Debate contributions by Sebastian TYNKKYNEN

Mr President, the coldest season is at the door and there are critical moments in Ukraine. Recently, Russia carried out one of the largest attacks on Ukraine's energy system, launching 93 missiles and 200 drones. This is an indication of the kind of war that Russia is waging every day. It's a war against civilians. In order to put an end to these attacks, too, Ukraine needs stronger support. Russia must be weakened globally. New EU sanctions against Russia were announced, including for the first time the listing of actors involved in Russia's hybrid influence abroad. I'm asking why only now. Russia has continued its offensive for almost three years, carried out hybrid attacks on the rest of Europe, and it is only now that we can extend sanctions to such a group. The EU needs to do better.

Mr President, without freedom of speech we have nothing. Look at that title: Mis- and disinformation in social media and their risk to the integrity of elections. Here we are discussing ways to increase censorship in social media so that we have free elections. This is North Korea's way of life. Changing TikTok's Chinese ownership base may be required from a security point of view, but here we are talking about all social media and cutting off the dissemination of information, whether anyone thinks it is wrong or right. If only the right information can be disseminated, there is only one truth, and someone has to define it. It goes against all the principles we believe in. How envious I am to the United States, because they understand that the body of democracy also includes thick skin. The phrase “Migration will save Europe” is disinformation. But let it spread, too, and if the people believe it, then they will suffer the consequences, as it is now. Democracy will knock out those who spread disinformation when the people get enough.

Mr President, after years of war in Syria, Assad's criminal regime collapsed in just 11 days. The years have been devastating. Since the start of the civil war, around 4.5 million Syrians have fled to Europe. We have witnessed a massive wave of people making their way to this continent, but now we are in a new situation. Many European countries have already ceased processing asylum applications from Syrians. Some are offering money to Syrian refugees to encourage voluntary returns. Times are changing. Syria might not be any more a country to flee from. When this is confirmed, what's next? It is time for returns. I encourage you, Syrians in Europe: return with pride and build a brighter tomorrow for your own country.

Mr President, when the war began and people fled, it was said that they should be protected as long as these conditions prevail. And now that this Assad regime has fallen, I am sure many people rightly think that it is the right time to return home. Instead, you talked about using the situation here to promote hate speech. I think this is realistic talk. Do you think that Syria can be built from outside Syria? I personally think that Syrians who return to Syria can go to build the country from the inside, that they are needed to build Syria.

Mr President, it often seems that the EU budget has become some sort of common piggy bank. A piggy bank that can only be used to make money for all kinds of needs when the economy of one's own country has not tasted it. Are we really going to create a machine in the EU that can brew hundreds of millions of euros, if not billions, now also to make up for the natural disasters that are being proposed? The EU has not done this. We have escaped on an unhealthy footing if, even in the event of a natural disaster, a massive distribution of EU money is expected. I want the economy in my own country to be managed in such a way that natural disasters can be dealt with from its own purse. And that is what I want to demand from all the other countries. We need less Europe, more responsibility.

Mr President, when we have such a huge power as the EU, because if someone has to have watchdogs of power. In this Himmel, the guard dogs have plenty to look out for. What have we seen at the top of the EU in recent years? For example, transactions worth billions of euros carried out via text messages. We have repeatedly made findings that reveal how money is constantly being misused in this EU country. The recovery package created last season has revealed itself to be a hidden bomb in terms of abuse. Does anyone wonder why people don't trust the EU? My advice to the EU elite is not to be afraid of criticism of the EU. Listen to it carefully and learn from it. In this way, the EU may become better tomorrow than it is today.

Mr President, industrial, technological and research espionage are China's means of trying to reach the level of knowledge of the West. This espionage is also happening under our noses in our universities, because we have allowed it with naive eyes. China pushes its researchers into our universities and legally obliges them to cooperate with the Chinese authorities. We need to take a whole new approach to this now. In Finland, the Act stipulates that persons appointed to positions in the Defence Forces must not have dual nationality or foreign affiliation that endangers the security of the state. In the same way, such a model could be used, for example, for university researchers. Research and innovation are one of the things we can do to win a country like China. Let's not give that trump card to them.

