Debate contributions by Arkadiusz MULARCZYK

Dear President, Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. In its 2023 report on the breach of the rule of law in Poland, the European Commission referred, for example, to Pablo Gonzalez, an alleged Spanish journalist who is unlawfully detained and detained by the government in Poland. This example is mentioned in the report of the European Commission. As it turned out, Pablo Gonzalez's name is not Gonzalez, but his name is Pablo Rubcov and he is a Russian spy who was mentioned in the famous exchange of spies, and Vladimir Putin himself greeted him at the Moscow airport. I would like to ask you, Commissioner, whether you have taken any action to remove this name, this example, from the report of the European Commission, which pointed to alleged breaches of the rule of law in Poland. This is one of the drastic examples of how disinformation prevailed in the previous European Commission and how this Russian disinformation was used to attack a government where I was also Deputy Foreign Minister.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Sudan is in one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent decades. The war between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary rapid support forces is causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians, famine and mass displacement. More than half of the country's population needs urgent humanitarian assistance. This conflict is not only a tragedy for Sudan, it is also a great threat to the security of Africa, but also for Europe. Instability in North-East Africa opens the way for extremists and human smugglers, and successive waves of refugees fleeing violence and hunger will seek refuge in Europe. That is why we must act decisively. Maintain sanctions and impose them on those responsible for the conflict. To eradicate corruption from humanitarian aid and support the political process under the auspices of the UN and the African Union, and to combat the illicit flow of arms and the financing of the parties to the conflict. Peace in Sudan means more security for Africa and thus more security for Europe.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Today, we largely agree that a country that causes war is obliged to pay war reparations. And this word "war reparations" comes from many mouths here, and it also comes from the mouth of the European Commission. It goes without saying that an aggressor who murders, plunders, displaces, resettles must pay for his crimes. The European Union therefore applies standards of international law to a country that is not a member of the European Union. So I have a question, Commissioner: How is it that the European Union, the European Commission, does not apply the same standards to its own members? After all, two years ago Poland applied for war reparations to Germany. Four years ago, Greece also requested war reparations to Germany. Why won't the European Commission address this issue? Why not create a fund for the victims of World War II who still live in Poland, Greece, Italy or the Balkan countries? The European Commission turns its head away from this. Why is that? I ask you, Commissioner: Will you have the courage to say why? We demand the same rights and standards for the members of the European Union.

Honourable Member, I was very surprised to hear you speak in which you question Ukraine's right to reparations by taking over frozen Russian funds. Russia has unlawfully attacked Ukraine, caused great damage, murdered tens of thousands of people, and caused great damage to Ukraine's infrastructure and buildings. So what punishment should Russia bear for this illegal attack on Ukraine?

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, I'm sorry. It is good that today we are debating freedom of the press and the persecution of journalists. However, today, during this debate, I have the impression of the double standards that the European Commission applies to different countries. Two years ago, an unprecedented situation occurred in Poland: Donald Tusk's government unlawfully took over public media, Polish Television, Polish Radio and the Polish Press Agency. To this day, Polish Television is in a state of liquidation, and the Tusk government allocates PLN 3 billion to the functioning of television in bankruptcy. Former Minister of Culture Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz, present here in this Chamber, unlawfully, in violation of the law, took over the public media in Poland. There was no reaction from the European Commission or debate in the European Parliament. Moreover, conservative media journalists are not allowed to attend Donald Tusk's government press conferences. We don't see any reaction. Report on the suppression of freedom of expression in Poland. There is no response from the European Commission. Ladies and Gentlemen, these double standards of action of the European Commission are unacceptable to us.

Dear Member, In connection with the European arrest warrant issued by the tribunal in Karlsruhe against a Ukrainian citizen in Poland suspected of blowing up Nord Stream, a gas pipeline built by Russia and Germany, I have a question: Do you think that prosecuting a person who is suspected of blowing up this pipeline is a proper action of the German justice system? If this Ukrainian really blew up Nord Stream, it was an imperial project that served German-Russian cooperation and was against Ukraine and Central Europe, especially Poland and the Baltic states. Don't you think that's not the right thing to do for the German government?

Mr President, thank you very much. The High House! The recent earthquakes in Afghanistan are a reminder of the dramatic situation of women in the country. Today, thousands of families, women and children are left homeless. However, their problems are systemic and not new. The ban on humanitarian action is just the tip of the iceberg. The unimaginable consequences for us Europeans of Afghan women are also the result of the chaotic withdrawal of Americans from Afghanistan under Joe Biden's presidency. Today, of course, we don't know what happened or what President Trump would have done, but he certainly wouldn't have let the Taliban take over $7 billion worth of military equipment or squander the entire international community of the last two decades. During this time, the Taliban hid in caves in the mountains, and Kabul residents, including women, could benefit from education and other goods of civilization. For a year and a half before the evacuation, the US army did not suffer losses. An entire generation of Afghans grew up, abandoned and at the mercy of radical Islamists. Geopolitics hates the vacuum, rash decisions always have disastrous consequences.

