Speeches

Mr President, next 24 February will mark two years of an unjust and cruel invasion, an invasion that has put Ukraine and the European Union under unprecedented pressure. But it has also demonstrated the solidarity and strength of our institutions. Today we see a new test: the major agreement reached through the Ukraine Facility, €50 billion of financial support by 2027. It is a fund for dealing more flexibly with post-war reconstruction and modernisation needs, a tool that must largely reach the regions and cities of Ukraine, the real ones responsible for reconstruction. It is now up to Ukraine to make progress in clarifying the role of local, regional and national administrations. We must provide Ukraine with the support it needs, but without neglecting the most important: that the funds reach those who really need it. The reconstruction of Ukraine must be sustainable and inclusive.

Mr President, housing is a universal right, a right that is basic to the development of young people and should not depend on social status, sex or age. But it happens. In this legislature we are focused on improving the sustainability, design and accessibility of our buildings. Initiatives such as the Renovation Wave, the new Energy Performance of Buildings Directive or the New European Bauhaus are working to improve the quality of our neighbourhoods and homes. But the first step is to ensure access to quality and accessible housing for all young people, leaving no one behind. And without forgetting the dramatic situation experienced by many Erasmus students due to the lack of accommodation in their destinations. Even those who can afford it do not enjoy unhindered learning mobility. We have to act. We need a European strategy with measures and funding so that young workers and students can have a roof, a home, to develop as people.

Mr. President, we have war on our borders. The invasion of Ukraine still wreaks havoc on the country and continues to affect us. But we must send a very clear message. The European Parliament has not forgotten Ukraine. There is enormous human, material and environmental damage that the European Union is committing to alleviate. The costs of rebuilding Ukraine are estimated at more than €300 billion. We must take advantage of this disaster to articulate a sustainable reconstruction, guided by the values of the European Union: equality, transparency, co-governance of municipalities and regions. The New European Bauhaus is the project that best embodies these values. We must stop to achieve a sustainable, inclusive and beautiful future for Ukrainian society after the war. The Ukraine Facility has been a first step in its reconstruction. But the culprits – Russia – have to pay for this ecocide. Let's make it possible.

Madam President, Commissioner, our children are using technology more and more, and earlier, more intensively and at an earlier age. This creates opportunities, but also problems. Online sexual abuse and cyberbullying have increased exponentially and affect the health of young people. In this situation, prevention and education are key tools: with regard to online sexual abuse, to detect if they are in danger and to make networks a safer place for all; and, regarding cyberbullying, to raise awareness of this silent pandemic. A pandemic that has been aggravated by the widespread use of mobile phones and social networks. This resolution officially contains something that we have asked for on many occasions. We need a European strategy against bullying and cyberbullying in schools, a package of measures contained in the European Education Area, coordinated with the Better Internet for Children strategy. Thousands of students, facing a new school year with fear of being harassed, are waiting for solutions to this problem. We in the European institutions must act firmly.

Mr. President, this Sunday in my city we woke up devastated. Murcia suffered an event that has become a horrible tragedy. Thirteen people have died in a fire that has affected three clubs in the town. These are European citizens and residents who were enjoying a day of leisure. From here, I would like to ask for a tribute to all of them, as well as a recognition also to the firefighters, the health workers, the security forces and the authorities who ensured the well-being of all at that time. I would also like to call on us to continue working on implementing security technology and protocols that can prevent further tragedies. That is why I am going to ask this Parliament to observe a minute's silence in tribute to these victims.

Madam President, equality. Equality is one of the pillars on which our European project is based and we cannot allow this principle to be broken, less in an area as crucial as that of education. We will not tire of repeating it. Everyone has the right to quality education and training, regardless of origin, race, sex or any other trait. We cannot allow groups such as Roma children to suffer systemic discrimination in a space of personal development as important as the school environment. And yet it's still happening. We in the European Parliament must act firmly. Education is the best weapon to ensure equal opportunities and must be free from discrimination. The European Education Area is the initiative with which we can now improve quality, equity and inclusion in the classroom. And remember: we must achieve this by 2025. This project should lead us to a more equal, better quality and more mobile education that promotes European values and citizenship, the Green Deal and the fight against harassment and cyberbullying. Commissioner, let us take advantage of these education policies to build a fairer, more inclusive, more equal society. Let us act to avoid these situations of marginalization. Let's act to make sure we don't leave any boys or girls behind. We owe it to those who suffer discrimination every day.

