Speeches

Mr President, Madam President of the Commission, Madam President of the Council of the European Union, colleagues, two years of this war, more than 700 days of suffering in Ukraine. In each of these days, people were killed, children lost their lives or their parents, families were destroyed by the brutal attacks of Russia. In each of these more than 700 days, the brave Ukrainian people stood against one of the most powerful armies in the world, showing their courage and their will. But make no mistake, courage and determination can only do so much, we know that. Ukrainians need the ammunition and they need the financial support to win the war. The Ukraine facility is long overdue. Minister, the MFF review is still not there. We should have come to this moment proclaiming that we are with the Ukrainians in every single day of the war with an agreement on the MFF review, and the money is still not there. So I please ask you, to the Council, to the Presidency of the Council, there is a message that needs to be clear: trilogues are not monologues. This Parliament does not accept this idea on the economic governance, on the MFF review, that the trilogue is simply a monologue. So please bring back that message, because we need an agreement. We need rapidly to have an agreement to support the Ukrainians so that our proclamations are followed by the money that we have promised them and that is still lacking. Let us deliver on this fight for liberty, let us agree rapidly on our support to Ukraine.

Madam President, yes I do, in the name of the S&D Group. We want to make it clear that we are absolutely for a proper debate of the current situation in Gaza, but we have been able up until now as a Parliament to stay united, and the strength of the European position regarding this situation, which on the ground is so dire, is that we have been able to do this – particularly us here in Parliament. We need to continue to be clear on asking for a stop of the situation of the attacks in Gaza, for a ceasefire, but at the same time taking into account all the events that have actually occurred in these last days and weeks, some of them regarding the conditions in which the initial attack by Hamas was perpetrated. We were also very clear on condemning, from the beginning, the attack of Hamas. We want to preserve that unity. We want Parliament and we want Europe to remain united and be strong – to stop the situation, the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. But it is not the time for us to be divided. We want this proper debate in February II, as it was agreed between the political groups.

Madam President, Council, dear President von der Leyen, colleagues, I want to start by saying that whoever leads the Council on its special meeting on the 1st of February needs to show enough strength and leadership to overcome the blackmail of Orbán and deliver on the EU budget and the support to Ukraine. Europe is yet again at an existential moment. Europeans are looking at us. European leaders need to show that they can actually be respected by our citizens and the whole world. Who could tell that through this mandate, our geopolitical Europe would indeed be tested so much? Yes, we delivered in the vaccines altogether, but too many of them were sold to the developed world while the rest of the world was looking at us in agony. Yes, we delivered with resolve to the Ukrainians for these two years, including by opening the negotiations for accession just a month ago. But when the US are starting to falter, we are not yet filling the gap, even if it is our security, our values and our freedom that is being fought for on those fields. We are taking too long to create our own strategic autonomy in a world that is much more confrontational now. We are giving in to the blackmail of Orbán, and all the bullies in Europe are rejoicing with that. The Europeans are suffering and the populists, they are laughing at it because they will grow from anger and frustration, turning suffering and fear into hatred. And now, at this critical moment, we are faced with a proposal to eventually start cutting our policies that can help those that are suffering to pay for the interests of Next Generation EU. We cannot do more, like helping Ukrainians or all the correct priorities you identified, Madam President, with less, at the cost of other policies like cohesion policy. Europeans want fair transitions and better housing for all. They want to reinforce our social economic model, not to see it endangered by austerity policies imposed by the Council. We will fight as a parliament for social convergence and sustainable investment in the new fiscal rules. The populists, the neo-fascists, the anti-Europeans that now you worry about, Mr Weber, those are coming now out of every corner. They are raising their arms into the open air, fuelling from people’s frustrations. The Europeans are asking us, where is Brussels when we need it? This is a defining moment. Europe needs to find strength and the will to fight hatred yet again.

