Speeches

Mr President, sisters and brothers of Peru who are fighting for democracy, our solidarity from the European Parliament. We are very concerned about the human rights situation in Peru in light of reports of violent repression, arbitrary killings and detentions, torture and disappearance of protesters, attacks on the rights of the historically excluded Aymara and Quechua indigenous population, as Mr Borrell has said, and harassment of journalists and human rights defenders. The Peruvian Ombudsman's Office reports that to date 68 people have died and thousands have been injured. According to the National Coordinator for Human Rights, direct force has been exerted by the police and the armed forces, leading to many murders. Peruvian civil society organizations, indigenous organizations and human rights defenders monitoring abuses during this crisis have faced harassment and attacks from extremist groups linked to the far right. The authoritarian attitude of the Government in recent months increasingly jeopardizes democracy. We express our concern about the regressive legislative offensive, such as the decisions of the Constitutional Court that favor Congress and affect the balance of powers, and, calling for new elections, we advocate an independent trial and independent investigations into everything that has happened and also with guarantees, of the ousted President Pedro Castillo, and we request the Delegation of the European Union in Peru to make field visits in the provinces most affected by the repression, to maintain a dialogue with civil society and to continue to publicly support dialogue and an end to violence.

Mr President, freedom of information, pluralism and independence of the media are fundamental components of the right to freedom of expression and play a fundamental role in a democratic and diverse society in Europe. That is what public means should be. All contrary to what happens in Galician public television and radio, which lack informative plurality, manipulate and discriminate professionals. In my country, they work like the propaganda of a party: the People's Party. For five years, women workers have been denouncing abuses and reprisals. That is why I am sending you, from the European Parliament, all solidarity support for your struggle and dignity. I also know that this video will never be shown on public television in Galicia.

Madam President, Commissioner, first of all, I would like to congratulate the organisers of this European Citizens' Initiative – a success, on behalf of the Committee on Petitions, for the support received by 1 200 000 Europeans, making it clear that this is a priority theme for European citizenship. Proper monitoring is essential in a participatory democracy. PETI has received a large number of petitions on these issues, both from individuals and organisations. European petitioners have called for a greater commitment to the welfare of bees and pollinators, which is vital for environmental health and food security. The latest evidence has also shown the need for a significant intensification of policies that better preserve habitats and agricultural areas to become a key vector for restoring biodiversity. Adequate support from farmers in the necessary rapid transition to full agroecology is crucial, particularly favouring diversified and sustainable small-scale agricultural enterprises, organic farming and research into pesticide-free and GM-free agriculture. This ECI, as well as the petitioners, have demonstrated the need not only to address specific issues, but also to fit into the broader context of the European Union’s mission to restore ecosystems. I fully support the objective of full protection of bees and other pollinators, which are experiencing a sharp decline both in the European Union and in the rest of the world. 9% of bee species are threatened, bee populations have decreased by 37%, and up to 40% of bee species may be threatened. The decline of pollinators is due to several factors. This successful European Citizens’ Initiative, with its main demands, offers the European Union the great opportunity to take firm action to reverse the decline of pollinators, Commissioner. I take this opportunity to greet the Galician beekeepers and say clearly: save the bees and the farmers!

Mr. President, there is no worse wall than the wall of dehumanization. This latest tragedy demonstrates the lack of European solidarity and, above all, shame and scandal. Once again we come to the European Parliament to talk about the tragedy and the deaths, the lack of humanitarian corridors, the lack of legal and safe routes, the lack of a much-needed migration and asylum pact. Moreover, how shameful it is to hear the right and the extreme right of this House - such as the Italian right and extreme right or the Spanish extreme right - demonising NGOs, which are the only ones saving lives in the European seas, with hate speech, racist and xenophobic, with speeches that should not even be accepted in a Parliament like this. Because, ladies and gentlemen, there is no wall that contains the desperation to save life, the desperation of an escape to have a better life. And people must be respected, not as numbers or as photographs of the dead, but for their human condition, wherever they come from.

