Speeches

Madam President, since the beginning of Putin's war against Ukraine, we have witnessed the strength, courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people. Unfortunately, we are also witnessing the violation of the most basic norms and principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations. And, for a long time, we have also witnessed the collusion of the far right in this House with Putin. A few days ago, the most visible head of the new group of false patriots, Orbán, met with Putin to denigrate the European Union, proclaim that it has a peace plan that nobody knows about and promote Russian expansionism. What peace does Orbán want to talk about with a tyrant like Putin, who has an arrest warrant from the International Tribunal in The Hague? Are the values of false patriots Russian bombings of innocent human beings in homes, hospitals and schools? Ladies and gentlemen, the European Union's support for Ukraine must be based on an indispensable principle: the rejection of the use of force in international relations. And also in a clear objective: a just peace, with the unconditional withdrawal of all Russian forces from Ukrainian soil. Weeks, months or years will pass, but the Ukrainian people will win the war. Because history has taught us that all wars are always fought in two battles. One is the battle of ideas, and Ukraine has already won it, because the Ukrainian people have chosen democracy over those who despise it. The Ukrainian people have chosen freedom and openness in the face of those who fear it. The Ukrainian people have chosen to be independent from those who still dream of old empires, and the Ukrainian people have decided that their future lies in the European Union. The other battle takes place on the battlefield and, if we in the European Union have always said that Ukrainians are fighting for their freedom and for ours, we have an obligation to provide Ukraine with all material assistance until its victory. That is why we will support Ukraine until Putin puts an end to his crimes. We will support Ukraine with the confiscation of EUR 200 billion of frozen Russian public goods for armament and reconstruction. And we will support Ukraine until its aspirations to decide its own destiny as a member of the European Union become a reality. Ladies and gentlemen, we represent a generation of Europeans who have always seen the European project as a beacon of freedom and social justice. In front of the group of false patriots, let us unite the democratic and pro-European forces and work tirelessly so that the Ukrainian people live without fear or threat, so that they live safely and in peace. The future of shared progress with Ukraine is our aspiration and our conviction. Slava Ukraini.

Mr President, the spiral of action-reaction in which Israel and Iran live is a leap towards a scenario of regional war that must be stopped. Diplomacy must prevail in the face of warmongering rhetoric that does not provide a solution and that would only generate more fear, more death and more destruction. Faced with these scenarios, the European Union must remain united. We are committed to Israel's security in the face of an attack by Iran, and there is no better way than to demonstrate our firmness to the Ayatollah regime than to expand sanctions against its missile system and its allies in the Middle East. Ladies and gentlemen, our commitment to Israel's defence cannot and must not be incompatible with our firmness to the Netanyahu Government because of the horror it has inflicted on Gaza for half a year. Since the savage terrorist attack by Hamas, everything has gotten worse in Gaza. More than 33,000 deaths, 1.5 million people overcrowded in Rafah, 17,000 children roaming the streets of Gaza alone fleeing shelling, more than 200 aid workers and more than 100 journalists killed, more than 1 million people at extreme risk of malnutrition from the use of hunger as a weapon of war. Ladies and gentlemen, what else needs to happen in Gaza for the European Union to increase pressure to end a conflict that Palestinians pay in blood? It is not enough to open some passage to Gaza. The entry of food into the strip should be immediate to avoid famine. And no less urgent is a ceasefire that ends the massacre of the Palestinian population, allows the release of the hostages in the hands of Hamas and leads to the opening of an international negotiation for a peaceful future. International law is also at stake in Gaza. At stake is the way societies live freely and with dignity. Let us make our voices heard for Netanyahu to comply with the Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire and for the international community to comply with the embargo on arms sales to Israel called for by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Mr Borrell, you are the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission who made the geopolitical awakening of the European Union a reality. He is the leader who made it possible for the European Union to speak the language of power. We now have a historic opportunity to assert our weight. The European Union and its Member States have the power to force a solution. We have at our disposal the noblest to which any people can aspire: peace. The peace that humanity has pending with the Palestinian and Israeli peoples.

