Speeches

Madam President, dear colleagues, as we are discussing the results of yet another rule—of—law monitoring cycle, Viktor Orbán’s abusive regime has reached yet another milestone. Last Tuesday, they adopted the so-called revenge law, a piece of legislation that has absolutely zero place in the European Union. For a better part of a year now, teachers and students have been organising major demonstrations across Hungary because public education is at the brink of collapse. The regime sees their protest as a threat and this law is a tool to coerce them into silence with a police state apparatus. Teachers can get fired for striking – even though they don’t make a living wage – and from now on, they can also get fired for voicing any criticism. Five thousand of them have already indicated that they would leave their profession because of this law. Colleagues, the Commission has been reluctant to comment on this law because education is a Member State competence. But we are not talking about education policy here. This is a democratic minimum, this is a rule—of—law issue. EU institutions must view it as such, include in the rule—of—law monitoring and demand the Hungarian Government repeal this shameful law.

Madame President, dear colleagues, it is often hard to imagine what Viktor Orban’s abusive regime looks like from the ground, especially for those of you who are fortunate enough to live in democracies. So imagine you are a 17-year-old student. You wrote a slam poetry piece criticising the unbearable crisis of public education. You recite it at a rally. And as a punishment, you are forced out of school and you are dragged through the dirt by Orban’s propaganda machine. Now imagine you’re a teacher and advocate for much needed reforms, and you get fired for engaging in a strike, after 23 years of teaching in a country with a massive shortage of teachers. These are the stories of Lili Pankotai and Katalin Torley. And these are not isolated cases. And from last Tuesday on, these police-state methods are enshrined in law. Under Orban’s Revenge Law, voicing critical opinions is grounds for disciplinary action. The law mandates teachers to maintain faith in public education. Teachers can have their devices monitored or overworked without compensation, even sent away to work at distant locations. This law is cruel, autocratic, and has no place in the European Union, and the Commission must demand that it is repealed. The time for action is now.

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, well, the Pegasus scandal broke two years ago, and unfortunately this parliament is still among the very, very few political voices who refuse to let it be swept under the rug. But we have to confront the reality. EU governments are using military-grade spyware against journalists and critics. Just imagine a reporter trying to work to hold the government accountable. In Hungary, ministers are literally cordoning themselves off and do everything to avoid answering critical questions. And as a thank you, yet again, for the public service the journalists are doing, well, they have their life invaded and their phones tapped. Every intimate detail, every family photo, every private conversation is now subject to the prying eyes and ears of those in power. Colleagues, this is totalitarianism, and we can never, ever accept that this is happening today in the European Union. And I thank the rapporteur, Sophie in 't Velt, for her relentless fight for EU-level action. With this resolution, we demand common standards, clear limitations on targets and robust legal remedies for the victims. It is the bare minimum for a functioning democracy.

Mr President, Viktor Orban’s oppressive regime has revealed its true colours yet another time: none of us can forget this image of a 17-year-old student in the suffocating ring of riot police being directly shot in the face with teargas. All he did was protest the unbearable crisis of public education. Hungarians are taking to the streets because of the so-called revenge law designed to oppress and intimidate teachers – because teachers are fired for participating in strikes, their private communication can be monitored and they can be punished for criticising the government. They may even be ordered to work far away from their home, like members of the armed forces. Union leaders have called this slavery. Colleagues, Europe must stand in solidarity with them. And yes, public education is a national competence, but the deprivation of basic rights, access to education – these are democratic minimums. Therefore, we plead to the Commission: compel the Orban Government to revoke this disgraceful law, stand with Hungarian teachers and Hungarian students. Take action, now.

