Speeches

Mr President, Europe is a union of values: The big lie. If it were a union of values, the reaction that existed for Ukraine would also exist for Armenia, but also for our Cyprus. We would have the same reaction in Crimea, Nagorno-Karabakh and Kosovo. President Pashinyan listened to the Euro-NATO sirens and at first two-thirds of Artsakh was lost, then the remaining one-third, and now lands of Armenia are occupied daily until the Zangezur corridor that will unite the so-called "Turkish world" is formed. With the energy agreements between Europe and Azerbaijan and the ongoing Turkish-Azerbaijani military attacks, we have three facts: first, Europe is not a union of values, but a union for business; second, the aggrieved states retreat for the sake of peace; and third, their leaders receive personal promises of future security.

Madam President, since the beginning of the world and over the centuries, having a family requires a man and a woman. The biological connection between the fetus and the mother is deep, multi-layered and irreplaceable. Mother is a sacred person to us. In our Orthodoxy, the importance of the Virgin Mary reflects the importance of the mother in our lives. It's sad to talk about a paradigm shift. It is obvious that it will lead to more and more children growing up without a mother. It is clear that the planned blow to the family as the fundamental core of society hides other things behind it. We insist until the end. Children need a mother and a father. The normal family is irreplaceable. We say a strong NO to having children by same-sex couples. Adoption only by normal families. The European Parliament must stop producing unnecessary reports. There is no European competence in family law matters. Let us all look at Article 81 of the Treaty of Lisbon and let this joke end here.

Madam President, the theory of so-called Islamophobia is being promoted by specific centres, Turkey, Qatar, the Muslim Brotherhood. In other words, the same people who finance the illegal invasion, the replacement of our population in Europe, the guilt that we are Christians. Unfortunately, they find fertile ground. This Parliament has refused to condemn the use of the headscarf, even in campaigns by the European Commission. This is a disgrace, but the weather is near. And, of course, there are Christianophobic persecutions in Europe, degradation of the institution of the Church and its teachings, attacks against Christians, especially women and children, desecrations of our churches. Europe is committing suicide. For almost two millennia, it relied on Christianity, mainly our Roman Empire, Byzantium. We are proud descendants of those who repelled Islam over and over again. Be proud of the French for the Battle of Poitiers and the Austrians for the Battle of Vienna. Today, we are grateful for the brave choices of the Hungarians and the Dutch. Europe is waking up. Our lands must be saved and they will be saved. The smugglers won't get through.

Mr President, the Greek Government, our report explicitly calls for this. Member States to step up efforts to fight illegal, unregulated and unregulated fishing and to ensure that fish consumption in Europe does not support illegal fishing. Regulation 1005/2008 is a European weapon to block imports of illegally caught fish from Turkey in the Aegean Sea. So far with the Turkish fishermen who thresh in the Aegean ignoring the borders and always with the support of the Turkish coast guard that attacks the Greek fishermen! We would also like the Commission to stress that our report calls for 'safety conditions on board European fishing vessels', as there are shortcomings. This does not have to be done with extra costs, but with savings. The less money goes to the Turkish coastguard and more generally to the Turkish budget, the greater the security for Greek and all European fishing vessels.

Madam President, with regard to the rule of law in Greece, it would not be excessive to say that Greece has turned into Colombia in Europe, not because we produce good coffee or cocoa, but because the Greek mafia is in charge, going so far as to murder with Kalashnikovs in the centre of Athens. Also, journalists trying to highlight this regime, in the worst case they are subjected to murderous attacks and in the best case tax audits. There is, of course, no pluralism in the media. Systemic instruments are controlled by entrepreneurs who benefit and benefit from the government, and usually they randomly run even the biggest football teams. On the other hand, the independent authorities that must control this landscape are only independent. Typically, the ESR, while responsible for media pluralism, does nothing. All it does is punish and fine those who criticize the government. It should be noted that in the report of this independent authority, the Greek Solution seems to have zero presence on the long-range channels or else on the channels of identification with the government. New Democracy on the other side was over-projected at a rate that far exceeds its percentage and reaches 62% for the years 2020 and 2021. Finally, the polling companies also play a key role in the government's propaganda operation, the percentages of the parties that bother are clipped in their cooked surveys. It is funny, then, to talk about the existence of the rule of law in Greece.

