Speeches

Mr President, Commissioner Schmit, ladies and gentlemen, I have chosen that my last speech for this term of office should be on the future of social Europe. In the past five years, we've done a lot. We fought to improve living standards with a new minimum wage directive. We saved thousands of jobs with the SURE programme and provided for equality through flagship instruments, such as the Pay Equality Directive, but also disability and demographic care strategies. But the targets agreed in 2021 in Porto are still here. As a beacon that reminds us that we still have a way to go for a strong social Europe, a Europe of social and economic progress, a Europe of equal opportunities, a Europe with better social protection and health systems and less poverty and inequalities, but above all a Europe that secures its social model and looks to the future for a more optimistic and stronger Europe.

Mr President, Commissioner, the accession of the Western Balkans to the European Union is key, thus defending stability and peace, economic development, political reforms and social prosperity in the region. Greece firmly and unwaveringly supports the accession perspective of the Western Balkans. We are firm supporters of the need for the countries of the Western Balkans to join the European family, always making the necessary and important adjustments to the European acquis and with respect for the rule of law and fairness to all as a basic prerequisite. This new reform fund we are voting on today is the new instrument to accelerate the Western Balkans' preparations for membership of the European Union, promoting some of the benefits before accession, with a direct impact on citizens and businesses. Finally, I am particularly proud that this text reflects not only the will to progress, but also the needs for regional and cross-border cohesion. It strengthens the exchange of good practices and deepens the objectives we have set as a Committee on Regional Development and as a Parliament more broadly.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, today we are at a pivotal point in the revision of the pharmaceutical legislation. One in twenty years of opportunity to make our Europe a frontrunner in pharmaceutical innovation, but also to meet the needs of our citizens. I would like to congratulate my colleagues Walsh, Wölken and Sokol on the agreement they reached at a difficult time. While the Commission proposal did not ensure the necessary predictability for research and investment, the proposal we are voting on today in the European Parliament managed to strike the right balance that supports innovation and competitiveness, but at the same time promotes immediate and uninterrupted access to medicines for patients. We need a strong and strategically autonomous European Union with a strengthened and reliable European medical supply chain. Our positive vote today will be the cornerstone for the resilience of our health systems.

Mr President, high-quality education is one of the biggest bets for the years to come and teachers are an integral part of the educational process. They educate children and young people, the future of our countries. We were once educated as well. They convey useful skills, values, but also examples of life, such as my teacher, Ioanna Makri, who taught me to claim my dreams. But they also have a key role to play in tackling bullying and other incidents of violence in schools and, colleagues, unfortunately, in many Member States the working conditions of teachers are not what they should be. They have to deal with psychological stress, a lot of paperwork and in some cases incomplete infrastructure, while at the same time their average age increases, with all that this entails for their replacement by new batches of teachers in the future. We must unleash their potential and free them from these burdens. To give them the opportunity and the tools to do their job, but also to do everything so that this function continues to be attractive for future generations. With good pay, clear career prospects and professional development and, above all, practical recognition of their invaluable work.

Madam President, we are here today for a reason: to proclaim the voice of the European Parliament for paid and good traineeships in the European Union. This is something we have asked for several times and more recently, last June. Traineeships are indeed an important tool for the integration of young people, their transition into the labour market and the acquisition of skills necessary for the labour market. No one disagrees with that. We must, however, ensure the quality of these positions through a common binding quality assurance framework. To put in place the necessary incentives for employers to offer such jobs, with a particular focus on micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, but also to focus all our efforts using European funds, so that young people from remote areas, islands or without financial capacity have access to quality traineeships and with a focus on accessibility and reasonable accommodation for disabled people, but also on cross-border mobility. Ladies and gentlemen, we must not close our eyes. Some businesses, as the Commissioner has said, abuse this institution by effectively eliminating the positions of young people, so that young people are trapped in an endless series of internships that crush their dreams and expectations, and that is why we must make it clear that internships are an experience for a certain period of time and with a commensurate adequate remuneration and should in no way replace recruitment at the lower ranks. Only in this way will we ensure practical exercises that are beneficial for both trainees and businesses.