Mr. President, heat waves, fires, torrential rains, floods... Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent; More and more people are paying dearly for its consequences across Europe. And it suffers more those who have less. This summer we have experienced the warmest month of August ever recorded. In Spain, we know this well: fires, heat waves lasting longer and floods like last week; the sea surface temperature continues to rise; heat waves are becoming more frequent, and we must act more firmly. The way forward is clear: European Green Deal, improving cohesion policy and the Solidarity Fund. The Member States and the European institutions must take part in this process as a matter of priority. We need preventive measures to prevent disasters in the face of extreme events, and, in addition, funding for the civil protection mechanism in order to strengthen the European response. What was a threat years ago now conditions the lives of millions of people. The consequences of climate change are here and we need commitment to tackle them.

Madam President, Commissioner, you are here. We have spent the last decades warning of the threat posed by climate change, but it has long been not a threat, but a reality. It is one of the two major problems that can end our environment. The drought that is ravaging Europe shows us the seriousness of the situation. But it's not just climate change. Human action is another big problem. Water uses and abuses across the European Union have caused great harm. In the Region of Murcia and other neighboring Spanish communities we know it well: Illegal extractions of overexploited and contaminated water and aquifers that end up causing the degradation of the Mar Menor, an environmental jewel of the European Union. We must act now, and do so in both areas: combat climate change and bring order to the management of water resources. Illegal exploitation and actions that pollute water, especially groundwater, must be stopped. These problems are already here and we have to deal with them as soon as possible.

Madam President, Commissioner, today we celebrate Europe Day. And today also kicks off the European Year of Skills, a way forward in the construction of the European project. Because one of the pillars on which the Union is based is education. And yes, we need a trained and educated population to face the digital and sustainable transitions. But we can only achieve this through strong and resilient public education systems. Public education systems that ensure quality education for all citizens. We come from the creation of the European Skills Agenda and the Pact for Skills and we are moving towards the creation of a European Education Area by 2025. The most ambitious European project since the creation of Erasmus. This is the way. Education and training are the foundation on which to build a better society. Let's take advantage of this year to implement effective actions that improve the skills of our students and workers.

Madam President, Commissioner, the development of all European regions must be balanced. This is one of the foundations of our political project and the main objective of cohesion policy, a pillar that should always guide our political action. Cohesion policy is not just the balance between territories. Cohesion is a balance between the citizens of the territories, it is equal opportunities, it is inter-territorial solidarity; is, in short, the best way to ensure that the European Union is a territory of coexistence, peace and freedom. When we face temporary crisis situations, where cohesion policy does not reach, it is necessary for the States to help our companies, especially in those most disadvantaged regions, those that suffer the most, if possible, the onslaught of the repeated crises that we have experienced in recent years: less developed regions, transition regions, mountainous, island, depopulated or rural regions. State aid protects our productive sectors, protects our goods and services, but most importantly: support and protect our citizens. But misfocused aid can generate inequality between territories, especially among those who need it most. Our Treaties are clear: we must promote convergence between regions and correct existing imbalances. We need to prevent State aid from causing more imbalances. The revision of the Regulations that the Commission envisages should ensure that the principles of cohesion enshrined in our Treaties are taken into account and respected. We must ensure that businesses in the outermost regions, regions in transition, less-favoured, island and mountainous regions compete on an equal footing with others and that citizens living in those regions are not forced to leave their homes. State aid, yes; for crisis situations, yes. But always ensuring balance and solidarity between European regions; ensuring balance and solidarity among all citizens of the European Union.

Mr President, Commissioner, the European Year of Youth ends exactly three weeks from now and I could repeat the same question I asked in this House a few months ago: How many young people have found out? As an observer of this Parliament that I have been for the development of the European Year of Youth, I have seen the interest that this European Year has aroused in many youth organisations, but the impact has been very limited and I believe that we have time to improve it, improve it to leave a good legacy to young people. I'd like to ask you two questions. First of all, we are experiencing a very delicate moment regarding the housing situation. I already asked him about the problem that some Erasmus students had in getting housing in their destinations and I want to know if the Commission has any plans to guarantee access to quality and affordable housing for young people, in general, and especially for those who make an Erasmus stay. And secondly, what are they going to do, in addition to ensuring that unpaid traineeships are prohibited, to improve the working conditions of our young people?