Madam President, on Thursday 25 April, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution in Portugal, the ninth legislature will come to an end. Although citizens have an enormous responsibility to decide with their vote the Europe we want to continue building, it is inevitable to look back and value the progress we have made over the last few years. After the pandemic hit us, we protected 31 million employees and self-employed and more than 2.5 million companies with the SURE program, and we avoided socio-economic collapse with the recovery plan based on unprecedented debt issuance. Amid the existential challenge posed by climate change, we are pushing for the Green Deal to stop the loss of human life and its economic damage. When the future of our children and young people, of the middle and working classes, and also of women, was in danger, we lifted the Social Pillar with child and youth guarantees, minimum wages, the reduction of the wage gap between men and women and the directives of workers in digital platforms and against gender violence. When Putin's war in Ukraine returned our continent to its worst nightmare, we put at the service of our citizens the public resources necessary to alleviate its economic and social effects. We fought for the energy independence of our Union and reformed the electricity market to lower electricity prices. Ladies and gentlemen, the democratic forces of this Parliament have taken steps that seemed impossible in the integration of our Union. But in this House there are also forces that do not believe in the European project. Today, fear, hatred and involution of the far right are trying to invade the European spirit. As this is the last plenary session, I will not take the initiative to repeat the occasions when Mr Manfred Weber's People's Group has opened the door and normalised these far-right forces. As it is the last plenary session, we are going to talk about everything we need to do together. We cannot fall into reactionary thinking. We live in the European Union, in the greatest area of rights and freedoms that has never stopped progressing since the Second World War. We live in the first trading power, in the largest recipient of foreign direct investment. But neither can we fall into complacency or inaction. There are still too many citizens living in poverty, without jobs, without living wages and without affordable housing. Let us remember the words of Jacques Delors: "I reject a Europe that is nothing more than a market, a free trade area without soul, without conscience, without political will, without a social dimension. If that's where we're going, I sound an alarm. His cry of alarm forces us to be brave. It obliges us to offer a project of Europe that will excite the citizens. A project that does not allow itself to be dragged by the decline that they advocate from the right and from the extreme right. Let us build a European Union that innovates, that competes, that grows without cutting labour rights or sacrificing our welfare state. A Union that remains true to its social model and guarantees decent jobs and a public housing stock. A Union with a tax on big fortunes and new common financing instruments to make the energy transition and digital transformation a reality. And, above all, a Union beacon of reason, culture, science, human rights and coexistence among peoples. Ladies and gentlemen, let us face the future with confidence, optimism and ambition. We are not here to prevent our decline. Nor are we here to resist the rise of other powers. We are in the European Union to lead a new era of global progress. It is worth fighting for a better European Union because the European Union is the best thing that has ever happened to our lives.

Mr President, two months after the European Parliament elections, the Putin regime is increasing espionage, disinformation and propaganda, as well as reprisals against dissidents or defectors. And in this regard we would have to make a request to President Metsola because, now that we are no longer faced with mere suspicions, but with real certainties, a thorough investigation into Russian interference should be launched, complying with what this plenary session of Parliament requested last February. Because we were already aware of these issues, the need for an investigation was already raised, and it was later that we learned all the information about these interferences. We cannot allow a blow of credibility to the European Parliament in the face of elections that will be key to the future of the European project and to support Ukraine in its fight for survival in the face of Putin's tyranny. We know that interfering in the elections is one of the main objectives of the Russian secret services, as demonstrated with the arrival of Trump in the United States and with the referendum of the Brexit. We also know that Putin's target is the far right of Le Pen, Orbán, Wilders, Salvini and Weidel. In the face of all this double threat, a question should be asked and it is whether the attitude of those who normalize the extreme right and open the door to it and then pretend to be here defending other issues is coherent. Because one cannot establish oneself as the standard-bearer of freedoms in Europe while at the same time agreeing with an extreme right that is silent in the face of the imprisonment, torture, exile and death of any opponent who does not accept Putin's authority. How can the People's Party, for example, demand more military capabilities to defend Ukraine while its far-right partners remain silent about Putin's killing of the Ukrainian people? How can Navalny's death be mourned when far-right allies are looking the other way during his arrest and murder? Those questions should be asked by those who normalize Putin's ally far right and ally themselves with it. Ladies and gentlemen, our obligation is to ensure that citizens freely elect their MEPs. And citizens must be clear about what is at stake on 9 June: the Europe of autocrats that retreats and is a slave to its past or the Europe of democrats that advances and owns its future.