Mr President, Minister, Commissioner, colleagues, as we speak, bombs keep falling in Gaza. Civilians are getting killed by the thousands. Children are dying in this dreadful war. 24 000 deaths, 70% of them women and children, and the war keeps going. To have an idea of the proportion of this death toll, it is the equivalent to 5 million deaths if it were the EU population. Yes, 5 million. Half of my country’s population. Much more than many of the European Member States. How can this happen and still be considered a proportional response to the atrocities of Hamas? As is well known, we condemned in the strongest possible terms the terrorist attacks of Hamas. We did it back then, we will always condemn it, and call for the release of all hostages. Hamas is a terrorist group that should be eliminated. No doubt about that. But the elimination of Hamas cannot be done at any cost. Civilians are not fighters. Children are not terrorists. Collective punishment, including famine and thirst, is not admissible. Those responsible for terrorist acts and violations of international law and war crimes, all of them must be held to account. As always, we reiterate our strong support and trust on the International Criminal Court and the Court of Justice. No exceptions. The total destruction of Gaza, the flattening of every inch to the ground will not bring peace or justice to the region, will not keep Israel safer. The bloodshed must stop now. Humanitarian aid must be allowed to access the entire Gaza urgently. And an immediate and permanent ceasefire must be settled, which is the only thing that can pave the way for any viable solution. The occupation of the Palestinian territories, including Gaza, must end, and an independent Palestinian state must be established following the spirit of the Oslo Accords. Negotiation is the only way forward. War and violence can only bring death, more death. Too many lives are already lost; it is time to stop.

Mr President, I would like to greet the Minister on her first appearance towards the Parliament, in which I gather it will be a lot. Dear Commissioner, Vice President, colleagues, from the beginning of the war, the EU and its Member States committed themselves to support Ukraine as long as it takes, and our support Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and integrity has been unwavering. Yet we are again at a defining moment. The fact is that Ukraine is at a critical point in the war, with lack of weapons and ammunition, as they refer to constantly. And I would like to say even to Michael Gahler, it is under the leadership of Chancellor Scholz that Germany is continuing to support Ukraine, but a number of Member States must deliver on their promises at this stage. The inability of the Council to agree on the financing to Ukraine is deeply concerning and disappointing, Minister, and this is a message I’d like to convey directly to you, and the possibility of the US withdrawing their support is at least disturbing. Ukrainians are fighting for their bare existence. Their victory prevents us from fighting ourselves against a rogue imperialist state of Putin that has no regard for the international law. They are fighting for their lives. We are fighting also in an existential moment of the European Union.

Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues, let me be crystal clear. We totally condemn the ongoing attacks on maritime activities in the Red Sea from these Houthi-controlled territories in Yemen with the support of Iran. The Houthi attacks threaten the international navigation and the maritime security in grave disrespect from international law, and they endanger the lives of the civilian crews, some of them already abducted, and create serious environmental and obvious economic risks. Contrary to what the Houthi leaders say, the attacks are of no help in addressing the war in Gaza. In fact, they further destabilise the region and create increased risks for the populations. They also destabilise the world commerce, with effects that are already being felt in many regions in the world. We don’t need another factor to fuel a possible economic crisis. We therefore urge the Houthis to immediately stop the attacks, and call on all parties to avoid further escalation in the region. We particularly want to tell directly to the Iran regime: be on the right side for once, on the side of stability in your own region. We call on the Member States to be meaningful and take immediate and concerted efforts to address these attacks if the Houthis, of course, do not stop immediately. We need an effective operation in the Red Sea, with an executive mandate to ensure the naval security in the region. This should be built from close cooperation with the regional actors, but also with our international parties, many of them which are already acting on the ground. There is no more time for ambiguities. Europe is a commercial stronghold in the world, but that also means we must protect our trade capacities. Europe and the world are already suffering from the consequences of successive wars, and the spike on energy prices and inflation that came with it. People are dying by the thousands because of these wars. We cannot add the death or the abduction of the crews in the Red Sea, the destruction of our vessels, and the health of a good part of the world commerce to all the tragedies already taking place in front of us. The EU is a world player and should act as such, including, as the High Representative referred recently, by enforcing the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2722, which reiterates that the states have the right to defend their vessels against these attacks in accordance to international law. Let us show that we can act. We will act when threats to the international law arise, no matter where or by whom these threats come to reality.

