Debate contributions by Stefano CAVEDAGNA

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, we are here to discuss the digital euro, electronic identity and the single market for data. These are all concepts that on paper evoke progress, growth and competitiveness. But they can also be great limits for our economic space, because sometimes instruments of freedom can become instruments of real control. I am convinced that as long as we defend cash, any digital euro instrument can be sustainable, provided that, as already provided for today in the Treaties and also in the protocols, fairness is guaranteed in the use of these instruments. But I would also like to think about the theme of digital identity. It has already happened in some countries such as China that there are still evaluation scores of citizens providing individual services only under certain conditions. This type of digital identity or system of scoring The points licence has already been judged by all European courts to be harmful to freedom. And we will always protect freedom.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I am taking advantage of this debate today to denounce a serious fact, which highlights all the inconsistency of the Italian and European left. I refer, in particular, to Italy, to the Paragon case, a media storm unleashed ad hoc against the Italian government following the discovery of the use of the Graphite Spyware Possibly journalists and activists. For weeks, the Meloni government has been attacked and accused of violating fundamental rights. What we have always said is to wait for Copasir, the Parliamentary Security Committee of the Republic, to declare that, at the end of the day, what did he say? Not only that there has not been any kind of initiative by the Meloni government, but even more, that if there have been initiatives against some journalists, these were held during the previous government of Giuseppe Conte, run by the Five Star and the Democratic Party. Indeed, some colleagues put a question asking whether the Italian government was really undermining the security of our democracy. We ask that they come to the House and to the committee to apologize, because perhaps the obscurantists are others.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I am taking advantage of this debate today to denounce a serious fact, which highlights all the inconsistency of the Italian and European left. I refer, in particular, to Italy, to the Paragon case, a media storm unleashed ad hoc against the Italian government following the discovery of the use of the Graphite Spyware Possibly journalists and activists. For weeks, the Meloni government has been attacked and accused of violating fundamental rights. What we have always said is to wait for Copasir, the Parliamentary Security Committee of the Republic, to declare that, at the end of the day, what did he say? Not only that there has not been any kind of initiative by the Meloni government, but even more, that if there have been initiatives against some journalists, these were held during the previous government of Giuseppe Conte, run by the Five Star and the Democratic Party. Indeed, some colleagues put a question asking whether the Italian government was really undermining the security of our democracy. We ask that they come to the House and to the committee to apologize, because perhaps the obscurantists are others.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Europe is in economic stagnation: we have aggregate growth of less than 0.3% of GDP. This shows that the choices made to date, and also other external agents of crisis, are probably irreparably damaging our unique economy. Simplification is needed, real simplification: It is necessary to break down all this bureaucracy that we see, also caused by choices of a Community nature. A major investment in digitalisation is needed, where the European Economic Area is still lagging behind the Americas and China. And we call for genuine protection of small and micro-enterprises, which are not sufficiently mentioned in this communication. Every euro you ask companies for more bureaucracy is an extra euro that costs in the pockets of citizens. We need to understand this, to help our competitiveness and meet the needs of consumers.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, in Hungary democracy belongs to the people, as it should be in all European countries. Many scandals have touched these buildings, as you all know, starting from Qatar Gate, where it has been shown that organizations or, sometimes, even sovereign states, have undermined our democracy: It is there for all to see and investigations are underway. In Hungary, public revelations tell us that there are millions of dollars that every year arrive and end up in the pockets of some non-governmental organizations to oppose the government. Now, you ask us to stop the rules that the Hungarian people vote for, asking for transparency, but at the same time you are the same ones who vote for full transparency with respect to the goods that arrive in our economic space: double standards. You ask us where the timber for deforestation comes from but do not accept those who ask for transparency on resources that end up in the pockets of those who make politics. We want reciprocity, we all want transparency and, above all, equality.