Madam President, dear Prime Minister, welcome to the European Parliament. Welcome to the House of the European democracy. The European people learned through great suffering that hate and fear are dangerous to democracy, a hate and fear that the far right has against those who they consider to be different, a hate and fear that are affecting the centre right within the European Union, where the far right has been allowed to be part of five national governments and hundreds of regional and municipal governments. Dear Members, Finland is another example of the regression and the decline represented by the alliance between the European People’s Party and the far right. Mr Orpo, do you believe that the best way to defend workers’ rights is to promote dismissals, undermine social dialogue and restrict the right to strike? Do you think that the best way to eradicate poverty and inequality is to reduce public spending on pensions, unemployment benefits, housing and parental allowances? Are you proud of your Finance Minister when she posts on social media with large scissors, expressing satisfaction at cutting people’s income and social security? Do you feel comfortable governing with a minister who declared himself a Nazi? And this person is still a minister. Mr Orpo, your alliance with the far right is the real threat to our democracy and to the European project. This is why the future of the European Union is at stake. And the question that we must ask our citizens is clear. What kind of Europe do we want? A Europe hostage to climate change denial or a Europe committed to fight against it and that makes the green transition an opportunity to create wealth? A Europe that undermines the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women or a Europe that defends the feminist cause and the achievements of women? A Europe of the elites or a Europe that protects workers in the face of the challenges posed by artificial intelligence and protects families in time of crisis, as we did during the pandemic on the war? Dear Members, in times of uncertainty and great transformation, it is not enough to simply try to resist the reactionary wave. We have to move forward. We need a European project that makes citizens proud again to be European, a project that is not guided by the fear, hate and pessimism of the right and the far right. Mr Orpo, Mr Weber, put an end to your alliance with those who want to destroy Europe. Let us continue building a Union that will be a beacon to inspire the world through its example of integration and progress; a Union with more democracy and more equality; a Union that makes the social pillar a reality with decent jobs and affordable housing; a Union that is more united and also more open; a Union at the forefront of the fight against climate change, committed to human rights, and that places people at the centre of the digital transformation. Mr Orpo, Mr Weber, your only enemy is the far right. In the last century, your political family made a mistake by opening the door to the far right, and Europe and the world paid a high price. Now, let us say no to the darkness and yes to more years of hope and progress.

Madam President, it is always an honor to have guests who are women referents in their different fields, but in this case, in addition to pride, you are going to allow me to have a patriotic moment, as a Spaniard, to thank and welcome the two colleagues. Because you have made history, because you have become the reference, as you have said, of many women and girls who today know that there is no barrier that can fight against their dreams. And really our guests, in addition to having made history for being world champions, have also done so for having said "enough!" to aggressions that women suffer daily and that still a part of society does not recognize. It ended up being silent and it ended up accepting what is totally unacceptable. We need female role models that inspire new generations of girls and adolescents. Girls and women should have roles in which to be inspired to know that there is no discipline exclusive to men, neither in football, nor in science, nor in mathematics, nor in space. And we have to recognize that in all those areas we can shine as brightly or more brightly than men. And in all disciplines women should also receive the same salary and participate on equal terms in decision-making. And back home they must also share the space of care and home life on equal terms. Unfortunately, equality is still not a reality today. There are studies that say that we will have to wait in the European Union for about sixty years for that real equality to arrive. And what we want to say today is that we do not want to wait, nor can we wait, and therefore we demand the work that lies ahead and we call on the European Commission to put in place a charter of fundamental rights for the Women's Union to ensure that women across the European Union enjoy and have the same opportunities and the same rights.