Mr President, what is the most widely ratified UN Convention on Human Rights in the world? This is the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It states, among other things, that children must be protected from all forms of violence. Female genital mutilation is one of the most brutal forms of violence against children. Unfortunately, it is still a very common phenomenon in the world. But how do countries work here in Europe? Legalize violence against male children. Female genital mutilation for religious or cultural reasons is violence. If you cut off a child's ear, it would be violence. If a piece is cut from a much more sensitive area, from the genitals, why would it be any less violence? Everyone is free to take action when they reach the age of majority. But forcing small children under the knife is brutality, regardless of gender, which I cannot accept.

Mr President, the EU budget is growing every year. The budget is already reaching the 200 billion euro mark. Although there is a war in Ukraine, new targets for blaming money will be found, but where are the targets for redeployment and cuts? Not anywhere, then. I was one of the few people who did this. I made a great deal of proposals for a 20% cut in EU development aid. They were voted down because there always seems to be money for development aid. No savings. In the Member States, responsible governments have to make difficult decisions in order to balance their own budgets. But how does the EU work? The attitude here seems to be that there is money for everything and if it ends, then we will ask the Member States for more. Because of this irresponsible mindset, I was unable to support next year's budget in the vote.

Mr President, Europe is facing uncertain times. The keys of power have now been handed back into the hands of the person from whom many would certainly have wanted to take them away before. Remember, you who voted in favour of this Commission, that for the next five years you will have very weak means to be surprised when this Commission will certainly do something that you will not like. So don't tell me we didn't warn you. You had five years of evidence behind you as to who caused the problems we are discussing today. And I don't think there's gonna be much change. You saw open borders, the disruption of the security of Europe's streets, the closure of factories and the total plight of people. Or did you decide to turn your eyes away from all this? I did not, and that is why I voted against the adoption of this Commission.

Mr President, what is this bullying? There is a war raging in Europe, our competitiveness is at the bottom of the mud, and our borders are wide open to all potential arrivals. But now, we're going to focus here on talking about banning smoking on the terraces. This sums up what is wrong with the EU. The EU was created to promote trade, peace and freedom, but now it has become the Big Brother watches over the smallest of issues. Terrace smoking is only a continuum for curved cucumbers, sauna ham and bottle caps. The adoption or non-adoption of these decisions could very well be left entirely to the countries themselves. What if the people who prepared this issue had used their hours and efforts to find new ways of supporting Ukraine? It could have saved more lives than this paper will ever do.

Mr President, the well-known French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal has been remanded in custody in Algeria. What is his alleged crime? An attack on national security, officials say. Sansal is known for his strong attitudes against both authoritarianism and Islamism. His criticism of Islam concerns not only Algeria, but he has also warned of the threat of Islamization in Europe. In Europe, fines can be imposed for this. In Algeria, the consequences can be more severe. I sincerely hope that Boualem Sansal will soon be released. My message to you Boualem is: You can be sure that the vote for freedom of expression and against the Islamisation of Europe will not remain silent. It is now echoing here in the European Parliament.

Mr President, in Islam, women are second-class citizens. Look at Islamic countries like Iran. The government is forcing women to wear a hijab. If you show up in public without a headscarf, you may be imprisoned, tortured or killed. When an Iranian woman was recently suspected of a shawl violation and faced the authorities, she protested by taking off other clothes. Outcome: arrest and transit to a psychiatric institution. This is not just an isolated case. The Iranian government has announced plans to open so-called medical clinics for women who disobey shawl laws. When Europe wanted to be tolerant of everyone, it was also tolerant of such ideas spilling over into the middle of Europe. It's been a huge mistake. If the visitor has even the slightest understanding of this kind of oppression of women, then the message should be clear: You have no business in Europe.

Mr President, in 1997 Hong Kong was transferred from British control to China. At the same time, it was agreed that Hong Kong would keep its own system separate from mainland China for fifty years. China has blatantly broken this promise. Under the so-called national security law that came into force in the summer of 2020, China has ruthlessly attacked pro-democracy activists. Ask yourself who you see as a threat to democracy. One who would not remain in power if the people could decide. That's what the Chinese Communist Party is all about, fear. Fear that the people will notice how much better societies are built on democracy and freedom than the Communist Party of China has to offer. With economic growth stagnating, all that remains is a gloomy dictatorship. Its true nature will one day be revealed not only to the defenders of democracy who are now imprisoned.

Mr President, the most popular social media app in the United States is owned by China. China is the largest producer and processor of pork in the country. $900 billion of the country's public debt is owned by China. In the United States, the threat of China has been seriously exacerbated. For example, last week, the governor of Texas ordered all state agencies to sell their investments in China and banned agencies from investing in the country anymore. In April, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a ban on Chinese-owned TikTok. We now need the same firmness in Europe. We cannot let China dump its low-cost production here and push our own businesses into trouble. We cannot allow ourselves to become economic slaves to Chinese investors. China is a dangerous country. This must be reflected in how Europe works. Diplomacy must now be replaced by rigour.