Mr President, dear colleagues, our smartphones, the devices we carry in our pockets, often contain minerals that finance bloody civil wars. Some 20% of global wool production originates from Xinjiang Province, where evidence clearly shows that Uyghur forced labour fuels the industry. Soybeans used in industrial cattle farming are directly linked to the destruction of the Amazon. You know, over the last couple of months I’ve heard so many colleagues, so many lawmakers – and I have to say, sorry, but particularly from the right – dismissing these concerns saying that, yes, it happens in distant places, this is not really our business. Well I’m sorry to say, but this is literally our business at its core! The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive focuses on the footprint our European companies leave on human rights and the environment wherever they may operate in the world. We want our companies to be the agents of positive change. Should they cause harm, it is also our responsibility to hold them accountable here in the European courts. So the European Parliament has made crucial improvements to the Commission’s proposal and it is very important to stick to them. The time for progress is now!

Madam President, dear colleagues. Yahaya Sharif-Aminu is a young artist from Nigeria. He composed a song and circulated it on WhatsApp. Some found it blasphemous and an angry mob burned his house down. Instead of protecting him, authorities put him in jail and a Sharia court sentenced him to death in a matter of months. It is so unconscionable it’s very, very hard to find words for it. The very fact that a person can be sentenced to death just for expressing themselves is a travesty of justice. His sentence was overturned by an appeals court but, instead of letting him free, a retrial has been ordered. With our resolution today, the European Parliament will send a very clear message. Blasphemy laws are in clear breach of international human rights, in breach of Nigeria’s international treaty obligations and also in breach of the country’s very own constitution. This injustice simply cannot stand. The EU should not shy away from using our diplomatic and economic leverage to advocate for this young man, because he did not hurt anyone and he must be free.

Madam President, dear colleagues, the Kremlin has sentenced Vladimir Kara-Murza to 25 years in jail. He is a journalist, a filmmaker and an activist, husband of Yevgeniya, father of three. And for us, he is the embodiment of courage. And what was his crime? He dared to speak the truth about the invasion of Ukraine and the unspeakable war crimes committed by Russia and its proxies. This is one more milestone as Russia descends into authoritarianism. But a quarter century for telling the truth, let that sink in, everybody. But we know that Vladimir Putin’s oppressive regime will end much sooner because every regime falls one day, and Putin’s will, too. But we have to do our own part. The European Union has to put its full weight behind Vladimir Kara-Murza, behind every single imprisoned Russian political prisoner. We have to use the Magnitsky Act as soon as possible. Let us join the US, let’s join Canada, let’s stand up for Alexei Navalny, let’s stand up for Vladimir Kara-Murza. Every time a European diplomat enters the room to meet a Russian counterpart, the discussion has to start like this: freedom for Vladimir Kara-Murza, freedom for Alexei Navalny, unconditionally and immediately.

Mr President, colleagues, as we speak, thousands of Ukrainian children are held hostage in camps, have been kidnapped and taken to foster care homes against their will. Thousands of parents are in unimaginable despair. So I really hope that no part of this House would like to look the other way. Sadly, many of our own EU citizens are oblivious to this fact because all they hear is Russian propaganda. And this is the reality: 43 camps have already been discovered and who knows how many more will be found. If there was one thing that should unite every single EU government it’s that we cannot let these war criminals go unpunished. We must hold them accountable in front of a tribunal. But yet again, Russia’s Trojan horse reared its head. When asked about the ICC’s arrest warrant, Viktor Orbán’s head of office said that, in Hungary, Putin would not be arrested. Colleague Gál just spoke about how the truth has to be uncovered. So please, colleague Gál, convince the Hungarian Government to execute the ICC arrest warrant should the need arise. This is what we owe these innocent children; this is what we owe Ukraine; and this is what we owe the entire humanity as Europeans.

Madam President, dear colleagues, this Parliament welcomes the strong and unanimous Council conclusions, making it crystal clear that the European Union’s support for Ukraine is unwavering and that we condemn Russian aggression. But colleagues, do you think this message also gets to our citizens? Because right now in Hungary, just like in the past weeks and months, billboards are spread across the country condemning the European Union for putting sanctions on Russia. This is a bomb. The Brussels sanctions are destroying us. These are the sanctions Viktor Orbán has voted for as well. Outright lies are being spread about the European Union and sadly, they are working. Recent polls show that 63% of Hungarians believe that EU sanctions are to blame for record high inflation – even though Hungary’s inflation is twice the EU’s average. Far—right anti-European forces are learning this tactic across Europe. Why don’t the EU institutions stand up against these lies? The Council conclusions also highlight that we need to fight Putin’s disinformation machine, but one thing the EU has always been reluctant to do is to stand up against disinformation within our Union. The EU should start doing that. The future of our European project is at stake.

