Speeches

Madam President, Commissioner, Madam Minister, I will not call it historic, but an unusually important European Council meeting is taking place tomorrow. For the first time ever, the Member States will discuss affordable and, I also hope, social housing. And this is good news. We have seen what the leaders will put focus on tomorrow, first discussing and then calling on the Commission to present the plan. Not that much for the first time, but okay. I am using this stage now to call the leaders to go out of the comfort zone and be more ambitious tomorrow. I call on them to commit to take the mid-term review of the cohesion policy into account and increase investments in housing already this year. They can invite our cities and regions to have an actual seat at the table and draw up plans to invest enough money in housing and secure the money through cohesion. There is really no time to waste and we have to act, starting from tomorrow on.

Dear President, Dear Commissioner, on the eve of the anniversary of the tragedy of Novi Sad, I would like once again to express my condolences to the families of the victims, who to this day have no answers to the causes of the tragedy and no adequate compensation. Justice must reach them as soon as possible. This tragedy has put Serbia on its feet. The protests mobilized an incredible amount of young people who decided to pause their education to fight for justice. The generation we sometimes see as apathetic now shows extraordinary courage and determination, taking responsibility for the society in which they want to live. Their energy and perseverance have become a symbol of hope that change can be fought not by violence, but by the persistent demands of freedom. Unfortunately, Vucic responded with exhaustion tactics, media smear, violence and repression. And how to proceed? Free and fair early elections are one way out of this crisis. We as the EU cannot decide what and how on behalf of the citizens of Serbia, but we can and must stand by them on the right side of history.

Since the beginning of this term of office, we are today discussing for the first time the situation of older people in the Union, people who have worked and built our European Union every day throughout their lives. Without their contribution, the Union would not be such an attractive place to live today. And what do we offer them in return? Almost nothing or too little. We hide behind the phrase that the issues of pensions, health and social care of pensioners fall within the competence of the Member States. Let us stop unwinding and face the fact that one in five elderly people in the European Union live at risk of poverty. It is particularly dramatic in my country of Croatia and other, as we have heard, Eastern European countries, where pensions are shamefully low and often burdened with meaningless taxation. As we encourage young people through the Erasmus programme, why not have programmes to strengthen the quality of life of older people? In the areas of travel, housing, culture, health and social protection: Erasmus for the elderly. And to begin with, every elderly person must have equal access to public services wherever they are in the European Union. Our senior citizens are not a nuisance. They are, indeed, solid anchors that have raised us, shaped us, and many of them will selflessly build a better European Union until their last breath. So let's start with concrete, not principled, measures to improve the quality of life of our older fellow citizens.

Dear Chair, it is close to a year since that historic press conference of Commission President von der Leyen with Vucic when she said that he is a great fighter for the rule of law. Now, it's been 11 months and things have changed drastically, by 180 degrees. They have changed thanks to the citizens of Serbia who took to the street and thank them once again for changing the atmosphere in this parliament, and it is good that this atmosphere is now changing very much in the Commission as well. As we have heard from the debate so far, only a few truly radical right-wing neo-fascist deputies support Vučić. I think the vast majority have understood what is happening in Serbia. And now we have just a question: How and what next? I expect the citizens of Serbia to continue their fight and to stand up not only for the rule of law, but also for human rights and democracy. I can promise them that we will do it on our part in the European Union and I hope that one day we will find ourselves together in this room.

I'm interested in how you talk about political blackmail in cohesion funds from your majority perspective in Hungary, where you have completely politically marginalized any opposition politicians? For example, how many European funds have you allowed to go to the city of Budapest? You don't let that money go just because someone from another party is at the head of that city. And then I don't understand how embarrassed you are to talk about some kind of political blackmail when your government in Hungary is a typical example of how you react with cohesion funds and I hope we will put an end to that.

