Speeches

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, unfortunately, we all remember in this House the former Member of the European Parliament, Lorenzo Fontana, who was wearing a Putin T-shirt. Today Fontana, who has also defined gay couples as "crap", is the third office of the Italian State. We do not do better in the Senate, because the second office of the State, La Russa, shows on television its own collection of busts of Mussolini, which it keeps at home. The responsibility for all this has a first and last name and is that of the European People's Party. For a few more seats, the party that belonged to De Gasperi, Adenauer and Schuman, the founding fathers of this Europe, today denies its identity and aligns itself with those who express Eurosceptic, nationalist and xenophobic policies. Unfortunately, this virus will also arrive here in the European institutions. Tomorrow, the far-right will sit in the Council, and they will probably also become European Commissioners. How much damage they will do to the European project, I wonder. And so, President, this united Parliament isolates the far right and defends European values, as the Five Star Movement will do in Europe and in Italy.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the European Union is facing its greatest challenge, that of revising its economic governance. The Stability Pact has shown its weaknesses over the years and no longer meets the needs of European citizens. The time has come for a profound reform that puts an end to austerity once and for all and promotes green investment and the sustainable and energy transition, which are also necessary to achieve the objectives we have set ourselves in this House. However, we note with regret that, in the Commission's work programme, interventions for full equality of LGBTQ+ people are also missing this year, a promise made by President Ursula von der Leyen right here in 2020. The paternity and even the union of many gay couples are not recognized everywhere in Europe and this is an injustice that we must immediately remedy. I am therefore waiting for the European Commission to present a legislative initiative as soon as possible to defend the rights of all. Enough of the discrimination.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, President von der Leyen, as Nelson Mandela said, 'Peace is a dream and it can become a reality', but to build it you must be able to dream. The atrocities carried out by the Russian army in Ukraine are enormous and we Europeans will never forget it, but peace is needed now to avoid new and far more serious atrocities. After four months of war, it's time to move on. The next European Council should promote a diplomatic escalation leading first to a ceasefire and finally to peace negotiations. We turn dreams into reality. President, for the distracted and for those who are in bad faith, I repeat once again that the Five Star Movement is pro-European and Atlanticist and says yes to the accession process of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, but let us not forget the legitimate aspirations of the many citizens of Albania and the Balkans who have been waiting for a response for years. The European Union is today the hope of peace for millions of citizens around the world and is a beacon of well-being, solidarity and rights, let us never forget that.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, electric cars are the future, petrol cars and diesel cars are the past. In a few years the majority of citizens will have a charging pole under the house, while the combustion engine will be just the memory of a yellowed photograph. This is good for our planet and for future generations, but also for our pockets, because we will be able to fill up thanks to the solar panels installed on the roof of the houses. This is also good for our Europe, which will finally no longer be dependent on oil-producing countries and will be able to count on its own energy resources, such as the sun, the wind and all renewable energies that are infinite and clean. We must be visionary, as the Five Star Movement has been since it was born, and say a strong yes to stopping the sale of gasoline and diesel cars from 2035. At the same time, we have a huge responsibility that we cannot betray towards all those small and medium-sized companies in the automotive and road haulage sector that, particularly in Italy, employ thousands of people. We don't have to leave anyone behind. This is why a European fund is needed as soon as possible to mitigate the possible employment impact of this transition towards sustainable mobility. This is the right path to follow: more electric cars, more cycle paths, more efficient public transport, less harmful emissions and less smog deaths. Finally today we can say: Welcome to Europe in the future!