Madam President, dear colleagues, I would like to thank the rapporteur and all the shadows for the set of bold proposals that we can be really proud of, because human rights defenders are facing increased pressure around the world and it is our responsibility to protect them. We need to defend the defenders. These brave individuals often put their lives on the line to fight for justice, freedom and equality. We often think about them in idealistic terms, but we shouldn’t forget that their work is incredibly hard. Threats, harassment and violence are their everyday reality, and women human rights defenders face even greater challenges. They are subjected to gender-based violence and discrimination, and they often feel alone, getting little recognition or support. As we all know, the EU guidelines on human rights defenders have been in place since 2004, but it’s evident that they are not enough. We need to better implement our existing guidelines and we need to go further. And this is what this report is all about. Because autocrats are becoming more and more sophisticated. They have taken on with the digital age, for example, they use online harassment and surveillance. We need to catch up to them and we need to finally get ahead of them. And let’s not shy away from bold action. I know that one of the proposals, the provision of multi-entry visa schemes, is sensitive for some colleagues because far-right populists stoke fear and hatred against it. But we are talking about human rights defenders who need to be able to get to a safe place when they are facing harassment and then return to their countries to do their vital work. They need to be able to use the European Union as a safe haven. So I urge you to support this report and do our utmost to make these proposals a reality throughout the EU.

Mr President, colleagues, Commissioner, the foreign agent law cooked up in Vladimir Putin’s Russia is malicious, cynical and oppressive. Its sole purpose is to discredit civil society and to crush dissent. So, no wonder that autocrats all around the world can’t seem to have enough of it. It is copied in Nicaragua, Belarus and Egypt and, sadly, also in the EU. Viktor Orbán’s government passed an exact replica of this law and it took the European Court to strike it down. Because, as Josep Borrell communicated it to the Georgian leaders, it is incompatible with EU values. So, we very strongly welcome its withdrawal. Our Parliament has a very clear message to the pro-European forces in Georgia: we see you and we stand with you and we admire your determination to join our European family. The image of a protester in Tbilisi waving an EU flag while facing the water cannons is such a powerful symbol, colleagues. It shows how much the European project means for people in accession countries. We should work every day to live up to this and to have a much broader strategy to counter Russian influence, because we cannot fight Putin without fighting the Putinisation of our neighbourhood.

Madam President, dear colleagues, the whole world knows that Alexey Navalny sits in a prison cell for one reason, and one reason only: Vladimir Putin is a coward. He is afraid of real opposition voices – he doesn’t even have the courage to play hockey games against real opponents. So put this in contrast with Alexey Navalny, the embodiment of courage, who returned to Russia after the regime tried to poison him, and who just does not give up. But we have all seen the reports and pictures; Alexey Navalny needs our help and time is running out. The EU must use its full diplomatic and economic leverage to push for his immediate release. So every time a European diplomat meets a Russian counterpart, the discussion, among many, many other topics, must include two demands: allow Navalny to see an independent medical expert and allow Navalny to see his lawyer in confidentiality. So in other words, stop violating Russia’s own laws. The world is watching and we cannot stand by while Navalny’s health is deteriorating. We have to do something. Let’s act together.