Madam President, Commissioner Schmit, remaining colleagues, today, many young people do not feel confident that they will enjoy a higher or even the same living standards as their parents did. Students are unable to join their preferred university just because they cannot even rent a room. Young workers find out that wages are low, even after five years or more of higher education, and many couples live in a limbo, unable to afford a home to gain independence or start a family. For the majority of these, the future, how they see it now is not a source of hope, but of frustration. The writing is on the wall. Together we risk failing a whole generation. But there is still time to correct course and start delivering. And that time is right now. Our group asked for this debate because we do care. We care for this young generation, and we think that Europe has to be part of the solution. That is why the Socialists and Democrats defend a housing plan that ensures affordable and decent homes for all. Europe needs more social, public, cooperative and affordable housing. This includes more European funding and better conditions for long-term public investment, but also changes to the state aid regime, defining housing as a service of general economic interests. We need better legislation, more investment. But Europe is also the European Central Bank and the ECB should look at the consequences of their current policies. People are suffering and inflation has already come down significantly. The evidence is clear now. We risk an over tightening of the monetary policy and a recession as a consequence. Each percentage point of unemployment in Europe is 2 million people suffering. We shouldn’t accept this. The cost of living crisis already left many people with lighter grocery bags but heavier bills. It is hard to be positive about tomorrow when life gets so difficult today for so many people. That is why our political family brought forward the Bring the Bills Down initiative, asking for direct support to the citizens. We are paying attention, we care. These daily struggles are not only the field where Europe can make a difference. In fact, we must continue to act and act much earlier and provide solutions for a better quality of life. We stand by the committees that brought the social pillar into a reality. The Porto summit was not just a beauty contest for nice pictures. With the good weather. We said it by then. It needs to continue to deliver concrete results. It means prioritising better jobs with fair wages. Let us improve the youth guarantee and impose a ban on unpaid internships to ensure young people enter the job market swiftly and with better conditions. The agreement reached last night and I want to praise Commissioner Schmit and you, Elisabetta Gualmini, and so many that were there. This agreement regarding the platform workers legislation, it’s a great victory that we should celebrate as a Parliament. This means less precariousness. Labour rights for millions of workers that were deprived and still are deprived from any protection. We fought for it. Hardly. We were fighting for many youngsters in Europe that live in this reality. We are proud to say that we delivered on that promise just this evening. But we are here also to fight against poverty, particularly the poverty of children. The child guarantee must be the backbone of social policy, ensuring every kid has access to proper conditions. Colleagues, making Europe more social is not just the right thing, it’s also the smart thing. Time and time again, our citizens speak out loud and they say they want a more social Europe. Our message is clear. You can count on the Socialists and Democrats to build a Europe that works for the young people, because we care.

Madam President, Council, dear President von der Leyen, colleagues: President von der Leyen, Europe is once again facing an existential moment. European citizens were promised by you a geopolitical union. Ukrainian citizens were promised unconditional support for their efforts to stop Russia. Today, both promises risk not being a long-lasting reality. As the USA discusses openly the withdrawal of their support to Ukraine, the EU is also fighting over the budget and thus hasn’t yet responded decisively: ‘you can count on us for good’. The revision of the EU budget and the decisive opening of the negotiations with Ukraine is what we want to hear tomorrow from the Council. Dear Secretary of State, can you please convey that message? At this same moment, we are also challenged from the inside by Viktor Orbán, who keeps blackmailing the EU to be allowed to infringe the rule of law. President von der Leyen, let me address you directly: if the Commission now pays Mr. Orbán a fat cheque, it will be just the payment of a ransom. It will tell everyone that bullying does work. You need to explain here today: what are you deciding, and why are you deciding? Because from the outside, I have to tell you, it looks really nasty. Because, dear President, threats to the rule of law may come from many other bullies after this decision on Orbán. After nurturing Mr. Orbán in its ranks for a decade, to see him then just grow wild and leave its ranks, the EPP is now flirting with a new set of bullies that will be the Orbáns of tomorrow. The EPP didn’t even just flirt with the far right: it actually married them in Italy, in Sweden, in Finland, and even in my country and in Spain at the regional level. The far right’s growth was allowed, was fuelled by this support by the EPP, but also by the financial crisis, by the lack of solidarity in the migratory crisis. But now it is the cost of living crisis that is allowing frustration and hatred to grow again. People are suffering from the cost of living crisis, and the Council now needs to give a completely different signal, and that’s also what we await from you on the new fiscal rules. The trade unions, they are out there and they are saying to Europe, ‘we reject the pro-cyclical austerity the Council is discussing’. They are voicing the concerns of millions of Europeans. The ball is now on your side, on the Council side, we want you to listen to the cry of the people, don’t stay indifferent because we are here indeed to make a difference.

