Speeches

Mr President, dear High Representative, it is a year since the death of Jina Amini. It should have been the year in which the IRGC was placed on the EU terrorist organisations list. It should have been the year we got an international accountability mechanism. It could also very well have been the year that we stopped being afraid of autocrats supporting Russian aggression, that we started to protect Iranians in our society. It became a year of executions, torture and terror, but also a year of sheer unanimous support in this House and many other parliaments for the Iranian people – the year Iranian singers continued releasing songs, more and more ignored the regime, continued dancing like we all will be dancing one day on Azadi Square. Let’s honour Jina Amini and all others who believed in freedom, say their names and do now what must be done. To the regime, I say the brave Iranians will not stop and we will not stop supporting them! (The speaker used a slogan in a non-EU language)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, month sixteen of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine with continuous and deliberate attacks on civilian targets. Pure terror. Putin's rocket rains also hit hospitals, residential towers, bridges, roads, schools. Everyone is affected, including children. Deliberately. We can already be sure of 488 children who have been killed by Russian violence. But the unrestrained cruelty also manifests itself in the case of the two teenagers Tihran and Mykyta, who are now being prosecuted after months of intimidation, brutal interrogation and even torture. These two teenagers are now facing a 20-year prison sentence based on false suspicions. Twenty years. This kind of madness must come to an end and I welcome our resolution. But there's more. Thousands of kidnappings to Russia, to temporarily occupied territory, to Belarus. We must not rest until we help to improve the fate of these children. Don't forget to defend their rights in Europe and in Ukraine. We need to speed up the 11th package of sanctions and give Ukraine the weapons to free itself, children and future generations from Russian aggression and terror.

Madam President, Commissioner, dear Minister, sometimes I wonder how a Russian oligarch or a human rights violator experiences being under sanctions, under restrictive measures – as a mere nuisance, I guess, and as something to work around. With 27 Member States implementing EU sanctions at their own discretion we facilitate circumvention in a way, and criminals on our sanction list eagerly take advantage of it. In addition, they hire the best lawyers and the best advisors. I think expanding EPPOs competencies can be an important building block to increase the effectiveness of our restrictive measures. But as you explained, Minister, we need the political will. My question is not to elaborate on the details of alternative routes, but do you see alternatives besides muddling through and accepting that the sanctions remain ineffective? We need to establish at least, first and foremost, that we need a solution. If we want our restrictive measures to hit their target then we only have one option: to show unity in adopting them, but also in enforcing them.

Mr President, journalists in Hungary, lawyers in Poland, a Member of the European Parliament from Greece: a laundry list of testimonies from spyware victims who just do their job and stand up for their ideals. This made an impression on me. Anyone who denies that this is a European problem has not paid attention. Indeed, the web of espionage and spyware trafficking crosses borders and is spreading across the EU. This web is a danger to our rule of law and democracy. However, many Member States shrug their shoulders or even obstructed the investigation under the guise of ‘national security’, as if it were a magic word that always stands above the individual freedoms of EU citizens. Our recommendations are clear. It is now up to the Commission and the Member States to work on it. European governments should not spy on residents but protect them.

Mr President, Commissioner, Minister, colleagues, last week I visited the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest. Beautiful building. And yet I was sad. It is a parliament in an autocratic country where opposition politicians cannot even do their job, do not speak in the Orbán-controlled media. And the Hungarian prime minister thinks he can use the EU as an ATM, while curtailing the Hungarians and putting money in his own pocket. With minimal effort, he now hopes to unlock a maximum amount of European money. But it doesn't work that way. Only after real lasting reform can money go back to Budapest. The unfounded state of emergency in Hungary is enough proof that this is absolutely not yet the case. And it is also clear that a government with a prime minister who flirts with Putin and can just get on a plane to Moscow, is close friends with Vučić and Dodik, is completely unfit to fulfill the EU presidency. We have to prevent that. In Budapest, I spoke to students, activists, who continue to fight for their rights. But they're getting more and more discouraged. In a Hungary under Orbán’s full control, the EU – we – is their last hope. That is why I call on the Commission and the Council to: Do not fall into the trap of Orbán again, finally take real steps in the Article 7 procedure, do everything within your power to offer Hungary a democratic future.