Dear Chair, Commissioner Fitto, I am very pleased that through this first report to be adopted by Parliament on housing, we have clearly identified the problems of the housing crisis. First, speculative investment and leaving housing policy to private capital. He can't do it like that anymore. The second is the lack of investment in affordable and social housing, the mobilisation of empty dwellings and energy renovation. That's the direction we have to go. The third problem is the growth of short-term leases, i.e. the lack of control over short-term leases. We also need to put an end to that. The good news is that Cohesion Policy now recognises housing and I will welcome this, that money is now at the disposal of Member States to address these root causes. But the bad news is that in a way the Commission has capitulated to the Member States and in fact put everything in the hands of the Member States to decide whether or not to deal with this crisis or to deal with another priority. And that's bad news. Also, I would like to point out once again that regardless of the attacks we hear about the green transition in this Parliament, it has already gone too far and will not be stopped either by my ECR colleagues or by anyone from the right. And that's why I think we really need to understand that a just transition that will be adequately funded is the key to further progress. It cannot be left to the Member States alone and I would like to see a stronger role for both the Parliament and the Commission, without capitulation to the Member States.

Dear Chairman, I took the floor only because I heard again a lot of bilateral misunderstandings between North Macedonia, Greece and Bulgaria and I remembered the episode that my country, Croatia, went through when joining the European Union when Slovenia blocked Croatia. Today, here, Commissioner Kos is from Slovenia and I am from Croatia, I think we can both go for some non-alcoholic drink and have a good laugh at this situation because what looked insurmountable was a border issue, and it became, here, a few years later completely meaningless. To avoid confusion, the issue has not been resolved. So Commissioner Kos still thinks maybe there's a line on one side of the bay, I think it's on the other side of the bay. But this is irrelevant because today the citizens of Slovenia and Croatia, fishermen from Slovenia and Croatia live much better than before Croatia was in the European Union. And that is why I would appeal to everyone to lower the ball, calm down the experience and try to get everyone into the European Union and then solve bilateral issues, so that they are not put here as obstacles.

Dear Chairman, and now something different from my predecessor. I welcome this report, which clearly identifies the problems BiH continues to face on its path towards the European Union. Every time I visit Bosnia and Herzegovina, in addition to exceptional hospitality, I hear the stories of people who want only peace, security and a better life. And that's why I understand that most citizens want to join the European Union. Unfortunately, this path is constantly caught because political forces have been reluctant for years to put the European path ahead of their nationalist and private interests. I call for this to change in the Federation, in Republika Srpska, in the district, in the canton, in the city, in every village. They will only do so if you, the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina, put pressure on them. Don't let them gamble like they did with €100 million in EU money for growth. Do not allow them not to be able to agree who is negotiating on your behalf and to avoid the laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This parliament is waiting for MPs elected in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well.

Dear Chairman, colleague Glavak, I think you are mixing pears and apples, because you have to correct me if the information that the Government of the Republic of Croatia has invested five million euros to a private individual to build a Hilton hotel on the island is incorrect. Is this information wrong and is it a lie? I think it's accurate and easily verifiable and yes, that's not how the RRF should be spent.

The Recovery and Resilience Fund (RRF) is an important mechanism for the European Union to respond to the challenge of the COVID-19 outbreak. The good news is that a borrowing decision has been made to invest the money in recovery and avoid a new economic crisis. A lesson has been learned from the past when austerity measures were forced instead of borrowing and investment measures. But today we have to ask the question of how and what was invested in. The answer to this question is provided by the European Court of Auditors, whose findings on RRF spending are worrying. It is spent without clear indicators on investment performance, without clarity on who the final recipient is. What exactly does that mean? In my country, the government gave five million euros to an investment to build a Hilton hotel on an island. Five million euros for the Hilton Hotel. An investment that would super easy find support from any commercial bank. But no, he took public money. Shouldn't that money have gone to the house? This is a typical example of poor RRF spending, which certainly contributes neither to competitiveness, nor to recovery, nor to resilience. Let's stop spending public money like drunk billionaires and instead of deregulation, let's focus on smart and responsible spending of public money.

The Honourable Chairman, the Honourable Commissioner, to the Rapporteur, reading this report on Serbia, there is no doubt that from the country of champions and constructive dialogue, as it was until recently, Serbia is stuck in a dead end as far as EU integration is concerned. Arbitrary expulsion of EU and Serbian nationals, serious corruption problems, deterioration of media freedom, pressure on students, professors, teachers, NGO raids – this has become a daily reality. But at the same time, a different Serbia has woken up, opposing such a regime. Although students, peasants, workers, artists in huge numbers have been on the streets for months, their voices have not been taken seriously until recently. Three weeks ago, students arrived by bicycle from Novi Sad to this house to be heard. A group of students, as we have heard, are running, some are here with us. Today, their voice is much stronger, and this report recognizes that Serbia still has an alternative that cares about justice and European values. The policy of trading lithium, fighter jets, expensive tickets for MAGA events is slowly collapsing. Time is ripe for a new chapter in the process of joining the European Union.