Mr President, Commissioner, High Representative, what lessons has this legislature taught us? We cannot forget the sad scenes we saw in the hardest part of the pandemic. What happened when we depended on sanitary material from China we are living now with the energy crisis we are going through. China accumulates and consumes fuels and causes price increases, while in Europe we struggle to increase our energy independence. The European Union must strengthen its role as a geopolitical actor with its own voice. To achieve this, we must reduce our dependence on the outside in terms of technology and production of certain materials. Let us learn from the hard lessons of this legislature. The European Union has the authority to be an autonomous geopolitical actor. This does not mean that we should eliminate trade relations with China, but balance them. This does not mean that each of the Member States does not have its role, but that we must speak with one voice, with coordination, as Mr Borrell said well today. Above all, we are aware that the European Union must remain the world reference for democracy and respect for human rights.

Madam President, you are fighting for the climate and defending the citizens. Parliament is once again setting an example of social ambition with this directive. Buildings are responsible for 40% of energy consumption and it is essential to reduce this figure to save the planet. But I am especially proud to focus our efforts on those who need it most. I am proud that energy poor areas and vulnerable neighbourhoods are taken into account to focus investments from European funds there. The reform of this Energy Performance of Buildings Directive is also in line with the New European Bauhaus: more energy savings on monthly bills, less pollution, higher quality of life and climate comfort in buildings and homes, all focusing efforts on those who have the least. The adoption of this Directive will contribute to a more climate-ambitious and socially just Europe.

Madam President, what is the value of a culture? Rural areas in the European Union cover more than 80% of the territory, but host only a third of its inhabitants. Thousands of peoples with diverse traditions and diverse ways of life are at risk of disappearing due to depopulation. The European institutions must ensure their survival. The European Union's cohesion policy should boost the development of these areas. The new mobility plans have to put an end to the isolation of our peoples, which is sometimes caused by the lack of infrastructure. We must ensure connectivity that enables teleworking and we must work to implement the Rural Pact. But we can also use the potential of cohesion policy to fix population to the territory. We can offer incentives to people who decide to live in the rural world; promoting sustainable tourism that raises awareness of their ways of life; value a sustainable way of life that is respectful of our planet. We cannot allow centuries-old traditions of our rural villages across Europe, which are at risk of depopulation, to be lost to institutional inaction. We have to get involved. We need involvement at all levels. And the European Union must lead this engagement, because the value of a culture is incalculable.

Madam President, Commissioner, youth is the most decisive period of a life, a moment of personal flourishing that is lived only once and, as such, must be taken advantage of. Hence the importance of this European Year of Youth in raising awareness. However, Commissioner, how many young people have known about the initiative? Unfortunately, not enough. We have failed to reach the general population. The reasons? This year's organization started late and has had little funding and little involvement. But we still need to make sure that this year's legacy goes further, that it helps young people overcome the effects of the pandemic, that it empowers them to be active and engaged citizens, that it informs them of all the opportunities offered by the European Union. Training is a central axis in the development of our young people and, without quality, inclusive and barrier-free education, they will have a much harder time achieving their goals. I end with a key moment for our young people, the difficult transition to the world of work. It is a democratic imperative that we ensure fair remuneration for all traineeships. It is a shame not to have had the support of the right to defend this very basic right. Because of their opposition, we have not been able to include it in the resolution that we are going to vote on, but young people can continue to count on the socialists to continue fighting for their rights.

Madam President, war is a horror that leaves nothing but destruction in its wake. The most serious thing, without a doubt, is the destruction of human lives, of their homes, and the hunger that leaves behind them. But, in addition, war has a very serious impact on culture and heritage, which is our history, our memory as a species. Following the Russian invasion, Ukraine's heritage has become the most threatened on the continent. As of today, UNESCO has already recorded more than 200 cultural sites destroyed or damaged as a result of the attacks. An irreparable loss. The European institutions must take sides to stop this loss and take action for its conservation, recovery and reconstruction. We need to define the role that the European Union should play in rebuilding the destroyed heritage in Ukraine. We must put in place the necessary political will to prevent this loss. A month ago we adopted here the report on the New European Bauhaus, a text that contemplates that the New Bauhaus must contribute to the reconstruction of monuments and cities destroyed by the invasion. All this with the participation of the Ukrainian cultural and creative sectors, which have been so badly affected and which need our support. The New Bauhaus can and should adopt an external dimension to assist Ukraine in this task. Historical heritage is the sum of the traces that previous generations have left in the territory, it is the cultural memory of past generations. That is why we cannot let the Russian invasion laminate the history of the Ukrainians. We share history and past experiences with Ukraine and historical heritage should be used as a bridge to strengthen the ties of the Ukrainian people under attack with the European Union.

