Debate contributions by Carlo CICCIOLI

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, drones and new war systems are not experimental, futuristic technologies. They are already at the center of the current conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, the Red Sea. The strategic advantage belongs to those who control low-altitude airspace and integrate drones, cyber and artificial intelligence, quickly producing on a large scale. Recent conflicts have given us a clear lesson: Drones have reduced the costs of war, increased lethality, made even the great powers vulnerable, but also reduced the number of losses of attackers. A drone of a few thousand euros can destroy a tank, hit critical infrastructure, paralyze a port and a military base. So deterrence passes through here today. Europe remains vulnerable due to technological dependence, industrial fragmentation and also delays on military artificial intelligence. We must adapt, anti-drone defense must become a strategic property, we must move from prototypes to industrial production. The ethics remain: Human control must remain central. If Europe imposes rigid limits on itself, while others advance unscrupulously and unconstrainedly, we risk disarming ourselves. Here, too, pragmatism is needed, not ideology.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the new Europe is a historic necessity. The world wars of the twentieth century have tarnished and marginalized it. European balances have shifted from our area to the Atlantic Ocean, to the Pacific Ocean. The European Union is weak: There are 450 million people compared to 1.4 billion in India, 1.420 million in China, 1.550 million in Africa. The European Union would have another weight, another context, if it were a Europe of 450 million of Europe let's call it Western and 250 million of Russia and neighboring states. We need to think again, without thinking about the current governments. We must not take into account that there is this or that leader, this or that government, because I have listened to so many very hostile speeches against Trump. This is very clear: has broken the balance that emerged from the Second World War, since 1945. That is why there is a total change.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I will of course not repeat what has been said, we only hope that the Iranian regime will have the hours counted, not just simple protests are underway, but a real revolution of courage. However, we must remember where this regime was born in '79: a revolt against the Shah, accused of being too Westernized, then continued with the physical elimination of all political groups, which had also participated in that revolution, both the moderates and the more ideological ones, such as the Mujahideen of the people. In these years there have been 130 000 executions, in these 47 years: an average of 2 500 executions per year, in good years only a thousand, in bad years 4-5 000. The company is completely controlled by a military militia, the Pasdaran, and a civilian militia, the Basij. A fellow MEP from the last legislature, Vidal-Quadras, was ... there was an assassination attempt by these paramilitary organisations. Peaceful attempts were made with the 2009 Green Wave. Here, I would like to conclude with this: Let's hope there's a showdown, some...

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the 2026 work programme tells us about defence, resilience and major transformations. All right, but I'm wondering: Is there a Plan B for Ukraine if, hopefully, peace returns? Rearmament is good, essential to restore dignity and security to Europeans: But we can't just keep planning the fight. We also need a strategy for reconstruction, diplomacy, peace. Otherwise, we risk being unprepared when we have to drive it. In this House, I hear only about major projects and transitions. All very nice but without concrete resources remain dreams. If we really want a Europe that delivers on its promises, we must attract large international capital. And this will only be possible by reducing bureaucracy, simplifying procedures and making the European market competitive, as argued in the Draghi report. And we've all figured that out. Finally, on the subject of rearmament: Military mobility is good, but it is crucial to invest in dual-use infrastructure, such as completing European rail networks, strengthening not only defence but also logistics.