Madam President, Putin's invasion of Ukraine and the massacre suffered by Palestinians under Netanyahu are two events that can radically change our lives. International law and the right of peoples to live freely are at stake in Ukraine and Gaza. Ladies and gentlemen, we cannot resign ourselves to feeling compassion for Ukraine and Palestine. Because compassion only remains in time if it is transformed into action. We must maintain our strong will to help Ukraine with the 13 packages of sanctions, with the help of EUR 50 billion to sustain the Ukrainian state. These are commitments that must be continued and increased with the weaponry that Zelenskyy needs. Using the $300 billion in frozen Russian assets to supply Ukraine with war materiel is an indispensable step. In a context where the war against Ukraine shakes the pillars of the European security architecture, we are also obliged to strengthen our response capacity. The time has come to advance strategic autonomy by generating new capabilities, without detracting from our commitments to NATO and its deterrent power. The joint purchase of military equipment – inspired by the purchase of vaccines – with the aim of ‘spending more, better and in Europe’ and the European Investment Bank’s contribution to the development of joint projects in the defence industry are necessary proposals. But their need does not exempt us from doing an intense pedagogical work before a citizenry born and educated for decades in the culture of peace. Because there is no security if there is no peace. A peace that cannot wait any longer in the Middle East. We have a responsibility to prevent the Palestinian people from being crushed by a Palestinian regime. apartheid whereas the Netanyahu government has risen over time in the face of the division of the European Union: 30,000 dead, 70,000 wounded, 1,700,000 displaced and the destruction of a territory, Gaza, which today is already uninhabitable. Ladies and gentlemen, what soul does the European Union have to be unable to speak with one voice in the face of Netanyahu's contempt for the most basic rules of humanity? What soul does the European Union have when it does not act together in the face of a Palestinian population besieged, condemned to hunger and thirst, driven from their homes and terrorised by indiscriminate military attacks? What soul does the European Union have not to be united when civilians are killed while trying to get food in humanitarian convoys? Ladies and gentlemen, with Gaza sinking into destruction, we must send a clear message to Netanyahu to end his impunity. The urgency of a ceasefire, the release of hostages, the provision of food and medicine by land, the imposition of sanctions on violent settlers and the convening of an international peace conference leading to the establishment of the Palestinian State are glaring. And in the meantime, Mr Weber, you mentioned the EPP Congress in Bucharest. You did not go to Bucharest to demand that Netanyahu stop the systematic violation of human rights in Gaza. You went to Bucharest to talk about the "shame" of the socialists. Do you know what causes shame in the 21st century? His alliance with the far right, his blessing on a far right that destroyed Europe in the 20th century, his collusion with far right leaders who are the best friends of the criminal Putin in the European Union and his complicity with autocrats who only aim at the destruction of the European project. But in the face of this project of fear, pessimism and hatred, we will continue to build the Europe of opportunities. The Europe that advances in directives such as the one adopted yesterday on digital platforms, the Europe that advances in public services and in the Directive against violence against women, the Europe of opportunities and the Europe of the best values.