Dear President, legal certainty, the rule of law and social Europe, where you do not go bankrupt because you go to college or because you get sick and where you have a salary for a dignified life, have made our Europe and our continent one of the most attractive places to live, but now all of this is somehow in danger. The announcement of the imposition of tariffs tonight by the US administration will certainly make the situation of a social Europe even worse. Our massive defence investments, which are also ahead of us, will certainly not contribute to strengthening a social Europe and that is why, Commissioner, someone will have to stand in front of people and tell them that simply money will not be for everyone. It won't be for housing both for a social Europe and for defence. Some higher priorities will have to be made, and the answer we see now is only deregulation, border closure and armament policies. This is certainly not the direction that will keep this kind of Europe that we have had so far.

Very good question. Because it's much easier to spend it on defence than to spend it on housing. The second thing is that I'm worried about who will control the spending in defence when on the national level, the Member States will say, but we have our security laws which are protecting us from disclosing the information on spending in defence. So, I see that for Member States it's much easier to grab into the defence than in the housing and energy transition.

Madam President, Mr Commissioner, I think one of my first speeches in this House was calling for the reform of cohesion policy, but not in my dream – or call it nightmare – I couldn't imagine that we will get such a comprehensive and, I will say, radical proposal how to change the cohesion policy, which I can partially agree with. However, we will need more time to study more in depth what was written in the documents that were released only a few hours ago. But I have to challenge the idea that with these six new priorities, defence will also be included. Because can you imagine how this priority will overburden the other ones which we are talking about from the beginning, like solving the housing crisis or working more on the green energy transition. It's really good that you also emphasise the green transition, access to water, housing, but I'm afraid that defence will just swallow up everything. Also, in my first reading, I haven't seen that you are proposing the change of Article 7(5) to enable investments from the cohesion policy directly into housing. So let's see what can happen there. And one thing which I find good: finally, you are putting more strong European urban initiatives. If we are going in the direction of more direct funding to regions and cities, this is the right way forward.

Mr President, Commissioner, I guess it will be much more pleasure to you and to us that tonight we speak about agriculture of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the food of Bosnia and Herzegovina. But instead, I will speak about something else. Dear Chairman, this year we will mark 30 years since the establishment of peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina by the Dayton Agreement. Unfortunately, after 30 years these days, we are again listening to worrying news about the separatist efforts to dismember BiH. I mean, we hear this news sporadically year after year, but today we also look at the actions of Dodik, who moves from words to actions. Tonight, it is important to support a complete and sovereign Bosnia and Herzegovina and condemn any attempt at separatism, but it is even more important that such behavior is condemned by the citizens of BiH themselves, because it is the crown of failed policies, characterized primarily by nationalism, nepotism and corruption. This system has had a chance to deliver some progress in the last 30 years, and it delivers fear and restlessness today. That's why it's time for a change. The doors of the EU must be wide open to BiH, and I call on people in Bosnia and Herzegovina who want a normal, just and equal life to close ranks, resist any separatism and any call for violence. Don't let them drag you into hatred a second time. We are waiting for you in the European Union.

Dear Chairman, thank you, Mr. Sokol, but of course, you've confused the crucibles again. I wasn't talking about not needing an army, I was talking about finally discussing people and when it turns a little bit differently, when people start investing more in people, when people start getting quality citizenship education, when they start worrying about each other, then there is a lot less conflict and that makes us more powerful and resistant than the situation now when, unfortunately, here we see that dictators use both fake news and other manipulations to manipulate people. That's why we invest in education and make our societies more resilient.

Mr President, Madam Commissioner, the importance and the beauty of this debate is that we are finally talking again about the people. After one and a half days of talking about defence and regulation, now we are going back to talking about the people. But maybe there is one trap that we can get into, and this is that we also talk about work and competitiveness, because skills are not only about that. We also need the new generation not to be just skilled workers in the labour market, but also to be people who are empathic, who can understand and feel what fake news is, who can think with their own heads. And this is what should also count as a skill. And this is why education should be available and accessible to each and every person in Europe throughout life. And one more thing, when we talk about the talent pool and about needing talent, I also want to remind all of us that sometimes we should also take care of untalented people, because we have also seen that sometimes untalented people make a big difference. So don't forget about those people as well.