(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, psychopathology is the only disease that suffers massively, almost totally, from social and cultural aspects. On World Mental Health Day, we are called to reflect on how socio-economic factors profoundly affect people's mental well-being. Affective deprivation, isolation, early school leaving and the disintegration of families generate a void of references and positive models to imitate. It is precisely there that discomfort is born, fertile ground for mental and social drift. When there are no healthy historical gathering places, such as parishes, sports centers and voluntary associations, surrogates are sought: virtual communication, without real contact, and destructive aggregations in the squares, between violence, drug dealing and addictions. Drugs thus become a paradoxical form of normalization of existential emptiness and psychological pain. Mental health, then, is not just an individual issue, but deeply cultural and community. We must rebuild bonds and relationships, offer positive models and restore meaning and belonging. Just as the family should take care of its offspring, grow up and educate them with love and responsibility, so too must society take charge of its members. By supporting families and strengthening communities, we could truly build a healthy society, capable of preventing hardship and generating hope. This is what I say as a psychiatrist who has worked for over twenty-five years in the public service.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I proclaimed myself a friend of the Iranian people but, after ten years of suspension, the European Union has finally decided to reintroduce sanctions against the Iranian regime. It is a right, necessary and morally necessary decision. Tehran's nuclear ambitions and activities violate international commitments and threaten the security of the entire Middle East and Europe itself. Do we want to talk about Hezbollah, Hamas, the attack on former MEP Vidal-Quadras in 2023, former Vice-President of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2014? With these measures, the European Union shows that it no longer accepts the deception and arrogance of a regime that uses dialogue only to buy time and repress its own people. The sanctions, I want to emphasize, are not against Iran, but against those who oppress it. They are a political and moral signal against a power that imprisons, tortures, kills dissidents and women who demand freedom. The real war, from the beginning, is the one between the regime and the Iranian people, especially against women. As Maryam Rajavi, president of Iran's National Resistance Council, recalled, the Iranian crisis is not resolved by complacency or war. The way is change. We are in the right choices. I would like to emphasise that I support this necessary decision by the European Union.

(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I arrived in Europe with great enthusiasm, thinking that we could discuss here with honesty, bringing the voice of my territories and making it clear, even to the most ideologues, that laws cannot be made with total disconnection from reality. I soon realized that in this Parliament politics counts for nothing, decisions are not taken by us, but by the European Commission, politicised, ideological, which does not assess impacts, which ignores citizens and businesses, which is absolutely self-referential. The sector ofautomotive This is the symbol of this failed approach. It puts millions of jobs and industries at risk, penalises consumers, reduces Europe to dependence on other countries. We demand to focus on innovation, on technological freedom, on research and not on bureaucracy and the dictatorship of obtuse rules. We need a real, profound change, an aggressive cultural revolution that leads to the recovery of Europe, which is in the hands of officials who, for decades, think they can change it with arrogance. This time is over.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, we must be clear: Europe in the Middle East is in fact non-existent, it has no capacity for dialogue, neither as the European Union nor as individual states. Certainly, the problems in the Middle East have ancient, historical and cultural roots. The most radical Islam cultivates the idea of erasing the Jewish presence and the State of Israel is seen as an intolerable provocation. Around this open wound, ideologies of hatred, networks of terrorism and covert funding have been built. The October 7 attack revealed Israel's vulnerability, and there arose the belief that the only response is to annihilate all the bases of terrorism and those who feed them. This is the logic behind the operations against Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis. Let's face it: As long as the Islamic Republic of Iran – which arms, trains and finances terrorist groups – exists, there will be no real peace. We need a unequivocal position of the West, with the European Union and the United States aligned. An act of self-awareness is also necessary: Israel must give itself clear rules of protection for civilian populations. But the choice is only one: Either the West regains compactness and courage to impose its strong vision or it will leave room for hatred and terrorism for decades to come.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Montenegro is a strategic nation for the accession to the European Union of the entire Western Balkans, which represent the completion of the eastern side of the European area. It is the most advanced country on its path to accession, with 33 negotiating chapters open and six already closed, and thus demonstrates a strong commitment to reforms. It is a key state of the EUSAIR strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian macro-region, where I also live. Its ports, in particular Bar, represent a crucial junction for the economic integration and energy security of the entire area. Freight traffic is expected to grow by 30% by 2030. Since 2014, the country has already benefited from over 200 million euros of European funds, with direct repercussions on tourism, maritime transport, energy transition. Tourism accounts for around 25% of national GDP. Reforms must be pursued with determination, of course: justice, media freedom, protection of minorities and fight against corruption. We must not be afraid. Its accession will not only strengthen the country, but will serve as a stepping stone to the security, prosperity and cohesion of the entire Balkan region.