Mr President, all my support and solidarity with the protests in Israel, in Palestine and around the world; all my support to the Israeli and Palestinian civil-society organisations, in particular human rights defenders to continue their vital work. Israel respects nothing, nor to the Members of the European Parliament like me, who was on an official mission, and Israel arbitrarily decide not to let me enter to go to Palestine. We are deeply concerned about the judiciary reform proposed by Israel. The EU cannot remain silent. The judicial reform is the result of the coalition agreement that will be used as a tool to expand settlements and annex the West Bank. The EU needs to recognise that annexation of the West Bank is taking place. The transfer of power from the stable administration to the Finance and Defence Minister is more annexation of the West Bank by Israel. Mr Borrell, if the EU is committed to the two-state solution, it should strongly push back against this annexation, against the occupation. (The President cut off the speaker)

Mr López-Istúriz, as you are the Chair of the Delegation for relations with Israel, I asked you recently, at the Delegation meeting, if you were aware of what happened to me when I entered Tel Aviv airport. You were left to make some representations to the Government of Israel; I simply wanted to ask if you have done so or if you have any information to withdraw the veto on the entry ban as a Member of this House. Thank you if you answer me.

Mr President, I live in a country rich in biodiversity, which is being looked at greedily by electricity companies. The wind lobby, supported by the governments, wants to make Galicia, my country, a wind colony. Renewable energy, such as wind, is needed, but we need to take into account its impact: protected nature reserves, consultation of affected populations, socio-economic impact, such as on the land and sea of Galicia. Last Saturday, in A Coruña, the Galician fishing industry denounced the wind projects offshore the seas they intend to set up on our shores. There are also many platforms of affected citizens and environmental groups fighting in defense of the land and denouncing: Don't make us an energy colony. Mr Timmermans, fishing is a priority activity for Galicia and this must be reflected in the Spanish and European maritime spatial plans. That is why we say yes to renewable energy, but taking into account peoples and their biodiversity. We don't want projects offshore destroy our maritime wealth. That is why we advocate a ban on the installation of parks or industrial complexes for the production of marine energy on the coast of Galicia and in northwestern Cantabrian.

Madam President, I would like to begin my speech by calling for the diplomatic immunity of MEPs to be respected and for there to be no interference by third States in the performance of their duties. On 20 February he was part of the official mission of the Delegation for relations with Palestine of the European Parliament and was authorised to enter by the Government of Israel. My surprise was that when I arrived at the Tel Aviv airport they asked me to enter, they had me for several hours without information and, finally, they expelled me, as the president knows. It is unacceptable, disproportionate and unjustified: a diplomatic and institutional affront. Not to me, as a Galician MEP, to the European Parliament. Israel has not humiliated me, it has humiliated the European Parliament, and this cannot be condoned. Enough with Israel's impunity, which even decides who should enter Palestine. Madam President, it is imperative that we Members of the European Parliament are free to carry out our work when we participate in official delegations. We cannot allow other States to interfere in our international relations. The European Parliament must defend the members who defend human rights and not the corrupt who walk freely around the world. Madam President, I would like to thank you for your efforts and your solidarity.

Madam President, President Lagarde, the increase in the interest rate of the European Central Bank last year and in the course of this year is a fraud, a real scandal. This increase, translated into street language, can reach 300 euros per month more in the mortgages of families that, like Galicians, have fewer and fewer resources. The ECB manufactures poverty by promoting policies that favour the interests of big capital and run counter to social majorities. The ECB manufactures poor people, families who can hardly afford to pay the mortgage or who are left without a home or work, or with precarious work. Rescue banks and leave abandoned people like mine. Have some social sensitivity to what people are suffering from. The ECB is responsible for impoverishing policies and austerity, for policies that increase public debt in the EU to save private banks, such as Spanish banks, which won the past year more than ever. Against this injustice, we advocate a bank-funded bailout to help those affected by the interest rate hike. Stop making poor people, Mrs. Lagarde! Stop making poor people!