Madam President, this report highlights the European Ombudsman's complaints about the secret Bourla and von der Leyen agreements. It is time to admit that the European Union with its compulsory and fascist vaccination has deceived European citizens. Here in the European Parliament, Pfizer's spokeswoman told us that they did not know if vaccines were effective. With the definitive end of the von der Leyen Commission, we demand an investigation into the waste of billions of euros by European taxpayers on inadequate and harmful vaccines, much of which has either expired or been transferred as a gift to third countries to enrich pharmaceutical companies. Those responsible for the biggest health and economic scandal in the history of the European Union must be held accountable before the courts.

Mr President, arguably the main culprit for the situation in Gaza is the US, which financed the Taliban in Afghanistan and Hamas to hit Fatah and Arafat. Also the main culprit is Erdoğan, who does not hesitate to openly support the Hamas terrorist organization. We too wonder, Mr Borrell, how the European Union supports, talks about and funds this dictator. Coming to the present day, the European Union should not pick up any Muslim extremists on its territory, especially when no Arab country does so. It is a shame that instead of talking about deportations, some people are planning the arrival of other illegal immigrants in our neighborhoods.

Mr President, the terrorist attacks by Muslim jihadists have plunged the once wondrous land of light into the Muslim darkness. All those European citizens who have been murdered in recent years might have been alive if you had heard our message about deportations. Deportations, then, mean humanity for Europeans. But you are afraid of being labeled as Islamophobic by our murderers of tomorrow. The asylum application of the Brussels Islamist terrorist had been rejected, but the Belgian authorities have never deported us and today they are asking us to lock ourselves in our homes so that they do not murder us. Of course, there is a similar risk in Greece with all these illegal immigrants circulating uncontrolled. So we envy the safe Hungary of the xenophobic, for you, Orbán, because there the citizens can move freely without fear of being beheaded by an Islamic terrorist.

Mr President, let us be procured and not persevered. European satellite systems predict weather hazards and increased fire risk and the likelihood of flooding. Unfortunately, due to the result, no correct information was obtained. We need to prevent rather than cure. Early information is required. The prevention system needs to be redesigned. We demand brave decisions for firebreaks, planting zones with less flammable trees, sustainable use of forests, cleaning and many firefighting drones. We demand appropriate flood protection projects and control of the contribution of cities and regions. We demand to defend the life and the life of the Greek farmer, breeder, beekeeper, small businessman. These investments would cost less than the destruction we suffered in Evros and Thessaly. Outrageously high spending to contribute to Ukraine's war follows Europe's policy of expanding when Europe needs consolidation. We demand a European interest for our people, now that we need more than ever to heal our wounds for the good of Greece, but also of Europe in general. We need a new plan to prevent disasters, transforming Europe into a model of functionality. Brave funding in Evros and Thessaly will show that Europe cares and can heal its wounds. Dynamic funding from the Solidarity Fund, relaunch for farmers through emergency aid from the CAP and finally interest-free loans for small entrepreneurs in the affected areas.

Madam President, Northern Epirus has been Greek land since ancient times. Himara, despite the Grecophobic attacks of Albania, is part of Northern Epirus. The crime of Fredis Beleris was that he proved the self-evident, that Himara is also a Greek land. The Protocol of Corfu never applied, it was never cancelled and yet. Albania should treat the Greek ethnic minority in Northern Epirus with respect. Let some people understand it well. Albania's road to Europe passes through Korca, Saranda and Himara. We listen to our Northern Epirots and say "not Albania in the European Union". Until Fredis Beleris is released, they should not even think of Europe. Until he takes full office as mayor, we call on Europe to impose severe economic sanctions on Albania, because it is now closer to Turkey than to Europe. Thank you very much.

