Speeches

Madam President, we are in a Union. And in this Union, if our common rules and values are not respected by some, it affects us all. When independent judicial checks and balances are not respected, when the functioning of European democracy is at risk, and when the rights of EU citizens are under threat, we must act. This is why the rule of law conditionality mechanism is so important and why Member States who do not respect the rule of law should face budgetary consequences. I’m proud that my group, Renew Europe, stands at the forefront of defending our values. We have been fighting for the rule of law mechanism for years, and now it can finally come into effect. We celebrate this moment today. The Commission has had the opportunity to prepare for this adjustment for months, and Renew Europe, in this House, has asked time and again for the Commission to take action. It’s now time to trigger the conditionality mechanism. European citizens demand it. It’s up to you, Commissioner, to make sure that the EU’s budget does not end up in the wrong pockets and risk further undermining the rule of law. The credibility of the EU as a whole is at stake, and we expect you to act – not tomorrow, not next week, not next month, but now!

Madam President, we have all witnessed the escalating pressure on Ukraine and Putin is without doubt playing a very dangerous game of brinkmanship. What is he really trying to achieve? Well, nobody knows, besides Putin himself. And what we do know is that putting a gun to Ukraine’s head is no way to preserve peace in Europe or to enhance Russia’s security. One misstep, one mistake and Putin could unleash a devastating conflict that will jeopardise our collective safety and stability. This is why the Union needs to support Ukraine in any way we can: complete the list of severe sanctions, increase financial support for Ukraine, and enhance the defensive capabilities of Ukraine. I commend High Representative Borrell for his hard work in coordinating also with our transatlantic partners, and I call on our Member States to maintain our unity and to stand firm if we want to prevent a new war in Europe.

Mr President, the abuse of vulnerable migrants by Belarus is a most cynical and hostile act of hybrid warfare that requires the full scope of the EU’s powers to put a halt to it. The EU should warn the migrants falling into Lukashenko’s trap. We should tell Facebook and other social media platforms to stop facilitating this human smuggling and take down all the instruction videos explaining how to take the so-called Minsk route. As a bloc, we have to tell Lukashenko to back down. If he doesn’t, the EU has to consider all options available: EU-wide trade boycott, sanction Belavia, including secondary sanctions, but even exclusion from European and American payment systems. We fully support our EU Member States during this unprecedented attack. But let me also be clear: the border of Poland, the Eastern border, is also a European border; this calls for the involvement of the European Union and especially Frontex. We will not bow to this dictator, Lukashenko. We need to isolate him.

Madam President, as we emerge from the pandemic, the green shoots of recovery we see must be allowed to flourish. There are challenges that risk undermining our recovery and let’s make sure we, as European legislators, are part of the solution. This is why I strongly welcome your intention to apply the ‘one in, one out’ principle to the Commission Work Programme of 2022. ‘Less, but better regulation’ must be our guiding principle. On the content, my group was very happy with the proposal on the European Chips Act and the Cyber Resilience Act. But where are the proposals to deepen our single market? We celebrate the international success of the OECD global agreement on minimum effective taxation and our group wants to translate this into EU law quickly. The pandemic showed us all the value of our health. Our group calls for action to make European healthcare systems more resilient and interoperable. We also want a comprehensive European Mental Health Strategy. Adopting this would be an important post-pandemic legacy. Mr Vice-President, the ‘geopolitical Commission’ we were promised is missing in action. On trade, development, but also on migration, there is a lack of ambition. Our citizens want a visible Europe that protects their interests in a changing world. Let’s deliver on that promise and build new strategies and tools. Finally, I want to stress the importance of implementation. I give you an example, but there are many others. The Rule of Law in the EU faces challenges. We had a debate this morning. Sometimes it feels like we are in reverse gear, which is why we need a truly European Rule of Law mechanism. An urgent plea: please, the Commission must apply the Rule of Law conditionality mechanism as soon as possible.

Mr President, following this debate here I’m forced to draw some obvious conclusions. The Polish Prime Minister has made himself very clear. He calls it abiding by the law. It’s blackmail. I am not susceptible to blackmail, Prime Minister. And I don’t believe you are either Madam President von der Leyen. You correctly call yourself the guardian of the treaties, but it entails more than only words and saying you are concerned. This Parliament has been concerned for many years now, and we have repeatedly called for action. You must reject the Polish Law and Justice party’s (PiS) recovery plan. You must trigger the rule of law mechanism. Don’t let the rule breakers win. We cannot afford another two years of stalemate and deterioration. Show us you mean it this time, Madam President, and you will find us by your side.