Madam President, Mr Commissioner, I woke up early this morning just to go through the document because I didn't want that my speech to be based on the leaked draft document that was circulating around European media. I have to say I was quite surprised this morning when I saw that something is missing. Something that was in the leaked document is not in the final document, and this is the European affordable housing plan. This is really quite shocking because I think that we agreed – this House and the Commission – that we are facing the housing crisis. Look at the faces of these young people who are also sitting up on the galleries, who will very soon also challenge and face the crisis of not being able to pay for their rent. I'm begging you and I'm calling you and please, to your assistant, who is also taking the notes, please write it down and underline that in the next College, reconsider this idea to put back affordable housing plan into the Commission Work Programme, because this is something that we have to do to protect social Europe. This is the promise which has been done from the President and also Parliament is ready to back up.

The Honourable Chair, Commissioner Kos, President of the European Commission Von der Leyen visited in October 2024. Serbia on the occasion of the adoption of the growth plan. At a press conference with President Vucic, she said this: Serbia is one of the most advanced countries in the accession process. You have committed to reform, in particular on the foundations of the rule of law and democracy. And then she told the president: And you have shown that deeds follow your words. How deeply politically this sentence was missed two months ago, because even two months later the streets of Serbia were flooded by students, workers, farmers, artists and raised their voice precisely because of deep problems with the rule of law and democracy. How is it possible that the President of the Commission made such a cardinal mistake and caused great damage to enlargement because she justifiably fuelled the doubts of a large part of Serbian citizens in the European Union? She just supported the wrong side. Commissioner Kos, now is not the time for an inclusive dialogue with the autocrat, but it is crucial that you give clear and loud support to students. And you and I know that there wouldn't have been this blood under the ruins of the Novi Sad bus station if it had been all by law. Serbia is not just Vucic, the EU is not just Von der Leyen. There are us both on one side and on the other side of the wall that we do not allow to break the excavation.

Dear Chairman, I wish I could speak Montenegrin or Serbian here today, but then there will be no translation. I would like to speak Bosnian, but immediately someone will rebel that it is not a language. I would like to speak better Macedonian or understand Albanian, but I know that people living in the Western Balkans will hear and understand me in Croatian, and my message is: The moment when the door of the European Union is reopened has indeed opened. Let's use that moment! Press decision-makers in your countries to deliver reforms because no matter what the moment, they won't look through the fingers. We need to put an end to our mistakes on the European side, such as the uncontrolled hunger for lithium that has led some citizens to resist the European Union. Let's stop this approach! And I want to give special support today to all those in state administration or on the streets of cities and villages who still believe that the Western Balkans can be a space of respect for the rule of law and social justice. Students in Serbia who today block faculties due to deep social injustices are a great inspiration for the European path.

Dear Chair, Dear Commissioner, I regret to share with you the latest experience from my country of Croatia, where only the finals of the presidential campaign are underway. So, after Romania and in Croatia, we follow a whole series of fake news placements about a candidate. The method has already been seen. Anonymous profiles on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X regularly place false information. Part of it is transferred mainstream The media, in this way, creates a distorted image. It is important to note that this case is most likely not about external influence, but about the influence of people and political options that have direct, financial or other private interests in the campaign. I think it is important to recognise and combat such disinformation campaigns, as much as they are linked to internal rather than external actors. For this reason, I am calling on social networks and regulators in Croatia and the EU to urgently take steps to keep the presidential campaign within democratic frameworks and to punish those responsible.

Dear Chair, Dear Vice-President, The Green Group will, of course, support this RESTORE proposal, but we also want to make it clear that it can no longer do so. We cannot one day, which will happen tomorrow, vote against a resolution related to deforestation in the forest, and then at the same time demand that the money for compensation for damage from disasters be dragged out of cohesion. We need to get serious and realize that climate change is here and no longer be hypocritical. Also, as much as I support this proposal, I want to express regret that we did not integrate into it, and we could, because there was time, the principle of Building back Better. And this should be made clear to the citizens of both Spain and Poland, who will use these funds, that, unfortunately, the way in which the public infrastructure will be restored may not be solid enough, so here's the next wind, the next water will take these buildings again. So I ask once again, as a Parliament, to take the climate crisis seriously, to take it as a reality, and to deal with it responsibly.