Commissioner, depopulation is a vitally important issue. It generates poverty and suffering and puts at risk a multitude of traditions and ways of life in rural areas across the European Union. Cohesion policy, in addition to balancing regions, offers an opportunity to combat this phenomenon with tools such as the Depopulation Strategy. This is a very complex problem that we need to address from different areas. Having good communications and telecommunications between rural and urban areas is essential to fix populations to the territory and to generate employment. Infrastructure is necessary for this. Mobility is also a key issue. I welcome the work the European Commission has done on the new Sustainable Urban Mobility Framework, but I would like us to extend the focus not only to urban areas, but also to rural areas. In that regard, I would like to ask a number of questions; Are we rethinking the new cohesion policy? What actions does the Commission intend to take to implement the Depopulation Strategy in the new cohesion policy financial programmes? Finally, what measures does the Commission intend to take to ensure that work on sustainable urban mobility can also contribute to the fight against depopulation in the European Union?

Madam President, cohesion policy has sewn up the European Union throughout its history. It has served to correct, to mitigate the differences of this Union of at least two speeds with a war on our doorstep, a major energy crisis and the climate crisis that is hitting us more and more; Now, more than ever, is the time to strengthen these policies. Strengthen the economic, social and territorial cohesion of the different regions, following the political priorities of the European Union. The recent catastrophe of the volcano in La Palma teaches us that we must strengthen and modernize the Solidarity Fund. We must work together to keep all European regions moving at the same pace. It is necessary that they continue to be co-financed, as has been done so far, taking into account each of the three categories described. Nor should we forget the large pockets and very underdeveloped areas that exist in regions classified as more developed and that receive very little funding and very little attention. Eliminating differences between countries and regions and working for homogeneous growth are the founding principles of the European Union. And this is the spirit that should guide us towards an increasingly less unequal and therefore more democratic Europe.

Mr President, the seed of the New Bauhaus has sprouted all over Europe, the change proposed by this movement has proved as necessary as it is urgent: most of our houses were built in the 1950s and 1960s, when lifestyles were very different; Now we have fewer children, families have changed, teleworking has arrived, the pandemic has clearly shown us the importance of home. The New European Bauhaus adapts homes to these changes by combining energy efficiency, beauty – understood as comfort, as the adaptation of spaces to their uses – and, above all, social inclusion: focusing investment on the people who need it most, using public funds to improve the lives of those who need it most. For this seed to become a strong tree we need the commitment of the European Commission, a programme with a stable budget, with its own identity, that makes the New Bauhaus a reality throughout Europe. The original Bauhaus movement came to democratize our homes, our objects, to make them more comfortable, easier to produce, more affordable. A hundred years have passed and ways of life have changed much more than built spaces, but the time has come, the democratising spirit of the Bauhaus has reignited in the European Union and it is time to transform our buildings, neighbourhoods and cities to improve the lives of the citizens who need it most: Let's grow the seed.

Madam President, Commissioner, the New European Bauhaus has generated a great wave of illusion: Two years after President von der Leyen sowed the seed here, the project has sprouted across Europe, a cultural and social movement called to transform our countries. As happened with the original Bauhaus, the New Bauhaus comes to improve people's lives, to put culture, architecture, design and urbanism at the service of citizens. An initiative with three axes: sustainability, beauty and social commitment. Buildings are responsible for 40% of our energy consumption. That is why the European Union's effort in recent years has focused on renewing them to make them less polluting, but I ask you a question: Can we also use these same funds, perhaps a little more, improving the quality of life of citizens, adapting our homes, our neighborhoods, our cities, to the needs? And I go even further: from a democratic point of view, is it ethical to invest large amounts of public money only to improve the energy efficiency of our buildings and cities without also improving the conditions of the people living in them? We need a paradigm shift, and the New European Bauhaus is this paradigm shift: an initiative that invites us to think about how we inhabit our built spaces and that comes at a key moment for the European Union, the European Green Deal legislature, the recovery funds and the wave of building renovation. How can we grow that New European Bauhaus seed? The path is to promote projects that are beautiful, sustainable and inclusive: we must involve the entire European territory, not forgetting the cultural sectors that are so essential for this project and for imagining new ways of life; We must bet on initiatives of high quality and beauty that adapt to the needs of citizens, new spaces for new lifestyles. The New European Bauhaus should guide the rehabilitation of our building stock, including the promotion of sustainable materials, renewable energy and nature-based solutions. Let us seize the golden opportunity we have with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and with the wave of building renovation, and all this without forgetting the most important dimension of the New Bauhaus, social inclusion: we need to fight energy poverty, protect vulnerable households and get buildings that consume less and are accessible and affordable. I would like to thank all the rapporteurs, my co-rapporteur, the Members and officials who have worked on this comprehensive and demanding report, because Parliament demands from the European Commission clear criteria for the selection, financing and choice of projects: only then can a New European Bauhaus label be established to help projects gain visibility and funding. For a strong tree to be born from the seed of the New Bauhaus, we need our own program with stable funding: we need to move from an exciting project, which is an exciting one, to a stable programme of our own; We need a dedicated Horizon Europe mission with €500 million, our own New Bauhaus programme in the next financial framework, with a stable budget and sufficient funds, and we need to involve Member States in funding projects and initiatives. With these objectives and a program with a stable budget, the seed that has been sown throughout Europe will grow, and we will make the lives of thousands of citizens, thousands of families, better by renovating their homes and, in addition, we will inhabit a Europe with less energy consumption and less pollution: Let's grow this seed.

