Debate contributions by Cristian TERHEŞ

Mr President, dear colleagues, we must pay tribute to those who, in times of terror and oppression, had the courage to resist dictatorship and fight for freedom, dignity and truth, risking their own lives. Motivated, most often by the Christian faith, to help one's neighbor, we find examples of people who have risked their lives for others all over Europe. Romania underwent two dictatorships in the 20th century, one fascist and one communist. We have countless examples of Romanians who risked their lives saving Jews from deportation during the Nazi occupation of Romania. We also have, during the communist period, Romania's prisons full of men and women who had the courage to help partisans fighting against communism. Many worshipped God differently than the communists wanted, or listened to Radio Free Europe. Commemorating these fighters is not only a gesture of respect for the past, but also a necessary lesson for the future. Tyranny and oppression may take new forms, but our duty remains the same: to defend the fundamental values of freedom, democracy and human rights. Let us never forget the courage of those who fought against fascism and communism and make sure that their sacrifice remains forever.

Mr President, dear colleagues, there is not a collaboration between conservatives – if you mean the ECR Group and others on the right who are not in power in the EU – that threatens the bloc's competitiveness. Instead, it is the irrational regulations pushed by the Left, Greens, Socialists and Renew and sometimes even EPP that are currently undermining Europe's economic growth. Absurd policies based on utopian ideology rather than economic realities, such as the Green Deal, have led to higher taxes, increased energy costs and excessive regulations, all of which are suffocating European businesses. The current taxes already make the EU less competitive, but more will come. The aviation fuel tax and the carbon border adjustment mechanism will further drive businesses out of Europe, forcing companies to relocate to less restrictive markets. If the Left, Greens, Socialists and Renew truly want to restore European competitiveness, they must support conservative proposals for massive tax cuts and radical deregulation. The time for the neo‑socialist ideological experiment is over. Europe needs more economic freedom, not socialist restrictions.

Mr President, dear colleagues, two major topics must be at the centre of the EU Middle East strategy. First, stop rewarding the bad behaviour: the European Union allocates hundreds of millions of euros to the Palestinian Authority, which continues to implement the 'pay-for-slay' programme, based on which families of terrorists who have killed or injured Israeli citizens get a pension. As long as individuals are incentivised – even with money – to kill other people, there will not be peace. Second: start the de-radicalisation. Even as we speak, UNRWA schools are using textbooks that indoctrinate Palestinian children to hate Jews, motivate them to kill Jews, and teach them that violence is the method to achieve their political aspirations. Educations shape minds and societies. Today, however, Palestinian textbooks glorify terrorism, promote martyrdom, and incite children to violence rather than teaching them coexistence and how to pursue political aspirations through non-violent means. I call, therefore, that no money be given anymore to the Palestinian Authority and UNRWA schools until the 'pay-for'slay' programme is abolished and the schools' curriculum is de-radicalised.

Mr President, colleagues, before talking about the cancellation of the presidential elections in Romania, I think it would be appropriate for all those who speak on this topic to read the decision of the Constitutional Court of Romania, because what we heard during this debate is absolutely hallucinating. I have heard some say that it is imperative to censor the TikTok platform in Europe and others say that there has been an attack on democracy by that decision. I'm reading a paragraph to understand what really happened in Romania: “There has been voter manipulation and distortion of equal opportunities of electoral competitors through non-transparent use and in violation of electoral legislation, digital technology and artificial intelligence in the conduct of the electoral campaign, as well as through the financing of the online campaign from undeclared sources.” We therefore have undeclared funding and the use of information technology against or in violation of the law. That's the problem. Before we talk about censorship, it is important to ensure that the financing of all election campaigns is transparent.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the agreement with Mercosur, as agreed by Ursula von der Leyen, is a threat both to Romanian and European farmers and to our food security and the health of Europeans. On the one hand, the absurd Green Deal policies, which call for reducing farmland and limiting carbon emissions, are already driving up the price of agricultural products and food, leading to the impoverishment of the population. On the other hand, with the Mercosur agreement, the European single market opens up for agricultural products grown in South America, which do not even respect the growing and environmental conditions in Europe, but also generate huge carbon emissions, having to be transported tens of thousands of kilometers. Between the Mercosur agreement and the aberrant Green Deal policies, Romanian and European farmers are being destroyed by the European Commission, and citizens, for lack of alternative or because of high prices, will be forced to consume food that can make them sick. Saving the planet must start with supporting local farmers, who produce food as close as possible to those who consume it. It is unfair to make compromises with the health of the population. That is why I am asking you to block the Mercosur agreement until these problems are remedied.

Madam President, dear colleagues, Emily O'Reilly deserves and must be praised in the European Parliament for carrying out her duties in favour of the citizens of the European Union. I was one of those who supported her election in 2019 as Ombudsman, and her work during her five years in office was an example of independence, professionalism and determination that the next Ombudsman must follow. One example of determination was the inquiry that the European Ombudsman made into the European Commission's refusal to publish text messages between Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer's head Albert Bourla, which Emily O'Reilly dismissed as maladministration, or maladministration. In Romania, if a mayor or public official negotiated privately, secretly, contractual clauses on billions of euros, public money, he was in jail, and Romania would have been given as an effective example of the fight against corruption. I congratulate Emily O'Reilly for having the courage and perseverance to investigate this abusive behaviour of Ursula von der Leyen, when other institutions remained silent. I urge you to support this report, especially Amendment 7, which calls for the publication of all contracts signed by von der Leyen with vaccine companies.

Mr. President, dear colleagues, the existence of the Republic of Moldova is the result of the Hitler-Stalinist Ribbentrop-Molotov pact, based on which countries in Europe were divided between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. In 1940, Bessarabia, which was part of Romania, was annexed by Soviet Russia, becoming the Soviet Socialist Republic of Moldova. In 1991, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, this republic gained its independence, becoming the Republic of Moldova, which we want today as an integral part of the European Union. The population of this country has been subjected to a program of russification to erase its identity and subjugate it by assimilation. That's why their language has changed, from Romanian to Russian, spelling, from Latin to Cyrillic, identity, from Romanian to Moldovan. Today, the citizens of the Republic of Moldova have the same hopes and ideals that everyone in Eastern Europe had: to live in freedom, democracy and prosperity. Through specific Soviet means, such as disinformation, manipulation, active measures and other means specific to hybrid warfare, the Kremlin wants to keep the population of the Republic of Moldova in its own sphere of influence. It is imperative to give clear signals to the citizens of the Republic of Moldova that we are on their side. That is why I call for the inclusion of the Republic of Moldova in the roam like at home area.