Debate contributions by Veronika CIFROVÁ OSTRIHOŇOVÁ

Jano Kuciak, that's the message I received seven years ago when the news began to spread like fire among my colleagues that one of them had been the victim of a murder. I know exactly what I was doing back then. I know exactly where I was then. Since then, a lot has happened in our country, events that will last for decades. But the important thing today is that John is not here today, and his fiancée Martin is not here either. He's not here because Jano did his job well, exposing abuse of power, injustice, corruption. This is ridiculous and infinitely unfair. I always try to find out how we can learn from all of this. Thanks to one young couple, we found out that in Slovakia there is a very vibrant community of people who care about public affairs, who can freeze in the squares and know that truth and justice are the basis on which not only Slovakia must function. They know that we are together in the Union and that the Union will not let us down if we stand by it. Being a journalist is not and should not be pleasant. Journalists are not meant to like and remain silent. They are not fragile creatures who want more than others. But there is a big difference when the work of journalists is unpleasant in a fair discussion, and something completely different is when, after a difficult investigative work, you get a photo of your children on the way to school. When you read threats every day, when strangers shove into you on the street. Please, let's keep this feeling of distinguishing what is and what is not right. Let us keep our sensitivity to the fate of others and let us keep our sense of the truth. John, Martin, Daphne, we will not forget.

Madam President, as a former journalist, I value the freedom of speech very dearly. And let me be very clear: the DSA and fact‑checking protect this freedom. Fact‑checking flags disinformation and keeps social media open for honest and transparent debate. Are we suppressing opinions? Look around this Chamber. I think every opinion here is well represented on social media and elsewhere. We must act and enforce the DSA to ensure that platforms used by European citizens are transparent, accountable and respectful of our rules. But let me say this: can you see what we are doing? We are merely reacting. And we will surely continue to do so. But reacting is not enough. We must move beyond the reaction mode and stop only responding to what happens in the US or elsewhere. Innovation, research, business and education have never been more important than they are today. Let this be the main lesson of this long, long debate to take from here. I want a future where Europe dares to lead the way. So let's start working on this here together.

Mr President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, we often think of platforms like TikTok, but not only TikTok as free spaces, as neutral arenas where some bureaucratic rules are imposed. But this simply is not true. These platforms already are controlled ecosystems. Algorithms drive them, as we heard, and dark forces exploit them. Disinformation, foreign interference and large-scale manipulation flourish there. This is where the EU and the EU citizens have power. These networks profit from our use; they must also respect our demand for greater transparency online. Transparency and accountability are not optional. We should not allow for chaos to reign in the digital sphere, because there is no free speech if networks are hijacked by forces we don't understand. Freedom is the power of our citizens and it must thrive in openness, not in the shadows.

Madam President, today's children are facing unprecedented challenges. It was a pandemic that caught many without a safety net and sometimes completely without a safe environment. Not to mention the vast online world, which offers incredible opportunities, but we still do not fully know what tax we are paying for it. Many times we hear, and have heard today, that children are our future. But I always say that children are our present, they are here and now, and not just those who are lucky enough to live in loving families. They have the right, as legitimate citizens, to be protected, to respect, to support. And we politicians often overlook children in politics because they are not a target, they can't vote many times. But it is all the more important to find voices to represent children on this ground, because politics must also be in the interest of those who are vulnerable. Not just the ones who shout the loudest. I say this as a mother of two children, but also as a human being. Modern society knows itself by how it cares for its weakest. Let's not forget it.

Madam President, I cannot believe what I'm hearing in this Chamber, right here in the year 2024. I thought the European Union was supposed to be a union of equality, no? Am I wrong? I'm a new MEP – am I in the wrong Chamber? What is happening? So let me be clear: targeting or silencing minorities does not demonstrate strength, it highlights division and misunderstanding. The recent laws in Bulgaria and Hungary don't help or protect anyone. All they do is spread fear, deepen division and undermine the values we all stand for in Europe. What makes this especially troubling is that these laws often target children. What we need is clear: we need better schools, we need quality healthcare, reliable transport, competitive businesses and communities where people feel safe and included. That's what builds strong societies. That's what builds strong Europe, not targeting those who already feel vulnerable. Our responsibility is to protect fairness, equality and democracy for everyone, because no one should live in fear just because of who they are. And that is our mission here in Parliament.

Mr President, I do not find it easy to talk about women who have experienced violence. It is even difficult to call them heroines, not because they lack courage, but because they did not choose this fate on their own. And few of us can imagine the dilemmas they face. These are the choices they were forced to make. I rarely feel anger, but I feel it when someone tries to take space away from women in difficult situations, when he tries to trivialize what happened to them, their experience. I consider it our task, as politicians, to always speak up in such cases, to constantly educate ourselves. I will not allow and will not allow women to suffer outrageous attacks in public space from people who have no clue how to behave and have missed the opportunity to remain silent. Today, however, I also want to talk about help and the way out. Because the path exists. Whoever needs to hear it today: You're not alone. Confession helps. We listen to you and care about you.

