Debate contributions by Branislav ONDRUŠ

Against the Stars and Breath of the Chemical Weapons Convention on the greatest the chairman of Humanity with permits you find the right control agents of the reverse Bill effects an independent on the national investigation is very for essential effects and in your account ability, including the universal Iura edition. Thank you, and now I ask my colleague Ondruš, please. Colleagues, if we want to change the critical situation in Georgia, we must return to the moment when an excellent candidate for membership of the European Union suddenly became an enemy. When did the EU start attacking the Georgian government and influencing the elections against it? That moment was Georgia's decision to join the anti-Russian sanctions, because the EU cannot replace energy supplies from Russia, and Georgians would freeze and have to stop the economy, because for 20 years the Russians have occupied a fifth of Georgian territory, and the European Union has been merrily trading and cooperating with Russia all the time. Because the Russian army can get to Tbilisi in 48 hours. Since Georgia is not a member of NATO, it is at least necessary to provoke the Russians, because the EU does not offer him any security guarantees. To achieve change in Georgia, the EU must set fair conditions, admit its own mistakes three years ago and start a realistic dialogue. We are the stronger ones. So let us act responsibly and with real results instead of strong speeches. Otherwise, Georgians and Georgians will remain victims of our realistic and therefore reckless foreign policy towards them. Thank you very much. Now, let me ask a colleague from the Czech Republic. Here you go. The high room. First of all, I would like from my supreme Samsung, who wants to break through in a community friendly to Russia, which, from year to year, every day, every night in its free European space will erase the untrue horrors.

Mr President. Colleagues, I would like to draw your attention to the practical implications of your proposal. In addition to our own, the Slovak Petroleum Refinery covers almost 30% of Austrian and 30% of Czech fuel consumption. In addition, Slovakia is currently the second largest supplier of petroleum products to Ukraine. All this will end if the European Union bans us from importing Russian oil in 69 days. The annual capacity of the alternative Croatian pipeline is 12 million. Hungary and Slovakia need 14 million tons of oil a year. But the worst part is that this pipeline is 50 years old and its capacity has so far been used to less than 15%. Imagine that you have a 50-year-old car in your garage, with which you travel about 2,000 kilometers a year, and suddenly you have to start using it for a thousand kilometers a week, and without stopping 24 hours a day it is supposed to work like this from now on forever. In addition, Croatians demand four times the shipping fees compared to, for example, the Transalpine pipeline from Italy to Germany or Austria. Even Ukrainians, who have high costs with the operation of the pipeline, demand half the fees than Croatians, which means an increase of 100 million euros per year for Slovakia. First of all, I want to protect Slovak households and companies from an unfair monopoly. Otherwise, you will vote for the performance of self-employed workers and small businesses.

Madam President, I would like to call on you all to support the compromise proposal on the empowerment of European Works Councils. Many, especially our right-wing colleagues, clearly cannot even imagine the unfair practices that many employees in multinational corporations are exposed to, how humiliatingly some Western companies in Eastern Europe can be towards workers. I urge you to strengthen the position of our workers in large companies. All those who become competitive here, like so-called patriots or conservatives, you all prefer companies at the expense of employees. Competitiveness should not be used to increase the astronomical profits of corporations, but rather to improve working conditions and pay workers better. Therefore, all Slovak workers must be given stronger weapons so that corporations cannot enslave them. While this proposal is relatively weak in this respect, it represents a visible improvement. Therefore, show your true face, show whether you are on the side of corporate profits or on the side of workers and their families.

Mr President, I support all the measures that will bring about the cleaner air we breathe, the cleaner water we drink and the cleaner land in which we grow food. However, the reduction of internal combustion engines has not yet yielded the expected results. I personally lack a fair assessment of the environmental impact of the entire life cycle of cars, from the production of each component to its disposal. On the contrary, there is no lack of evidence that the senseless pace and unfair ways of promoting electromobility have serious negative impacts on the number and quality of jobs in Europe. Last year, global emissions of harmful carbon dioxide were the highest in history. I therefore reject the suffocation of our industry, but above all the flooding of our market with foreign products, which arise in conditions appalling both to the environment and to workers. I reject the promotion of electromobility, which benefits multinational corporations at the expense of taxpayers. Therefore, the senseless ban from 2035 must be replaced by fair and effective environmental protection, which will not be paid for by workers and their families and will not benefit multinational corporations.