Mr President, President von der Leyen, Prime Minister, representatives of the Council, dear colleagues, when the European Union is united, Poland is protected. When the European Union is united, Poland is protected. Throughout the most painful history of this continent, it has been Poland and its brave citizens that have suffered most from European divisions. That’s why, your attempts, Prime Minister, to threaten the stability and safety of the Union are even more sinister. For years, you have been affecting the mind of Polish people with lies and manipulation about European rules and regulations. Can you tell me which laws exactly you find so reprehensible? Protecting freedom of religion, the right of individuals, or maybe the freedom of press or the independence of the judiciary? Let me remind you that Poland joined the EU precisely to protect these values. You are not being honest with the Polish people, Prime Minister, and you know it. We have all listened to your denials, but the truth is your actions are a sly way to lead Poland out of the Union. Start being honest and explain to your start-ups they will lose development funds, tell your farmers they will miss out on subsidies and tell your students that they can forget Erasmus. Member States are entitled to want changes in the legal order of the Union, but the way to do this is to propose, to discuss and compromise. This is how our Union works; unilateral illegal actions cannot be accepted and will have consequences. We, Renew Europe, call on you, President von der Leyen, to act immediately on the following: reject the recovery plan for Poland, trigger the rule of law conditionality mechanism. No more ifs or buts. Prime Minister, I still hope we can one day walk the path together on the road of cooperation, mutual understanding and respect. But until that moment, you will bear the consequences of your actions and have to face your people when they find out you sold them a lie. I want to conclude by quoting a wise and brave Polish resistance fighter, Wanda Traczyk-Stawska, who spoke at a pro-European rally 10 days ago. ‘We have always been in Europe. No one will take us out. This is our Europe’. And you might learn some lessons from her.

Mr President, as we start a new political year, we look back on a turbulent summer. We are still coping with the corona epidemic. The American retreat from Afghanistan brought the Taliban back to power and fear back to the eyes of women and girls. We also saw flooding due to heavy rainfall, and extreme heat on our own continent. This summer has reminded us there is still much to be done: on geopolitics, climate, health, digital security, our role in the world, and migration, to name a few. There is a need for a strong European cooperation. I think the coming political year should revolved around one word: ‘deliver’. Deliver on our role in the world that is increasingly unstable. Deliver on climate policies to cut down emissions, meet our climate targets in 2050 and adapt to new climate situations. Deliver on digital. Deliver on security for our citizens and standing for our common values and the protection of the rule of law and democracy using all instruments available. Deliver on migration, to prevent people from taking dangerous routes that take them a long way from home and possibly to a life in uncertainty. Deliver on revitalising the European Union with the Conference on the Future of Europe, with our citizens at its core. Ms von der Leyen, your Commission is almost halfway, and the next half must be about delivering. There is enough opportunity to do so, and today we call on you to do so: not only words, but action and implementation. In your introduction, you mentioned also that you already have delivered, but for Renew Europe it’s not enough. But let me also turn me to my colleagues: we, as the European Parliament, also have to deliver to meet the expectations of our citizens. Last week we, as Renew, published our roadmap in Paris for the coming months and extended our hand to all those in the European Parliament who want to deliver. Let me ask you all: are you ready to take that responsibility with us, like a Parliamentary majority, and deliver on all of those important issues? We as Renew are ready, and it’s time to deliver, deliver, deliver!

Madam President, a lot went wrong over the summer in Afghanistan, with tragic and unfortunate consequences for the Afghan people, especially for the brave Afghan women. And it is important that we draw our lessons from what happened. While I realise that we have very different values from the Taliban, I also believe it is important for Europe to engage with Afghanistan. We have to talk with the Taliban in order to get our own citizens home safely. We also have to engage to help the Afghan people and provide humanitarian aid. And we have to prevent a total collapse of the economy and a mass exodus from Afghanistan. But Europe is not the only actor. The future of Afghanistan also depends on what others in the region will do. We need to engage the international community to work together to achieve these goals. In an imperfect world, we also have to talk with people who do not share our norms and values and I call on the High Representative to understand that in order for us to achieve our goals.

