Speeches

Madam President, it’s been 90 years since this horrible tragedy. It’s been decades. And Russia is still the same Russia. They committed crimes in Poland. They committed genocide in Poland. They committed genocide in Ukraine 90 years ago and they are still committing crimes like genocide in Ukraine now. Nothing has changed. Nothing. And 90 years ago, over 90 years ago, 100 years ago, we didn’t know what to name it, what to name this crime. As Churchill said, it’s the ‘crime without a name’. But thanks to a Polish lawyer, Raphael Lemkin, we do know that this is a genocide. Genocide. This is very important. That’s why I think this Chamber should commemorate Mr Lemkin, one of the greatest minds of the law in history. And we have to remember that genocide is taking place in Ukraine now. For so many years, Russia was the aggressor – not only in Poland, not only in Ukraine, not only in Europe. What have we done to stop them? What have we done? Businesses as usual for the last decades – gas, gold, diamonds. And these businesses are still taking place. We have to stop it now. We have to stop it now.

Madam President, this debate is not about money. It’s not about EUR 18 billion. It’s not about USD 350 billion. This debate is about our humanity, Mr Commissioner. It’s about our responsibility. It’s about history. Because history will judge us, just like history judged those who decided to fight against Hitler. I can’t see many differences between Putin and Hitler. I just came back from Izium in Ukraine. I could see graves – holes, actually – where over 400 bodies were found. It’s completely different when you smelled the air there. When you see these holes. When you talk to the people who are starving to death. So I would like to encourage you, if you feel strong enough, to visit Ukraine and see Izium, Bucha, Mariupol and other places. Because it’s worth to go and see. Because history will judge us. So remember, it’s not about money. It’s not about euros. It’s about our humanity.

Mr President, ‘we should have listened to Poland’, Ursula von der Leyen said during her State of the Union speech. She says we should listen to Poland. We should have listened to Poland. But you didn’t want to listen. You didn’t want to listen about Nord Stream. You didn’t want to listen about illegal migration. You didn’t want to listen about Putin. And you didn’t want to listen about sanctions. Sanctions? What about Russian diamonds? Why there is no embargo on Russian diamonds? Why? Because the capital of the diamond industry, Antwerp, in Belgium, would be unhappy, isn’t it? Why there is no sanctions on Russian diamonds? Nord Stream is destroyed, but the diamonds are making money for Russia. So stop lecturing Poland. Stop pointing us with your finger. Stop lecturing us about democracy. Do not be a hypocrite. Take actions, not beautiful words. Be like Poland. Be brave. Believe in your own nations instead of being dependent on Russian roubles. Be brave. Be like Poland.

Madam President, Prime Minister, first of all, I’d like to thank you, Prime Minister, for your bravery. I would like to thank you for your presence in Kiev with Mr. Kaczynski and Mr. Morawiecki. That’s very important to everyone in Europe, I believe, so I would like to thank you for your bravery. For your presidency, I would like to wish you bravery – because it’s needed. So I hope you will stay strong – because it’s up to you, up to your perseverance what is going to happen now in Europe. We do remember 1968, when the Soviets invaded your country. And I can assure you now you have our full support – because we do know how it is to be a slave of the Soviet Union and Russia. I can assure you, Poland will never be a slave of the Soviets. Poland will never be a slave of the Soviet Union and Russia. And I do believe the Czech Republic will never be a slave. And this is my wishes to you and to your people. Stay strong. Stay firm.

Madam President, the Eastern Partnership is a very serious project, it is a very serious matter, as all we know, especially now during the war, and even though it’s a very serious project and very serious matter, I have to start with a joke. We just heard today from Chancellor Scholz that Germany is the main country with the biggest supply of the weapons to Ukraine. This is what he says today during the interview! And then we hear from France that Russia should not be humiliated! That’s not my words, that’s a joke as well, Mr Commissioner. I treat it as a joke, but it’s not funny. So before we end up as a funny club, we have to act. And I’m not talking about Poland. Three and a half million Ukrainians are in Poland. And you’ve got 5 000 helmets from Germany in Ukraine. And this is the main support. It’s a joke. It is a joke. So we are not a joke club in here. European Union has to answer itself. Do we want to be funny or do we want to be productive? Because if we will not be productive, Putin will knock to the Berlin’s door, Paris door, and he will not stop there. Remember that.

I would like to ask if it is true that you are the author of the words about the need to starve Poles financially? All you have to do is nod your head. Yes or no. Did you say those words? Are you aware of what they sound like in Poland, where people were starved to death by the Germans? Are you aware of how many Poles and Jews starved by the Germans felt during the war? And are you going to apologize? I rarely speak Polish, but now I am proud to ask you this rhetorical question.

Madam President, I say to the dear leftists, it’s been seven years of your criticism and attacks on Poland, and obviously the rule of law is one of the excuses. Look at the Chamber, where these seven years of your criticism led you to: there’s more people watching us from the gallery than MEPs taking a part in this discussion. Well done. Well done. That is the symbol of how many people care about your false accusations – and use of excuses and the rule of law to attack Poland. So I’ll tell you what the real reason, what the real pain for you is, to criticise us. Look at that: Poland is a leader – it’s here in red – with our GDP after COVID. That’s data. Unemployment in Poland – one of the lowest in the European Union. It’s your data – Eurostat’s – not ours. If you want to feel free, if you want to feel safe, come to Poland – also your data. Poland is here. Germany is here. One of the safest places in the European Union. These are data. These are official documents. And that’s how it is in Poland. It’s your data, not ours. This is Eurostat. So if you want to feel safe, be like Poland. If you are looking for low unemployment, be like Poland. If you love freedom, be like Poland.