Madam President, dear colleagues, with this resolution, the European Parliament pays tribute to Thulani Maseko. He was a courageous fighter for democracy, a human rights lawyer, and a beacon of hope for the people of Eswatini, who yearn for a free society. Last month, he was brutally assassinated. He was shot in his own living room in front of his wife and small children. This happened mere hours after King Mswati III openly threatened the pro-democracy movement. This House condemns the heinous crime and demands that the Eswatini authorities conduct an impartial investigation to bring perpetrators to justice. But also, to honour the legacy of this great man, we need more than just words. We must immediately review any financial support issued to the Kingdom of Eswatini and to make sure that these funds are not abused by a blatantly corrupt criminal regime. While history will forget his cowardly murderers, Thulani Maseko’s name will live on forever. It will continue to inspire all of us in the universal struggle for freedom and justice.

Mr President, I would like to have a point of order according to Rule 195 of the Rules of Procedure based on Annex II’s Code of Appropriate Behaviour. It prohibits this disrespectful conduct in this House and, by analogy, it is also applicable to Commissioners when they address this plenary. Yesterday, Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi addressed our Chamber then took his seat and said, I quote, ‘How many idiots are left?’. He has since issued a statement saying he was misunderstood. Instead of issuing a full public apology like he should have, he, in a signature cynical move, said he was sorry we misunderstood him. Honestly, there are very, very few people who believe him. In fact, he was referring to elected representatives in this House whose job is to hold the Commission accountable. Of course, we are not surprised that Viktor Orbán’s appointee has a contempt for democratic processes, but this is not his cushy, illiberal regime, this House does not operate this way. This was yet another example that shows that the Commissioner is unfit to do his job. So we call on the Commission President, as we already did at the last plenary, to have a very long overdue investigation into the many allegations of misconduct by Commissioner Várhelyi, particularly around his dealings in the Balkans region. And let me remind you, the Treaties very clearly state that Commissioners shall act in the European interest and in full independence, and if misconduct is proven, they must resign.

Madam President, dear colleagues, I am very glad that the Cambridge Analytica scandal, the Brexit campaign, the Trump campaigns, finally served as a wake-up call for the European Union. Because social media platforms can give malign actors a powerful tool to undermine our democracies; they can open the door to foreign interference, they can amplify misinformation and propaganda, and they can be used to stoke up hatred and divide our societies. And in both of these cases, the practice called micro-targeting was a very big part of the problem. Tailoring messages to audiences, of course, can be legitimate, but gathering sensitive data without voters’ consent and then exploiting this to manipulate them is certainly not. So, I am very thankful for the amazing work of Sandro Gozi and Anna Donáth, because this regulation is so very important and especially the transparency requirements. Voters have the right to know who is trying to persuade them and how, so that persuasion does not become illegitimate manipulation. Because democracy is so much more than drawing an ‘x’ at the ballot box; it depends on a meaningful public debate and an informed electorate – also in the online space.

Mr President, if there is one word to describe the moment we live in, I would go with ‘polycrisis’, because we need to fight simultaneous challenges like climate change, the pandemic, the war and democratic backsliding. What these crises have in common is that they require investment to reduce emissions, to build resilience for pandemics, to create access to education, not only in Europe, but globally. Although China started its global investment drive long before we did, it also draws criticism, and for a reason. Problems of corruption, disregard for human rights and the environment are just obviously glaring, and the Global Gateway Initiative has been, I believe, a strong response to this polycrisis and also a clear alternative. One year after its launch, we can say that our spending has become more coherent and more strategic. Yes, there is space for improvement, and its volume needs to be increased drastically. The EU jargon of unlocking and leveraging funds for me very often only refers to repackaging existing money, and that is a problem. We see a shocking investment gap where lower income countries fall behind. It is in Europe’s own interest to counter that and offer support, to be there. So, this is our job now.

Mr President, the images of Bolsonaro supporters storming Brazil’s centre of power were absolutely shocking. This attack was deliberately modelled after the 6 January insurrection in the United States. It was also perpetrated by a far—right mob who refused to accept the results of a democratic election. This attack was also fuelled by unregulated media platforms working as a misinformation machine. Colleagues, we must finally open our eyes to the threat of the far—right authoritarian contagion. It is an interconnected global movement, and we need a global movement to counter it. We need to stand in solidarity with democrats in Brazil and elsewhere, and we also need to help each other. So let’s start by a globally coordinated regulation of social media platforms. We also need to realise that democratic norms breaking down in one country make democracy vulnerable elsewhere, too. And nowhere is this more relevant than in the European Union. In the last decade, the two most rapidly autocratising countries in the world were EU Member States, Poland and Hungary. So in order to help democrats all around the world and to fight the far—right authoritarian contagion, we also need to put our own house in order.

Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues, when it comes to matters of budget control, you very often hear me standing here delivering very impatient and very critical remarks. But this time, let me use this opportunity to not only thank the rapporteur for an excellent job, but also to take a much more positive approach, because the European Commission’s recent decision to reform the EU’s blacklist and exclude fraudulent applications from receiving EU contracts is a very important breakthrough. It is also a victory for this Parliament. Let me add, it is perhaps a bit of a personal legislative success for me, myself and the Renew team, because right from the start of this mandate, we have been calling for an effective blacklist. We raised the specific case of Viktor Orbán’s son—in—law, who continued to receive large amounts of EU money, even though he has a record of fraud, as concluded by the EU’s own investigators. So why aren’t such applicants blacklisted, we kept asking, and we dipped into the legislation and found that the EU indeed does have a blacklist – the so—called early detection and exclusion system – but not for funds jointly managed with Member States. So in other words, it failed to cover 80% of the funds. So we raised this problem in letters, we organised a committee hearing, and then the Commission agreed with us – which is great – that this glaring loophole needs to be closed. This is just common sense, colleagues. The EU must not give second and third and 11th chances after a proven record of fraud. EU funds are not a right, but a privilege, and those who already prove to be undeserving should not be granted this privilege. I’m very glad that, as a result of the work of the Renew team and myself, our EU legislation now reflects this.

Mr President, dear colleagues, on the EU’s doorstep over 17 000 innocent civilians have died in Vladimir Putin’s barbaric war. Ukraine is bracing for a winter without shelter, without power, without food. Russian armed forces are deliberately shelling schools and hospitals. The devastation and suffering is unimaginable. And how do Europe’s illiberal populists respond to that? They veto humanitarian aid to Ukraine because they want to extort money from the EU. First, Viktor Orbán blocked the aid. He dropped his veto on Monday as others in the Council promised him some money. And then today the news broke that the Polish Government wants to extort the EU too. They hold up the aid package, and let’s be honest, they also want money in exchange. There are absolutely no words left to describe how shameful it all is. But I really hope that Council finally learned the lesson. If you give in to the extortionists, they will always come back for more.

Madam President, good evening and welcome to the evening news: Viktor Orbán changed his profile picture. The photo got 60 000 likes in a few hours and thus only likes with comments also. Many think he looks more handsome than earlier. Others believe the photo depicts a confident and strong leader. So this is an actual quote from a news show on Hungary’s second largest TV station. It also happens to be owned by Orbán’s childhood friend. So, colleagues, assaults against media freedom doesn’t always entail imprisoned journalists. Autocrats get much more sophisticated. It can happen through politically connected oligarchs capturing newsrooms. Hungary’s Népszabadság, Origo, Index were all muzzled like this. So, Commissioner, we need a strong and enforceable Media Freedom Act that also tackles market concentration. We need effective protection from spying, guarantees for the independence of public service, media and, in general, strong European rules. Europe needs to honour the memory of Daphne Caruana Galizia and Ján Kuciak, reporters who were murdered for doing their job. And the best way to do so stand up against predators of media freedom.

Mr President, allowing national vetoes to block European foreign policy decisions is a security threat. Full stop. Viktor Orbán’s vetoes have been a gift to the Kremlin, which has a vested interest in an EU that is divided and weak. Just remember that earlier this year a sanction package was halted because the Hungarian Government wanted Patriarch Kirill off the list. The EU looked just laughable, just like Vladimir Putin wanted. And the question is this: whose interests do these vetoes serve? Surely not Hungary’s. We are members of the EU. We are members of NATO. Our security is guaranteed by these institutions. Undermining them also undermines Hungary’s security. So let’s get rid of the unanimity rule in foreign affairs. This is a dysfunctional and anti-democratic setup that makes the EU look weak and ridiculous in crucial moments of crisis. In short, shifting to qualified majority will not be easy. But the EU has demonstrated over and over again that it is capable of reform. We need this reform drive. We need it once again. And we need this Parliament for it.

