income from presenting lies, that try to make political changes through lies. Politicians and democracy must have a tool to defend themselves against such actions. Moreover, citizens must have the right to protect their personal well-being, such as dignity, as manifested in the right to bring an action to protect their reputation. Freedom of expression and the right to express one's own views, even the most extreme ones, are fundamental rights, the protection of which is guaranteed by conventional law and European Union law. However, these issues should only be regulated at Member State level and only there.

Madam President, I'm sorry. The High Representative! Dear Members of the European Parliament, I'm Polish. My homeland is on the eve of a national holiday. Tomorrow is the 103rd anniversary of independence. And again, after many years, we were attacked very brutally. From this place, I want to thank our border guards, police officers, and the army once again for guarding our borders, just as their ancestors fought for a free and independent Poland. Yes, you can be in politics, ladies and gentlemen, either wise and prudent or naive. Go ahead and choose. Naivety will cost a lot, including the entire European Union. Mr High Representative, you spoke – indeed in a very good speech – about humanitarian aid, about the fact that you would talk to Lukashenko. I wish you good luck, because the Polish convoy with humanitarian aid sent them, Lukashenko did not let them in. It was then sent by the President of the Republic of Poland, Lukashenko, who refused to let them in. He is ruthless and will demand a very high payment, and he will not fulfill your conditions anyway. This regime today, and what is happening, originates in both Minsk and Moscow. These hybrid actions of Russia and Belarus have already been trained as part of the Zapad exercises. The two countries are united by an immigration agreement and a common military doctrine. Today, we need solidarity in pushing the Lukashenka regime away from the borders of the European Union.

Madam President, I'm sorry. I'm Polish. We have introduced a state of emergency, the state of emergency is also introduced by Lithuania, because the Belarusian regime is escalating the conflict on the Polish-Belarusian border every day. Every day, thousands of Polish border guards and soldiers are the target of physical and psychological attacks. Ladies and Gentlemen, We can't just talk about the humanitarian crisis. This is a crisis in the security of the external borders of the European Union. Lukashenko wants us to discuss only the humanitarian crisis he has caused himself. It is said here that people in Polish forests are freezing. No, they are freezing in Belarusian forests, because that is what Lukashenko wants. We are discussing widely – today the external borders of the European Union are at risk. It is not Lukashenko who will dictate to us – or to the Kremlin – who is to enter the European Union. Therefore, the sanctity of the borders of the European Union should also be guaranteed here in this House. Madam President, I'm sorry. I appeal to my colleagues from Italy, Greece, Spain, Lithuania: Wherever there are artificial routes of smugglers, they are happy today if we only discuss the humanitarian crisis. This is a border security crisis for the European Union and we ask you to support our proposal.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Poland is in the crosshairs of Belarus, a hybrid war is being waged against my homeland. The activities carried out by Minsk were prepared and developed in Moscow. They are aimed at destabilising the whole region of Central Europe and destroying the reputation of the Polish services protecting the Union's external border, for which I would like to thank them from this place. Unfortunately, fake news has become a permanent element of the disinformation architecture used by Russians. Hence, there is so much negative information about Poland's actions on the border with Belarus. I wanted to emphasize that Poland's actions are aimed at preventing push-in and not push-back actions, i.e. illegal crossing of the border by migrants who are instrumentally exploited by the Belarusian regime and forced to cross the eastern border. Poland complies with all international rules. Poland sent aid, humanitarian convoys, which were brutally detained by the Lukashenka regime. They don't want to help people who are being instrumentally exploited. As a Community, we cannot be divided and we must all stand shoulder to shoulder with the Polish Border Guard and the army. Commissioner, thank you for all your efforts and support in this matter, because it is important. In order for our actions to be effective and to protect our borders, adequate financial resources must be sent to Poland, Latvia and Lithuania as soon as possible in order to build a permanent, efficient security system on the eastern border. The construction of such a security was announced and undertaken by Warsaw, the government in Poland.