Mr President, Mr Borrell, ladies and gentlemen, with each passing day, the humanitarian disaster in Gaza is worsening, with 17 or 18 000 dead, 5 000 children. Words are missing to describe this tragedy. Israel's right of defence and objective of destroying Hamas, after the unjustifiable death of so many Jews, the miserable rapes, the kidnappings, the violence without barracks, is legitimate. But the ends do not justify any means. A terrorist killing of Jews does not justify a killing of Palestinians against international law. Democracies don't behave that way. Netanyahu has for years been complacent with Hamas in Gaza, thus actively boycotting the two-state solution. The Palestinians, who were ruled under the yoke of Hamas with Israel's tolerance, cannot all be turned into terrorists, into targets to be shot down. We must stop this war now, a humanitarian ceasefire that halts this killing and resumes the release of all hostages already, that leads to a lasting ceasefire and relaunches the political process, that leads to the two-state solution with security guarantees for both. There is no prolongation of a war that every day, every week, with thousands of dead, leaves us a few years further from peace. In such dark times, let's look at the example back there of Shimon Peres, Yasser Arafat, Isaac Rabin who overcame decades of conflict to sign the Oslo Accords. The enemies of peace then did not like their actions and the solution of the enemies of peace is always the same: more violence, more deaths, more war. But violence only generates more and more violence. It is not with more war that peace is achieved. Let us recall here the words of the Talmud: He who saves one life saves the whole world.

Mr President, I ask you for the same tolerance of the previous speaker, because I have to defend the honour of my country and I will do it in Portuguese. Senhor Weber, devo defender a honra do meu país pelo que aqui fez hoje. No meio do ataque às instituições espanholas, dirigiu-se ao governo do meu país e chamou corrupto ao governo do meu país. Desrespeitou assim Portugal. Peço à Mesa deste Parlamento (o Senhor Presidente tinha falado na importância do cuidado com a terminologia usada), peço à Mesa deste Parlamento que avalie o que fez aqui o Senhor Weber. Desrespeitou Portugal, desrespeitou um governo democrático europeu. E digo-lhe mais: não descerei, não descerei ao seu nível! Não descerei ao seu nível. Sempre lhe lembrarei apenas que António Costa se demitiu para deixar funcionar a Justiça sem estar acusado de nada. No seu governo de Espanha, do PP de Rajoy, esse governo foi derrubado por terem sido condenados por corrupção, e Rajoy agarrou-se ao poder até ao fim e foi derrubado por uma maioria parlamentar. É muito mau o que aqui fez hoje no ataque a um governo europeu, Senhor Weber. Tivemos aqui o discurso inflamado também do Senhor Rangel, como também o tinha feito em Espanha. O Senhor Rangel, com uma total desonestidade intelectual, veio a Espanha fazer um discurso sobre a Espanha Una, sobre a Constituição. O que escreveu ele em 2017, quando governava o PP em Espanha por alturas do referendo na Catalunha? Rangel escreveu, e cito: «Por mais que custe aos mais conservadores, a unidade de Espanha só pode ser mantida com o modelo federal». E dizia mais: «É politicamente errada a fixação no argumento jurídico e legal. A Constituição e as leis podem mudar. O argumento tem de ser político.» Isto era Rangel em 2017. Agora é discursar em Madrid na defesa do Estado Uno e da Constituição. (O orador prossegue em língua espanhola) Ahora, para terminar, hablaré unos segundos en español. Hablemos también de Esteban Pons. Esteban Pons, antiguo diputado al Parlamento, ha dicho esta última semana que el Tribunal Constitucional tendrá que decidir de qué lado está, si del lado de los constitucionalistas o del de los enemigos de la Constitución. Presidente, ¿qué respeto a la independencia de la justicia es esto? ¿Hablan ustedes en la derecha de presión política sobre la justicia? Pues les diré que la derecha española, con sus coaliciones con la extrema derecha, es la que está poniendo en cuestión el Estado de Derecho en Europa (el presidente retira la palabra al orador).