Madam President, Islamist terrorist attacks are constantly taking place in both Israel and Europe. These attacks are a continuation of years of murderous jihadist action against those they call infidels. Extremism is the result of many factors. It is based primarily on the beliefs of radical Islam. Unfortunately, Palestinian children, like Turkish children, are learning how to become martyrs. Listen up, listen up! Witnesses in the 21st century! Thus, according to these extremist teachings, one becomes a witness when one kills and dies for one's religion, that is, when one carries out a terrorist attack. We need to make sure that no child undergoes training to become a terrorist. Europe and Israel must work together to develop a multi-layered international strategy to counter Islamist terrorism. Clearly, tackling education in extremism paves the way for a solution to the Palestinian problem, as well as for security for all our citizens.

Madam President, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. There were good European intentions when independent authorities were proposed. They were eventually disproved, especially for the Greek minor opposition. Appointment by a majority of the House leads to control by the major minority called the majority and overall control by the mainstream parties when a two-thirds agreement of the national parliament is required. We do not see the emergence of prestigious individuals in Greece who ensure the rule of law, and we denounce the control of the game by the ruler and his associates. We denounce controlled administrations that execute the requests of their nominees, looking forward to subsequent rewards. And, yes, we denounce the obvious. The controlled administrations of the independent authorities in Greece cannot easily control the government that appointed them. The National Broadcasting Council is such a blatant bad practice. It stifles those who disagree with the government by keeping the game under systemic control. If we really want democracy, let the Greeks decide freely.

Mr President, if there had been natural phenomena – fires, earthquakes, floods – there would have been a rescue air bridge. We are witnessing the inhuman torture of 120,000 people. We need a rescue initiative. I am glad that the majority of this House recognises and denounces the Azerbaijani plan. The Azerbaijani dictatorship imprisons or silences the Azerbaijani dissidents. If there was a democratic regime that respected the rights of Armenians, perhaps the historical development would have been different. Azerbaijan gives the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh three options: either abandon their ancestral homes or surrender to Azerbaijan and abandon their identity or surrender and have the fate of the Armenians of Turkey of 1919. If we want to call ourselves people, rescuing Armenians through a humanitarian air bridge is the minimum we have to do by the end of the week.

Mr President, we are talking about an organised plan to slander our institutions, to erode our states and – ultimately – to replace our nations. The accusers of the Greek Coast Guard should be ashamed and their sponsors should be investigated – and more so. Twenty-four NGO workers on Lesvos were arrested for espionage, forgery and illegal listening to radio frequencies to inform Turkish smugglers of the location of the Greek Coast Guard vessels. Shortly before the announcement of the Greek court's decision, there was an intervention by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) asking for the charges to be dropped. We are talking about setting up and supporting a criminal organisation, smuggling and fraud. NGOs are trying to alter the rule of law in Greece. The networks of exploitation of human misery, together with the NGO branch, are a deadly cancer for democracy and our homelands.

Mr President, we need a moral European conception of culture based on law. Directive 60 of 2014 was structured restrictively so as not to oblige Member States to return the cultural objects stolen before 1993. This ensures that Greek cultural treasures remain in foreign museums. Admittedly, the Commission states that the Directive can be applied on a voluntary basis. An unconvincing argument, unfortunately. Respecting Article 167 of the Treaty requires a system of recognition and reward by the Commission to any State which repents and returns cultural treasures. Let's call 2023 the year of cultural justice, with the first step being the apology of European states to the states that wronged themselves by stealing their treasures. Thus, relations with India and Egypt, indicatively, but also intra-Europeanly, with Greece, will be structured on a basis of justice.

Madam President, the Greek ethnic minority in Northern Epirus is being persecuted. Houses are confiscated and churches and tombs are demolished. And Europe is silent. After the horrific persecutions of Hoxha and the unacceptable and even murderous attacks since 1991, today we have legal obstacles for our Northern Epirus. Let's say it openly: The Albanian government is a Turkish actor. If the same agreements he has made with Turkey had been made with Russia, we know that NATO would have bombed it as it did with Serbia. And the most grotesque thing is that the European Commission's office in Albania finds everything rosy. Talk to the North Koreans to find out the truth. The road from Tirana to Brussels must pass through Gjirokastra, Korca and Himara. Otherwise, let's drop the Copenhagen criteria and just talk about the Washington line.