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, again we are speaking about the Lukashenko regime and rightfully so, because we will not stop until this relentless dictator stops throwing his best people in jail and responds for his crimes. Viktar Babaryka was beaten into hospital just because he stood up for what Belarusians long for – freedom. We should have been more decisive back when Lukashenko went as far as hijacking planes. If we would have done half back then of what we were able to do with Russia in February last year – and yesterday the 11th sanctions package on Russia was presented, but there was no mention of Belarus at all, like last time around. I expect an explanation. The complicit regime of Putin’s lapdog Lukashenko that actively takes part in the genocidal crime of child deportations from Ukraine must be treated accordingly. Free Viktar Babaryka; free all political prisoners; Zhyve Belarus!

Mr President, Commission, Council, colleagues. Yes, I too, like many colleagues, am ashamed of the fact that even population theories are brought into the debate here. It is a disgrace to this House. But we, the reasonable forces, are with much more. Examining a Danish asylum application in Rwanda: It's so bizarre that I'm not even going to discuss it. We have known for a long time – and you know it too – that it does not work, that treaties oppose it, that humanity opposes it and that it costs an enormous amount of money. I am not surprised that a far-right faction of brokers is asking for this debate in fear. But I hope I never have to get used to this rhetoric being adopted by others, by anyone. Because the only thing that works is to work and give our energy to solutions that do work. So Commission and Member States, do not be distracted by this small group of brokers in fear. Stop dehumanizing and scaring. Defend the treaties, fundamental rights and work for support. That support is there.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, thank you to the rapporteur and colleagues for the good report and also for the necessary updates by the rapporteur, whom I wholeheartedly support. Of course, I am also happy, incredibly happy, that Kosovars will finally be able to travel visa-free from 2024. A long-awaited historic milestone, but the route to it was embarrassing. We have abandoned Kosovo for too long. While the country worked hard, was patient, the EU did not give it the recognition it deserved. It sometimes seems that if you, as a politician in the Western Balkans, are blunt and deliberately destabilize, then you will be rewarded by the EU. The reverse world. But let this report and visa-free travel be the prelude to a new chapter: Kosovo’s EU integration path. Including all countries in the region in the European family – including Kosovo – contributes to stability and prospects for a good future for everyone there, but is also in the interest of the EU as a whole and our continent, which we share.

Madam President, colleagues, Commissioner, we could dismiss this as just another manifestation of universal truth. Dictators jail democrats they fear. So Putin, a genocidal dictator, jails Vladimir Kara-Murza, a towering lighthouse of democracy for a quarter of a century. Normal procedure: strongly worded statement and move on. But that would so miss the mark. It would ignore Kara-Murza’s humanity, his chilling courage, his fight for truth. Today, Putin has stolen freedom, not of just one man alone, but of an entire country. Putin’s reckoning will come. But until then, Commissioner, here’s a list – the list colleague Verhofstadt was talking about. It is easy, because the US and the Canadian administrations did the nitty—gritty work already. We already sent a letter at 6 April by seven of us across the political spectrum. We initiated it. Use the sanctions regime Kara-Murza fought for to establish. Sanction the people responsible for his imprisonment, every single one of them. I give you the list.

Mr President, Commissioner, Council, you, I, each of us here – also there – has the duty to stop this global authoritarian onslaught on LGBTQ rights fought so hard to win. These rights to be treated as a human being, to be who you are, to love who you want. Is that too much to ask? For the 387 Ugandan lawmakers who voted for this extremist bill, the answer is clearly ‘yes’. President Museveni: veto this bill. Stop scapegoating the vulnerable, for the sake of all your citizens. If not, the EU must and will take strong measures in response. Ik veroordeel de walgelijke homofobe mishandeling van een COC—vrijwilliger in Eindhoven en medewerkers van Dorothy's Drag Bar in Groningen met kracht. Weet, jullie staan niet alleen, niet in Uganda, niet in Nederland, niet in Europa. Wij staan schouder aan schouder met de LGBT-gemeenschap in Europa en daarbuiten.