Mr President, Commissioner, we must establish a European strategy to boost the use of bicycles that drives the change from the cities of the last century, designed for private vehicles, to what the cities of the present must be: cities designed for public transport, bicycles and pedestrians. We need to incentivise the implementation of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans in all cities in the European Union with a significant presence of mobility measures: generation of bike lanes, public bicycle services, intermodality to easily combine public transport with cycling, more chargers for electric bicycles... And we must achieve spaces of sustainable mobility in which using the bicycle does not pose a risk of abuse, such as that suffered last week by the world champion, Alejandro Valverde, while training on the roads of my land, the Region of Murcia.

Mr President, we have to go further and think that heat waves are no longer something punctual or passing. We have to focus on those places in southern Europe where, every year, we experience longer summers, with prolonged temperatures of 35 degrees during every day of the summer. This translates into a silent social emergency that generates, perhaps, less alarm than the large fires we see on television, but which has equally serious consequences: energy poverty as severe as winter poverty in cold countries. I ask you to put yourself in the shoes of a child or children in southern Europe who live in these temperatures and go to a school that is not refrigerated, that is not adapted to the extreme heat. How can you study like this? We spend most of our lives in buildings that are not adapted to this climate change and these extreme temperatures. Commissioner, we need to adapt our cohesion policy and solidarity funds to make our buildings and urban environments more efficient and heat-adapted. We have to reduce the suffering of these families who, day by day, endure extreme temperatures for months.

Madam President, Commissioner, education opens the way for our young people to travel their entire lives. For those who have a lot: It's a path of roses that will take you far. For those who have little: a winding, bumpy road. The Erasmus+ programme is an excellent tool to reduce the differences between them, to educate on values, to break down borders and create European citizenship. But we must ensure that all young people have access to the programme, and mobility grants are the way to achieve this. Families with fewer resources cannot afford an Erasmus with the amount of the scholarships. We must ensure an economic complement to scholarships that facilitates the inclusion of students with fewer resources in the Erasmus programme. It is a shame that, in communities like mine, the Region of Murcia, your Government offers a measly thirty euros a month of complement. How long are thirty euros in Milan or Berlin? We need to achieve an affordable Erasmus that opens the best paths of personal and professional development for all; also for those who have the most difficulties.

Madam President, the shadow of bullying has always haunted our children, but now, for the children who suffer from this hell, not even their home is a refuge because every time they take their mobile phone out of their pocket they face such cruel violence. With the generalization of social networks, these attacks have acquired an unimaginable complexity a few years ago. The European Union must go further in the fight against cyberbullying. We need studies at European level that provide accurate data, we need to know the causes and origins of this violence and we need tools for prevention and assistance to those who suffer it. We must put in place a major European strategy to combat bullying, with an eye to the role of technology in this matter. And the European Education Area can be a way to implement it. Cyberbullying persecutes our children to the last corner of their lives and conditions them forever. We must stop it as soon as possible.

Mr President, Commissioner, we have a date marked in red on the calendar: 2025. By 2025, the European Education Area should be the driving force behind quality, inclusive, accessible and affordable education for all. In this way we have three complementary instruments: micro-credentials, a tool that should be public to recognise short learning periods; individual learning accounts, a way to contribute to lifelong learning; and education for sustainability, to create citizens aware of the defense of the planet. They are three good instruments, but they should not distract us from our main objective: the date in red on the calendar. Despite the fact that a year ago we adopted the report in the European Parliament, we see no action by the Commission to create this space. We can't lose the future. By 2025, we must have an educational space without borders, with automatic recognition of degrees at all levels. The European Education Area must be the engine for building a better European Union. And it must be a reality without delay.