Madam President, colleagues, the speeches we have heard here are the best proof that it is not here, and from the outset it was not about the rule of law in Slovakia, because there are no arguments that the situation in our country is worse than elsewhere. In fact, this fanatical and reckless attack against Slovakia is a repeated abuse of European institutions by Progressive Slovakia. Please remember how, after the European elections, the party colleague of Progressive Slovakia, Commissioner Didier Reynders, repeatedly tried to bring Slovakia to court because of the rule of law. That Didier Reynders, who soon after ceasing to hold office, became the subject of an investigation by the Belgian Money Laundering Police, and the police raided his home and his office to seize evidence. So you're still chasing the rule of law here? Ladies and gentlemen, but you have not allowed me to participate in a scrutiny mission, even though it was a violation, a gross violation of official parliamentary rules, and you have excluded the only Slovak Member who was interested in participating in this scrutiny commission and you have violated the Rules of Procedure of this European Parliament. Shame on you! Because, in fact, what you are doing is full of non-transparency, of concealment, of excluding a Member of the European Parliament who has a legitimate mandate from participating in the scrutiny activities of this European Parliament. This is not a scrutiny activity by the European Parliament. This is a gross abuse of the European Parliament for the internal political struggle of the frustrated Slovak opposition, which is unable to succeed in the legitimate political competition in Slovakia.

Mr President, colleagues, we must spend taxpayers' money more responsibly through public procurement. We will increase the value for money if public buyers are obliged to apply the social benefit principle of any public contract, not just to buy a good or service. For example, in order to ensure better working conditions and higher remuneration, no firm may be awarded a public contract unless it has a collective agreement, or a firm that does not pay its employees at least the average wage in a given sector and country, or any firm that subcontracts most of the contract and coughs on the conditions under which their employees work, or a firm that abuses sole traders. And that's how I could go on. Simply social and environmental criteria must be a mandatory part of any public contract and not just a price. And let us not be afraid to give preference to domestic companies if suppliers from other parts of the world cannot credibly demonstrate compliance with our social and environmental standards. Such an approach must be ensured by the amended European legislation.

Mr President, Trump's trade war is supported by ordinary Americans because international trade does not bring fair profits to working people and their families. Not even in Europe. That is why, in addition to negotiations, we need to start systematically promoting production and consumption in our home. If the EU is the richest market in the world, it must benefit our producers and our workers and their families, our elderly and the disabled. We need to support the purchase of our products and services by promoting, educating customers or by public procurement rules. But every single euro spent in this way must be compulsorily linked to social and environmental requirements. We must not contribute to greater corporate profits, but to better working conditions, higher wages for workers, greater tax revenues from wealthy companies and more effective protection of our environment. It is enough for this Parliament and the governments of the Member States to change the rules so that the economy benefits people, not just corporations. This can be done, but action must also be taken. Not just talking about it.

Madam President, we must make the spending of European funds conditional on two principles. First of all, no money for armaments, no money for armament corporations, no funding for future wars, international tensions and conflicts. Priority must be given to investment in modernising the economy, improving the quality of education, making health and housing more accessible to workers and dependents, especially young families. Let us finance the integration of disabled and socially excluded people and their families, as well as fair support for farmers and food producers, both those in the East and those in the West. Secondly, every euro of subsidies, every euro of public contracts from the European budget must be made conditional on fair wages for workers, quality working conditions, environmental protection, a ban on the use of forced self-employed workers, and every company must have a collective agreement that guarantees people their rights and benefits. Only in this way will European funding contribute to the equitable development of Europe.