Mr President, I’m very happy that you care about freedom of speech and freedom of the press. I’m very happy that you mentioned Pegasus and many other tools which were used by the governments of the Member States. Let’s start with Germany. I was just wondering, where you have been, dear hypocrites, when a huge scandal was announced by the media in 2009 in Germany? In a report we can read ‘the state spyware FinFisher or FinSpy is developed in Munich and sold to police and secret services in dozens of countries, including the German federal police.’ Where have you been, hypocrites? Where have you been in 2019? Where have you been when Donald Tusk was prime minister in Poland and 38 journalists were under surveillance? Maybe Mr Halicki would answer. Where have you been? Where have you been, hypocrites? You know the names. You know the names. You know the journalists who were under this surveillance. Everyone knows that. But now you’re pointing to Poland and Hungary. So what about Germany? What about France? What about Canada? You care about abortion in the USA, why don’t you care about Canada and Mr Trudeau? So don’t be a hypocrite. If you want to solve the problem, do not be a hypocrite. Do not point to Poland and Hungary – point to everyone. Because who was in charge of the German Government? Madame Merkel. You were shaking in front of Merkel. Everyone was silent. No one ever asked anything. So with the scandal in September 2019 – it’s silence. We’ve got eight years of Mr Tusk in Poland, 38 journalists under surveillance – silence. Where have you been hypocrites? What do you have to hide? Why are you so scared of legal surveillance, legal democratic governments who are using the tools to protect themselves. Where have you been? Where have you been? What do you have to hide? What are you scared of?

Madam President. We’ve got this very important discussion on this very important report, and what we could hear from Commissioner Jourová was that she’s very happy about the ban – Netflix’s ban in Russia. Are you serious? Are you really serious? We need a ban on Russian oil and gas before you have your satisfaction on a Netflix ban. So before the discussion turns into the grotesque, remember that Germany, the so-called European leaders, are against the ban on Russian oil and gas, and money from the gas and oil will go to the Russian Army and the Russian Army will kill Ukrainian children. So before this discussion turns into the grotesque, remember that the ban on Netflix is a joke, because people are dying. We need a ban on Russian oil and gas now. Remember, it’s Germany who is against it and history will judge again. Remember that.

Madam President, Madam President, I wish the most influential people in the world could listen to this debate. What a fascinating debate, Madam President. Madam President, I would love to hear this debate in the presence of the most influential people. Do you know who are the most influential people in the world according to Forbes? Michelle Obama, Ursula von der Leyen, Christine Lagarde, Kamala Harris and hundreds of women around the world. Hundreds of women around the world. We had our influential women decades ago, Marie Salomea Skłodowska Curie. We had the first country in Europe, which allowed women to vote, what country was it? Poland. Now, if you want to learn what equality is, come to Poland, because Poland by the data, – its Eurostat’s, it’s not our data – is number two. We are the second country with the highest number of women in management. The first is Latvia and the second is Poland. Where is the EU? Let me see, oh, 34%, more or less. There you are, very, very low. So if you want to learn, come to Poland because that’s what it is. It’s not about creating ridiculous ideas, fighting against Christmas. It’s about logic. And the logic is in Poland.

Mr President, I’d like to focus on the challenges, and not only on income, money and shaking hands. The main challenge is China. So the question to the Commission is very simple: how can we combat China, I mean the lack of standards from China? Because when we had this conversation in Washington last week, everyone was happy to do it, and the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) is a beautiful thing. But what about China? We can still see people who are basically hypocrites. They are making the money, making the business as usual, they are talking about the TTC, about cooperation, they are talking about fighting for the people and combating the lack of standards, but that’s still money coming from China. So, what can we do and when can we do it? What concrete steps can be taken to protect our European economy? Because this is the most important part of the TTC as a future. If we want to be successful and safe, we have to make decisions – not just talking, talking and shaking hands.

Madam President, what a festival of hypocrisy again in the European Parliament. We have this discussion, Madam President and Mr High Representative, if you have a moment, about foreign interference and we can hear again another accusation against Poland, against Hungary, from liberals and from the left. It’s the same thing which happened in America when Mr Trump was accused of Russian collusion. The whole world knows that this is not true. The whole world knows that was fake news, there was no collusion and now Poland and Hungary are called Putin’s friends. At the same time, liberals and the left who are accusing us, are inviting those who are financed by post-Soviet states, and recently arrested in Poland, Mr K – his name has to be withheld from the Polish media according to Polish privacy law. He had been arrested because he was the one who is accused of money laundering and he was the one who was the representative of Open Dialogue Foundation invited to the European Parliament by liberals. So if we do not want these kind of accusations and discussions, please do not invite people like Mr K, who is from the Open Dialogue Foundation.