Madam President, here we are, in the same play, spectators. A poorly played play, with a predictable script and directed by the same sad group of MEPs. A group that cannot digest that Greece has a government with a fresh popular mandate. A government that daily, by actions, restores the country's credibility and makes it a pillar of stability in a troubled neighborhood, the Southeastern Mediterranean. And a government that tightened its legislation by banning the use of surveillance software and reformed the control of security services. With a traditional commitment to defending European values and the rule of law and with full respect for institutional counterweights, as well as the freedom of the press. So I suggest you change your work, because your viewers have turned their backs on you.

Madam President, Commissioner, India's relations with the European Union have been built over the years on the principles of cooperation and common interest in world peace, security and development. In a rapidly evolving environment, this strategic partnership is not only about trade and geopolitics, but also about the future of the world's two largest democracies in the coming decades. The establishment of the Trade and Technology Council is an opportunity to strengthen cooperation on military technology, clean energy and investment. At the same time, we are strengthening our presence with the 2023 Memorandum of Understanding on an Economic Corridor for the Transport of Energy and Data Products by Sea and Rail from India to the Middle East and Europe. Finally, the Greek government managed to highlight our country as an investment opportunity for India towards Europe, focusing on infrastructure and specifically on the implementation of the new Heraklion International Airport in Crete, the second busiest airport in Greece, while there is also a strong investment interest in the airport of Kalamata. It is an opportunity for those Member States that already have excellent trade relations to be a bridge of cooperation and trust between the European Union and India.

Mr President, dear colleagues, this is yet another historic moment for the EU. We are once again demonstrating the EU’s commitment to further reduce emissions into the atmosphere by completely phasing out HFCs by 2050. In that way, we are contributing to our efforts towards limiting the global temperature increase. For example, banning certain types of fluorinated gases in heat pumps as of 2032 alone will reduce the global temperature by 0.1°C. With this agreement, we are also putting into practice the REPowerEU goals for an energy-efficient and independent EU that leads the world in the clean energy transition. At the same time, we manage to do it in an innovation-friendly way by giving a clear direction to our industries. We reward innovation. We decarbonise, we don’t deindustrialise. We work with the budget, not against it, and we do it safely. And we also do it by making sure that we have enough trained and certified personnel who carry out activities involving fluorinated greenhouse gases. Thank you once again to the rapporteur, Bas Eickhout, and all the other shadows for the very positive outcome. And thank you to my colleague Jessica for the good work on the ozone-depleting substances file. And let us vote in favour of the agreement and make this legislation a reality.

Mr President, Commissioner, another climate change conference has come to an end. This time, 200 countries, developed and developing, energy independent and non-energy independent, small and large, agreed that by 2050 the use of fossil fuels as a means of energy should cease, but also that we should run even faster and emissions beyond carbon dioxide and especially methane should be significantly reduced by 2030. Representatives of children, the elderly, the disabled, indigenous peoples and groups directly affected by the current climate crisis also participated in this agreement. In this dialogue I had the honour of representing the European Parliament on behalf of the European People's Party and of hearing the same agony from everywhere. The transition must be just and workable for all. So we have an agreement that puts the planet on track to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. From now on, we will have to ensure its implementation, through implementing instruments such as Greece's ambitious National Energy and Climate Action Plan. Above all, however, we should continue to fight for the European Green Deal to become global, while at the same time preventing unfair competition against European companies from third countries, which are not bound by these obligations.