Mr President, High Representative, Commissioner, colleagues, as the sun rose today, a beam of hope came to Israel and Gaza. After weeks of indiscriminate bombing, a humanitarian truce was achieved last night. This must be the beginning of the end of the nightmare that started with the terror of Hamas and the death of more than 1 000 Israelis. But punishing the civilian population in Gaza was also not admissible, and it is not even effective, for peace is the only way to really eradicate the ideology of Hamas from Palestine and the region. Every one of the thousands of civilians that lost their lives in Gaza brought Israel not one millimetre closer to long-lasting peace. This bloodshed must end for good. A permanent ceasefire, the full release of the hostages, is urgent and needed. We need a true political strategy with a viable political horizon. The far right in Israel has no permanent solution to this conflict. We as Europeans, we truly need to commit ourselves to the global effort of peace and the two-state solution.

Mr President, Mr High Representative, Minister, Vice-President Šefčovič, Faces and Colleagues, every year an Israeli family organised a peace festival on the Gaza-Israel border. Paper parrots were thrown over the fence with messages of peace to unite the two peoples in this greater goal. This year, the festival didn't happen. Hours before it began, the Kutz family was murdered in their home by the Hamas terrorist attack. To honor the memory of the Kutz family is to do everything possible to restore peace. Destroy the terrorist capacity created around Hamas - because terrorism will always be a threat to security and peace - and free the hostages now. But don't confuse Hamas with the Palestinian people, who have the right to peace and security like everyone else. Protecting civilians is a moral and legal obligation for everyone. And building lasting peace between the two states is the only way to stop the spiral of fear and violence that has martyred Israelis and Palestinians for decades.

Madam President, dear Commissioner Schmit, dear colleagues, the rightful attention we dedicate to the world around us, particularly given the outbreak of another war, cannot be a pretext to forget what is happening in Europe. In this moment, one of the biggest concerns of our citizens, of our families is the cost of living crisis, followed by the risk of poverty and social exclusion that comes with it. It may come as a surprise to some, but the reality is hard to digest. In 2022, our developed and prosperous Union still had one out of five people living at the risk of poverty. That is 95 million people. And the reality is, unfortunately, even worse for children. Almost a quarter of our children live at the risk of poverty: we fail to help 20 million children in Europe. This is shocking and painful because this represents a risk of losing the lives and the future of these children. Behind these numbers, there are concrete lives: tables where food should not be missing, studies that should not be sacrificed to the need to start working to help the family, houses where cold is the norm through the winter, and that’s when the house is not lost to job loss or high interest rates. Our group, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, has been a leading force in supporting a strong social Europe by the side of Commissioner Schmit. We will continue to fight for a Europe as a better place and with well-being for all. At a time when political priorities seem to multiply around us, is there even a nobler cause than declaring a relentless fight against poverty? Now is the time to act, the time to build upon the goals of the Porto Summit and to start walking the talk, the time to approve and implement a European anti-poverty strategy. It is time to establish an adequate minimum income scheme all over Europe, to implement a joint housing programme and to find the money to eradicate extreme child poverty once and for all. This is how we can truly make a difference in the Europe of today, but also of tomorrow.

