Debate contributions by Łukasz KOHUT

Madam President, I'm sorry. We went back to 1938. From the Arctic Tromsø to Katowice. Putin’s criminal policy on the one hand, and Trump’s unpredictability on the other. Europe is trapped and will not leave until it takes its fate into its own hands. Today we are discussing the Arctic, geopolitics, raw materials and trade routes. About the rival states in the Arctic region, China, Russia, but also about Norway and Iceland. This discussion is also about supporting allies who are not members of the Union. In a time of geopolitical crisis, we need to stick together – whether or not the state has a seat in the Council. Norwegian and Icelandic interests in the Arctic region should be supported by the Union. Because it is Norwegian pilots who protect the Polish sky. Because it is Norwegian gas that meets as much as 30% of the Union's demand. Because it is Oslo that provides gigantic help for the warring Ukraine. And because it is with Reykjavik that the EU is negotiating a defence partnership. They are our NATO allies. Friends, for better or for worse. Yeah, bestevenner. Yeah, best vinir.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Democracy is not afraid of the truth. Autocracy fights it with terror and persecution. Such people as Andrzej Poczobut are not afraid of truth or terror. Freedom fighters like him are driven by courage, determination and strength. Thanks to Poczobut, we were able to read about the crimes of the Lukashenka regime in the Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza. In the country, his mouth was gagged, in Europe and in the world, we strained our hearing to know what fate the Belarusians had prepared for the bat'ka. Today I appeal to the political leaders who are now deciding who to award the Sakharov Prize to: Remember, there is no democracy without freedom, there is no independent journalism without democracy, there is no humanity without people like Poczobut. However, there are fewer and fewer such steadfast people as Andrew. May his example inspire new generations of democrats and the whole of Europe. Sakharov Prize for Andrzej Poczobut!

Madam President, I'm sorry. Commissioner, I'm sorry. It's hard to argue with numbers. The EU – 450 million citizens, India – one and a half billion people. Demographics are inexorable. Deeper integration and a way out of national selfishness, social media revolution, lockdown, Russian aggression against Ukraine, crimes in the Middle East or isolationism in the US – the world has completely changed before our very eyes. This is why we need strong and stable democracies. We need countries that face criminal regimes. The world needs India on the side of democratic values. Indians have experienced a ruthless foreign power to furnish their lives. And it is even more surprising that Delhi still buys raw materials from Russia, from modern neocolonialists. I hope India will reflect. I believe that liberal values are closer to them than the authoritarianism they have rebelled against for so long.

United in diversity. This is the motto of the European Union. That should be the European Union. Unfortunately, in the last legislature, despite the fact that here in the European Parliament we voted in favour of the Minority Safe Park citizens' initiative, the Commission vetoed this proposal. And this is a huge problem for national and ethnic minorities in Europe. I am from Silesia, I represent here an unrecognized Silesian ethnic minority. In the last census, 600,000 Polish citizens declared their Silesian identity. Half a million people said that godo in Silesian. [The speaker shall speak a language which is not an official language of the EU.] We demand understanding and funds for our needs. And it is high time, 80 years after the ethnic cleansing carried out in Silesia by the Soviets hand in hand with the Polish communists, to recognize the Silesians as an ethnic minority, and our language as a regional language. That is why I call on President-elect Karol Nawrocki to sign the law on the Silesian language. And I call on the Commission to protect ethnic and national minorities throughout the European Union, because we are dying in silence. They thank you beautifully.

Mr President, thank you very much. Whoever stands still, goes backwards. That's why Europe has to get off its feet! The real objective of the Union for 2035 should be concrete, that is, the accession of Iceland and Norway to the Union – of course, if the societies of these countries are in favour. Europe needs a strong new impetus. The EU should show that it is attractive not only to poorer countries, but also to wealthy ones. Enlargement is not just about the East and the South – further integration should be primarily the North. The North is crucial to Europe's security. Norway is an iron NATO ally with whom we share not only common values, but also a common threat – an aggressive Russia. NATO flags in Stockholm and Helsinki were Putin's black dream that came true. It is worth being consistent. It's time for another dream about European flags in Oslo and Reykjavik to come true. It's possible.