Madam President, I'm sorry. It is obvious that we all want to breathe clean air, live in a protected and friendly environment. This is clear as the sun, but the climate policy of the European Commission must be a sustainable policy, because under the guise of environmental protection we can destroy our economies. We are also ruining the work of generations, bringing Europe to the brink of economic collapse, depriving ourselves of competitive advantages vis-à-vis the rest of the world. This Friday, Polish miners and energy workers will protest in Luxembourg against the decision to suspend the operation of the Turów mine in Lower Silesia. With this decision, 15,000 people will lose their jobs overnight. What will they live on? What about their children's future? One-seventh of the country will be without electricity. Is this what politics should look like? I don't think so. I think that if there are even those who say that a person is carbon-intensive, then something is wrong. This policy needs to be heavily revised. It is necessary to adjust the pace to the capabilities of the countries of the European Union.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Commissioner, I'm sorry. The fighting in the Tigray region, combined with the pandemic, drought and locust plague, has created a critical situation, especially in terms of access to food. Of the 6 million people living in Tigray, 5.2 million need food aid immediately. Hospitals, schools, factories were looted and destroyed. The humanitarian situation in the region is dramatic and exacerbated by the limited supply of humanitarian aid. The Ethiopian government is halting humanitarian aid to starving Ethiopians, and it is therefore of the utmost importance that the European Union also act in this regard to diplomatically pressure the Ethiopian government and support humanitarian organisations so that they can enter and provide life-saving assistance to Tigray. The path to resolving this conflict is difficult, as it requires appropriate measures to restore confidence among the country's diverse population, but the European Union can help and must take possible measures to provide support to the civilian population and contribute to stabilising the political situation and building peace.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, I'm sorry. It is worth starting this debate by sending words of solidarity with the arrested activists of the Polish minority in Belarus, Andrzej Poczobut and Andżelica Borys, as well as with hundreds of detained Belarusian activists. My homeland, Poland, has been targeted by a hybrid attack from the Belarusian regime supported by KGB experts sent from Moscow. I want to be clear here: there is no secure Union without secure borders of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia. On the one hand, it must be made clear to us that the KGB propaganda tubes are sending disinformation and fake news defamatory of Poland and Polish services, border guards, army, and Polish officers are physically attacked by Belarusian provocateurs and border guards. And today we must thank them very much for guarding the borders of Poland and guarding the borders of the European Union. Today, the European Parliament and all the European institutions should stand in one line against the Lukashenko regime. Powerful sanctions are needed.

Mr President, thank you very much. Already before the COVID-19 pandemic, the world was facing a deteriorating food security situation. However, the growing problem of world hunger has been eclipsed by the Covid pandemic. The COVID-19 crisis has exposed the weaknesses of our food systems. Millions of farms in formerly food-safe regions of the world have experienced severe food insecurity. There is a famine and that is a fact. I agree with many of my previous speakers, I will not repeat the solutions they cited here, because they are important. But let's look at it from another angle, too. Safe access to water is key to ensuring food security in developing countries. According to the UN, water scarcity affects 40% of the world's population and is expected to increase. Another problem we need to address is food waste. It is estimated that the food currently wasted in Europe could feed 200 million people. This is also a problem that we should look at. We also need to tackle growing inequalities. In Peru, for example, the current percentage of children with stunted growth is close to 13%. Inequalities in child stunting are evident between rural and urban areas. Stunted growth affects 25.5% of children in rural areas and 8% in urban areas. The European Union, as a leading donor of official development assistance, should be at the forefront of global cooperation to strengthen global food systems and ensure their resilience.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Tomorrow another convoy – this time by air bridge – will depart from Poland with humanitarian aid for the Lebanese people. It is mainly 10 tons of milk powder, food packages, baby milk and, above all, cleaning products. First of all, Ladies and Gentlemen, we have received information through Aid to the Church in Need, an association to which I thank very much for this activity, we have also received information from the Ambassador that medical treatments are already being carried out without anesthesia, because there is a lack of medical resources, a lack of medicines. I think what we need to focus on right now is first and foremost humanitarian aid. The country cannot recover from the economic collapse, there are shortages in supplies, electricity, water and gas. The Lebanese economy shrunk by 24% in 2020, and I think that with thousands, not to say millions, of Syrian refugees, including Palestinian refugees, the situation is dramatic. First of all, we must now focus on humanitarian aid. Thank you to all those who help the Lebanese people.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Once and for all, we must stop the tragic images of drowning migrants trying to get to Europe just because someone promised them a future. For this to happen, we need to seal borders, strengthen cooperation between countries, introduce a hard law on returning illegal immigrants and, at the same time, legal pathways to the countries of the European Union. The Asylum and Migration Fund aims to achieve this objective. For 2021-27, it will be close to €10 billion. The thematic link between the Fund is also increasing. There are additional opportunities for countries particularly affected by irregular migration. Indeed, Poland also carried out projects in Greece, helping through missionary outposts to reduce this magnitude of suffering. And this is an important tool, but I am also pleased, as a former Minister for Humanitarian Aid, that, after lengthy negotiations, it has finally been possible to agree on the allocation of more than 36% of humanitarian aid in cases of emergency, especially humanitarian disasters. It's important that we take it and take note.

Mr President, thank you very much. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Mr. Secretary of State! Hunting for young people, forced displacements, murders, rapes, kidnappings are only part of the targeting of the Tigrayan ethnic group in northern Ethiopia. 90% of people in Tigray are displaced. Government troops and Eritrean forces supporting them are attacking women with children, as well as humanitarian workers, priests and nuns assisting them. There are daily massacres and persecutions. Unfortunately, the ceasefire did not bring any results. Despite the cessation of fighting, attacks and actions targeting one ethnic group continue. Moreover, according to local missionaries from Aid to the Church in Need, humanitarian aid, instead of reaching the most needy, is limited and has become a tool of pressure on the Christian minority of Tigray. In a country where nearly two-thirds of the population lives on less than one dollar a day, the raging war brings enormous suffering and shortages in food and hygiene products. As an international community, and here I agree, Commissioner, we must commit as soon as possible to stabilising the situation and to continuing to send independent humanitarian aid. A phenomenal role on the ground is played by missionaries who, despite the threat, help the victims every day. I would like to thank them and all humanitarian workers wholeheartedly.