Madam President, Commissioner Schmit, colleagues, according to Eurostat, around 10% of young people in the European Union live in households that spend 40% or more of their disposable income on housing. The lack of real access to affordable and decent housing, combined with youth unemployment, is becoming a pan-European issue. An issue that challenges young people's ability to spread their wings and live their lives independently, as they have dreamed. I am glad that important steps have been taken at national level. In Greece, in particular, the government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis is implementing an ambitious social housing strategy that prioritises young people. A holistic strategy, which aims to enable them to acquire or rent a house at the lowest possible cost, through specific actions, such as interest-free or low-interest housing loans and the use of European funds for the utilization of existing and new private homes, but also financing massive renovation and energy upgrading of properties that have been left empty for a long time. But European issues also require European breakthroughs. That is why I call on the Commission to present a comprehensive strategy focused on strengthening and facilitating young people’s access to affordable housing.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, today's debate is an excellent opportunity to restore the truth. And the truth is that the European Parliament, this temple of democracy, has recently become a theatre for reasons of national petty political expediency, mainly with the desperate attempt to target my country by specific political groups. A country with a traditional commitment to defending European values and the rule of law and a government which has not only tightened legislation by banning the use of surveillance software, strengthened institutional counterweights and reformed the control of security services, but also cooperates constructively with all the institutions of the European Union, and which, of course, awaits the verdict of the justice before which the case is brought, in order to dispel this cloud of toxicity. Enough, then, with the unacceptable and obsessive targeting of my country.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, we are in a constant climate crisis. Unfortunately, in Greece we have experienced extreme events with fires and rainfall, such as Janus and Daniel. The European Parliament calls for more steps to be taken, but it must be firm. There must be a balance between the green transition and socio-economic conditions, as we can cause deindustrialisation and energy poverty ourselves. Unfortunately, many countries around the world do not respect the environmental conditions that we apply. That is why I call on you to vote in favour of the amendments we tabled as the EPP, which demonstrate the balance between the green transition and the economy, and thus show Parliament's leading role. Dear colleagues, this year's Climate Change Conference is an opportunity for global coordination aimed at implementing the Paris Agreement and I am particularly excited about my participation in this mission, as there will be a Greek presence from the Ministry of Environment and Energy and it will highlight both the strategy of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the steps of Greece in the axes of the energy transition. Because Greece is now a hub for energy flexibility in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Madam President, Commissioner Schmit, ladies and gentlemen of the Council, two years ago, in this Chamber we asked for the obvious: the eradication of homelessness by 2030 becomes a goal of the whole European Union, and since then important steps have been taken, such as the EU-funded programmes that have contributed to the integration of homeless people into the labour market through specialised measures, training and programmes, or the EU-wide pilot project on homelessness registration launched by this Parliament. However, we still need to go further. We need long-term strategies and action plans with a focus on prevention and early intervention, providing equal access to public services such as healthcare, targeted measures such as low-interest, subsidised housing loans for the acquisition of primary residences for young people and further strengthening programmes such as the European Social Fund and the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived. And of course, it is necessary to continue to support the work carried out by organizations, such as the NGO Ithaca, but also by official state bodies, such as the Municipality of Athens, with the Reception and Solidarity Center and the Multipurpose Center for the Homeless. Because that is the only way to put into practice what we asked the Member States to do two years before this Chamber.

Mr President, Commissioner Kyriakides, ladies and gentlemen, in recent years we have seen an alarming increase in the frequency of shortages of medicines across the European Union, at the same time as our dependence on a small number of manufacturers located outside the Union is, unfortunately, even greater. It is therefore undoubtedly of strategic importance to increase the European Union's strategic autonomy in the field of medicines and its dependence on raw materials from third countries. In its proposal for the revision of the pharmaceutical legislation, the Commission, to address shortages, calls for an EU list of critical medicines, enhanced accountability and an increased role of the ENL in monitoring and coordinating procurement. However, in order to effectively address shortages and ensure the EU’s strategic autonomy, strengthening research and internal production is key, while a system of monitoring, sharing more aggregated data and directly informing shortages or reduced availability in Member States can address the problem at its root. To this end, a model should be the innovation of the Greek government by creating an online mechanism by which public and private bodies, citizens and health professionals can be directly, easily and transparently informed about formulations that are not available. This will speed up patient access to treatments and ultimately make health systems sustainable.