Madam President, I'm sorry. War is not the solution – it is always cruelty. War destroys what is beautiful, questions what is right, and leaves no choice for what is necessary. War has taught us nothing of value. However, it has made us aware of what we can never allow again and what we must stop at all costs. Eighty years ago, the war ended. They didn't bring peace everywhere. There are places in Europe where the Red Army continued what Adolf Hitler started. This was the case in Silesia, where the Soviets committed the most disgusting crimes against the local population. There were more places like Silesia. One terror replaced the other. The war in Ukraine reminds us that nothing is given once and for all, that peace does not fall from the sky. More: Peace requires constant work, constant struggle, constant compromises or abandonment of exuberant ambitions. 80 years ago, the atrocities of war changed not only the balance of power, borders, the appearance of cities, but also ourselves, Europeans. Freedom, democracy, security – these three elements make up our common European heritage, which we have given a specific name to: The European Union. This is the way we are going. Maybe it can be bumpy and difficult, because nothing of value comes easily, but there is no greater success of Europeans than the peace it provides us.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Nothing connects like a common enemy. For both the EU and Turkey, Putin's Russia is the enemy. Almost a decade ago, Europe became convinced of the importance of Turkey as a partner. It was thanks to the agreement reached by the President of the Council, Donald Tusk, that illegal migration was reduced. And it should be the same today. Firstly, the priority of our Presidency: security, Europe. It is time for strategic cooperation in the Black Sea. It is time for joint projects of the armaments industries. It is time for a shared, deeper commitment to a just peace in Ukraine. And as Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said, the European perspective for Turkey should be more real. EU doors should not be closed in these difficult geopolitical times. However, in order for this perspective to become real, Ankara should of course make efforts in the area of human rights and democracy. This should not be forgotten.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Commissioner, I'm sorry. We are here for the citizens. Citizens in these volatile times need to feel that the European institutions are working well and that the Union is developing. People are not really interested in the political conflict between Parliament, the Council or the European Commission. People are interested in concreteness, security and development. And so, in these difficult times, Iceland is considering resuming negotiations for accession to the European Union. Fingers crossed for Iceland. It is also very interesting in Norway. Oslo has been participating in the European Defence Fund or PESCO for years, as well as generously supporting Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia. There is no closer ally of the EU in security policy than Norway. Let us appreciate this and hope that the pro-integration mood in Norway will grow in strength. You may say that I am a dreamer. But who would have thought three years ago that Sweden and Finland would be in NATO? So let's not let right-wing populists and Russian trolls tell us that we Europeans are worse. We are not. We do not have to make Europe great again. Europe is big. Only less bureaucracy, more deregulation, quick action on Hungary, Orban, Article 7 and the unification of defence policy across the European Union. Forward to Europe!

Mr President, thank you very much. Russia is the aggressor and it is for its frozen assets that an independent, sovereign, democratic and pro-European Ukraine should be rebuilt. Let's donate Russian money, just like the British did. I am very happy that today, on the 26th anniversary of Poland's accession to NATO, we here in the European Parliament voted to strengthen Europe's common defence policy. And as part of this document, we voted for an important provision recognising the East Shield as a flagship project for the common security of the entire European Union. And the masks went down today. Law and Justice and Confederate MPs hand in hand with the putinists from the AfD and from Orban did not vote for this document. This is not pride, this is the European Parliament. So let me say it again. The frozen Russian assets should be used in the reconstruction of Ukraine. Courage, Europe!

Madam President, thank you very much. In the East, no change – the Soviets lied and continue to lie. The liberation in 1945 in many parts of Eastern Europe was not a real liberation. It was the replacement of the Nazi regime with Stalinist terror. And it is necessary to speak out about it, because they are still building their myth, nationalism and imperialism on this historical untruth. Przyszowice, Gliwice, Kuźnia Raciborska, Bytom-Miechowice, Łambinowice, Świętochłowice, Mysłowice-Wesoła, Radzionków, Racibórz, Zdzieszowice – in these and many other places in Upper Silesia the Red Army committed terrible crimes. They murdered in cold blood, raped and deported. They had no mercy for children and old men. In January next year, it will be 80 years since the most terrible events in the history of Silesia. And today this story repeats itself before our eyes in Ukraine. The Red Army is doing the same thing: He kills, rapes and deports. Today, just like after the war, the Russians are deceiving history. After the war, they forced our old people to remain silent about the Upper Silesian tragedy, and the victims were condemned to oblivion. They were silent over the Holodomor in Ukraine, which, after all, they specifically provoked. The Poles did the same thing: They lied about the Katyn massacre. All victims of the Soviets deserve justice and eternal remembrance, and Europeans deserve historical truth about what happened 80 years ago and what is happening in Ukraine today.

Mr President, thank you very much. The Silesian issue is basic work and education. It is the transmission of the heritage of our old men and old men. That is why I continue to organise a series of shows of the Silesian play "Mianujom mie Hanka" by the Korez Theatre. In the same way, however, the difficult history of our grandmothers and grandparents cannot be forgotten. Therefore, in the walls of the European Parliament, here in January, on the 80th anniversary, I will organize together with the Documentation Centre for the Deportation of Upper Silesians in Radzionków an exhibition on the Upper Silesian Tragedy. We will tell Europe about the drama of hundreds of thousands of Silesians in 1945. We will talk about deportations, rapes and murders in Silesia. We will talk about the post-war concentration camps – Zgoda and Łambinowice. We're going to tell a story that couldn't be told. We owe it to our ancestors, just as we owe it to them to fight for the Silesian language and Silesian identity. We're not gonna let it go. Let's eat the ass.