Mr President, with vaccination campaigns rolling out throughout the European Union, we can look to 2022 with fresh hope. Later this year, we will pass the mid-term point of this election cycle. Soon, we will be closer to the 2024 European Parliamentary elections than the 2019 elections. It is time to take stock because our actions now and the outcome of the Conference on the Future of Europe will shape our legacy ahead of the next elections. I have a question for the Vice-President – what do we want this legacy to look like? Renew Europe sees that businesses have been through very rough times. And it is important that we now focus our efforts on our economic recovery. And in this context the recovery fund is the financial injection our economy needs but we need to get it right, by properly implementing the Recovery and Resilience Facility and by carefully scrutinising the recovery and resilience plans of our Member States. But we also need to be mindful of how we legislate and regulate. We need to keep in mind that businesses are not abstract entities and that behind every company or SME there are people who have built those companies and are responsible for creating our jobs and our economic growth. ‘Less, but better regulation’ must therefore be our guiding mantra. To further support our businesses and citizens our focus should be on deepening our single market, especially in the services sector. Renew Europe asks for bold new proposals, also on the digital single market. And whilst supporting a strong market, we cannot lose focus on strengthening our community of values. Respect for rule of law in the European Union faces serious challenges and we seem to be losing the progress we have made and this is unacceptable. So Renew Europe calls for the annual rule of law report to be developed into a concrete mechanism for democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights. And we need to urgently implement the rule of law conditionality mechanism. But our ambitions do not stop there. Let 2022 become the official kick-off to the green transition, offering the prospect of millions of green jobs. On migration, where we have made disappointingly little progress, let’s finally put our joint weight behind a durable and sustainable migration system. Our citizens need a visible Europe that protects their interests and has the courage to speak with one voice on that world stage. And let’s start making bold choices to deliver on the promise of a geopolitical Commission. Finally, strengthening the EU’s resilience, particularly against hybrid threats, and diversifying our energy supply should feature high on our agenda. I will finish with three simple words that are key to ensure we create a legacy that we can be proud of by 2024: implementation, implementation, implementation. Dear Mr Vice-President Šefčovič, it’s time to get down to business.

Mr President, dear Prime Minister Janša, dear Commission President and dear colleagues, let me start by taking the opportunity to thank the Portuguese Presidency for the last six months. We now have a climate law, we can use our EU Digital COVID Certificate when we cross borders and we are working towards a real EU agency for asylum. Let’s hope the next six months will be as productive. The priorities mentioned by the Slovenian Presidency seem to give some hope. You will strive to facilitate the EU’s recovery and reinforce its resilience. You want to reflect on the future of Europe, strengthen the rule of law and European values, and increase security and stability in the European neighbourhood. I think it is very easy to combine the latter three. But I’m afraid, Mr Janša, that your track record at home means that we cannot take your words for granted. Why don’t you start reflecting on the future of Europe by abiding by the rule of law, upholding our values yourself? Don’t you think our internal security and stability would increase? Unfortunately, you seem to want to be part of a very sinister club that doesn’t appreciate free media, that can’t stomach the independence of judiciary or respecting LGBTIQ rights at all. A whiff of corruption, nepotism and fraud never seems to be far away from this club, you so desperately want to associate yourself with. You talk the talk, but you don’t walk the walk Mr Janša. Even when you presented your priorities to the Commission last week you could not resist petty politics, talking down on judges and MEP’s, our colleagues in the House, Mr Janša. I wish more Commissioners would have joined Frans Timmermans and would have left you standing there in self-pity. Dear Prime Minister, you remind me of Vladimir Bartol when he wrote: ‘Nothing is an absolute reality, all is permitted.’ We all admire his work, but you Sir take it too literally. Upholding the rule of law is an adamant reality for us. So please stop harassing journalists and judges. Stop appointing your political friends in the police force. And start appointing an EPPO prosecutor. The Commission should have never approved your Next Generation EU money before an independent Slovenian prosecutor is added to the EPPO. We will ask the Council to make the Commission’s wrong right and not approve your funds before this is done. Dear Prime Minister, we do want to work with you. Renew does want to help you make this presidency a success. But we will do so based on the proof or your own words ‘Strengthen the rule of law and European values’. So please, show us you mean it, and you will find a helping hand in our Group. We want to work with you on the Fit for 2030 package. We want to finally start tackling the migration crisis. We want to work on the DSA and the DMA, and build a Health Union together. But none of this can ever work in a Europe that’s lost its values, its core beliefs. So, you need to drag yourself out of the darkness and into the light and you will meet us with open arms once you get there.