Debate contributions by Marco SQUARTA

Madam President, we all agree that minors must be protected online, but we cannot use this as a reason to create a central system that tells everyone how young people should access the digital world. This problem is complex, a single European solution could become even more complicated and intrusive. A fixed digital age or strict automatic tools cannot replace the role of parents, teachers and adults. Limiting access might help, but it is not enough. Real protection comes from guidance, education, and strong support for families. If you want a safer digital online space, we must start from people, not from one uniform system. We need balance, not more distance between rules and everyday life. Protecting minors is not about technology alone, it is about responsibility and trust.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, a true hope has opened up in the Middle East, not a dream, a hope built with courage, thanks to the leadership of Donald Trump and the determination also of Giorgia Meloni, the only Italian woman at that historic table, who chose the path of realism, not of ideological illusions. He has won the line of courage, the one that puts security and peace before propaganda. Now, however, is Europe's time. We can't just applaud from afar. We must be there, act, count, be protagonists of this new season of peace, present on the territory in a NATO framework, to guarantee security, support humanitarian aid and guide reconstruction. Only in this way will Europe once again be what it should be: a force of peace, freedom and hope in the world.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the plan proposed by President Trump is today the only light in the darkness of a conflict that, since 7 October, has sown pain and destruction. It is a concrete plan that Italy, and with the strength of Giorgia Meloni, supports because it represents the only way to a lasting peace and to put an end to this absurd war. We cannot ignore that the tragedy began with Hamas violence, but we cannot turn a blind eye to Israeli responses that have proven disproportionate and unacceptable. This is why Europe has a duty today: courageously support the peace plan and do not be distracted by dangerous and instrumental initiatives, such as flotillas or various demonstrations, which do not help the Palestinian people at all, but exploit their suffering to gain visibility and recover consensus that they no longer have in Italy and in Europe. Europe cannot choose propaganda, it must choose responsibility. We choose peace, not the exploitation of pain.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, if we want a truly competitive Europe, we must invest in people, in training and in research. University alliances are a valuable tool, but they cannot remain the privilege of a few large academic poles: They must also involve the universities of the middle cities, of the inner areas, of the territories that make up the wealth of our continent. This is why we asked for less bureaucracy, criteria based on merit and quality, more space for STEM disciplines and digital skills, a direct link with the labour market. This creates real opportunities, stops the brain drain and restores hope to young people. Only in this way can universities become engines of development and identity, rooted in our community and at the service of a free, strong and competitive Europe.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, in Gaza we are no longer witnessing a conflict, but the progressive annihilation of a helpless population: children killed, mothers in tears, hospitals reduced to rubble. Images that cannot be justified in the name of defense. Hamas remains a terrorist organization, on October 7 it left an indelible wound. The hostages must be released immediately, but we cannot accept that the response becomes collective punishment. Italy with "Food for Gaza" has shown that solidarity can be translated into concrete gestures: tons of aid sent, children welcomed and cared for. This is an example that Europe must take up without delay. Now we need a single voice, authoritative and decisive, calling for a ceasefire, the protection of civilians and the release of all hostages. Only a strong Europe can contribute to lasting peace, with two peoples living in two States, free and secure in dignity and humanity.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, today's Europe is old, slow and caged, living in a world that no longer exists. As the United States and China run, we stand still, blocked by rules and bureaucracy that stifle everything. So we lose competitiveness, so we lose jobs, so we lose the future: Businesses can no longer invest, young people run away, families can no longer make it. We need a different Europe: fewer cards, fewer bans, more courage and more real investments. A Europe that gives oxygen to those who produce, to those who work, to those who maintain our society. I do not accept this weak and distant Europe, I want a leading, concrete Europe, capable of defending its people, because, if it does not change now, Europe will not lead the future, it will remain crushed and irrelevant. This is the real challenge: A Europe that does not trap but that finally invests in its future.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, on 7 October there was a deep wound: Israel was hit by a bloody, cowardly attack. Hamas is a terrorist organization that must be dismantled, as well as any force that dreams of wiping Israel off the map. But we can't ignore other images: Lifeless Palestinian children, mothers in the rubble, mutilated, starving boys, stacked bodies and food distributed as if dignity were a luxury. One cannot remain indifferent in the face of all this. Europe has a moral duty to raise its voice, act and mediate. I ask Israel: Stop the bombing immediately. I ask Hamas: Release the hostages immediately. Let's stop this spiral that kills innocents. Only two peoples with two states will be able to look at each other no longer with fear, but with respect. Only in this way will any mother, Israeli or Palestinian, be able to stop fearing that her child's future is a grave.