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, while there is too much talk here in Parliament about tariffs, there is a lot of talk about import taxes, there is a lot of talk about import taxes. Green Deal, we are talking about so many agents outside the European market, we forget what we are and what we must be. Unfortunately, the data is very clear. As the rest of the world grows, Europe is basically stagnating economically. It goes on thanks only to a few countries, including Italy, but growth is still modest, generalized in our continent. We want less bureaucracy, we want better simplification, we want to leave European companies free to work and compete on equal terms with the rest of the world. And I'm sure we'll do it best. We are also calling for a major investment in artificial intelligence, with real European infrastructure that allows us not to depend on the other side of the ocean or the East, which too often is more of a danger than a resource.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, unfortunately, we are seeing more and more prices for products that end up from the field to the table, to our consumers, increasing in recent years, with significant damage to all those who produce: farmers. This is because the choices made by the Green Deal by the European Commission in the previous mandate caused a steady increase in prices. While there is a certain left that talks only and exclusively about tariffs, it does not realize that if all those who have to work with the land can no longer produce it, not only producers but also consumers will pay for it. It is time to review the Green Deal. It is time to realize that agro-pharmaceuticals can serve if there are no other sustainable alternative solutions. It is appropriate to do as the Italian government is doing, which wants to change the CAP and review it fairer with less bureaucracy and really help farmers: By helping these, we will be able to have fairer and fairer prices.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I was undecided whether to speak in today's debate, because it seems to me largely a farce for what is happening. There would be talk of democratic pluralism and anti-corruption policies in Europe. And yet, a few weeks ago, the elections in Romania were cancelled: one candidate was excluded from the race, when he was first among all the polls. Does this democratic pluralism seem to you? Commissioner Breton entered the German election a few weeks ago, saying that if a party he doesn't like had been elected, he would probably have asked to cancel this election. Is this a choice of democratic pluralism for you? In France, Marine Le Pen is now declared ineligible for five years without having a final degree of judgment, so even her ability to appeal or appeal the sentence that has arrived, yet already the political sentence is final. Is this a choice of democratic pluralism for you? No, let's talk about corruption! Corruption, unfortunately, is too often within these palaces; We have seen this with the case of Qatargate – in fact, largely because of MPs who are part of the left-wing area. Money to say that women are respected in Qatar. We work for a different Europe, where there is no corruption, there is freedom and there is no fear of what comes from democratic elections.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, as you know, last July we voted against the reappointment of Ursula von der Leyen as President of the European Commission because we did not share a large part of the proposals that were in continuity with the previous mandate. The idea of moving towards a continuous decarbonization that, unfortunately, destroyed our production system. A plan like the one on the car industry that literally massacres our productivity. And a wrong choice, in our opinion, in the field of illegal immigration. But, finally, here, in the European Parliament, there is a big component: the conservative component, which can really change the future of our Europe, starting from our identities and traditions, protecting what are our founding values, believing in the plan of competitiveness and protecting our companies. Last but not least, make the choice to really defend ourselves, without talking about wars, invasion that is not what we want to do. This must be the future of Europe.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the line of the Italian Government, the Meloni Government, on illegal immigration has finally become the line of the whole of Europe. Finally, there is talk of preventing departures at origin, concluding bilateral agreements with the countries of the South of the Mediterranean to prevent those who do not have the right to asylum in Europe from leaving. And for the first time we've said what we've been saying for a long time: It is necessary to have a European return order, concluding agreements with third countries. There is someone like Ilaria Salis who calls it deportation: But we are doing nothing but defending the borders of Europe and the borders of Italy, as we have committed ourselves to the voters and as we will continue to do from now on, also at European level. We finally got something we've been saying for a long time: not only a reduction of more than 65% of departures from the Central Mediterranean but also a drastic decrease in deaths at sea. If no one leaves, no one risks their lives.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, today we have to talk about a debate of the utmost importance: the dangerous collaboration that would exist between the conservatives and the so-called extreme right. Now, we are certainly not of the extreme right, but surely those who proposed this debate have shown extreme stupidity. Why do I say that? Because while we are trying to change Europe, you continue to waste time feeding it into ideological discourses. The great truth is that it bothers you that there is someone who is tearing down the ideological choices of the world. Green Deal, such as car sector choices green, the ecological housing sector, all the damage you are creating and causing to our farmers and farms. So yes, all our proposals will find great support, certainly from those who want to save Europe and avoid its decline. Maybe you should, too.