Mr President, Mr Vice-President Šefčovič, it strikes me that, with the whole agricultural sector being built up in Europe and with a debate as important as this, the Commissioner for Agriculture is totally missing, not only from this House, but completely. In any case, let's talk about what your obligation would be. Protests by farmers in the European Union have taught us a lesson: the agricultural sector needs the European Union as much as the European Union needs the agricultural sector and sustainable agriculture. Because thanks to farmers we benefit from high quality food. And thanks to the European Union, farmers are more protected from the enormous challenges they face, from rising production costs to the dramatic consequences of climate change. The agricultural crisis must be overcome with the help of the European Union and not with indiscriminate attacks on the CAP, as has happened irresponsibly with some governments such as Hungary or France. Let us not forget that the last reform of the CAP was approved by all national governments, of all political colors, including the Government of Orbán, the man who today gets on the tractors displaying the best populism. The damage caused to Italian and Spanish carriers in France is intolerable. The French Government's apology is a positive but insufficient gesture. The Commission should address the necessary measures to mitigate the costs incurred by carriers and ensure the free movement of goods. Ladies and gentlemen, we need more dialogue and less polarisation. Farmers should be aware that the struggle between the right and the far right harms their interests. Because the extreme right does not seek to increase agricultural subsidies, but to renationalize agriculture, which would be devastating for the European countryside. We need to listen and talk to farmers. The protests deserve a strong response from the Commission and the Member States. Support to the agricultural sector should maintain extraordinary direct support, especially for farmers most vulnerable to price increases and the consequences of floods and droughts. There is also an urgent need for effective implementation in all Member States of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive along the food chain to help improve the position of farmers in the supply chain. Fair prices. The simplification of bureaucratic procedures is another necessary measure in a context of accumulation of regulations. The first thing is to identify which administrative burden can be reduced. Because simplifying does not mean failing to comply, it means complying more simply. And if generational renewal is to be ensured, all Member States must apply 3% of their CAP funds to setting up young farmers. Ladies and gentlemen, the forthcoming European elections cannot be used as an excuse to include denying and protectionist measures by some organisations calling for protests that ignore the demands of the majority of farmers. Under no circumstances can it be accepted that the current agricultural crisis calls into question the objectives of agriculture compatible with the fight against climate change. Nor is it acceptable for the European Union to sacrifice trade agreements with third countries. What is essential is to ensure that production from third countries is subject to the same production requirements that we apply to our farmers in the European Union. Ladies and gentlemen, agriculture and the environment can and must go hand in hand. If we work for the protection of the environment, if we are guided by science, if we listen to the voices of farmers in the next phase of the Green Deal, the European project will magnify one of the greatest successes of the last seventy years. Farmers are organized and are no one's heritage. Let's get to work and solve their problems.

Madam President, the financial support for Ukraine of EUR 50 billion until 2027 is a big step. A big step for the Ukrainian people and for the European Union. Ten years after the Maidan Revolution and after two years of invasion of Russia, it is fair to honour the European aspiration of the Ukrainian people not only with the status of EU candidate, but with a fundamental help to ensure Ukrainian resistance in full counter-offensive. Helping Ukraine is not only fair to a people fighting for peace, security and prosperity for their children; It is also in the interest of the European Union to show that the delusional dreams of old empires receive a firm and united response. That is why we must continue to increase ammunition production capacity; An indispensable ammunition to stop Putin's war today, and also to prevent similar aggressions tomorrow. At a time when the Biden Administration is facing serious problems in approving a new aid package, we are sending a clear message to the world: We are and will be with the Ukrainian people until they realize their aspirations to be a free and sovereign country and decide their own future. Ladies and gentlemen, if we have responded with firmness and unity in the face of Putin, we must show the same firmness and unity in the face of Mr Netanyahu's blind violence. Now that the Hague Court is calling on Israel to take steps to prevent genocide, the European Union is obliged to speak with one voice to demand a ceasefire in Gaza. The cost of our disunity is the pain and suffering of human beings in the Strip. The decision of several countries to suspend contributions to UNRWA condemns hundreds of thousands of innocents to certain death with no horizon other than bombing and misery, goes against the minimum humanitarian spirit and assumes the most radical discourse of the Netanyahu Government by equating the Gazan population with Hamas. It is not time for unjust punishment of innocent civilians. It is time to join forces to end the war, alleviate the humanitarian situation, prevent regional escalation, free the hostages, strengthen the Palestinian Authority and begin the reconstruction of Gaza and the communities in southern Israel attacked by Hamas. At the same time, the time has come to hold as soon as possible an international conference culminating in the Palestinian state, as embodied in Josep Borrell's plan. Because only with a Palestinian state will there be peace and security in the Middle East. Ladies and gentlemen, the impact on purchasing power of all these crises, of the war in Ukraine and Gaza, forces us to continue to build a Europe of opportunities. Because history has shown us that inequality is not compatible with well-being, nor with coexistence and peace. That is why we must underpin the fundamental policies of the European Union; we must complete the reform of tax rules to maintain and strengthen quality public services; we must approve all those issues that we have right now on the table, and create a permanent investment instrument to finance every year the 620 billion per year of the green transition and the other 125 billion per year for the digital transformation. Tomorrow we are going to discuss the situation of the agricultural sector in the European Union. But, allow me a statement, Mr. Weber: It does the agricultural sector a disservice by trying to champion the defense of a sector. The agricultural sector in Europe will have a future if we work together and together to ensure this future, and what is not acceptable is to use the crisis and suffering of a sector in a partisan and electoral way. Because, obviously, there are problems and we must address them together, and responsibilities, which are also joint. Or did the European People's Party vote against the current CAP reform? Or has the European People's Party voted against all the policies that the agricultural sector is criticising today? Let's be more responsible, let's be serious, let's sit down, let's look for answers, let's look for solutions, but let's not use the suffering of a sector for self-interest. Once again, the unity of democratic forces has demonstrated our ability to reach historic agreements at decisive moments. Let us show the autocrats that we are not only the largest internal market in the world. Because we are, above all, a community of values, of democracy, of equality, of the rule of law and of respect for human rights.