Just a very quick question to you, colleague. Do you know where Mr Verhofstadt is from? You said that he is a Dutch citizen and he is not a Dutch citizen.

Mr President, Qatar’s attempt to buy influence in the European Parliament is absolutely outrageous. But it also confronts us with a very grim reality. Authoritarian countries are actively trying to infiltrate European institutions and, let’s face it, our safeguards are just not up for the task right now. We knew this was the case in the European Council, where Viktor Orbán has been using his vetoes along the interests of Russia or China, undermining Europe. And now we see that foreign influence has reached this parliament as well, and it must have very far reaching consequences. We need very urgent reform in ethics and lobbying frameworks, and we need a much better vetting system in foreign policy personnel as well. And our message to Qatar must be crystal clear: attempts to silence us and to by the European Parliament will never succeed. We will never turn our back on human rights violations, or on the thousands of workers who have died while constructing stadiums for their World Cup of shame. In fact, all Qatar achieved with their bribe money is that we will fight twice as hard to make sure that there will be some consequences.

Mr President, dear Prime Minister Golob, dear colleagues, thank you very much, Prime Minister, for addressing this Chamber today and sharing your vision for the future of Europe, a vision that I was so pleased to hear in this Chamber. Protecting our European values, standing up for the rule of law, facing the climate emergency with courage and ambition: our group, Renew Europe, is wholeheartedly behind you in the fight for these issues. It’s so important. But also, as a representative of the Hungarian Momentum Movement – the youngest opposition party fighting Viktor Orbán’s illiberal populism – I also wanted to talk briefly about what I believe this year’s election in Slovenia means for us and also for Europe as a whole. The government of former Prime Minister Janez Janša alarmed Europe, and rightfully so. It has shown that no country is immune to democratic backsliding. Mr Janša issued ad hominem attacks at Members of this Parliament and against members of our group in particular. At home he attacked civil liberties and undermined judicial independence. Media freedom was very severely curtailed as Hungarian media tycoons showed up in Slovenia, interfering with press freedom and exporting the Orbán model. So in short, what we saw is the Orbanisation of Slovenia. The playbook was just so remarkably similar. And this is why the election victory of the Freedom Movement has such a broad Europe-wide importance. First and foremost, it gave us hope – hope that the global democratic backsliding trend can be stopped and it can be reversed, that the values of liberal democracy and environmentalism can prevail against illiberal populism, also electorally. But, colleagues, the steady erosion of our European values and the trend of democratic backsliding did not stop. And we also still hear talking points of one of the autocrats echoed by major political groups in this House. There is so much work to be done for the European Union as a whole to defend our values. So I believe that the new government in Slovenia has a very deep understanding, but also strong credibility to stand up for European values. One key priority must be media freedom and a strong EU-wide regulation for media markets. We are looking forward to your leadership on these issues, Prime Minister.

Madam President, the Qatar football World Cup will always be remembered as the World Cup of shame. As the world is watching these grand stadiums, all I can think about is how they were built. Credible sources show that thousands of workers lost their lives and the Qatari authorities even refused to investigate these cases. A giant amount of financial resources flowed into a project that was tainted by forced labour, environmental destruction and deep corruption. These violations have not stopped; they are ongoing. It’s absurd and unacceptable that organisers threaten journalists or penalise players for wearing rainbow armbands. All that this is really showing is that they just don’t understand the value of sports at all – the spirit of community and respect for each other. This parliament has to condemn in the strongest possible terms both FIFA and the host country. We can never turn our backs on these human rights violations and we have to fight to ensure that there will be consequences.