Mr President, recently, the impoverished Greek people have seen their incomes shrink even further as a result of inflation. At this difficult juncture, it was decided to stop buying cheap Russian gas because Russia is attacking Ukraine. Seeing, however, that this gas is being replaced by Azerbaijani gas, I would like to ask you, about Azerbaijan attacking Armenia, why is nothing done? Iran is also being sanctioned for selling offensive drones to Russia. Let us assume that we agree with this decision. In Turkey, which has been selling Bayraktars to Azerbaijanis for so long, why are there no sanctions? We therefore call for an immediate end to this policy of selective humanism. We call for the immediate imposition of sanctions on Turkey.

Madam President, lately Mr Michel has been trying to convene a Mediterranean summit, which will only put Turkey into practice. Let us remind Mr Michel that, as in Europe Finland is famous for its education system, Germany for its industry and France for its culture, Turkey is famous only for its genocides. After it wiped out a third of its Christian population, the Kurds are next. And I want to be a little more specific. On August 19, in the city of Hasaka in northeastern Syria, the UN organized a volleyball match between young girls. A Turkish drone bombed the area where the fight was taking place, killing four little girls. The only mistake these girls made is that they were born Kurdish in a neighborhood that Turkey considers its own. Julius Caesar said that ‘man, by nature, believes what he wants’. So is Europe; They want a "normal" Turkey. So let us remind the European Union that Turkey is not only not "normal", but is a terrorist state and a key funder of ISIS.

Madam President, Prime Minister, thank you very much for your presence. For my part, as a young Greek who is given the floor, I would like to refer to the specific problem of brain drain, a phenomenon of young scientists fleeing abroad to find work and a better future, with of course very negative results for our country. Having recently completed my studies at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, I found that going abroad is an attractive option for 8 out of 10 of my colleagues. Indicatively, during the eight-year period from 2008 to 2016, it is estimated that about half a million young Greek students and graduates left at a cost of about 15 billion euros, according to the National Higher Education Authority. But what is it due to? First, unemployment. According to Eurostat's monthly survey, Greece ranks first in youth unemployment with a rate of more than 30%. We are in the last positions of OECD countries in the employment of young graduates aged 25-34, fourteen percentage points from the average. Second, low wages make it difficult to earn a living. Unfortunately, often young Greeks in order to stay in our country are forced to do something completely different from what they studied. Education is not free. The cost to the Greek state is estimated at 33,000 euros per graduate, but they are eventually used by another country. We can understand that Greece comes out of this situation only damaged. So our young people are forced to leave Greece to find a job well paid for and on what they know and what they studied. Universities, therefore, are not sufficiently interconnected in Greece and the European Union with the labour market. There is no ecosystem that drives young people to try and innovate and, above all, to use their knowledge. As we know, however, work can make our young people truly independent so that they want to stay in Greece – not be customers, but citizens – and, of course, be able to start a family, so that we can tackle the huge demographic problem. So, in addition to not using our outstanding scientists, we must also consider a subsequent problem. This is none other than demographics. Now, for every two adult Greeks, there are about 1.2 children, and we need more than 2 to maintain ourselves as a nation. Our nation, however, is fading and the Greek family is lost. Our young, brilliant minds, excellent scientists and indispensable for our country, must come back. We often see young Greeks in the news innovating, operating and excelling in foreign countries, but we wonder why this is not the case in Greece. In your pre-election speeches, you talked extensively about dealing with the brain drain. Post-election, you defined the root of the problem in universities, and in fact very little was done. So I would like to ask you two main questions on this issue: firstly, whether Greece can bring back all those Greeks who left in the last decade of the crisis and, secondly, how you plan to reverse this phenomenon.

Mr President, according to Eurostat, Greece has 37% youth unemployment. This is linked to the more expensive megawatt-hour costs in Europe, costs that reduce production, are passed on to more expensive goods and are obviously pushing down wages. Provoking unemployment and granting benefits are a modern form of enslavement. With the resulting energy poverty, we are losing another generation. We see the reduction of unemployment as a strategic political objective. With self-respect we must be adaptable to the facts. Coronavirus and new disruptions in supply chains should be a capable factor for brave readjustments of further designs. The non-adjustment of policy to the accumulation of problems is self-obsessed and certainly does not pamper the price of Europe. It approaches social analgesia. Politics usually hides something else behind it. Thousands of citizens live off their lignite mines and ecosystems. There is a clear need for more gradual rehabilitation and a socially more sensitive target than the closure of lignite plants by 2025.