Madam President, Prime Minister De Croo, welcome to the European Parliament. Belgium holds the rotating Presidency of the Council in times of uncertainty and major transformations, after the successful Spanish Presidency, led by President Pedro Sánchez, with the closing of historic agreements, as you well mentioned: the Immigration and Asylum Pact, electricity market reform and the Nature Restoration Act. You now have the opportunity to lead the way in building a Union that is not only more competitive, but with greater social justice. The Belgian Presidency cannot be a transitional Presidency. In the run-up to the next European elections, our citizens need more progress to ensure progress. If you commit yourself to building a Union with more soul, with that soul that Jacques Delors asked for, you can count on the support of the Social Democratic family, because we can only give solutions to the real problems of our citizens with more Europe. And Europe is built on a social pillar that guarantees fair wages, minimum income, paid policies and practices, and decent housing. Mr De Croo, respect the agreement reached with Parliament to approve the Platform Workers Directive, because improving the working conditions of 28 million people cannot wait any longer. Europe is built more equally, and no victory will be more important than building a society where gender-based violence is eradicated. Europe is built with more individual rights, in a Union where LGBTI people can love freely. Europe is built with a leading Union in the fight against climate change, because progress, if it is not sustainable, cannot be called progress. Mr De Croo, fighting the climate emergency requires courage and leadership: courage and leadership to deliver on our Green Deal emission reduction commitments, and courage and leadership to pass the Air Quality Directive and save the lives of 300,000 people who lose it prematurely every year. This is not a fact that we invented from the Social Democratic group; is a fact contrasted by the medical community and by the scientific community. And I'm glad to hear the representative of the Popular Party talk about health: I understand that this means that the People's Group will also support the Air Quality Directive. Europe is built with open strategic autonomy. It is built with a more humane digital transformation, now that we are the first power in the world to pass the Artificial Intelligence Act. Europe is also being built by turning our Union into a peace-exporting power, because we cannot show indifference to the suffering of other peoples. That is why we need to close the revision of the multiannual financial framework with an essential revision in order to be able to continue supporting Ukraine, because European solidarity cannot yield either to Orbán's vetoes or to the fatigue of a war that criminal Putin will prolong over time. And we must show the same unity and firmness to lead a peace conference in the Middle East that will put an end to the crimes of Hamas and the Netanyahu government and make the two-state solution possible, as you well mentioned. Mr De Croo, we need a European project that excites our citizens; a European project that does not succumb to the denialism, fear and hatred of the right and the extreme right. Do not commit in the liberal family the historical error of the conservatives to be carried away by the extreme right, the greatest threat to our democracy and to the European project. Let us have the courage to respond to the challenges we face with a fairer Europe, so that, looking back at the end of the Belgian Presidency, we can say at this crucial moment in history that we are building a better Europe.