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, no one should be left behind: The Commission has been trying to reassure us for years. Not only has someone been left behind, but entire families and territories have been overwhelmed by a wave of closures, relocations and layoffs. In my Marche region, in central Italy, we are witnessing a real industrial decline. The Beko brand, formerly Indesit Whirpool, a leader in household appliances, has announced redundancies in its factories in Fabriano and Comunanza, transferring many productions to Turkey. The Caterpillar of Jesi, despite recording profits every year, has closed and moved production to Mexico. The Fabriano paper mills, the historic symbol of our manufacture, have abandoned a production line. These are not mere business crises but the symptom of a Europe that no longer knows how to protect its productive and employment fabric. Companies relocate elsewhere because they find better business conditions, less bureaucracy, a certain regulatory framework, affordable energy and more investment incentives. Either Europe changes course or its decline will be irreversible. We need to defend work, industry and our community.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, today's resolution is a great step forward in condemning executions in Iran and opposing the death penalty. However, the human rights crisis requires much more than words: We must act to end the impunity enjoyed by the theocratic regime in all its forms of brutal repression. Between 900 and 1 000 executions in 2024 alone: Just last week, Amnesty International urged the Iranian authorities to halt the planned executions of Behrouz Ehsani, 69, and Mehdi Hassani, 48, who were sentenced to death. Their cases highlight the regime's brutal crackdown on political dissent and we call for the executions of all prisoners to be halted. The solution is to stand with the Iranian people in their quest for freedom and support the "No to Executions" campaign. The solution for Iran is clear. The roadmap of the future free Iran was presented by the president of the National Council of Resistance to the last Parliament. We must stand with the Iranian people.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I am trying to make a contribution to the problem as a doctor working in this field. First of all, there is generally a lot of confusion, because on the one hand there are the so-called total disabled people – there are quite established policies of assistance and overcoming architectural barriers, the principals and all the facilities in the sector – but then there is the majority of disabled people, instead, who are people who are partially skilled and have their very intense everyday life, which is empty!, the most terrible thing is the sense of emptiness. So, what a person accomplishes is work. We must aim to be able to give these people work, but it is difficult to give them work, because it conflicts – I am talking, I do not know, of a manager of a public office, of a company: Giving these people work, which they obviously do in a way that is inferior to most people, is problematic. So the key measure that we as Europe need to deliver is a contribution of abatement in their wages: I say randomly – but it has to be assessed – 50 % or 30 % is to be paid by the European Union and the rest by the company or office that hires.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I had prepared a one-minute speech, but I find myself in most of the speeches that have been made here. So it is absolutely useless to repeat the things of others, because we all share the idea that drug trafficking is absolutely transnational, that unscrupulous methods are used, that there is a public safety problem for the rivalry between various gangs, murders, social instability and everything else. However, the central problem I would like to talk about is this: We have to break the cycle. I heard a colleague say these words. Well, to break the cycle it is necessary to declare a real emergency, as was the Covid emergency. So here I speak as a psychiatrist who for half of his career was the director of the Department of Pathological Addiction of my health company of 500 000 inhabitants. The lives of hundreds of thousands of people are compromised by substance use, with a trail of mental deterioration and chronicity. Then recovery is important, on which I have always fought, but it is essential to recognize that the only effective strategy is that of repression. Because otherwise it's like emptying the sea with a bucket. It is necessary to block the operators of the drug store in detention facilities to prevent recurrences, which are statistically proven. And here we need to put in place new European regulations and also international agreements. Very rare, it is very rare, that criminals do not repeat themselves for hundreds of times before being blocked, because they are both drug dealers and consumers, and therefore it is not possible to deal with this emergency with traditional methods.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I am following up on the speech by my colleague Mr Inselvini in my capacity as a psychiatrist. The fight against drugs can take place through the fight against the large criminal networks that manage the distribution and distribution of drugs, but above all by combating the significant problem of labour, whose recruitment takes place above all among young people, in suburban ghettos, where school dropouts and non-employment dominate, among irregular immigrants and unaccompanied minors, among the children of unintegrated second-generation immigrants, in families lacking present and educational parental figures, and in the existential distress of the children of rich, bourgeois or sub-proletarian families who engage in anti-social conduct. The contrast must, in my opinion, be tackled through four actions: projects against the educational emergency of young people and against drug use; volunteering and sport start-up projects; school projects aimed at educational growth; repression and re-education against illegal antisocial conduct of young people, from bullying to baby gangs, also with new regulations. It is a cry of alarm and awareness to Europe. We are losing an important segment of the new generations, who risk dangerous existential and psychic consequences.