Madam President, Galicia's natural connection with Portugal, and therefore with Europe, is hampered by a lack of support and investment. Many words and promises, but we remain periphery because of the political will of the State, Europe and inefficient governments, as recently seen at the meeting of the presidents of Galicia, Asturias and Castile and León or in the few investments of the Spanish State, by creating coordinators for the Atlantic Corridor with false promises. Time passes, one decade and another, and the Vigo-Porto rail connection continues without being on the core network of the Atlantic Corridor of Goods. For now, it is only a priority for the Portuguese government. For us, it remains a historical demand of Galicians and Galicians as a structuring development of the Atlantic axis, as a bridge with Portugal and Europe, as a source of territorial and economic development. After much pressure, here in Galicia and also in the European Parliament, the European Commission has proposed that the Vigo-Porto section be part of the extended core network. But that's not enough. We must be treated equally. (The President took the floor from the speaker.)

Madam President, in December, in the face of the current money-grabbing scandals, Parliament decided to set up a committee of inquiry into cases of corruption by third countries and MEPs, as well as a transparency committee, for Qatari interest representatives not to accede to Parliament and a call for an EU-wide ban on donations from third countries to MEPs and political parties. We debated again in mid-January, but no decisive action was taken. At the end of January, 30 MEPs wrote to President Metsola calling for speed and action by the European Parliament and conveying that this corruption scandal was not limited to Qatar alone. There are increasing indications that Morocco would have acted in the same way, interfering in the democratic process of the European Parliament, after payment to MEPs, which shows that Morocco is also involved with MEPs in a corruption network organized for years to influence European decisions. Several Members of Parliament are being attacked in the networks for denouncing this. Even last Thursday, the Moroccan House of Representatives dedicated a session to us with names and surnames, pointing the finger at several MEPs who denounce this interference and questioning the European Parliament. Integrity is a value that has been lacking here and it is time to recover it with firm and forceful measures that put an end to corrupt practices, those inside and outside.

Madam President, we mourn for the lives lost. Our solidarity with the families of the dead and the wounded. All help is little in the face of so much misery and broken and missing lives. Refuge, drinking water, food, blankets. Yes, Commissioner, the EU's response was swift. Now, the priority is to organise shelters in the affected areas and more humanitarian aid. Because what is unacceptable is that Erdogan is hampering humanitarian support tasks by maintaining the state of emergency against the Kurds and the crackdown that blocks roads, the press and social media. Let us support the Turkish, Kurdish and Syrian peoples. Humanity first!

Mr President, in Galicia, where I come from, more than 7600 girls and boys lack a pediatrician. In 194 municipalities there is no pediatrics service. There is a tendency towards centralization that leaves part of the territory without services. In addition, the situation continues to worsen as more than 25% of active paediatricians are over 63 years old. Paediatric care is an essential service to ensure the quality of medical care for children and adolescents in need of specialized care. The deterioration of public health in the Spanish State is a fact. Health expenditure in relation to Gross Domestic Product is below the European Union average and in Galicia the situation is worse. There are protests for the basic right of our girls and boys to be treated equally to other places in Europe and to have a pediatrician in every municipality.

Madam President, I welcome Mr Pimenta's work on his report. My country, Galicia, is a maritime people, where women and men work in small-scale fishing and shellfishing, shellfishing, and in the cultivation of mussels, which feeds many families, has low environmental impact, uses sustainable fishing gear and respects the biological cycles of different species. With these characteristics, small-scale fishing, despite its size and importance, is the least supported segment, receiving the lowest share of European funds. We cannot allow the EU to endanger this important and job-creating sector that guarantees fish supplies. The future of small-scale, coastal and artisanal fisheries depends not only on sustainable and long-term measures, but also on immediate, significant and public measures. The future of small-scale fishing requires recognising its nature in the future CFP and excluding it from the fishing rates and quotas that Brussels decides, and also having a stronger voice in Europe.

Madam President, Morocco is experiencing an unprecedented regression. I denounce the undermining of press freedom in Morocco and we call for the release of Mr Omar Radi, Moroccan journalists, Nasser Zefzafi, political prisoners from the Rif and political prisoners from Western Sahara. We denounce the constitution of the intimidating discourse, the torture and the lack of guarantees of the prisoners. There is no freedom of the press in Morocco. In recent months, Morocco’s secret services have arrested journalists, bloggers, rappers and social media users in response to the crackdown on dissent and free opinion in the press. I express my full solidarity and support to the Support Committee and human rights associations in Morocco, as well as to the Spanish journalist Ignacio Cembrero. The style of Morocco’s dictatorial regime is corruption, espionage, interference and intimidation of free voices, tactics that touch Europe at its heart. Freedom for petitioners. Freedom for journalists. End of impunity in Morocco.

