Speeches

Mr Member, you mentioned the need to support the Euroregions. What concrete measures do you think need to be implemented to support these Euroregions?

Mr President, Commissioner, I am honoured to address this tribune of democracy to sound the alarm about media freedom in Europe. Although it is the pillar and guarantee of a functioning democracy, too many journalists are still harassed, threatened including by politicians and public figures, and political interference in the media is a practice that already seems a norm, including in my country, which is absolutely regrettable, and this interference of politics in the independence of the press has terrible consequences. Our societies are radically polarized. Truth serves each interested political party differently, except for objective reality itself. Dear colleagues, we need more European and national support for investigative journalism and binding measures to protect journalists. Our values, principles and rights are not a given fact to be taken for granted. We must be vigilant, constantly fighting to defend them. We cannot speak of a rule of law and democracy without free journalism.

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, we are witnessing a crisis of devastating price increases. In just one year, in my country, in Romania, meat has increased by 20%, bread has increased by 25%, oil has increased by more than 50%, and energy, electricity and gas prices I don't even want to talk about. During this time, the salaries of Romanian citizens remained the same, and the possible increases they had could not keep up with inflation and price increases. That is why I believe it is essential that we do everything in our power to leave no one behind and to combat poverty. I am proud that today I can vote in the European Parliament for the approval of the directive on adequate minimum wages. It is a big step forward and I hope to continue, because we are on the right track.

Mr. President, Putin has blood on his hands. He is the one who ordered the start of this absurd war, brutally attacking a neighboring country that did nothing to provoke it. Children died in this war, people of all ages died, many innocent citizens died. But I want to mention them in the plenum of the Parliament, to pay tribute to those who lost their lives on the eastern front in Ukraine, such as Dumitru Ignătescu, Denis Moraras, Yuri Iamnâţchi, Alexandru Sprânceană, Ion Zaieţ, Alexei Anichiţoi, Marin Melnicov and many other heroes who died on the Ukrainian front. They are Romanians from Ukraine. In this country we have a community of half a million citizens, and these people went on duty there and I dedicate this message to them in tribute and appreciation.

Madam President, Commissioner, Minister, today's Russia is nothing more than a descendant of the Soviet Union, and Stalin is probably proud of his descendant, Putin, who wants by terror, by murder, by unjustified aggression, to leave his traces in history stained with blood. I think it is no secret to anyone that subtle Russia is no longer subtle, but acts directly through parties that fight against democracy, parties that are foreign to freedom of expression, parties that despise the European Union. We must stop them, because they are a real cancer of European politics. This populism must be eliminated and we must fight, because President Zelenskiy has recently addressed Parliament, including in Romania. Who do you think sabotaged this? Just those who think like Putin and fight against Europe.

Mr President, at the moment, more than 30 million people in the European Union are in need of long-term care, and this number will increase considerably in the coming years, in the context of the demographic decline in Europe. However, many of these people do not have access to quality care services, due to high costs and the acute lack of workers in the field. Moreover, the working conditions of carers are often unfair, with abuses, low wages, undeclared work, unpaid overtime and no social protection. Thousands of Romanian women have gone to different European countries to work in the field of care, and the testimonies of many of them regarding the conditions in which they work are terrifying. That is why I support this report and I believe that the European Union must do everything possible to improve both access to care services and the quality of carers' working conditions.

Mr President, dear colleagues, Europe is facing a crisis, a hidden crisis, which not many people are talking about, but which affects millions of citizens. It is about mental health, which in recent years has been completely neglected. The World Health Organization has shown that more than 300 million people worldwide suffer from work-related mental disorders such as burnout, anxiety, depression or stress. Especially for those who for more than two years have worked only at home and have known co-workers only in the virtual environment and have lost the social contact so necessary for a healthy man. The European Union has an obligation to create the necessary framework for European workers in the digital world to be protected and to work in conditions that guarantee their health, both physical and mental. That is why I have chosen to support this report.

Mr President, digital services are indispensable to our economy. We need modern-day European legislation that sets clear responsibilities and protects the rights of consumers and businesses. Firstly, we must fight to combat legal content online and defend citizens who fall victim to digital crime, with a strong focus on protecting vulnerable groups, such as children. In doing so, we must ensure that what is illegal offline must also be illegal online. Secondly, we need a level playing field in the Digital Single Market. We have too many digital service companies that have much more capital than the GDP of many European countries and have acquired too much self-regulatory powers for private entity status. We need to make sure that the rules are followed even by the strongest.

Mr President, I congratulate the rapporteur. I think Serbia needs to understand that there is no double standard when you take this path that you want to go on in terms of joining the European Union. In this context, it is essential that Serbia's policy demonstrates by facts that it is aligned with European standards and must apply the sanctions that we have applied to Russia precisely because this war has given us a new reality, which allows us to understand that only united, only together, we can face all the challenges. And I believe that Serbia has an obligation to align itself and to respond to all the expectations that we have towards this strongly tried state, but which must be convinced that the only correct way is the European way of this state. Belgrade needs to understand this mission.