Madam President, I want to thank Thomas, first of all, for his very good job. Thank you, Thomas, for the report. I think the report is very good and is mirroring the real situation and is very balanced, and I want to thank Thomas for that. Secondly, I want to condemn attempts to humiliate the Macedonian nation. Sorry, colleagues, but if you say Macedonia is Greek, Macedonia is Bulgarian or anything else, it is absolutely not credible to me and to many others. I want to warn you of the eruption of nationalism and misusing the accession process. Sorry, Mr Valchev, Mr Kovatchev, Mr Volgin, in all EU countries, people praising Nazis, collaborators with Hitler and Himmler, people working on establishment of SS troops should be punished by state institutions. Those who name clubs after Nazis should be in prison, not in government. Please, colleagues, stop abusing the accession process to ventilate unquenched nationalism.

My colleague, we have one organisation called the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and that organisation has a clear mission in its name. It is intended to contribute to security and stability in international relations in Europe. This organization has no armament expenditures and is not intended for armaments. Dear colleague. International stability is not achieved by armaments. Commissioner Kallas made it clear today: You won't increase your military spending if you don't plan to use it. This is exactly what the European Union is doing today. We plan armament spending to use it. And security and stability are ensured by diplomatic negotiations and cooperation, not hostility.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I strongly protest against the financing of armaments at the expense of investment in the development of education, health and social services. It is not true that we can increase arms spending without reducing investment for the benefit of the people. After all, in July we will vote on the European Commission's proposals to redirect resources from the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund to support armaments. For example, the entire society benefits from financial support to social enterprises. Social enterprises do not generate private profits. Mammoth guns, yes. It is unacceptable for us to increase the profits of arms corporations from citizens' taxes. The European Parliament should call on NATO members to take into account the interests of workers and their families, not billionaires from the arms industry. Why should we not, for example, regulate the prices and profits of armaments? To demand that they have collective agreements signed if they want to live on the taxes of our citizens? I warn that the arms race will not be managed economically and will not contribute to growth, peace and tranquillity, but to an increase in international tensions. Thank you very much.

Madam President, colleagues, if the existence of the European Union is to make sense, we must not resort to financial support for regions facing a lack of employment opportunities, a lack of investment in modernisation and development, threats to the environment, social inequality and population outflows. Funds for our regions must not fall victim to European militarisation and the arms race, nor to the personal interests of the beneficiaries. The fair and sustainable development of the regions will not come from the massive production of weapons and ammunition, but from the support of farmers, forestry professionals, craftsmen and small and medium-sized enterprises in services or tourism. Finance, especially for social enterprises and cooperatives, not multinational arms corporations, because we need to maintain the value created in the regions for sustainable development. Let companies invest money where they earned it. That is why I propose making the use of EU funds conditional on specific social and environmental criteria, so that they benefit the whole of society and not speculators, corrupts and corporations. Thank you.

Madam President, I personally believe that the competitiveness of our businesses must serve their employees. And if we are talking about how to increase the competitiveness of companies, then we simply have to appreciate those companies that fairly care for their employees, that fairly pay their employees, that create a working environment in which work and family responsibilities can be balanced. That is why I am advocating that, in the area of public procurement, for example, we must give priority to companies that have collective agreements signed, because I believe that if we spend public resources, we should spend them in such a way that they come back into the hands of the workers who generate those resources. That is why I am in favour of promoting in public procurement those companies that are today abusing their subcontracting chains to force people to switch to business. So competitiveness is one that benefits workers and their families.