Madam President, thank you very much, good day - and I will start with a personal conviction: young people are neither worse, nor better, nor more radical than others, but today they are confronted with a force that no other generation has faced to such an extent before, namely the online world. If someone thinks things happen by chance, they're wrong. The algorithms of social networks not only create traps for young people to fall easily into, and the Internet has long been not just a free space, but a place where radicalism spreads, where there is room for crime and violence, and our task here is to do everything possible to eliminate these traps. You're not a good company if the content you feed young people is toxic. And this is precisely why we so badly need to respect the Digital Services Act. We really have the tools to make the internet safer, so let's use them. We have a chance now. As a society, we can give young people much more than they receive from us today.

Madam President, dear colleagues, dear Commissioner, I was not here seven years ago when Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated. But I am here today, and I'm not afraid to say that it is in great part to Daphne and to Ján Kuciak. It is also no coincidence that we are discussing the state of law today, because the state of the rule of law is reflected in how journalists are treated, When they are free to investigate, to report, to speak up, it may be uncomfortable, but it shows that democracy is strong. However, when they are threatened and attacked, we see that democracy is faltering and there's failures in governments. We have seen this in Malta and we have seen this beyond. Let me express my gratitude to the sons of Daphne for continuing her legacy. I really admire your work, wherever you are, because intimidation, SLAPP lawsuits, and similar malicious tactics have no place in a democratic society. Thank you Daphne, thank you, Ján, for your courage. We will not forget and we will not stop.

Mr President, the COVID-19 pandemic has hit us harder than we were willing to admit, and the consequences of the solitude it entails hurt us all. And as a mother, I feel particularly sensitive to the fact that it affects children and young people. We still don't talk about mental health openly enough. We have little focus on prevention. We heard it here today. And it's still a stigma not to be well. Today, I am optimistic. Do you know why? Hope is given to me by the many wise young people who break these taboos and talk about their health, not only physical but also mental. Thank you for that. It's very inspiring and we can all learn from them. I am glad that they are gradually changing their approach to the soul. And we must not slack off. Without mental health, there is no health. The Union is aware of this, young people are aware of it and it is time for the rest of us. I can promise myself that I will do so. So I have a little request for all of you here. Please think of your souls, and not only yours, but others as well. It's worth it.

Mr President, I am following closely those who are destroying the rule of law. Those who disparage female journalists and journalists who try to destroy the media use harsh language and think they are strong leaders. You know what I think? They're not. I have carefully read the report on countries that are lagging behind in upholding the rule of law and its principles. And it is read as an unfulfilled domestic task, as an inability to bring justice to all, because the rule of law is about trust, about the certainty that the rules apply equally to all. In the end, they are both built hospitals and the freedom of all of us. What about politicians who despise this? That's not how I think of strong leaders. Really strong leaders and leaders are not afraid of the media. Thanks to Europe, we have the strength and let us not be convinced of the opposite. Thanks to the Union, we now have tools that protect the rule of law and it is our responsibility to ensure that we make consistent use of them. And the time for that is right now.

Madam President, 'the pandemic hasn't been', 'Europe is dying because of LGBTI'. These untruths are spread not by anonymous trolls on the Internet, but by the highest representatives of the Government of the Slovak Republic. This is not just the case with Slovakia. We hear similar statements all over Europe, and in some cases they even help to win elections. There are words at the beginning of every hate crime. And governments that knowingly spread disinformation are thereby dividing society. There may be short-term political gains from this today, but we as a society will find it very difficult to recover from it in the long run. This Saturday we commemorate the attack on the LGBTI+ bar Tepláreň in Bratislava, where hatred killed two young people. Spreading lies about our LGBTI+ loved ones and friends won't help anyone, but it will hurt many and many. No self-confident company can accept this offer. It is independent journalists who are our first defence against lies. Today, the media across Europe are bravely facing attacks from politicians. And it is our task here, on European soil and in the European Parliament, to promote a media environment that serves truth and facts. A media environment that does not destroy democracy, but helps to defend it. Thank you, Mrs. Jourová, for trying to do this.

Mr President, it is 2024 and 59% of all Europeans are on social media. There is no way that what we consume there is decided outside the European Union and without any consequences. There is no way that women are insulted every day on the Internet for their work. There is no such thing as misleading business practices in the online world. To spread fake news like fire at the expense of facts. Let's not forget that social media is, first and foremost, a business. It's great that we have a space to connect, create and enjoy. And owing to the EU and the DSA, we now have a tool to make this business the way we all want it, to make it fair. The decisions of a single person should not have undue influence, and the power of algorithms cannot be placed above facts. I stand here today to assure you that when it comes to what happens online, we will use the same tactics that the social media companies often use on our citizens – strict ones. But unlike theirs, ours will be fair.