Madam President, Commissioner, glad to have you here for this debate, Presidency. Dear colleagues, our political family called for this debate because there is no other way to put it: we are at risk of a serious housing crisis in Europe. People across Europe are struggling to pay their rents, their mortgages, even the energy to heat their houses. Those losing their jobs are at a serious risk of becoming immediately homeless. Young people, in particular, are suffering from this dysfunctional market, unable to find affordable housing. We hear and we say commonly so often that the future is our youth. Yet without even a place to live, how can they believe that they have a future at all? We representatives of the Europeans, we cannot be just bystanders on this rampant housing crisis. Let us start by admitting the obvious: there is a failure in the European housing market, and where there is a market failure, there is need for public policy. Part of the problem is that housing has become an object of speculation. That is why better financial regulation is needed. Housing is a right, not a commodity. Houses are for people to live in. Fighting speculation will also dampen the financial market shocks on the housing market. Housing policy needs to protect our citizens, not only, but particularly, in times of crisis. At the same time, we have to boost investment for public and private housing. To address it, we, the Socialists and Democrats, call for a strong European social investment plan in housing. This requires an integrated approach and close policy coordination among the Member States, including by integrating the EU housing strategy in the European Semester. We welcome the informal ministerial meeting on housing and urban development within the Spanish Presidency in just a few weeks from now in Gijón. And we fully support Commissioner Nicolas Schmit’s strategy to build on the ‘Housing First’ initiative to increase the funds to tackle homelessness. And we want to go even further. Leaving no one behind means, first and foremost, putting a roof on everyone’s head. On housing for all, the EU can already support improvement of housing conditions through investments through the recovery facility, REPowerEU, particularly in the renovation of buildings, with the European Structural Funds, InvestEU or even with a stronger role by the EIB. However, ensuring that resources are properly channelled requires a coherent strategy, that is to say, the European social investment plan for housing that we are calling for. Let me also remind you of the long-standing demand to change the EU state aid regime to enable investment in housing by defining social housing as a service of general economic interest in EU competition rules. If we want to ensure better conditions for long-term public investment in social, public, cooperative, affordable housing, we cannot delay such decision as we cannot postpone the actions to curb the quick rise of mortgage rates that are affecting so many families of the middle classes in all our countries. It is a matter of social fairness to intervene in the mortgage market, alleviating the struggles of families like the Portuguese or the Spanish Governments are already doing. But let’s also be clear: the European Central Bank must now stop raising the interest rates. We know that they are trying to reduce inflation, which is correct, but it risks creating a worse social crisis with the excessive dose that they are already applying. Too many families are already at crisis now and they have to listen. Finally, for those who have been saying the EU has no competence in housing, let me be blunt. That’s just a lousy excuse! There’s so much in which the EU had no competences. Let’s remember the vaccines. Only a lack of political will would stop us from doing what we need to do regarding housing. So let us stand on the side of the middle classes that struggle to find affordable housing, on the side of the youth that wants to start their independent lives. That is crucial for Europe. We must deliver now on this housing crisis!

Mr President, Vice-President Schinas, it is indeed a timely debate, this one. Just two days ago, President Saied said he doesn’t need our charity. You see, Mr Vice-President, exporting the migration challenges faces this nasty reality, particularly if you think of paying an authoritarian regime, a few billions will do the trick. I can even imagine, President Saied, furious thinking, ‘so I was doing them a favour, and now they want to come here and see how I’ll treat the migrants. No way!’ The problem, Commissioner, and Mr Weber by the way, is that they don’t even want to us to have a glimpse on what they do with our money. They just continue with their policies with no regard for human rights. In the meantime, people did not stop coming, stranded in dangerous vessels through the summer while we were already supposedly dealing with implementation of the memorandum. We have to address migration in a completely different way. What we need is solidarity with the refugees, but also with those Member States, particularly Italy, where they arrive in Europe and with the communities where they are finally hosted. It is obvious we need to manage migration at our borders and handling the situation of the illegal arrivals, but certainly it doesn’t have to be done in an inhumane way. So, Commissioner and Mr Weber, let us refocus our energies on the Pact on Migration. Show real solidarity towards the frontline countries, step up our capacities at the Mediterranean to arrest the smugglers, increase the search and rescue capacity of this Europe and support the refugee seekers. And let’s not forget to put a priority into working with the origin and transit countries. We have global gateway. Let us make it count and build true partnerships for development. Where the populists want us to fail, let’s go humane!