Mr President, Commissioner, I want to congratulate the fellow rapporteur and the whole team who worked on this important report. I believe that in these difficult times, when solidarity with those in need has been the focus of our attention, I believe that the social economy sector and entities that have had a social objective and that put people first, and not just profit, are taking on an increasingly important role in our societies. I welcome the European Commission's initiative to publish the new action plan for the social economy at the end of last year. This step by the Commission paves the way for an economy with extraordinary potential, but which unfortunately remains untapped in many Member States. During the pandemic, we were able to see how social economy entities were at the forefront of fighting the crisis, producing masks, facilitating digital education and providing support to local communities. Moreover, in the context of the refugee crisis caused by the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, we have seen how ordinary people, local businesses and small communities have shown an extraordinary civic spirit worthy of European values. That is why I believe that citizens who want to be more involved in their communities must be supported by the Member States, and any barriers to achieving social objectives must be removed. The European Union can and must promote solidarity through the social economy.

Madam President, Commissioner, recently, after the announcement of the European Council on obtaining the status of candidate country for the European Union for the Republic of Moldova, the Parliament of Romania and the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova held a joint meeting of the two legislative bodies. I attended this event, invited by the European Parliament. What amazed me, however, is the reaction of the former president of the Russian Federation, Medvedev, this figure of Putin, who criticized in very harsh terms a natural rapprochement between Romania and the Republic of Moldova in the context of the European integration of this state. The threat coming from Moscow does not scare us, because our goal is for the Republic of Moldova to integrate into the European Union, and here, in the European family, the Romanian nation to reunite, as it is natural, not as Moscow wants.

Madam President, Commissioner, I congratulate the rapporteur. I think it is an extremely important document, because it is aimed at the cooperation that the European Union needs, as well as Interpol, given that we need increasingly effective tools to combat trafficking in human beings, to combat drug trafficking and, obviously, to show Russia where it belongs, given that Russia wants to continue to use this extremely effective and important tool to retaliate with political opponents. And I think that Russia poses a fairly real threat to Interpol's work, and from this point of view, I think that this recommendation to limit Russia's activity within Interpol is more than welcome. I also believe that it is very important for European agencies to have access to Interpol's database. Congratulations again to the rapporteur!

Madam President, I believe that the Recovery and Resilience Facility is a very useful instrument and has been welcomed positively in all Member States, because after the public health crisis, today we are also going through other crises, such as the humanitarian crisis, such as the security crisis, such as the crisis of rising energy prices and the effects it has on the economy. That is why I believe that the initial plan assumed by the European Union through this instrument must be constantly thought out and adapted to the realities we are going through, because, behold, the prices that have increased enormously lately put a burden, a very strong pressure on the citizens. That is why I believe it is essential that the recovery and resilience plans can always be discussed between the Member States and the Commission, so that they are adapted as much as possible to the realities that Europe is going through today.

Madam President, I voted for this report. Gas storage is a priority for which I voted. We are at a critical moment where we need to be able to guarantee Europe's energy security for all citizens. It's a tough winter, and we have to be prepared for it. Putin will certainly cut off gas to Europe. What urgent measures can we take now so as not to suffer in winter? First of all, we need to ensure the necessary logistics for gas storage. Despite numerous commitments, gas storage capacity in Romania has not increased significantly in the last 30 years. We urgently need to modernize and properly equip the warehouses and mines where we will continue to store. We need to quickly build new gas storage depots. We also need to temporarily restart coal-fired power plants and allocate firewood subsidies to vulnerable citizens.

Madam President, it is a first and I think it is to be welcomed that the European Union is meeting these expectations that exist on the part of Moldova and Ukraine. I very much want the European Council to align itself with the message that Parliament and the Commission have sent, namely to offer a very clear accession perspective to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. It is there that we die today for the European dream and it is very important that our message is accompanied by a message of encouragement from the Council.

Madam President, Commissioner, we must be firmly anchored in reality. We are talking about bills that have risen enormously, unprecedented inflation, people on the edge of poverty, war near us. It's a tough winter, and we have to be prepared for it. Putin will cut off gas to Europe and we don't have many solutions. It is not the case today to mimic optimism. We have to be realistic, to act. It's the twelfth hour. Romania must take reasonable steps to ensure its energy independence for the coming winter. We need to increase gas stocks, continue coal mining and restart coal-fired thermal power plants. Subsidies need to be allocated to support vulnerable citizens who heat up with firewood. We're talking about a temporary, forceful situation. Before we give up the energy sources that work, we need to have a truly viable alternative.