Madam President, Commission, Council, colleagues, we have a war criminal to defeat and, following the leadership of the Commission and the High Representative / Vice President in particular, the Council is also increasingly getting the message. It seems that the historic artillery deal gives the brave defenders of Europe’s democracy something to actually defend themselves with. But the truth is, we all know Ukraine needs much more shells, more long range missiles, more modern jets, and it needs our tanks faster. That’s what the Council must get to work on yesterday, and it’s a pity that Mr Michel had to leave. Stop the incrementalism. It must also get serious about candidate states. While the Council naively welcomed this sort—of deal between Kosovo and Serbia, Vučić is actively bragging about his unwillingness to sign it. This agreement is binding. Serbia will also have to implement, and the EU must take charge. Don’t let Vučić play you again. As for Putin, there’s just one deal on the table – for Russia to get out of Ukraine. All of it. I will join colleague Osmani in The Hague to welcome him there. Slava Ukraini!

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, they can’t breathe, President. Imagine the horror: 7000 Iranian girls thinking school is safe and then suddenly gasping for air. We may not yet know who is behind these atrocious attacks, not for certain. But we do know one thing, the Islamic Republic always comes after women first. Khomeini and his IRGC have never hesitated to kill Iranians, especially those leading the resistance, and the UN must investigate, this cannot be left to Tehran And Commissioner and Council: when? when will you finally designate the IRGC as what they are? There really is no need to dance around the word. They are terrorists, plain and simple. President, today let’s celebrate the school girls’ fierce resistance, the leadership of Iran’s women, their unbroken defiance, dancing in the streets, their hair flowing freely in the wind. That’s the freedom Iran deserves.

Mr President, Commissioner, Council and colleagues, Torpekai Amarkhel was an Afghan journalist, a nice, strong woman with a passion for her profession that she has not been able to practice since the Taliban took power. And she only had one option: Flights to Europe. Two weeks ago, she drowned off the coast of Calabria. Torpekai is one of the five relatives who drowned at the same time, one of the dozens of people on board who disappeared in the waves, one of the 26 000 people who died in the Mediterranean Sea since 2014. Another story like that of Commissioner Johansson. Torpekai died because the EU did not create a safe escape route, because Italy deliberately frustrates the work of NGOs – NGOs that fill the gap left by Italy itself in avoiding responsibility for rescues. There is a story behind every number and as long as EU policy is only aimed at keeping refugees away, stories are added. We will continue to tell them until our Heads of Government turn their hollow condolences into solidarity-based European policies that truly save lives.

Mr President, colleagues, first off, congratulations, Commissioner Šefčovič, for an agreement that fully respects the red lines set out by our Parliament. And I appreciate that Mr Sunak also seems to have broken with the past. For seven long years, his Tory predecessors milked Brexit for cynical political purposes to the very last drop, and floating more illegal ‘Braverplans’ won’t help them now. Suffice to say that with the UN Refugee Convention in hand, the Illegal Migration Bill truly is illegal. And this is exactly why the Tories will be trashed in the polls. UK citizens are sick and tired of this kind of fabricated outrage. They want leadership, and I sincerely hope that Mr Sunak will show such leadership by scrapping also the Retained EU Law Bill in its current form. To be very clear, literally nobody in Brussels or in the rest of Europe wants a trade war, and I very much hope the same goes for London. But taking an axe to workers’ rights, environmental standards and social protection risks ripping out the very heart of our trade and cooperation agreement. To the people of Northern Ireland. I want to congratulate them on a very fair agreement. Maturity and flexibility led to this deal on both sides, and what was delivered is crystal clear evidence that good-faith negotiation always beats Boris bluster. The DUP should understand this is the best deal you will ever get, and I urge you to take responsibility, support the Windsor framework and return to Stormont so we can jump-start our new relationship as partners, as friends to ensure prosperity and security in Europe for all our citizens.

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, Moldova has my greatest admiration because, let’s face it, with Russia breathing down Chișinău’s neck, choosing the EU was incredibly courageous. And today our Union needs to show that very same courage to halt Russia’s hybrid war, because this alliance of Kremlin agents and exiled oligarchs who cruelly prey on the most vulnerable to foment insurrection must be stopped. Council, Commission: help Moldova, not this summer, but now. Give Chișinău all technical support it needs for rapid EU reforms and help them to communicate their choices clearly. Second, shore up security cooperation swiftly. A civilian CSDP mission would be excellent, but this summer might be too little too late. And third, fight even harder against energy poverty and obscene inflation, and sanction Shor and Plahotniuc. We will not let the Moldovan people be robbed of their European future.