Mr President, dear Commissioner Nicolas Schmit, colleagues. Dear Commissioner, in the State of the Union address, President von der Leyen failed to address the struggle of European families. No red heart, no social commitment at that moment from her. And we too are still so far from the Porto Social Summit objectives, namely on poverty, and that is why that silence was so concerning. I am glad that you brought energy and that you broke that silence today in the name of the Commission. Because the war triggered the cost of living crisis, many families, as was just said, cannot even make ends meet even if they are fully employed. Housing costs are skyrocketing for those families, and particularly for the youngsters. Anyone that loses their job at this stage or even anyone who chooses to divorce, faces enormous risks at this stage. For women, as always, the risks are even more acute. The EU must deliver on the Porto agenda with more ESF, more RRF funds to the most excluded. Putting pressure from the Commission to the Member States to prioritise social housing on their recovery plans, like a progressive government did in Portugal. Finding the resources for the Child Guarantee. More social on the economic semester. Minimum salaries, minimum income, as you said. So many challenges. We need a strong action plan from the Commission for the poverty goal.

Madam President, Madam President of the European Commission, Commissioners, looking at this mandate, you see the glass half full. Others still see it as half empty. It is with pride that we find, in the fullest part, conditions that the socialists have put in place to support their election. The Porto Social Agenda and European minimum wages; strengthening gender equality; the Green Deal to tackle the climate emergency; the effective penalisation of those who do not respect the rule of law – and we have seen just now how much this costs Mr Orban; the eurobonds that led to the creation of the COVID recovery plan. These were very important measures. But, Madam President, there is still half a glass to fill and you must therefore decide how to end your term of office. And so I have to ask you: how will you put European policies at the service of those suffering from inflation and rising costs of living and housing? I have to tell you, your silence over the course of an hour on those who are suffering the most in Europe today has been glaring. What about those who suffer at our borders? You spoke of the Pact on Migration correctly, but at the same time you come from agreeing with an authoritarian regime to export our challenges to the other side of the Mediterranean. And he also said nothing about how to push for new fiscal rules that will help us avoid recession in Europe and put social cohesion high on the agenda. But I want to tell you, of course, that we enjoyed listening to you, and certainly Mr Weber also listened, giving priority to the Green Deal and the restoration of nature. So it is up to you, Madam President, now is the time to decide how you want to complete your mandate. Europeans are paying attention. The weakest need action. It does not defraud the expectations of hundreds of millions of citizens.

Mr President, Vice-President Borrell, I too will use a Latin language in this debate. Because our historical connection, our cultural and linguistic proximity, our shared values, make the European Union and Latin America privileged partners, natural partners. However, at times in recent years, this relationship has been threatened, either by authoritarian leaders who have tried to sabotage it, or by a lack of commitment on the part of the parties. In our political group, the European Socialists and Progressives and the High Representative, we have always stated the priority in this relationship. It was therefore with great pleasure that we saw the implementation of the summit between the European Union and CELAC during the Spanish Presidency and the political success it represented. A European Union that wants to play a central role in the world must have as partners those who share its values. Let us therefore build relations of genuine partnership with Latin America, in which everyone feels heard and respected, with international trade as an instrument, certainly, and based on human rights, environmental protection and social rights. Latin America's priority must move much more often from fine words to concrete actions.

Madam President, in the name of the Socialists and Democrats, to say that we fully support having this debate. We consider there are numerous sources of precariousness at this stage in Europe: the rising cost of living, the price of housing, the situation in the labour markets. But – and that is a formal request from our side to change what we had sent in written – we consider that this debate should be held on 1 October and not in September. We consider that it should not be a last minute debate at the later stage on Wednesday, but a proper debate with proper preparedness by the groups, by the Members, even eventually at the Committee. So our request is for the debate to be held on 1 October.

Mr President, Madam Minister, Mr Vice-President, the Council will, as we have been told, discuss migration policy. We need rapid progress on this Migration Policy. As Commissioner Johansson has always said, migration is normal in the history of Europe, it must be managed. And we may be one step away from ending a 20-year-old stigma that has permeated European policies. The European continent is ageing, migrants will be an essential part of our development process. We need regulated migration, but also a refugee policy of solidarity, humanity and, ladies and gentlemen of the European People's Party, what is not in the Migration Pact is the European funding of fences or walls, which is certainly a great disappointment for the right and the European extreme right. But, Vice-President Šefčovič, on the recent steps, there is a concern: the outsourcing of migration policy to an autocrat in Tunisia is very worrying. The Council will debate, but the Commission will not escape the scrutiny of this Parliament. What rules and conditionalities to guarantee human rights in Migration Policy? That is something that this Parliament will ask and will want clarification from the Commission.