Madam President, the Union in which we live is the Union of Jacques Delors. Never has a President of the European Commission left such a deep mark on the construction of the European project. Jacques Delors is the man committed to peace, because he always had in mind his father, seriously wounded in the First World War; the Social Democrat convinced of enlarging our Union and of ensuring cohesion and a fair distribution of wealth among the peoples of Europe; The visionary who wanted more Europe because he believed in democracy, in the ideals of justice and equality and in our power when we act together. He is the leader who bravely faced every challenge: from the oil crisis to the internal market, from monetary turbulence to the euro and from the fall of the wall to German and continental reunification. Ladies and gentlemen, the best way to pay tribute to Jacques Delors is not just to remember his achievements. Now that there are threats that jeopardise its legacy, we must explain to our citizens why we are pro-European and why Europe is our hope, our future and our destiny. We are pro-European because our long history of savage wars has taught us that conflicts must be resolved peacefully, which is indispensable in a world without peace. We are pro-European because we share the values of democracy, the rule of law, gender equality and the protection of minorities. We are pro-European because our social market economy, which guarantees economic growth and social cohesion, is the best source of progress. We are pro-European because we want our countries to assert their power in the face of challenges such as climate change, digital transformation, tax evasion or the imperial cravings of criminal Putin. In short, we are pro-European because history shows us that, after every crisis, our Union comes out more integrated and united. We are pro-European and we must be more so in the future, because, as Jacques Delors told us, "Europe is a construction that must be constantly reinvented".

Madam President, dear President Sanchez, welcome to the European Parliament, to the house of the word and to the house of understanding. Thank you very much for your leadership in the courageous, historic and united response during the pandemic and Putin's war against Ukraine to protect the middle and working classes. Because despite the resistance of the right and the extreme right, you have managed to lead the construction of a Union with greater social justice. President Sanchez, facing a right and an extreme right that only understand the homeland from hatred, insult and disloyalty, you have at your side the Social Democratic family so that you continue to lead the great transformations that Europe needs. Because our common homeland, the European homeland, is built with a more social Union that guarantees fair wages, minimum income and paid internships and also a housing policy at the service of the most needy and, above all, of the youngest. The European homeland is built with more equality, because the 21st century is the century of women. And no triumph will be more important than the eradication of gender-based violence, a sexist violence that the far right denies. The European homeland is built with more individual rights and more public freedoms in a Union where LGBTI people can also feel, think and love as they want, in a Union respectful of immigrants under a New Pact on Migration and Asylum based also on solidarity between states. The European homeland is built with a Union at the forefront of the fight against climate change, because thanks to science we know that we have to limit the increase in temperature and that we have no alternative but to comply with the Green Deal, reform the electricity market to reduce prices and accelerate the use of renewable energy. The European homeland is built on open strategic autonomy; is built with a more humane digital transformation; is built with fiscal rules that can allow the maintenance and strengthening of public services; It is being built by turning the European Union into a peace-exporting power. Because if in the face of Putin's war against Ukraine we respond with unity and firmness, the same unity and firmness must be demonstrated to lead an international peace conference that makes possible the right of Israel and Palestine to live in peace. How can the Popular Party and VOX wrap themselves in the flag of patriotism when they have tried to torpedo the implementation of the 160 billion euros of the Recovery Plan in Spain, when they have disqualified the Iberian exception, which has resulted in savings of 5 billion in the price of electricity, and when they have tried to boycott a pension reform that would guarantee purchasing power to our elders? Mr Weber, I was going to ask you what your European project is. I know what your project was: make Mr. Abascal vice president of Spain, the same one who takes photos with Meloni, with Orban and with Morawiecki, the same one who asks the Spanish people to hang President Sánchez from his feet. So lessons on the rule of law, none, especially when his party has been blocking the renewal of the General Council of the Judiciary for five years. His alliance with the far right has only one project: anti-Europe. Because nothing is more anti-European than building walls against the weakest; nothing is more anti-European than going against science; Nothing is more anti-European than endangering coexistence by confronting compatriots. Dear President Sanchez, on July 23rd you managed to stop the reactionary wave in Spain. Your victory brought hope to Europe's democratic forces to continue building a fairer Union, so that today's and tomorrow's generations, looking back, can say that the European Union was up to the task.