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, let’s call this exactly what it is: a pro-Russian government parroting Russian propaganda to defend a Russian law. The Georgian people won this round, but the threat is far from over. Prime Minister Garibashvili says he wants EU candidacy. Wonderful! So do the Georgians, so do I. But make no mistake, Prime Minister: if you kill your former president, no EU candidacy. If you pass any foreign agent law: no candidacy. If you destroy democracy: no candidacy. Pro-democracy protesters are not extremists, Satanists or liberal fascists just because they check your power grab. And absolutely nobody wants Georgia to absurdly open a second front. So stop these desperate Putinesque demonisations and make real progress on the 12 recommendations – no cosmetic fixes. And if not, Georgia’s courageous people will hold you to account.

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, I’m holding back my anger. We should be debating free Belarus’s European future today. But we can’t because Belarus isn’t free yet. Putin’s lapdog is still throwing the country’s very best people in jail, people like my friend Ales Bialiatski, an absolute beacon of human rights. He should be released immediately. But the question is: are we doing enough? Here are my concerns. One: I didn’t hear the word ‘Belarus’ in yesterday’s sanctions announcement, not even once. So let it be clear: Putin’s sidekick must be subject to the same crushing sanctions as Russia, like my colleague also said. Second point: the Hungarian Foreign Minister’s little Minsk trip this week was beyond outrageous. You simply do not discuss peace, whatever Orban thinks that means, with the illegitimate accessory to Putin’s terrorism. It is not hard: support democrats, not dictators. Free Ales. Zhyve Belarus!

Mr President, Greece has dropped from 70th to 108th place in the World Press Freedom Index in a year. Nowhere in Europe is freedom of the press as bad as in Greece. This is a bad thing. The vast majority of Greek media is owned by wealthy owners who have close ties to the government. Journalists who are still independent face intimidation, smear campaigns and lawsuits. In fact, Predator software is being misused to eavesdrop on journalists, activists and politicians. Nevertheless, the Greek espionage scandal has come to light precisely thanks to excellent investigative journalism. We are informed by brave reporters of the illegal pushbacks and the appalling conditions faced by refugees on the Greek islands. The media should be the voice of people who are not heard. A democracy cannot exist without a free press. Nota bene in the country where democracy arose, the government does not see this. Once again, however, some do not succeed in separating party politics from the protection of democratic values. We cannot justify this to anyone and must take measures to protect the free press and the rule of law in Greece. Not only for the Greeks, but also for Europe.

Mr President. Thank you, High Representative Borrell, for your leadership on this and for your personal commitment in the past years. We have to stop giving Ukraine just enough not to lose. We need to give Ukraine what it needs to win as soon as possible. That’s our task. Not after the summer. Not next month. Now! We have to stop the incrementalism on both the sanctions and the military support. Now on the tanks, I want to ask you, High Representative, if you can take an initiative to coordinate this, because since the decision about the tanks, we heard, ‘No, not the leased tanks. No, we have some tanks in the mothballs that we want to refurbish’. We need to coordinate this in a European way, in a European spirit, to get these tanks as soon as possible in Ukraine and to also use currently operationally used tanks for that matter. So I would be very appreciative if you could take initiative on that. Thank you. And slava Ukraini!

Mr President, today we are writing a little bit of history. For the first time in decades, the European Parliament is debating Morocco’s human rights violations. Especially after Morocco cracked down on the peaceful Hirak protests in the northern Rif region, the list of human rights violations has become long. Omar Radi, a fantastic journalist who denounced the corruption of the Moroccan government, has been put behind bars for six years, including for his reports on the Hirak Rif. And he's not the only one. Nasser Zefzafi, the leader of the Hirak, and other political prisoners have even been tortured in prison. Their crime? Stand up for more jobs, better schools and good health care. And it doesn't stop at the border. In our European Union, Morocco haunts and intimidates brave activists. Even here in our Parliament, representatives of the Moroccan government have blatantly slammed the door in recent days. In the midst of a corruption scandal. It's too bizarre for words! The demands in our resolution are tough. Stop the intimidation and defamation of journalists, human rights activists and the diaspora. Release political prisoners immediately. Freedom for Nasser Zefzafi, freedom for Omar Radi. The European Union – and also my country, the Netherlands – must understand very clearly that not migration agreements, not the blackmail by Rabat, but human rights are the basis for relations with Morocco. Today a new chapter for Morocco and for Europe. The days when Rabat got away with everything are over.