(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, before the pandemic, now the war in Ukraine, the transport sector and the tourism sector are again in a state of serious suffering and with the increase in energy costs that are reflected in the increase in the price of tickets, travelling is also becoming impossible for many families. Floating inflation in transport and tourism risks creating new forms of poverty and loneliness that we must prevent. That is why we reiterate our call to the European Commission to set up an ad hoc tourism fund to support tourism businesses that employ millions of citizens across Europe. And I would also like to make another appeal: The right sanctions that have hit Belarus for its involvement in the war in Ukraine have had a boomerang effect. Thousands of Belarusian children in rehabilitation cannot reach Italy and European countries. Action must be taken by allowing humanitarian flights and protecting all children who wish to be reunited with their families in Europe. Let us open our eyes to the rubble that is causing this war.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, sometimes good intentions hide risks. We have to use the most environmentally friendly vehicles, and this is to achieve those climate goals that we have set ourselves here in the EU, and certainly rental is a useful tool for companies to manage those temporary peaks in demand. But we must ensure that this directive does not become an instrument for circumventing cabotage legislation. The Mobility Package has shown that the risks of unfair competition in the road haulage sector are still very high in Europe and are borne by small operators and, too often, drivers, who are victims of dumping and difficult working conditions. So it is good that the Council has developed a text that allows Member States some flexibility in implementation: But we must remain vigilant to ensure that this text does not further undermine the road haulage market.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank the rapporteur and the European Ombudsman for their work. Over the years, the Ombudsman's recommendations and role have brought citizens closer to the institutions, but important steps remain to be taken. All too often, the EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies do not fully and uniformly comply with the Ombudsman's recommendations, particularly the one on transparency. Full transparency at all stages of the EU legislative process is essential to promote citizens’ democratic rights, as well as necessary to prevent conflicts of interest and corruption. In particular, the EU frontline institutions during the pandemic should have acted with the utmost transparency. It is unacceptable that even today the purchase price of vaccines and anti-COVID pills is secret. European citizens need to know how much the European Union has paid and therefore how it has negotiated with Big Pharma. It's about our credibility. That is why I would like the Commission to listen to the Ombudsman and make public the messages between her President, Ursula von der Leyen, and the CEO of Pfizer.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the Financial Regulation is the engine of the European Union and without it the administrative and political machinery stops. We cannot afford setbacks and we must ensure that the fundamental principles of the EU are an active part of this regulation. The fuel that moves Europe is and must be the protection of the rule of law and democratic and transparent control of the use of these funds. Our ally in this process is digitization. With this we can control the spending of European funds and we can ensure communication between the European Commission and the Member States. We will be able to combat fraud and also abuse, which unfortunately is rampant throughout Europe. We also do more about the conflict of interest, Europe's new dark evil. The European Union has great challenges ahead of it and only with transparency and clear and verifiable rules can we put it at the service of the citizens.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the 250% increase in the price of gas from January to today is a blow for the economy, for businesses, for those millions of citizens who will find themselves at a crossroads: Do I pay the bills or turn off the heating? This is a problem that affects the whole of Europe, without exception, and a European problem is answered with European solutions. The Commission has so far proved weak and undecided, it is up to the European Council to put in place decisive measures, such as that of a common storage plant, a proposal from the Italian and Spanish Governments that must be accepted. In addition, we need to accelerate on eco-energy and get rid of fossil fuels once and for all. The Five Star Movement proposes a European superbonus, because every watt saved is an investment for businesses and citizens. If Europe truly believes in the Green Deal, it must help finance Member States’ efforts to renovate their citizens’ homes with European resources. In addition, the Union must include the European superbonus among those investment policies that deserve to be decoupled from the Stability and Growth Pact. No more budgetary constraints, we invest in the future of our citizens.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the Coronavirus crisis has taught us that only with ambitious policies, such as recovery, can important results be achieved in the interest of citizens. That is why we can only be disappointed by the cuts proposed by the Council to the programmes for innovation, strategic investment, internal security and the fight against climate change. Funding for health and civil protection programmes is also being reduced. What message do we give as European institutions to citizens? Of course, we must avoid waste and reduce administrative expenditure by analysing the European budget item by item, but we must ensure that citizens' priorities are adequately funded. The 5 Star Movement proposes the creation of a specific item within the EU budget to finance the tourism sector. We need an ad hoc fund to relaunch the sector that was brought to its knees during the pandemic crisis. Millions of European families depend and live thanks to tourism; It is time to give them answers.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner Gentiloni, the Recovery Fund is the biggest European political gamble of the last thirty years: supports the environmental transition, helps young people and businesses in the digital reconversion and creates development in the territories of the South, which have a huge infrastructure gap to fill. Citizens believe in the Recovery Fund, let's not disappoint them! However, I call on the European Commission to be rigorous in assessing the implementation of all these projects and to be rigorous in respect of European values. We cannot allow European funds to be used for policies contrary to the principles of the Treaties, and this is especially true of Poland and Hungary, where the rule of law is constantly under attack. If we are tenacious and united, we can achieve victories. We are building a new future and we are fighting to leave no European citizen behind.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, today we must be able to assess whether the instruments made available to the tourism sector have enabled our companies to withstand the crisis caused by the pandemic. The data show us a slight recovery in the sector, even if non-European tourists have been missing, but of course we are far from the 2019 data. What I want to understand is whether we have been really effective in protecting our businesses. Access to support is often burdensome, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises.An agile and targeted tool is needed. For years, even in unsuspected times, we in Parliament have been calling for strong support dedicated to the sector, an ad hoc fund. This crisis has shown us that we need a coherent and rapid response to support a key sector for the economy of our Europe. We must seize this opportunity to rethink a European policy for the sector. We can't waste any more time.

(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the objective we have set ourselves for 2050 is ambitious and unfortunately we must remember that we have failed to reach the 2020 target of halving road deaths and understanding what weaknesses need to be corrected. Some countries are lagging behind in the implementation of the measures to be taken, and at the expense of them are the weakest sections of the population, the elderly in the first place. We still have a lot to do. First of all, we must focus on prevention, which involves education, training and securing infrastructure. We need to upgrade infrastructure and adapt it to a new idea of road safety that makes use of technological developments and new ways of moving urban areas. I conclude by saying that it is time to rethink mobility on a human scale, putting people at the centre of policies. We still have a long way to go. It's time to get started.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, European citizens are calling for efficient, fast and sustainable transport. This is the way to connect Europe and it is on these objectives that the 30 billion that the European Union allocates must be spent. But there are many lights and also shadows. The investments on digitalization and the strengthening of the corridors that lead from Northern Europe to Southern Italy are positive, but we would have liked a greater ambition on the decarbonization of energy networks by closing the door to gas and opening it to renewables. Furthermore, I wonder why the European Parliament continues to ignore the European Court of Auditors' criticism of the Turin-Lyon TAV project, the shameful delays, the inflated traffic forecasts and the harmful consequences on the environment. The financing of this work, included in the agreement we are voting on today, is a goal that cannot leave us indifferent. I conclude by saying that, rather than focusing on works that have real added value, we need works for citizens and not cathedrals in the desert.