Mr President, 95.3 million; this is the number, Commissioner Schmit, of European Union citizens at risk of poverty and social exclusion in 2022 – almost one in four European Union citizens. But the most worrying thing, ladies and gentlemen, is that this number has remained stable for the past two years. This poses a serious risk to social cohesion and the credibility of the European project. We need to address this immediately, creating a real safety net for those most in need. That is why I am glad that governments such as Kyriakos Mitsotakis did just that, increasing the guaranteed minimum income and supporting the most vulnerable with targeted measures. And of course, we must not forget the racial dimension of poverty, since women – and young people too – are at even higher risk of poverty, but also the need to support small and medium-sized entrepreneurship by creating a favourable environment with better access to finance and free from bureaucracy. Because only in this way do we enable them to withstand a competitive environment and create well-paid jobs, which will address precisely these risks. However, to do all this, we need to ensure that Member States implement the legislative achievements of this legislative term, such as the Minimum Wage Directive. And to be even more ambitious, so that by building on these achievements, we can build a genuine European social union with sufficient resources for social cohesion. This must be the path for our common European project.

Mr President, dear colleagues, F-gases are used in many applications, from medical devices to heat pumps, refrigeration and switchgears. Their reduction is crucial, as they are several thousand times stronger than carbon dioxide. By supporting this report, we have the opportunity to help our climate targets and secure a safe environment. However, we are not only supporting the environment, but we are also supporting the industry and giving a clear direction. We are supporting leading EU manufacturers who are global frontrunners in clean alternatives, and who are showing the way to other manufacturers worldwide. We support the fundamentals of the compromise text from the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI), as it is important to give a clear message for this direction to all parts of the industry and provide solid ground for all EU companies, especially the SMEs. For the EPP, it was important to table very specific amendments – some jointly with Renew – to ensure that those who have not yet moved to clean alternatives have the time to do so safely, by taking into consideration the safety concerns, energy efficiency and the priority targets. I would like to thank the ENVI rapporteur, Bas Eickhout, and the rest of the shadows for their help during the conciliations. I would also like to thank the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) rapporteur, Sara Skyttedal, for her valuable contribution. I would like to ask you all to vote in favour of the proposal, the specified EPP Group amendments, and to support this report as a whole.

Mr President, Commissioner, a lot of good things have really been heard in the Chamber and we all understand that all the measures taken are very important, but I think that winter is still difficult and the efforts of the Member States and the Commission cannot relieve the citizens and the market as much as they need. This precision and Europe's energy dependence must stop immediately. In this I believe that many countries, including Greece, have made efforts. We heard about LNG reception infrastructure. Another initiative is the cooperation between Greece and Egypt, which helps to boost renewable energy sources, and I wanted to ask you specifically whether you think that countries such as Greece should be supported when they bring the energy we need to become independent of natural gas and oil into the European Union.

Madam President, dear colleagues, today were talking about the ultimate threat to democracy. In a Union like ours, especially when it comes to the participation of disabled persons in the European Parliament elections, we need the establishment of a more coherent approach across Member States. It is irrational for a disabled person with a specific impairment to have the right in a Member State and hindered or deprived of it when residing in another Member State, whether it is the same person or someone with the same impairment. It is the same Union, the same election, the same fundamental right. The EU should not only ensure the accessibility of the procedures, it is the best opportunity for the Union to grant this right to those disabled persons who are deprived of their legal capacity, no matter of the legal framework of the home Member State or their residence. This is a symbolic occasion for the EU to show their way.

Mr President, migration is again on the agenda of the upcoming summit as a result of the dramatic increase in migration flows. First host countries in Europe, such as my country – Greece, again have to shoulder a disproportionate burden, while fully complying with international and European obligations and rules. This puts increasing pressure on asylum and reception systems and next week's summit must be the starting point for a genuine European solution. A solution that primarily ensures a fair and permanent sharing of responsibilities between Member States, that addresses at their root efforts to instrumentalise human suffering by smugglers' networks and that has a specific framework for organisations implementing actions in the field of migration. There's no more time to waste.

Madam President, when discussing the situation of small-scale fishing in the European Union, we must not forget the repeated illegal activity of Turkish fishing vessels within the Greek territorial sea. Turkish fishermen fish illegally and smuggled into Greek territorial waters, often escorting Turkish Coast Guard vessels, refusing to cooperate with the Greek authorities. These illegal activities distort competition, harm the economic competitiveness of small-scale fishing and weaken the small coastal communities that depend on it. But let's not be fooled! These incidents of unreported fishing are not only a pre-election trick of a Turkish government in retreat. It is another instrument of President Erdogan's revisionist policy, which increases the likelihood of an accident, with all that this entails for the security and stability of the region. And that is why it must not go unanswered! We call for a strong message to Turkey, with sanctions in application of existing European legislation on illegal fishing, including a ban on the import of fishery products from Turkey into the European Union market.

