Speeches

Mr President, thank you very much. History teaches us that dictators can gain power through democratic elections. However, if they stand by it at all costs, they become a threat not only to their own people, but also to the international community. In 2012, Bidzina Ivanishvili gained democratic legitimacy and President Saakashvili peacefully handed over power. However, since 2016, and especially after the 2020 elections, Georgia has been moving towards authoritarianism, and state institutions have been subordinated to oligarchs with assets gained in Russia during the years of wild privatization. Today we are dealing with the uncontrolled power of a man with mafia connections, which is unacceptable. So we have to draw conclusions. I therefore call, Commissioner, for the current Georgian authorities to be completely isolated by freezing European programmes, introducing visa sanctions and creating a cordon of sanitation around the regime's representatives on the international stage.

Mr President, thank you very much. In Poland, the right to abortion is granted to women in a situation of danger to life or health and in the case of pregnancy resulting from a prohibited act. A lot of lies have been told here on this issue. I would also like to remind you that the last attempt to liberalize this law, already under the rule of Donald Tusk, has failed. And this best shows the attitude of the Polish society to this issue. The fact that measures are being taken to protect animals and the defence of the fundamental human right, i.e. the right to life, is overlooked speaks volumes about the state of Europe today. Significantly, the unborn child has legal capacity and, meanwhile, his or her right to life is being undermined. Instead of fighting for the legalization of abortion, we should focus on how to help single mothers, how to make men aware of not leaving their partners in the face of unwanted pregnancy. How to motivate society to care for the fate of children who are our future? Discrimination against women who are not yet born, because they also have a right to life, should be addressed better.

Madam President, thank you very much. This is a formal request under Rule 202 of the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament. 19 October marked the 40th anniversary of the kidnapping and martyrdom of Blessed Father Jerzy Popiełuszko, patron of Solidarity, a movement that brought freedom to Poland and Europe. Here are his words: "Solidarity is the unity of hearts, minds and hands rooted in ideals that are capable of transforming the world for the better. It is a cry with a loud voice for respect for human dignity, it is at the same time a recognition of the other person and his problems. It's caring for the imprisoned, demanding freedom for them, it's caring for their families. It is a fraternal concern for all those who are persecuted and discriminated against for our common beliefs." It was for proclaiming such values that Father Jerzy suffered a martyr's death at the hands of the communist authorities. Blessed Father George, intercede for Poland and Europe. I kindly ask everyone to commemorate with a moment of silence the steadfast priest and blessed priest George.

Mr President, thank you very much. I have been supporting a democratic Georgia on its path to the European Union for years. I admired the development after the Rose Revolution and the reforms that brought the country closer to European standards. After Bidzina Ivanishvili took power, I watched with pain the gradual collapse of the country and its subordination to Moscow's policy. One of Ivanishvili's political prisoners is former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili. It is to him that I would now like to give the floor. Here is a letter I received from you yesterday. Dear Members of the European Parliament, In a few weeks, on the eastern edge of Europe, in Georgia, there may be a great victory for Europe, democracy and peace, or a great tragedy. In this struggle, the public mood in Georgia is unequivocal. The vast majority of citizens support Europe and freedom, not wanting to return to Russian influence. On the other side is a Russian oligarch. He is willing to do anything not to give up power and will prepare to rip off the upcoming elections, just as he has taken control of the whole state. Democracy in Georgia is in grave danger. In just over two weeks, we will face a regime that lost the election but won't recognize the results, possibly suppressing hundreds of thousands of protesters, arresting thousands, and perhaps using lethal force. It's a classic déjà vu from Belarus and Venezuela. Do not allow a country that once delighted the world with the Rose Revolution to be tragically separated from its true dream of belonging to Europe. These are the words of President Saakashvili. Come and observe the election. Express your support for the Georgian people. Make your voice sound louder than before...

Mr President, thank you very much. As Moldova approaches key presidential elections and a decisive referendum on integration into the European Union, we are facing a critical moment. We must act decisively to protect this democratic process from external interference, from Russia, whose relentless attempts to destabilise Moldova threaten its sovereignty. Moldova's courageous progress towards European integration is under constant attack. This is not only Moldova's struggle, it is also our struggle. The European Union must stand shoulder to shoulder with Moldova, providing solid political, financial and technical support to ensure that Moldova’s elections are free, fair and resilient to external manipulation. Poland has been actively participating in these processes for years, both through development cooperation with the use of EU funds and within the framework of bilateral cooperation. Strengthening Moldova is not just a matter of solidarity. This is a strategic imperative for the stability and security of our entire region. Let's send a clear signal. Moldova's path to Europe will not be stopped by Putin.