Mr President, the term LGBTIQ+ is what should apparently be used today for sexual and gender minorities. We're about to run out of alphabets, so let's talk about these letters for a moment. Work in favour of the LGB, i.e. equal treatment of lesbians, gays and bisexuals, is the usual work of equality. It has been going on for a long time in Europe and everyone should support it. There is still a lot of work to be done on a global scale. But when you come to the end of this letter combination, it's a separate matter. Transactivism has also brought us terrible demands, which are claimed to be equality work. I will never defend a woke ideology that allows children to be hurt at different stages of the gender reassignment process. It is not about equality. It's about assault.

Mr President, Europe needs stable, clean and cost-effective energy production. The solution to the energy crisis is right under our noses: nuclear power. But unfortunately, it is not obvious in Europe that it will be seen as a solution. There's been a lot of nuclear idiotism. Let me give you an example that illustrates this idiotism in Europe. In 2010, Greenpeace erected a pole of shame in the middle of Helsinki, a large block of stone engraved with the names of the MPs who voted in favour of nuclear power. Let's look for something smarter! Greenpeace itself has admitted that such a pole of shame would no longer be erected. If a pole of shame were to be erected in Europe, it would be those who opposed nuclear power, such as Greenpeace and the politicians who led them. To the decision-makers in Germany who brought down the country's nuclear power plants, I say: Shame on you.

Mr President, there must be zero tolerance for Russia's hybrid influencing and it must be combated at all possible levels. This applies to threats in the Baltic Sea region as well as at the EU's eastern land border. Therefore, Finland’s eastern border has been completely closed since December 2023. There is only one reason for this: Russia's hostile action when it began pushing instrumentalized migrants across the border. But how do we see this in Russia? Not as a result of the Russian hybrid attack. According to a recent study, up to 38% of Russians think the border is closed because of the Finnish government's anti-Russian policy, which is influenced by the russophobic line of NATO, the EU and the US. This should be taken into account. It's not just about the crazy Putin. As a neighbour of the EU, we have a strongly brainwashed people.

Mr President, Finland, too, is already in a situation where the most common suspect of assault is a 14-year-old. In Sweden, young people are even recruited for assassinations and bombings in Denmark. What is the main cause of this problem? Why is it so easy to attract and incite younger and younger people to commit crimes? Where did this culture of violence come from? The answer is uncontrolled immigration and poor integration into Western society. The perpetual mantra of left-wing parties has been that parties on the right speak only of immigration. We have to talk about it now. Look at what is happening in Sweden and Germany and France as a result of uncontrolled immigration. Is this supposed to be quiet? Europe has been driven into chaos by the rejection of facts. You have to be able to say it out loud. Uncontrolled immigration is a threat to Europe.

Mr President, there is now a new Commission available for Europe to lead this continent in a difficult situation. The question now is whether we trust in piloting skills. I've made an assessment and my answer is that I don't trust you. What would Europe need most now? Much stronger support for Ukraine, the suppression of the migratory spiral and the protection of borders, pro-European climate policy and deregulation measures. But are we going to see all this? When I look at the past five years, I do not give the Commission clean papers on any of these. Some have even failed catastrophically. Well, then what is it? The needles continue to be the same leader and no major necessary line changes have been proven in the hearings. Looks like we're getting a sequel. I hope the sequel is not inferior to its predecessor, as is often the case, because then we would be in real trouble.

Mr President, elections were filled with electoral fraud, including ballot tampering, voter suppression and restricting press freedom, all conducted by the ruling party. After the elections, violence has escalated to a point where members of the opposition parties have been murdered. This is the reality of politics in Mozambique. Meanwhile, the country faces another challenge in the north, where a jihadist insurgent group with links to ISIS is killing and displacing people from their homes. This situation in Mozambique highlights to us what we should fight against globally. We must fight against terrorist organisations like ISIS and Hamas. Where these kind of organisations have set foot, we are not going to see flourishing societies. Besides this, we must preserve democracy by standing against anti-democratic countries like China, Russia and Iran, which are promoting their ideologies globally. If their systems win, the world loses. Any amount of development aid is not going to help at that point. We would just witness countries ending up like Mozambique – countries in chaos.