Mr President, I see that we are again faced with an attempt to instrumentalise immigration, with the aim of hitting my homeland, Greece. A country that with a strict – but fair – migration policy protects its external and other European borders, while saving thousands of lives. And I say it categorically: government actions, such as the register of organisations implementing actions in the field of migration, are in full compliance with European legislation. The register allows the Greek state to ensure that these NGOs do provide the services they claim to provide, thus ensuring the safety and human rights of refugees and migrants. It allows the Greek authorities to be fully informed of the legality of their actions, as is the case with any other legal or natural person operating in the Greek territory. Instead of blaming first-time host countries such as Greece, therefore, let us focus on finding a genuine European solution, guided by the principle of solidarity and ensuring a fair and permanent sharing of responsibility between Member States.

Mr President, Minister, Commissioner Kyriakides, colleagues, COVID-19 has made the last couple of years quite challenging for our health systems. However, we are now facing even greater challenges so we need an EU coordinated approach to overcome them. While the COVID-19 cases are rising in China, hospitals across the Member States are being overwhelmed by an early surge in respiratory infections but their hospital beds are full. As a result, persons with less urgent illnesses may face long waits, and kids who need cancer treatment or surgery may be sent home to wait. As part of the pharmaceutical strategy, we need to address the rising admissions and the extreme shortage of medication in a holistic way and, of course, without compromising the health of other persons. Dear Commissioner, we need to know what measures the Commission will take in the short and the long term to ensure immediate access to all pharmaceutical products.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, for some time now, the report by the NGO 'Reporters Without Borders' has led to a concerted effort to discredit Greece. For anyone who knows the situation in my country, being ranked 108, even under dictatorial regimes, can only cause laughter. This is why we have to say it categorically: There is no question of freedom of the press in Greece. Everyone has the right to publish whatever they want, and this is evidenced by a plethora of critical and, in several cases, defamatory articles against the government. On the contrary, we must realize that there is a coordinated communication war against Greece, with the spread of false news and disinformation, which some people not only uncritically adopt but do not have the ethics to apologize when their writings are contradicted. This is what we should do and not target countries with media pluralism and press freedom as promoted, such as Greece.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, migration flows from Africa and Asia are increasing dramatically and are at their highest since 2015-2016. First-host countries in Europe, such as my own country, Greece, are again faced with a disproportionate burden due to their geographical location and the very small number of voluntary relocations. This puts increasing pressure on asylum and reception systems and cannot continue. For the umpteenth time we call on governments to listen to the voice of this Parliament. We urgently need a genuine European solution, one that is guided by the principle of solidarity, that addresses at its root efforts to instrumentalise human suffering by smugglers' networks and, above all, ensures a fair and permanent sharing of responsibility between the Member States.

Madam President, Commissioner Dalli, colleagues, we speak about equal rights for disabled persons. Yet, this is the very first time after my election that I speak in front of you from this rostrum like everyone else in this House. My excitement is so emotionally great, even if you see such a small change. The fact that the place of every disabled person in their society is not equal to the other citizens is obvious in so many ways. This is the reason I welcome this report, particularly the highlighting of the urge to grant the right of legal capacity to every person, the adoption of common terms for independent living, and deinstitutionalisation across the EU, whose lack causes a continuous misinterpretation of the CRPD and the misplacement of funding. The collection of common statistical data, the importance of accessible housing, understanding that the involvement of persons with disabilities in political decision—making is not enough unless it is promoted to co—production. By insisting on these issues, the EU would support the implementation of the already existing guidelines towards equal rights, although we have to go through a long distance. In Greek, we have the word ‘philanthropy’, which is equal to charity. We don’t want to be ‘philanthropists’ in order to accept that every person is unique and in order to have an inclusive society; we want this individualism.