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, this report seeks to convert the European Investment Bank into a political spending instrument, moving it away from its original mission: finance sound, productive and market-based projects. In 2024, the EIB reportedly earmarked more than 50% of its investments – €50.7 billion – for climate projects: This is a clear symptom of an ideological approach, a child of the Green Deal, which risks making the EIB more of a propaganda tool than a policy tool. The results? Often disappointing: projects green inefficient, funds granted to unsustainable industrial agriculture, initiatives blocked or postponed, as in the case of energy infrastructure in Africa. Even at the international level there is no strategic vision, no reference is made to any coordinated action with national policies, such as the Mattei plan promoted by the Italian government. We need a serious, autonomous and well-invested EIB, not an ideological bank, but a bank useful to real Europe.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the European Court of Auditors has been clear: the Commission’s 2023 budget shows serious waste and inefficiencies. We are talking about errors in spending of 5.6%: €543 billion of outstanding commitments, the highest level ever recorded, and loan-related debt reaching €458 billion, or 2.7% of EU GDP. It is paradoxical: very strict constraints are imposed on the Member States with the Stability Pact, but the Union does not apply the same rigour to itself. We need a clear and courageous political choice: streamlining European spending and, at the same time, easing the rigidities that stifle national strategic investments. We cannot talk about growth and cohesion if we do not guarantee flexibility, responsibility and a virtuous use of every euro of public resources. The challenge of the future is this: Less constraint and more growth.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Europe cannot afford to train talent who will then choose to build their future elsewhere. If we really want a union of skills, we must create the conditions for study, training and work to be instruments of real growth for people and for our economies. Today, the problem is not only training, but the value we give to skills. An engineer, a doctor, a researcher, a qualified technician in Europe often earn less, have less career prospects and live in a more penalizing tax system than their colleagues in other parts of the world. So the question is simple: Why would they stay? The European Union must act on three fronts: wages appropriate to competence and responsibility, competitive working conditions, incentives for those who choose to stay or return. If we can mobilise billions for rearmament, we must be equally determined to invest in people, because without talent and expertise there will be no European sovereignty.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the Digital Services Act could have been a crucial step in balancing the digital market, protecting citizens and guaranteeing opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises in a context dominated by Big Tech. However, recent interpretations of its provisions show how the boundary between regulation and the imposition of unique narratives can become increasingly blurred. I therefore ask myself: Does ensuring a fair and secure online environment necessarily mean fostering excessive control dynamics that are too similar to censorship? Freedom of expression is a non-negotiable principle and we will fight against any attempt to turn digital regulation into a tool to impose one-size-fits-all thinking or stifle uncomfortable opinions. It is essential to present ourselves as a beacon of balance between innovation and freedom, leading the digital transformation without giving in to centralization drifts. Only then can we build a digital future that protects our core values while affirming Europe's global leadership.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the fight against disinformation is a crucial and urgent challenge. We live in an age where platforms like TikTok and social networks are redefining our public space, profoundly influencing debate and the formation of public opinion. Yet the European Union is still not investing enough in media education, an essential tool to prepare our young people to recognise, analyse and interpret information critically. But there is more: platforms must be accountable, especially during electoral periods, but without turning this responsibility into a hypertrophic control that stifles innovation and free initiative. The response to disinformation cannot and must never result in a cultural dictatorship: In the name of security, we too often see drifts that lead to ideological censorship or the restriction of freedom of expression. The European Union must not be the supreme judge of truth, because it is precisely in plurality, even the most difficult to accept, that lies the strength of our European democracy.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, we are at a crucial crossroads: The West finally recognizes the threat that comes from hostile states. And I'm not just talking about politics, I'm talking about a fundamental aspect of our national security: protecting our research and innovation. European universities are a bulwark for global innovation, but cultural diplomacy can mask much darker intents. A country like China, in fact, has managed to secretly drain valuable scientific and technological knowledge (Some inaudible words) Geopolitics. It is no longer a question of ideology, but of security. That is why Europe must act firmly. We must adopt strict guidelines to monitor and manage international trade, protect our sensitive technologies and encourage the sharing of good security practices among universities. Protecting our know-how is an imperative, a battle that transcends political colour because it is a battle for our scientific and technological sovereignty. It is time to defend what is ours.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the European Court of Auditors' report on the EU budget for 2023 is a wake-up call that we cannot ignore: an error rate in spending of close to 6% and a public debt of €458 billion. This is not acceptable and must be a reason for reflection to ask for an account of how taxpayers' money is spent. While citizens are being burdened by increasingly stringent rules – I am thinking of electric cars, homes green o budgetary constraints – the Union continues to show inadequate management of funds. These figures require stricter controls and, above all, a stronger responsibility on the part of the European institutions. We can no longer accept that the sacrifices of our citizens are thwarted by inefficient financial management. To this end, it is essential, therefore, to work closely with the other EU institutions and the Member States, ensuring a sound budget that maintains the trust of citizens and investors and allows the Union to face the growing challenges we face.