Madam President, I am using this debate to call on you to assess the competitiveness of European firms according to their ability to create well-paid jobs, to guarantee a safe and healthy working environment and to protect our nature. The competitive capacity of European firms should not serve to increase the profits of multinational corporations, but the social and economic development of our regions. I am in favour of making our companies more competitive in public procurement by prioritising companies that employ our workers, including disadvantaged people, or those that have a collective agreement and guarantee employees benefits beyond legal obligations. I am in favour of investment modernisation subsidies to European firms, but subject to the condition that part of their profits be used for social policy for employees. I refuse that the competitiveness of corporations should be paid by workers by deteriorating salaries, weakening their rights, forced trades or the misuse of their taxes for subsidies that private companies will turn into astronomical profits and, moreover, export them to tax havens.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, today we can show that we are serving working people and their families, that we are on their side, even if it does not suit the big corporations. When they talk about restructuring, they mean layoffs, worsening working conditions and lowering wages, but not management. The Volkswagen Group announced the need for restructuring in a year when it earned €16 billion in the first nine months. While in 2018 each member of its board of directors earned €4.5 million, in the crisis year 2021, each member of its board of directors already earned €7 million. And the workers at Volkswagen in Slovakia earned 27,000 euros in the same year, which is more than 250 times the difference. This is a reality for all international corporations, so we must prevent their management from deciding on restructuring regardless of the impact on workers. With this vote, we can set the rules so that our economy serves the people, not the people selfish interests of multinational corporations and oligarchs.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the most absurd is the accusation made by the Georgian Government that it is pro-Russian. How can there be a pro-Russian government that has not reconciled itself with the occupation of more than 20% of its territory, which demands that the Russians withdraw and fight to restore the territorial integrity of Georgia? Today's situation is the result of ignoring Georgia's reality and the unprecedented interference of various European politicians in Georgia's internal affairs. The changed attitudes of the Georgian government over the past two years are a defence mechanism in response to unfair pressure from Europe. Instead of tolerance and understanding of the complicated Georgian reality in relation to Russia, the Union began to dictate to Georgians regardless of the impact on their economy and defence. Georgia is doomed to a balanced relationship with Russia because the EU does not even offer it security guarantees. The Russian army can be in Tbilisi in three days, and I remind you that the EU has worked amicably with Russia for many years, regardless of the long-standing occupation of Georgian territory. I therefore call for a change in our approach and the resumption of a fair and partnership dialogue with the Georgian Government on the basis of mutual respect.

Mr President, Slovak workers are also facing a deterioration (The Pardon of Lifeworking conditions, in particular by multinational and foreign companies. Subcontractors seek to reduce costs at the expense of workers' salaries and safety. Particularly dangerous is the pressure for employees to become self-employed, who are not entitled to holidays, food allowances, fair social security and to whom companies do not have to guarantee a healthy and safe working environment. The result is tragedies such as the death of four workers in eastern Slovakia, freelancers who were formally subcontractors, and the company they worked for took their hands off them. These companies are looking for subcontractors only to cut costs and increase profits, at the expense of workers, their health and even their lives. What we need is legislation that introduces the principle of first-company responsibility in the chain for all the people who work for it throughout the entire chain of subcontractors. And only firms that have signed a fair collective agreement must have access to public tenders.

Mr President, although at national level in Slovakia social dialogue operates at the level of sectors and companies, foreign firms in particular are putting unfair pressure on trade unionists so that they cannot sufficiently represent the interests and needs of employees. The practice of unlawful dismissal of trade union leaders who refuse to compromise at the expense of workers is widespread. We therefore need to modernise the labour code so that it effectively protects workers' rights and cannot be used to intimidate those brave people who reject the deterioration of working conditions and pay in favour of corporate profits. At European level, we must add to the legislation the condition that no public contract can be awarded to a company that does not have a fair collective agreement. The European Social Fund must support the ability of trade unionists to conduct collective bargaining in a high-quality and professional manner. Public spending is meant to serve workers because it is their taxes to work in decent conditions and for wages that allow them and their families to live in dignity.

Madam President, the RESTORE proposal is a positive example of using EU funds to help ordinary people, especially those who have faced natural disasters. I support an increase in European co-financing up to 95%, which will save resources from national budgets. Also an accelerated advance payment of 25% of costs, which will help Member States to respond to natural disasters. Therefore, I would urge you not to delay the approval of the proposal, so that it can take effect from 1 January. May governments quickly mobilise unused EU funds and transfer them, in particular, to measures that will protect people from the effects of the weather. The Slovak Ministry of Labour promptly provided humanitarian aid in millions of euros to thousands of people affected by earthquakes and floods, and now it is important to use EU funds for preventive and protective measures. We have a billion-dollar instrument in our hands for the benefit of the people, let us not hold it, but hand it over to the Member States as a matter of urgency, because speed is crucial in natural disasters.