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I have a point of order pursuant to Rule 202 of our Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament. In fact, today is February 10 and in Italy, by law 92 of 2004, we celebrate the Day of Remembrance, which protects the honor of the martyrs of the foibe and the exiles of Istria, Rijeka and Dalmatia, sentenced to death and exiled for the fault of the communist brigades of the dictator Tito Yugoslav. If we want to pacify, we must remember all the victims of communism and also these, who touched my country in particular, and remember the martyrs of the foibe. For the first time there will be an exhibition here in Strasbourg.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I read a lot of hate in this House today. I understand that you had a bad Blue Monday, because many came to see the inauguration of Donald Trump and to see Giorgia Meloni as the only European leader present at that inauguration. But it cannot work that if you win it is a triumph of democracy, if the right wins the elections must be annulled. And that is why we have set up, we are setting up what is the commission that deals with combating interference from foreign states, sometimes even dangerous ones. And we all agree on that. But it cannot work that limits people's freedom of expression. The Digital Services Act was born with the aim of protecting the freedom of minors, it was born with the aim of protecting the freedom of individuals, not to shut the mouth of those who dislike you.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Europe is far from achieving what we have called energy independence, which it particularly needs. We are now seeing - recently in what have been the conflicts at Europe's doorstep - how fundamental it is for the whole of Europe and for all member countries to have a form of independence, what we have called energy sovereignty. Some countries, such as Italy, Germany and many other large countries, are unfortunately suffering this problem, a real problem, which can only be solved by investing in all possible sources. The answer is not only in renewable energy, as some in this House too often say. While you waste time talking about electric cars, while you waste time saying that we no longer need to have cattle farms that do damage to the environment, we are losing positions of energy sovereignty, and space and geopolitical weight for our continent. The answer is that of nuclear fusion, with respect to which we are approaching and with respect to which Italy, my country, has certainly given a great lesson, with two geniuses of our European history, Enrico Fermi and Enrico Mattei, the European spiritual fathers of what was the first great discovery that can really change the world and can really change the continent. This is the moment when Europe must raise its head and invest as much as possible to guarantee energy independence for all of us.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, for years we have heard of Russian trolls, Chinese hackers, dark saboteurs of the dark web. But today we find out that there are trolls even from the European Commission. According to the European Supervisor, in fact, the previous Commission targeted and promoted awareness campaigns for left-wing and progressive users, excluding Viktor Orbán, Giorgia Meloni and many other target names, to sensitize them to the support of its political proposals; This is the case in the Netherlands and probably in seven other countries of our Union. As Fratelli d'Italia we have submitted a question to ask to shed light on the situation and to control and sanction those who have had these behaviors. We will of course not accept any further invasion of individual and personal freedom. But with what face do you want to talk about the violation of democracy, at a time when it is precisely the European Commission itself that has violated it in some situations? Our answer is very clear: live the freedom, live the freedom of information, live the freedom to express their opinions and to be able to make choices, including political ones, that perhaps some will not like. Rather, we think about protecting our children and we ask the European Commission to adopt the bill presented by the Italian Parliament to limit platforms on the web, in particular TikTok, to children under 15 years of age. Those must be protected!

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the presidency of the G20 in Rio de Janeiro has addressed issues dear to Italy and also to us conservatives, in respect of which we have very clear solutions for our continent. These include, of course, the fight against hunger and poverty, the reform of global governance, the energy and ecological transition. Great work is being done by the Italian Government – the Meloni Government – in particular with the present and future choices on the Mattei Plan to combat hunger and poverty in the world. We need to invest together in what we here in Europe have called a sustainable food system.. And finally, the energy transition. We are opposed to what we have called real ecological follies that harm families and businesses on the altar of ecological transition. Instead, we want a pragmatic approach, involving the valorisation of biofuels and fusion nuclear energy. We are opposed to economic desertification and happy degrowth, which is pleasing to a certain left in this House, against which we oppose a system of concrete growth for families and businesses.