Mr President, Minister. Mr Vice President, colleagues, the barbaric war of aggression against Ukraine continues spreading death, destruction and suffering. A continuous series of war crimes and relentless destruction, as we’ve just witnessed this evening in Kiev, now even blowing up dams, endangering the life of thousands of civilians and even the safety of the Zaporizhzhia power plant, committing an authentic ecocide with tragic effects that will remain for many, many years. Besides the unwavering support to Ukraine in this war, the EU and the international community must also stand ready to support Ukraine in its reconstruction. Strong European support will be key for the reconstruction and a meaningful recovery process. And for that, we need to find the money. Billions of euros will be needed and we should certainly start sooner than later by creating the legal basis, Mr Vice President, to finally use the money confiscated from Putin and his regime for this reconstruction of Ukraine.

Madam President, Commissioner Schmit, ladies and gentlemen, tomorrow there are families who do not know whether they will be able to pay for their housing loans. There are small businesses that do not know if they can meet their obligations, including with their employees. What increasingly threatens them are high interest rates. So today, Parliament should come together and send a strong message to the ECB and President Lagarde. The economy is people and their lives. Economics is not just made up of numbers. Let us talk about the desirable objective of price stability, from which we do not depart. Over the past five months, according to Eurostat, inflation has fallen by 3 percentage points. Energy prices, which were at the origin of this inflationary crisis, are now showing increased control. There are also data and analyses from the ECB itself, as mentioned here by Commissioner Schmit, which show how some economic groups, such as companies in general, have taken the opportunity to significantly increase their profit margins, exacerbating inflation itself, i.e. they have taken advantage of the inflationary crisis to increase profits and thus exacerbate the inflationary crisis. Maybe it could be called an inflationary spiral. As also noted, the same type of behaviour or risks were not detected on the side of wage developments. It is therefore time for companies to look at how they have been in the market. It is time for the financial system to look at the profit margins it is also generating, notably on the issue of current lending or lending rates. It is time for the ECB to stop and rethink successive interest rate increases. We know that there are monetary policy hawks who continue to advocate this increase. This was recently done in this Parliament by the European People's Party or, in my country, by the voice of the parliamentary leader of the main opposition party, the same thing has also defended it. It is the same hawks who, in the financial crisis, defended austerity. They didn't learn anything. It is a mistake and an injustice at the moment, and it no longer finds its basis in the current inflationary situation, with social costs that we cannot accept. People are looking at us. We need another monetary policy from now on.

Madam President, Commissioner, once again, guns are heard in Sudan, killing hundreds of innocent people. Human beings just like us, with the only difference that the chance determined them to be born in a country and region devastated by wars that caused countless victims and devastated the economy and hopes for development. In the first weeks of this war, almost a million people already left their homes and survive in unbearable conditions. While successive attempts for a ceasefire fail on the ground, the peace talks are also not achieving much. This is precisely a situation where the EU can and must assert its role in the world, providing urgent support to avert the looming humanitarian crisis and exerting all the pressure to bring the parties to a ceasefire. Let us not allow for a new tragedy, or at least do the utmost of our efforts. If the EU wants to live up to its values, this is the time to go for our limits.

Madam President, Chancellor Scholz, welcome to the European Parliament on this Europe Day. Chancellor Scholz has played a decisive role in important moments of advancement of the European project in the recent past. In particular, this Hamiltonian moment of the European response to the COVID crisis. I have to say, however, that my surprise is that I have to remind Mrs Reintke and the German Greens today, and not just the PPE. Dear Chancellor, in Prague, you said that the path of the future is that of more Europe, a more sovereign Europe. He advocated enlargement, but also the deepening of Europe. As you rightly mentioned, the lessons of the COVID crisis remained – it was by investing together and with common rules and support that we overcame that great crisis. We will now only be truly autonomous in terms of security, energy, digitalisation if we are more Europe. I therefore believe that we need to discuss, from now on, a permanent European investment capacity as the next step in deepening this Union, if we really want to be more Europe.