Madam President, on this occasion, I would like to call on you and the Commission to make our Union a peacemaker once again, not just in words. According to the UN, at least 8 620 children were killed or maimed in 2022. More than a year earlier, 338 boys and 275 girls have already died in Ukraine, and in fact not all cases are documented, so there are undoubtedly more child victims. Save the Children estimates up to 21,000 missing children in Gaza, of whom around 4,000 may be buried under the rubble, and children make up around 40% of all victims in Gaza. According to UNICEF, Yemen's civil war has claimed at least 10,000 children killed and maimed, and there have been around 12,000 in Syria in ten years. The 35 years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child is an alarming anniversary in the interests of children. Thus, as a Nobel Peace Prize winner, the Union must send diplomats instead of weapons and seek even painful compromises in favour of peace.

Mr President, the current situation in Georgia is the result of an unfair policy by the EU, the US and many Western states to punish Georgia for not joining the sanctions against Russia. In doing so, the European Union cooperates smoothly, even considering as its allies countries that are helping Russia to circumvent the sanctions. The European Union's attitude towards Georgia ignores reality. Georgia has been an occupied country for almost 20 years, and the European Union has never responded to this Russian occupation with sanctions. On the contrary, it has developed political and economic cooperation with Russia. Georgia is not a NATO member and the EU offers no security guarantees against further possible military aggression. The EU is also unable to compensate for the widespread negative effects of possible anti-Russian sanctions on the Georgian economy. Therefore, punishing the Georgian Government for a balanced, not friendly or even allied relationship with Russia, thanks to which Georgian citizens do not face a social catastrophe, I find it crazy. Instead, I call on both the Commission and Parliament to immediately start a rational partnership dialogue with the Georgian Government.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, when investing so that workers' knowledge and skills match technology or new work practices, we must emphasise that it is not only companies that benefit. In our country, we are strengthening the minimum wage so that others grow too, because employers are still little aware that better earnings and better working conditions are a key motivation for lifelong learning. If people are not to earn more, why should they acquire new knowledge and skills just because the companies they work for will be competitive? But the competitiveness of companies, ladies and gentlemen, only makes sense if it is reflected in better working conditions and higher wages for employees, not just in corporate profits. In Slovakia, we are creating a system of individual accounts that will provide people with funding for training courses. I want to push for employees to be educated exclusively during working hours, so that companies pay them for the time they spend on the course. Since we pay the courses out of people's taxes, I think it's fair for companies to contribute at least that way.

You mentioned that profit and social benefits come from companies. But I want to stress that these are not just companies, but much more their employees. And therefore let's speak not just about what we need to do for companies, but what we should do for their employees, for workers. Because in fact, companies, firms, are nothing without their workers and without their employees. So stress please, not just working for companies, but working for workers and employees as well.

Mr President, excessive bureaucracy not only imposes an unreasonable burden on businesses, municipalities, self-governing regions or voluntary organisations, but also leads to an increase in the cost of taxes paid by our workers and their families. Indeed, any new administrative requirement is linked to the creation of new office posts, the purchase of new IT systems, the renting of new offices, the simple expansion of existing or even the creation of new offices, which have no added value, and their task is only to collect data, report, process databases and check where and, in particular, to look for ever new arguments to defend their existence and the increasing costs of their operation. I therefore propose that our parliamentary committees carry out, within the next six months, their own assessment of the bureaucratic burden in the areas for which they are responsible - and we must not leave this to the Commission - and we will then use this assessment as a basis for setting up a new seven-year budget for the European Union. I will personally push for less money for bureaucracy and more money to develop our regions and improve the lives of the people who live there.