Speeches

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, Listening to this debate, there is no doubt that energy poverty is an urgent challenge. This is not only fair, affordable prices, but also sustainable development and human dignity. It is crucial to understand the causes of energy poverty and implement appropriate measures. And in this respect, one should look at studies, specialist studies, such as the Energy Poverty Advisory Hub, which I looked at. I also looked at many other studies. None of them indicate that the energy transition is responsible for energy poverty. Three main reasons are identified: rising energy prices for various reasons, volatile energy markets, such as policy gaps or insufficient public investment, and climate and regional differentiation. How to counteract it? By closing policy and market gaps, by improving energy efficiency, by raising public awareness and by promoting renewable energy and a wise energy transition.

Mr President, Madam Commissioner McGuinness, thank you very much for your excellent work. Of course, I fully support the necessity and the need to include Russia, ruled by Putin's regime, on the list of high-risk third countries in the European Union. We must not hesitate. We must do that. Russia is an intensive military and financial ally of other high-risk third countries like Iran or North Korea. They organise private military groups like Wagner. Through platforms like Telegram or through cryptocurrency, Russian entities facilitate terrorist financing and laundering of assets stolen from Ukraine. According to Transparency International, over GBP 1.5 billion in UK properties is tied to Russians involved in financial crimes. The risk of Russian influences to global financial markets has been also flagged by the Financial Action Task Force. We must do that. We have to do that. This is our duty. This is not only justified, this is necessary.

Mr President, Vice-President Jourová, the rule of law has been a cornerstone of the European Union since the very beginning. Our Community was formed by those who showed exceptional respect for the rule of law. There is no democracy without it, no human rights without it, no border security, no free media, no freedom of economic activity, no equality and all the policies that the Union has implemented. This is simply the pillar of our Community. For many decades, this was not questioned – until the times of those who demonstrated contempt for the rule of law. Today, in this House was the one who first decided to openly disregard these principles. I'm, of course, talking about Viktor Orbán. After him, Kaczyński appeared. In my country, Poland, he decided to copy Orbán's model of autocracy. After eight years of hard battle for the independence of the judiciary and other devastated foundations of democracy, a huge commitment of civil society, the Polish legal community, especially judges full of courage and strength, as well as the very consistent attitude of the democratic opposition – we all managed to overcome this evil and proceed to restore democracy. This is a successful story. A huge role in this struggle was played by the European Union. Without our membership, it wouldn't happen. Thank you very much, Madam President, for your commitment. This report reminds us that neither today, nor in the future, we cannot forget, even for one moment, that the rule of law must be defended by all means. This is our shield of democracy.

Madam President, Madam Vice-President, dear colleagues, as the Georgian nation strives to become a part of the European Union, the democratic backsliding that we are facing there should concern us. What is happening in Georgia mirrors the patterns we have seen in authoritarian countries like Russia or Belarus, or in Member States that have embarked on the autocratic path, namely Hungary under Fidesz or Poland under Law and Justice. We know that leaders of liberal regimes learn from each other, implementing similar autocratic methods and narratives. Therefore the Georgian Dream Party is using similar tactics like autocrats all over Europe to dismantle the system of checks and balances that safeguards democracy and the rule of law in Georgia. Hence we must draw lessons from what we have already painfully learned. We need to clearly and promptly condemn the dismantling of checks and balances, and show our support and solidarity with the civil society that protests and the civil society that defends the rule of law and democracy. As a Pole, I see many similarities between the Georgian situation right now and Poland's situation a few years ago. And I believe that with our support, Georgia can get back on the democratic path, just like Poland did one year ago.

Mr President, Madam Vice-President, dear colleagues, Moldova is at a crossroads with its upcoming presidential elections and the crucial referendum on EU integration. Let's make one thing absolutely clear: Moldova belongs in our European Community. Its future cannot be dictated by external actors. Russia's ongoing hybrid warfare, disinformation, illegal funding of political parties and cyberattacks threatens not only Moldova, but the stability of the entire European neighbourhood. The European Union must be prepared to act. We need to set the example by strengthening our own resilience and supporting Moldova in return. Moldova has made significant progress, but it cannot stand alone in face of external threats. We must offer unwavering support – tightening sanctions, enhancing cybersecurity and addressing hybrid threats head on. The recently-signed EU-Moldova Security and Defence Partnership is a major step in this direction. It provides Moldova with the tools to defend its sovereignty and we must ensure it is implemented effectively. Furthermore, Moldova's commitment to the rule of law and the anti-corruption reforms is vital for securing its European future. Moldova's place is with Europe, with us, and we must ensure this path remains open, democratic and secure.