Madam President, a united Europe was created in the ashes of inhuman extremism, the extremism perpetrated by the Holocaust of the Jews inside Europe and which threatened and enslaved states outside it. At the time, many European powers opted for trade instead of early intervention. They chose quiet instead of human life. They chose the policy of appeasement instead of dealing with the monster. So I ask you: Is Turkey or is it not an extremist state? We seem to have a Europe that forgot the lessons it learned in the Second World War, that forgot history and is ready to relive it. According to the prevailing European mentality, Europe would not hesitate to tell Hitler and the Jews to solve the differences between them, as it says more or less to the Greeks and Cypriots who face daily Turkish crime. The policy of equal distances is not just a disgrace, it is a bomb in the foundations of Europe. (Applause)

Mr President, first of all we completely disagree with the use of the name of our Macedonia by Skopje. For us, the debate on this report ends here. The fact that the Skopje call themselves Macedonians is the definition of historical distortion, a distortion that insults every day all Greek citizens and especially the Greeks of our Macedonia. On the basis of the despicable agreement signed by the previous Greek government, which unfortunately the current Greek government adheres to, we lose internationally the right to our name, which is also our soul. For us, as our President, Kyriakos Velopoulos, has stressed, Skopje is prohibited from using the sacred name of our Macedonia in any way. And because this report essentially calls for Skopje's accession to the European Union, we say that Skopje will not enter the European Union unless it is renamed Skopje or Vardarska or anything else that does not offend our history. Therefore, being fully aware of our historical responsibility, we are voting against this report and I invite and invite the other Greek MEPs to do the same.

Madam President, speaking of the common defence policy, there is Joint European Resolution 944 of 2008 against the export of arms to states for internal repression, regional conflicts, but also attacks. In the two-year report of Operation Peace, six cargo ships bound for Libya refused control; All six were Turkish. Turkey invaded Cyprus and was condemned by the UN with decisions enforceable by Europe. After Varosha, the European Parliament called for severe sanctions; sanctions that we have never seen. On the other hand, Italy and Spain accounted for 43% of Turkish arms imports over the past decade. The highlight, of course, is the recent Spanish-Turkish agreement. In 2018 alone, Germany exported 240 million pieces of weapons to Turkey, which also expects five Italian anti-submarine warfare aircraft, a Spanish amphibious assault ship and six German submarines. Obviously, these weapons are intended for use against Greece and Cyprus. How ironic, then, is the debate on a common European defence and the preoccupation with the Ukrainian issue, when the complicity of many here in Turkish crimes is proven?

Mr President, speaking today of our primary sector, we should stop talking about what our farmers should do in order for the Commission to support them and start talking about what the Commission should do in order to support our farmers effectively. In recent years, a disastrous policy has been implemented that has imposed on our producers a series of irrational regulations that have pushed up production costs and, at the same time, dramatically increased imports of agricultural products from third countries. We want to eat olives from Kalamata and not from South Africa, and tomatoes from Crete and not from Turkey. To this end, we have three perfectly workable proposals. Firstly, we call for increased aid and accessibility to our producers; secondly, we call for increased controls on imported agricultural products for pesticide residues and other chemicals that poison European consumers; and thirdly, we call for increased tariffs on imported agricultural products in order to tackle unfair competition against Greeks.

Madam President, it is well known that Turkey is the country that poured oil on the fire in the Middle East. It is the country that has tried in every way to hit Greece even by arming the illegal immigrants. It is therefore hypocritical and outrageous to see the European Union ready to give more money to Turkey, when we know very well that the euros that Erdogan takes turns them into weapons aimed at Greek soldiers. That is why we have two concrete proposals: firstly, that all funding to Turkey be apparently cut off and, secondly, that this money be given to support the Greek port police and the Greek border guards, who guard Thermopylae day and night protecting the Greek and European borders. In closing, I want to say that it should finally be taken for granted that any boat that crosses the Greek border illegally will return to the coast from which it started with its occupants.