Mr President, Brazil took to the streets to defend democracy in the face of very serious events never seen before in Brazil's history. The coup movement tried to illegally reverse the outcome of the last presidential election, which gave the victory to President Lula da Silva. Supporters of former President Bolsonaro invaded and deprecated the buildings of the three powers in Brasilia, in an unprecedented attack on Brazilian democracy. The exercise of democratic rights and freedoms must take place with respect to democratically elected institutions. As President Lula said, political differences cannot justify criminal acts or question the results of democratic elections. Since the European Parliament, I want to reiterate the confidence in Brazil's democracy, in the strength of its people, who will prevail against violence, fascism and the extreme right, which does so much damage to coexistence and peace in the world. Democracy has returned to Brazil. President Lula said yesterday: Brazil is tired of a lot of sadness, a lot of hatred and a lot of anger. Lula the president, and we with Lula.

Madam President, this weekend I was in the Saharawi refugee camps, at the XVI Congress of the Polisario Front, in that inhospitable place where the shame of Morocco's geopolitics, with the consent of other European powers, has left the Saharawi people in very harsh living conditions. The illegal occupation of Western Sahara by the occupying power, Morocco, a systematic breach of United Nations resolutions, causes Morocco to also act in the European institutions to avoid any debate on Western Sahara. We have seen this in the European Parliament's Committees on Fisheries, on Agriculture and Rural Development, and on International Trade. This explains their behavior: the creation of corruption networks protected by ambitious MEPs who want to have perks, holidays and influence of power. He comes to the European Parliament to try to influence by buying wills and here he has accomplices. This is denouncing and this House has to get to the bottom of this scandal with a special committee of inquiry. The Moroccogate is the scandal that starts this network of corruption, not the Qatargate. Of course, many of us will not be silenced, because Morocco cannot continue to have this impunity in the European Parliament or in the other European institutions. He is guilty of illegal occupation, murder, torture, repression and violation of freedom of expression.

Mr President, many Galician families tighten their belts because of rising prices and credits. More than two hundred thousand mortgaged families who, in July, see Mrs. Lagarde raise Euribor rates. The European Central Bank has never had pity, now raising the interest rates that impact the portfolio of the peoples at high speed. After years firmly anchored below zero, and after reaching record lows, Euribor interest rates began in January a steep rise path that is unfair and antisocial. An average of EUR 200 per month further drowns households, while banks increase earnings. The rescued banks, the abandoned families. A mortgage redemption fund is needed for people on low incomes, who spend more than 30% to pay off the credit of their habitual residence. A fund that must be negotiated with the banks, because it is they who must contribute 75 % of the funding.

Madam President, consecutive increases in consumer prices, particularly in products such as fuel and food, are contributing to an increase in the rate of inflation. You know the Commissioner, how much do eggs, potatoes, milk, fish, meat and light cost? Essential goods are a luxury for many families, for large families, for single parents, for students, for people on low incomes. We are in a social emergency. Workers earn less and live worse, wages do not rise. Self-employed and producers? Overloaded. Vulnerable households? Overloaded. And the Commission wants to return to austerity. In my country, Galicia, poverty has increased. The price crisis is having an unprecedented impact on the lower classes, aggravated by dependence on the productive, fisheries and agricultural sectors and aggravated by a lack of government support. This is again a major fraud against the population. The rich are getting richer and the multinationals are getting richer. This has to end, because a lot of people are on the way. Now the Commission should lower the types of interest. We need structural changes in the economy. Whoever has more should pay more. On Sunday, in the streets of Santiago de Compostela, the demonstration for the price crisis will again say that we need alternatives.