Madam President, thank you very much. Social media has quickly become the fifth power, and like any power, it is also becoming a weapon in the wrong hands. The Internet and later social media were supposed to connect people around the world and give access to knowledge. They did. And today we have to face the consequences of misuse of the network. The miracle of technology, which he was supposed to combine, creates ever-increasing divisions through manipulation, fake news, and hate speech. Just as the dose of medicine differs from the dose of poison, the creative and destructive impact of digital media depends on whose hands they are in. Brexit and the fact that the UK is not here with us is the result of manipulation. Russian disinformation has been fighting for the disintegration of the democratic world for many years. Trump's first campaign with the support of fake news and Cambridge Analytica showed the power of the network. Today, the owner of portal X is supposed to support Trump with a million dollars a day. It cannot be that algorithms practice electoral engineering, and we stand passively and watch as digital giants or the services of foreign powers organize the world for us. The Internet has become a dangerous tool in their hands. Just like the Oppenheimer atomic bomb, which was supposed to serve peace. It's time to stop deluding yourself. We must control the web, or it will control our reality. Three demands: Better law, IP control and consequences of online activities.

Abortion is a difficult experience, but sometimes it saves a mother's life. Banning abortion does not make it disappear. Then abortion disappears only from the radar of health care and any control, causing even more suffering. And this is really simple – if you do not want an abortion, do not do it yourself, but you have no right to impose the role of a martyr on another human being. However, the key to changing the draconian abortion law in Poland is the change of the President of the Republic of Poland. This election is still ahead of us, next year. I am a Silesian, a representative of the largest and still unrecognized ethnic minority in Poland. Also in the case of the Silesian language Duda behaved scandalously and unworthily. He vetoed the resolution on the recognition of the Silesian goddess as a regional language. I know how important this election will be. Silesians, women, people living in informal relationships "we are going to vote" all for the presidential election. It is up to us whether Poland will finally be a normal and European country.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Let's face it, Europe does not deal with Orbán. For years, the Hungarian prime minister has been doing what he wants. At home, he trampled on the rule of law, destroyed free media and created a closed system. However, in the international arena, it is already surpassing itself. He flies to Moscow, blocks sanctions against Russia and stops aid to Ukraine. It has even happened that today, in the face of war, the Hungarian government is putting the security of our European citizens at risk. They let Russians and Belarusians into the EU through the back door. Commissioner, who will be guilty if it turns out that one of these Russians let in by Orbán will sabotage the European Union. Directly, of course, Orbán, but indirectly also you, because you commit the sin of omission. Just like over the years with Article 7. You have the power, the means and the duty to act and protect our European citizens. Orbán needs to get a clear signal from Brussels. If it does not withdraw, Hungary lands outside the Schengen area, and all European funds are stopped, blocked and immediately. Orban, like Putin, like any other autocrat, understands only the language of force. No more concessions to Orbán.

Madam President, thank you very much. The apple of authoritarianism falls far from the apple of totalitarianism. Russia and Venezuela, two evil corporations united by a common denominator, fear. Fear of free people. In Venezuela under Chavez, as in Russia under Putin, democratic institutions were destroyed. The courts, the media, the public administration, all these pillars of freedom have been subjugated by the authorities. The company of evil also combines theft on an unimaginable scale. 17 cases of corruption in Venezuela's oil sector worth more than a billion dollars are just the tip of the iceberg. Just like in Russia under Putin. Both regimes also share a hatred of the free world and liberal democracy. Because the key to defeating autocrats is always a conscious civil society. The Maidan, which took place in Kiev, may well explode on the streets of Caracas and maybe someday on Red Square. That's why evil corporations are threatening the West and jointly circumventing our sanctions. That's why Tehran is buying gold from Venezuela, and Maduro is helping to launder Hezbollah's money, as in a closed system. Anne Applebaum noted in her book ‘Concern Autocracy. Dictators who want to rule the world” that the international anti-corruption coalition is key. People need to know and understand how authoritarian governments are robbing them. Then they open their eyes wide and organize together. That is why the European Union must be an ally of the free, pro-democracy citizens of Venezuela.

Madam President, thank you very much. Dear colleagues, It's really very simple. If we do not want a war in which Polish, German or Spanish citizens will die, Russia must lose the war in Ukraine, and Ukraine must survive and go its way to Europeanization and ultimately to the European Union. Every cent spent on helping Ukraine is an investment not only in the future of this country, but also in the peace of our part of the world. Two and a half years have passed since the war and the struggle of the nation, which, according to Putin, was not to exist. And Ukraine is still standing and fighting. It hits a Polish tank, fires American missiles and Czech missiles, defends itself with German launchers. But we have a problem with coordination. That is why we need to speed up the creation of a defence union. Because it cannot be that a great and proud continent like Europe trembles every four years about who will sit in the seat of the US president. We need a common defence policy.

Madam President, I am very pleased that you have decided to run for the post of President of the European Commission for the second time. During this term, we will probably change the word "security" in all cases, and our most important task will be to ensure peace and secure heaven over the homes of Europeans. However, I would like to draw attention to other aspects of this term of office. I have no doubt that we need to extend the spending time of the NextGenerationEU fund. Local government representatives not only from Poland report such a need to us and I think that extending the spending of these funds by two years would be an ideal solution. Secondly, the protection of ethnic minorities and regional languages – the Minority SafePack initiative, which was blocked by the Commission in the last legislature – it is time to return to this project, because there are still communities in Europe, such as mine, in Silesia, which need protection from the European Union. Thirdly, finally, the notification of the social contract – a transformation yes, but within a reasonable framework, keeping in mind the human being and European industry.