Madam President, dear High Representative, thanks also to the rapporteur of the CFSP report. This year was the year in which Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine forced our Union to reach geopolitical maturity because the assault of autocrats against global democracy and freedom is stronger than ever. But so are we. We stand united in our resolve, and under your decisive leadership, in our actions. Democracy is winning. Our unity has momentum and we will not relent. So, colleagues, tomorrow vote for our amendments to add the Revolutionary Guard to the terrorist list. Commission, finally, investigate the Commissioner for Enlargement for his alleged support to autocrats with secessionist tendencies in the Western Balkans. And Member States, this Friday at Ramstein Air Base, give Ukraine what it needs to win its freedom. Dictators will not stop us. We will always defend our values. Slava Ukraini!

Madam President, Presidency, Commission, security, effective management, operational and strategic cooperation. Do not be misguided. These words are not about enhanced cooperation on defence. These come from the Swedish Presidency intentions on the Asylum and Migration Pact. And I’m aware of the political background of the Swedish government and I did not expect many nice words. Nevertheless, I think it is important to emphasise that we are always talking about people, people like all of us here. Dehumanising them leads to crowded refugee camps, pushbacks, even shooting at our borders. Dehumanising them leads to unfounded fears in our society instead of the solidarity we need. And only by including humanity and solidarity in our European asylum and migration policy, we can come out better and stronger together. And I notice that the rule of law and fundamental rights are priorities of the Presidency, and I applaud that. But I will ask you: be consistent and make these values also central in all your work, not only when electorally convenient. Having said this, I wish you all the best and look forward to a fruitful cooperation.

Thank you for that question dear colleague. I think it’s of great importance that we continue to do our work despite what’s happening and despite the terrible circumstances that we find ourselves here in this House. And my colleague, Mr Repasi, already referred to that, we need to stand together as Parliament as a whole, together to defend our values in the European Union and to support everyone who’s fighting to get the same freedom and the same liberties that we have strived for, for decades. We need to help them. We need to stand by them.

Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues, yes, the greatest gift that we can do to autocrats all over the world is to stop doing our job in here defending human rights. I will continue in my mother tongue, Dutch. Heel China gingen ze door, de beelden van de gruwelijke brand in het Oeigoerse Ürümqi. De Chinese bevolking ging de straat op, verenigd tegen het bewind van Xi Jinping. Dit had het moment moeten zijn voor China’s democratisering. Maar natuurlijk was het dat niet. Natuurlijk draaide Beijing de duimschroeven van onderdrukking net nog wat meer aan. Die onderdrukking is niet beperkt tot China, Hongkong en Macau. Zelfs in onze Europese Unie intimideert Beijing de diaspora met illegale politiebureaus. Krankzinnig. Natuurlijk moeten die politiebureaus onmiddellijk op slot. Natuurlijk moeten we onze diaspora beschermen. En natuurlijk moeten we de Chinese bevolking steunen. Hun hang naar vrijheid is zelfs sterker dan Xi Jinpings onderdrukking. Wij hebben hen gehoord, luid en duidelijk. (De spreker aanvaardt een “blauwe kaart”-reactie)

Mr President, Commissioner, a pro-Kremlin group just took down the website of the European Parliament because we called Russia and Lukashenko’s regime exactly what they are. Russia is a state sponsor of terrorism and Lukashenko is its eager accomplice. Let me make this very clear. The voices of freedom will not be silenced. Lukashenko can throw 1400 peaceful democracy activists in jail, including even Nobel Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski; he can try to crush any remaining dissent; he can invite Russian occupation troops into Belarus in a desperate attempt to hold on to power, but he will not succeed. His dictatorship will end, and Belarus will be democratic and free. Our European Union must give the legitimate representatives of the Belarusian people all the assistance they need. I call on you personally, Mr President, to ensure that our Parliament does the same – building solid relationships with the democratic opposition. (The speaker used a slogan in a non-EU language)