Mr. President, where is Mr. Borrell? He should be pushing Turkey to stop its attacks. It should make clear that they do not credit Turkey's narrative about safe zones and security threats from the Rojava autonomous administration and that the Turkish attacks are completely unjustified. It should be supporting Rojava to implement an internationally protected no-fly zone. It should be actively working to promote the renewal of peace negotiations. Because Turkey carries three invasions in northern Syria, two of which resulted in the occupation of areas formerly occupied by Rojava. With the Turkish invasion and occupation these areas ceased to be safe places, where different communities lived together in harmony and women could participate fully in society, to become now one of the most violent places on the planet. We have forgotten the struggle of the Kurdish people against ISIS. We've forgotten so many things. What is happening cannot be justified, because the Kurdish people have fought against ISIS and this region is once again becoming a threatened and violent area.

Sir, President. To demolish apartheid, not the houses and schools of Palestine. To demolish Israeli apartheid in occupied Palestine. This cruel system of domination is a crime against humanity. Two states are needed to put an end to the denial of the fundamental rights of Palestinians, who face very difficult living conditions. In order for there to be two states, the human rights of the Palestinians must be recognized and laws of a segregationist nature, as well as Israel's geographical hegemony, must be repealed. Any peace dialogue must be accompanied by an end to settlement expansion. Europe must not be complicit, it must condition policies of cooperation to put an end to these crimes. All solidarity with Palestine.

Mr. President, what a scandal! You can't do business with politics. But who do some MEPs think they are? Gods? We are representatives of our peoples, not sellers of votes or influences. Ethics, responsibility, integrity at work and, above all, transparency must be the way to exercise our mandate. Our political group denounced corruption practices many times. He denounced that we were being harassed by many lobbies. And the big groups did nothing. There are foreign interferences such as those of Qatar, Morocco, Israel or Turkey. This is nothing new, ladies and gentlemen. We already demand a commission of inquiry and zero tolerance against corruption. By the way, I am very surprised that the Spanish People's Party is not present in the House today. I'm very surprised. M. Rajoy.

Mr President, how much cynicism and, above all, how much hypocrisy in this House. When I left, in 2019, I thought something had improved, and three years later we were still the same or maybe worse. There is no European disembarkation protocol, there are no legal and safe routes, NGOs continue to be criminalised and, above all, the criterion of the first port of disembarkation has not been removed. That's totally immoral. I've been lucky enough to have been on a rescue ship. And I say luck, because I've seen tragedy on the front line. I've seen Libya's coast guard deter the ship Open Arms when we were wandering for ten days, until the Spanish state gave the authorization to enter the port of Barcelona after being denied in the ports of Malta and in the ports of Italy, with a populist government in Italy, and even more populist is that of now. Therefore, these speeches by these people on the far right are immoral and we have to put it that way, Commissioner. Both the Commission and the Council cannot be allowed to fail in this new attempt and to continue to criminalise those who save lives, work that is decent and deserves our respect.

Madam President, first of all, I would like to congratulate the rapporteur, despite criticism from the far right in this House, which is not present, by the way. They come, they listen, they let go of their roll and then they do not stay when it is necessary to stay out of respect for the debates and all the ideologies present here. So, first of all, we value positively strengthening multilateralism in the region and stability. But while we're talking here, there's something going on. Turkey is bombing Rojava, it is bombing civilians who have fought ISIS terrorism. While we are here, rights are being violated in Palestine. I know this well because I was kidnapped by Israel in the international flotilla. Ladies and gentlemen of the EPP who have just spoken: Israel is not a rule of law. Israel is a state that engages in illegal occupation. We therefore need - and I am writing to the Commission - democratic clauses in the agreements and full respect for human rights. Human rights continue to be violated in the region, violated in Yemen, violated in Palestine, violated in the Gulf. We need clear democratic clauses in these agreements. Otherwise, they won't have our agreement.

Madam President, all my support is with the bravery of Iranian women. Protests in Iran and around the world are fuelled by the murder of Kurdish Mahsa Amini, by the murder of children, by opening fire against civilians. No woman should be murdered for what she wears. Women, life, freedom! Control over women’s clothing is an oppression of choice and a form of asserting power over women’s bodies. The same patriarchy and autocratic forces are repressing women in all the world. Ten days ago, I contacted Mr Borrell about the situation of Ana Baneira, a Galician activist arrested at a protest in Iran. Mr Borrell, can you tell me something about this person, about this Galician woman?