Madam President, Commissioner, beyond the arguments put forward by rapporteur Ressler, I think it is essential to understand the context. I have been to Ukraine three times, I have delivered over 30 tons of aid to those affected by the war in different areas of Ukraine. In my family I kept over 10 refugees for two months in my own home. I know very well the realities there. That's why I wanted to intervene, because I believe that every effort we make deserves, during this period, all our involvement, given that, let's not forget an essential issue: in Ukraine, today we are dying for the European dream and our response must live up to expectations.

Mrs Plumb, you said that this is one of the biggest challenges facing the European Union related to the security crisis we are going through. What steps do you think the Union needs to take now to speed up the integration process for Moldova and Ukraine?

Mr President, I congratulate the rapporteur and Parliament for having had this important discussion. It is essential to have a new trade instrument to ban products made with forced labour in the European Union. Economic development and profit, as a result of slavery abuse or human rights violations, have no place in the European Union. I want to point out that forced labour, child labour or human trafficking are, unfortunately, harsh realities that still exist in many of our countries. That is why I urge my colleagues, together with the Commission, to find new internal levers to ensure that the eradication of poverty and social exclusion goes hand in hand with the abolition of forced labour and human trafficking.

Mr President, the European Union is a body that is constantly evolving, and European integration, increasingly strong, must be our main objective. Of course, in strict accordance with the democratic principles that we are committed to uphold. That is why the European Parliament, as the only direct and elected representative of the citizens of the European Union, must be at the heart of all the policies that the Union promotes. If in 1992, with the signing of the Treaty of the European Union, I was speaking timidly, for the first time, about the role of legislator of the European Parliament, I am glad that today we gave a historic vote, a first step towards Parliament acquiring a general and direct right of initiative. I believe that the will of the citizens must be respected and the European Parliament must have full powers and achieve the role it deserves in the hierarchy of the European Union institutions. A role that the citizens of the European Union expect from us, more active, more involved.

Mr President, for more than ten years, the European institutions have been trying to reach a consensus on the access of third countries to the Union's internal market in public procurement. Today's vote brings us one step closer to this goal. That's why I voted. We have seen in the last two years, and especially in recent months, the importance of the Union's cooperation with countries in all regions of the world. Today, Parliament leads the way by regulating the access of trading partners to the internal market on an equitable basis, in compliance with competition rules. Of course, this access also implies reciprocity. Thus, the instrument we are discussing today will provide the European Union with the necessary negotiating leverage to open up, in turn, European companies' access to third-country public procurement markets. It is essential that in such an interconnected world the European Union be a leader and promoter of collaboration between states, be they in the farthest parts of Asia or Africa.

Mr President, Commissioner, I also strongly believe that we need a much stronger determination to combat illegal logging in Europe. I come from a country that has been exposed to illegal deforestation that is hard to understand and explain, because the mafia has no color when it attacks forests. But what I want to say as honestly as possible is that in recent years the legislation in Romania has been heavily modified, much improved. If until recently cutting five cubic meters of wood meant contravention, today it is a crime. Many go to prison precisely because they touch forests and believe that Romania can and is obliged to improve its tools to combat illegal deforestation and that is what we will continue to do.

Madam President, Commissioner, the Georgian people are a people with a European vocation. Obviously, the slippages regarding the restriction of the freedom of expression are unacceptable and they must be condemned and combated. But who wants Georgia to be weakened? Who wants Georgia to distance itself from the European Union? Who wants Georgia to have no prospect of European integration? Putin, of course. That is why I believe that our response must be more enlargement, consistent support for Georgia and, obviously, the politicians there must understand that the European Union does not mean a double-track project, it means values, it means freedoms that they are obliged to respect and to insert in the set of values of the Georgian nation, which deserves to be integrated into the European Union. That is why I support the status of candidate country for Georgia.

Madam President, Vice-President of the Commission, ladies and gentlemen, ever since the European Union was created, the response to all crises has been more integration and even enlargement. I think that even today, in the face of the challenges that the Russian Federation has thrown at us, the answer is still enlargement, more and more integration. And I say this because in the Republic of Moldova, Vice-President Dombrovskis, the majority of citizens over 50% decided in last year's elections to support a single party, created by the current President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, and thus there is a majority of over 60% with a clearly pro-European agenda. The answer of the European Union must be the prospect of the Republic of Moldova joining the European Union, because what the Commission needs to know, 50% of the population of the Republic of Moldova already holds the citizenship of the European Union and we need to respond to this expectation.

Madam President, Commissioner, I congratulate the rapporteurs. I think it is a visionary document that outlines some precise objectives that the European Union must have in our relationship with Ukraine, at least at this stage. Ukrainian citizens have decided since the moment they signed the Association Agreement that they want a rapprochement with the European Union. Russia's response was the annexation of Crimea. Now that Ukrainian citizens have decided that they want a real rapprochement with the European Union and NATO, Putin has sanctioned us and invaded. For the Kremlin there has never been any respect for this country. That is why the European Union's response to the expectations of the citizens of Ukraine must be to integrate as quickly as possible. We cannot find solutions in the medium and long term. They need answers now, because this country is being invaded today.