There is poverty in every country affected by the Soviet Union and Vladimir Putin. In every country affected by Vladimir Putin, there are prisons, starving children and human rights violations. Not Americans – Russia is the evil we must fight, the evil we must confront. And that's the truth.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I express my deep concern about the human rights situation in Cuba, in particular the fate of José Daniel Ferrer, leader of the Cuban Patriotic Union. Arrested on 11 July 2021, he is still in prison in scandalous conditions, without access to medical care, cut off from contact with the world. However, Cuba is not only about prisons and violations, the suppression of civil liberties. I spoke to a clergyman who serves in Cuba. His work is not only spiritual support, but also daily help for families in humanitarian matters. There is a lack of medicines, medical supplies, electricity, milk for children, even bread in Cuba. It is the result of communist rule, dictatorship and dependence on Russia. Poverty and hopelessness allow Russia to recruit mercenaries from Cuba to fight against Ukraine. The young Cubans sign a pact with the devil and become Russian cannon fodder. Silence against this tyranny is complicity in crimes. Cooperation with this regime is complicity in crimes. Cubans, we admire your courage, we support your struggle, we are with you.

Ladies and Gentlemen, today we are obliged to express our firm condemnation of the brutal actions of the Lukashenka regime. From here in the European Parliament, I address all political prisoners and their families in their language, in Belarusian: (Speaks in a language that is not an official language). Particularly appalling is the case of Andrzej Poczobut, a man of steadfast character whose life is in danger today. I know him personally, and I won't rest until he's free. There is also a Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski in prison, but also many Christian clergy. Six Belarusian political prisoners have already died or been murdered. It is an act of terror against one's own people. We call on the regime to immediately release all political prisoners. If you don't, we'll make sure you end up in The Hague, that your power doesn't last forever, and that your guilt is punished. Lively by Belarus.

Madam President, thank you very much. Ladies and Gentlemen, Western Europe is struggling with increasing crime, which is the responsibility of immigrants, or rather those who invited them to Europe. Groups of young, unemployed, aggressive men are an increasingly common sight on European streets. And what does that mean? Each of you knows perfectly well, because as an MEP you get warnings, where in the evening in Brussels you probably shouldn't go. It is a pity that in this way only parliamentarians are protected, forgetting about ordinary citizens. Spain – one in two perpetrators of sexual aggression is a foreigner. Immigrants from Africa, although they make up 2.5% of the population, are responsible for 20% of the country's sex crimes. Sweden – around 33% of prisoners are immigrants. Germany – The crime report shows that immigrants are overrepresented in murder, murder, serious bodily injury and rape. The German interior minister herself stressed that Germany remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world. We firmly reject the further arrival and reception of immigrants. We demand safety for our families...

Dear Madam President, Ladies and Gentlemen, The situation in Venezuela reminds us of Belarus. Belarus, where the usurper Lukashenka, ignoring the will of the voters, forcibly maintained power, suppressed social opposition and forced Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya, the real winner of the elections, to emigrate. At that time, Europe did not recognize this act of violence and enslavement. And rightly so. The cooperation of the Russian and Belarusian regimes with the dictatorial regime in Venezuela shows how deeply criminal systems can support each other. We Poles have experienced dictatorships many times and we perfectly understand the pain and suffering of authoritarian rule. So let us support the opposition and civil society in countries like Venezuela, which are facing inhumane regimes that are causing poverty and forcing millions of people to emigrate. The people of Venezuela have the same aspirations, dreams and rights as we Europeans, as evidenced by their protests, demonstrations and proof of electoral fraud. Europe should stand in solidarity with all peoples who want a better fate, freedom and the rule of law. Solidarity on such fundamental issues is a test of our credibility as a community based on values and should not be subject to any political relativisation.

Mr President, I would like to thank you for this. Negotiations. Diplomacy. Conversations. We hear it all the time. Who do you want to talk to? With Putin? With a murderer? It was this attitude that led to the war. The Minsk Accords. Do you remember who was sitting at the table at the Minsk agreements? Terrorists from Donetsk and Luhansk were invited. And now you want to invite Vladimir Putin, the world's greatest terrorist, to the table. What for? To give him time to prepare for another aggression? To attack Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia or finally my country, Poland?