(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, just over two years have passed since the Meloni government took office in Italy and the results with regard to productivity and competitiveness of our country are clearly being seen. We no longer have a state that is the enemy of companies, of those who want to produce work but the results tell us that jobs increase, we will have a fairer tax and more opportunities to produce wealth in our country. This is the model we also want for the whole of Europe. We want fewer laws, fewer rules, less bureaucracy, which can cause damage to those who want to invest in Europe and even more in our countries of the old continent. Unfortunately, we are sad to see that a part of the left, even here in Europe, would like to increase the rules, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises, which in Italy and in Europe are instead the backbone, the backbone of our production system. Fewer rules, fairer and more equitable, less taxes, more freedom: This is the only way we can grow and be more competitive.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, a few weeks ago the European Commission published the report on the rule of law in all EU countries, including of course Italy. The Commission welcomed the justice reform being carried out in our country, the digitalisation of prosecutors' offices and the length of trials, which is gradually improving, and also applauded the national anti-corruption plan. But for the left-wing opposition, as you have just heard from the words of a colleague, there has only been talk of "Tele Meloni", as if the government were fighting the civil service and the public press. Why would the European Commission have realised this problem only now when the rules have never changed? When has RAI been literally subdivided by the PD and the Five Stars in recent years? It is enough to see which associations have been consulted: Amnesty International, Open Society Foundation, various LGBT associations and NGOs complaining about verbal aggression against them. All realities that have sided over time certainly more with the opposition than with the majority. We therefore suggest that the European Commission pay attention to the interlocutors it calls for. report not be used as a political club and an instrument of opposition.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, it is neither necessary nor sufficient to look at the merciless data of the European automotive sector, which is seeing a decrease in productivity and significant economic damage to a sector that employs some 13 million workers on our continent. Workers of whom someone is probably not interested and I turn to the left of this House. The damage of the implementation of the call "The endothermic engines of 2035" will cause the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs. Here, then, we strongly, as the Italian Government has done, as our ECR delegation does, call for an immediate review of this regulation on emissions from endothermic engines and ask for it to be amended. We ask to do this for our productive sector, driving the Italian and European economy. We ask even more for those 13 million workers that the left is no longer dealing with.

Mr Corrado, the question we want to ask is this: Why has Emilia Romagna – the land you represent and in respect of which former President Stefano Bonaccini has also just intervened – not spent all the European Regional Development Funds (ERDF) that would have been allocated by the Commission from 2014 to 2020 on climate change adaptation and the reduction of hydrogeological instability? The territory must be managed, we must not just talk about climate change.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen: I, like my colleagues, of course express my utmost solidarity with the countries affected and the relatives of the victims. Even my land, Emilia Romagna, just over a year ago was hit by a very serious flood, perhaps, unfortunately, more serious than those we see today. And we must say that a large part of what happened is due, unfortunately, to the lack of prevention of the territory by a radical-chic environmental mentality, from the living room, which has governed us in recent years. Rivers need to be dredged, riverbeds need to be built, rivers need to be cleaned. Choices must also be made at European level and they must be financed – including by the Commission and the Union – to protect territories, but it must be ensured that the approach is not ideological: the territory must be managed, man must manage the land and nature and not approach it with a mentality exclusively of an ideological nature.

(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the Digital Services Act, also known as the Digital Services Act, was intended to limit the abuses of large companies to the detriment of consumers, to the detriment of the weakest and to the detriment of users of web platforms. But too often, unfortunately, we have noticed how, with the excuse of fighting disinformation, the spread of hate and the spread of fake news, in reality this purpose was used to silence, literally to shut up, like a political club, a gag, all those who expressed ideas that, according to those who governed, were not appropriate. Here, then, we cannot fail to notice what happened with the letter that Commissioner Breton - who, I say right away, we will not miss - sent a few weeks ago to Elon Musk, at Platform X, to limit the possibility of talking about Presidential candidate Donald Trump, but this applies to many other realities. We will fight for freedom of expression and we will always do so, including here.

Madam President, dear colleagues, I will speak in Italian, my mother tongue, and also, I think, the right language to do this speech. Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, il 19 luglio 1992 ha trovato la morte Paolo Borsellino, assieme alla sua scorta. La vogliamo ringraziare, signora Presidente, come gruppo di Fratelli d'Italia-ECR, per aver citato, nel suo discorso di insediamento, quello che noi consideriamo un eroe nazionale. Vorrei rivolgermi alle giovani generazioni, perché proprio Paolo Borsellino diceva che se la gioventù negherà il consenso alla mafia, questa svanirà come un incubo. Ed è per questo che rivolgo un invito a tutti i colleghi, a questo Parlamento e a tutte le istituzioni europee in generale, per combattere ancora più strenuamente la mafia e tutte le criminalità organizzate. Lo dobbiamo a Paolo, lo dobbiamo a tutti coloro che sono morti per la libertà, lo dobbiamo ai popoli europei, lo dobbiamo alla libertà dei nostri giovani.