Mr President, thank you very much. Today we are talking about the dramatic situation of Colombia, which has been terrorised by international cartels. A symbolic event in this context is the assassination of Senator Miguel Uribe, who wanted to run for president. His death perfectly illustrates how far the influence of Latin American criminal organizations extends. The activity of cartels is not limited to the Western Hemisphere. It is also increasingly having a negative impact on Europe's security. Today, de los Soles cartels work with countries hostile to the transatlantic community, including China, Russia and Iran. The money raised from the criminal activities of cartels feeds the budgets of our geopolitical opponents, and their activities increasingly threaten the security of our citizens. Just a few days ago, Polish services arrested two members of the Mexican Sinaloa cartel. According to widely accepted calculations, the scale of global cartel profits and turnover is in the order of one and a half trillion to two trillion 200 billion dollars per year. By comparison, it is about 5% of the world's annual GDP. To meet this geopolitical challenge, Europe must work closely with the United States. In this context, the recognition of the de los Soles cartel as a terrorist organisation will be an important step.

Madam President, I'm sorry. The High House! We are witnessing with concern a wave of violence against peaceful demonstrators in Serbia. Since last autumn, the use of force against citizens opposing the government's decision is unacceptable to us. The Balkans is a region where Russia has a strong presence today, but also China. Our support for the pro-European spirit of the societies, not only of Serbia, but also of the whole Balkan Six, is crucial and very important. However, we cannot believe that the European Union is not without fault. The Western Balkans have been on the road to membership for too long, and the lack of a clear time horizon clearly applauds those who want to destabilise the region at the heart of the European continent. We must clearly state our solidarity with the people of Serbia, support their European aspirations and firmly say no to violence against protesters.

Madam President, Commissioner! The High House! I want to refer to a historical issue, which also has to do with cohesion policy. In the 40th year, by Herman Göring's decree, the Union of Poles in Germany was outlawed and nationalized. Dozens of Poles were murdered and their property was plundered by Nazi Germany. And to this day, despite the passage of 80 years, the Germans do not want to return this property. They do not want to rehabilitate the activists of the Union of Poles in Germany. Despite the fact that almost 2 million Poles live in Germany, Germany does not want to recognize that it is a minority, a Polish minority. Therefore, they do not allocate funds for learning Polish, and there is no information in Polish in German offices. Commissioner, I hope that you will turn to the German Chancellor and ask what is happening to the Union of Poles in Germany and why Germany does not want to settle the property stolen during World War II.

Dear Colleague, I am extremely astonished by your speech. You care about several thousand Silesians who do not have access to the Silesian language, and I want to ask you about one million Poles in Germany – more than one million Poles who work hard for your economy there. Do these Poles have the right to learn Polish in German schools? Are there any inscriptions in Polish in German offices? And finally: When will the Germans return the property of the Polish heritage, which was looted in Germany, to the Polish organizations that were robbed by the Goering Decree? Please answer me, my friend from Germany.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Twenty years after the enlargement of the European Union, we still have systemic inequality between the countries of Central Europe – those that joined the European Union – and the countries of the old Union. Farm subsidies and investment subsidies are still higher for farmers of the old EU, lower for farmers in Central Europe, for example in Poland. It is time to end this systemic injustice. The second thing we are deeply opposed to is hitting farmers in central Europe, especially in Poland. The agreement you are currently negotiating, the Mercosur agreement, will lead to a gigantic influx of cheap, uncontrolled food into the European Union, as will the opening of trade with Ukraine, both of which are devastating for farmers in Central Europe. Commissioner, if you lead to the destruction of agriculture in the European Union, it will be your conscious decision. Ursula von der Leyen should therefore be dismissed.

Madam Member of Parliament! I am writing to you as a representative of a country that is pushing through the Mercosur agreement – importing cheap food from four South American countries. You represent a country that is pushing for a free trade agreement with Ukraine. So how do you want to preserve agriculture in Europe if Europe is flooded with cheap products from Ukraine and cheap products from South America? After all, the policy of your country will lead to the destruction of agriculture in the European Union.

Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. The High House! We expect the new budget of the European Union after 2027 to be based on the principles of fairness, transparency and equal treatment. Meanwhile, in recent years we have seen a worrying phenomenon of politicisation of funding mechanisms in the European Union. My country, Poland, has not received EU funds for more than two years due to alleged breaches of the rule of law. No one other than Ursula von der Leyen, present here, imposed milestones on the Polish government, which were to be implemented in order to unlock EU funds. And also, Ladies and Gentlemen, after the parliamentary elections won by Donald Tusk, his nominee, Commissioner Serafin, Commissioner for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, who is present here. The budget received these funds despite not fulfilling any of the conditions fulfilled in the milestones. The rule of law has not been restored, yet the funds have been directed to Poland. Commissioner, are EU funds...

Madam President, I'm sorry. For decades, we have heard that the situation in the Middle East is so complicated and nuanced that it is almost impossible to achieve lasting peace there. The policy of Donald Trump under the sign of peace by force has put the lie to this thesis and brought results at an unprecedented pace. Western leaders need to understand one principle: Middle Eastern countries have different laws and values than Western democracies. For the Ayatollahs in Iran, attempts to make concessions are proof of weakness and indecision, as evidenced by the fatal agreement to control Iran's nuclear weapons development program under President Obama. As a result, if we had another White House host today, as Ursula von der Leyen would have wanted, the prospect of one of the world's worst regimes having the most lethal weapons would have been very real. Fortunately, instead of this black scenario, we have a weakened Iran and the potential to expand the number of members of the Abrahamic Accords. President Trump deserved the Nobel Prize.

Unlike you, I have two adult children who I have tried to raise according to values close to me and my country – Christian, Catholic values. I am saddened to see how difficult it is today to raise children based on Christian values. And I do not agree that LGBT propaganda is forcibly pushed into European schools, into kindergartens and forcibly changes the brains of young children and young Europeans, young Poles. We don't agree to that. Today, Europe is facing a demographic crisis. Focus on family policy, on promoting family and fertility in Europe, rather than promoting LGBT.

Mr President, thank you very much. Let's start with the fact that today's debate should have a different name. It does not concern freedom of assembly, but the freedom to see public exposure and depravity. To highlight this to the honourable Commission, I would like to recall scenes from similar parades that took place a few days ago in Warsaw. I would like to add that the would-be president of Poland Rafał Trzaskowski participated in these parades, who during the presidential election campaign cut himself sharply from LGBT movements, being aware of how unpopular these actions are in our country, Poland. Let's move on to what the LGBT parade in Warsaw looked like a few days ago. The parade was attended by half-naked men who, in the presence of children, performed activities about which decency prohibits talking in this hall. There were also men dressed as caricatured versions of women, so-called drag queens. The greatest furor, however, dear state, was made by Satanists, including a person dressed as a demon, whose horns were replaced by an imitation of the feet of an aborted child. So I ask you, European Commission, are these European values? Do you promote these values in the countries of the European Union? Of course, you try to impose them only outside the pre-election time.

Madam President, I'm sorry. The European Union was built on the ruins of Europe, which was destroyed by German Nazis and Russian communists. Yesterday in Berlin, the German government erected a stone. It is to be a commemoration and reparation that the Germans are implementing towards Poland. Poland, which demands that the German state pay compensation, reparations and reparations for the consequences of World War II. Commissioner, I have already asked you two questions about what you intend to do regarding the opening of court proceedings for the victims of World War II, who in Poland, Greece and other countries do not have access to court. Your censorship and evaluation of your work is whether you can stand up to the Germans and enforce the rule of law against them, so that Germany will account for the effects of World War II on Poland, Greece and other victims. A stone in Berlin is not enough.

Thank you very much, Mr MEP, for reminding the High House of the European Parliament here what standards the European Commission applies to Poland. As we all know, European measures were withheld from the previous government, the conservative government, Prime Minister Morawiecki, due to deficiencies in the rule of law. At that time, the milestones that this government was supposed to implement were set. The funds were blocked. After the change of government and winning elections by the current coalition led by Mr Tusk, the funds were unlocked. What changes have taken place in Poland, Mr MEP, at the time when funds are blocked once and funds are released after the elections?

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, I'm sorry. The High House! World War II is still an unsettled card in European relations. My country, Poland, suffered unimaginable losses as a result of the German aggression: 6 million murdered Polish citizens. 11 million had to emigrate. Fifty percent of the territory that Poland has lost. 40% of the GDP that has been destroyed. Millions of cripples, millions of orphans, 200,000 Germanized children. Two million Poles were expelled for forced labour. Millions of Poles who died in concentration camps as a result of diseases. The Germans never paid for their war crimes. It is a challenge for the European Union not to turn a blind eye to this issue, because both Poland and Greece are demanding war reparations from Germany. I, Commissioner, will report on the Polish war losses. I expect the European Union to create a mechanism to encourage Germany to talk about paying compensation to Poland and Greece. Do not turn your eyes or head away from it.

I have a question whether you are aware that currently Polish victims of World War II do not have access to court proceedings, do not have the possibility to pursue claims? I know personally such victims injured by your grandparents, great-grandparents. Are you aware that Germany has never concluded any agreement with Poland on the repair of damages and reparation for the victims? Are you aware that the Germans did not pay anything to the Polish victims or to Poland? Aren't you, the Germans, ashamed? Isn't it embarrassing for the European Union to turn its head away from this issue?

I was astonished to hear you say that we should be grateful to the Red Army. My nation, after the end of World War II, fell into the occupation of the Red Army. 200,000 Poles fought in the underground army against the occupation. Dozens of Polish patriots were martyred, murdered in prisons, buried in forests by the Red Army. Do you not know the history of World War II? Aren't you ashamed to say that the Red Army liberated Europe?