Madam President, terror and unreason have taken over Gaza. No right to self-defence can justify the killing of more than 17 000 Gazans, including 5 000 children, and the destruction of 50 % of homes in the Strip and the displacement of almost 90 % of the population. Prime Minister Netanyahu does not honor his responsibility as a representative of a democracy and falsely relies on the right to self-defence to violate international humanitarian law and turn an armed confrontation into an atrocity. Since October 7, we have condemned again and again the savage attack that Hamas committed against Israel and that cost the lives of 1,200 people. We have met with the families of the Israeli abductees. We have witnessed the atrocity committed by Hamas and also the horror in the kibbutz. We also share the pain of Israeli society. Because the European Union and countries like mine, Spain, have also been victims of terrorism. But for Mr Netanyahu, anything other than a blank check for the destruction he is subjecting the Strip to is synonymous with complicity with terrorism. António Guterres is not a danger to world peace by invoking Article 99 of the Charter of the United Nations to force a humanitarian ceasefire. Neither does Pedro Sánchez support terrorism for condemning the indiscriminate killing of children and saying it is unbearable. Instead of listening to his compatriots and the international community, Mr Netanyahu opts for confrontation with several countries of the European Union. The time has come for the European Union to have a common position on Gaza in the face of this catastrophe. That there be a permanent ceasefire, that the hostages be released, that water and electricity and food reach the population of Gaza, that the wounded in hospitals be safe from bombs and that the displacement of refugees who have nowhere to shelter stop. It is also imperative to strengthen funding sanctions against Hamas, ban settlers attacking civilians in the West Bank from entering the European Union, support the Palestinian National Authority to take responsibility for Gaza and lead an International Peace Conference to make the two-state solution possible. Señorías, en los últimos 75 años Israel ha construido una democracia próspera, innovadora y emprendedora, y el señor Netanyahu debe entender que la única manera de proteger al pueblo de Israel es con la ausencia de guerra. Because there will never be such a strong iron dome, or such high walls to prevent violence. Violence can only be avoided with peace. And peace must be just. Because it is only right that Palestinian children can also grow up in their own homes without the siege of settlers. Because it is only right that Palestinian students can move freely in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Because it is only right that Palestinian farmers can cultivate their own land. Porque es justo que las familias palestinas puedan vivir en su propio Estado sin el control de un ejército extranjero. Neither war, nor occupation, nor expulsion are the answer. The only possible response is two States living in peace. Let us always bear in mind the words of Isaac Rabin in front of Yasser Arafat when they received the Prince of Asturias Award in 1994: An investment in peace is an investment in life.

Mr President, we are once again commemorating in the European Parliament the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. I wish we didn't have to. I wish this debate did not have to be repeated year after year. But as long as women continue to be attacked, attacked, killed for the mere fact of being women, here we will be uniting our voices, saving our differences, with a clear and unison message of support and solidarity with women who are victims of gender violence and with their families, and especially with their children, who are often orphaned by their mother by the sexist terrorism of their own parents. Violence against women does not distinguish between social classes, cultural levels, geographical origin or religious creed. It occurs in all segments of society and in all parts of the world. Also in our civilised Europe - even if some pretend to deny it - where one in three women will suffer some form of violence at some point in her life. We have taken an important step forward. The European Union has finally ratified the Istanbul Convention, but we continue to make progress. We have to keep moving forward. Right now we have on the table a proposal for a directive to combat violence against women. Ladies and gentlemen of the Council, I also join my voice in calling for an effort of understanding - as we are doing here in this House - so that this directive can become a reality. Only yes is yes. Sex without consent is rape. This has to appear and it has to be integrated within the Directive. And sexually exploiting a woman isn't just selling her body, it's also forcing her to have sex without her consent. Let us not miss this opportunity to have a useful directive to defend and protect all women who suffer gender-based violence. All of them, including those who have been raped, which we cannot leave out of this European coverage. And I want to recover our demand that gender-based violence be added to the list of crimes included in the Treaty, which already includes trafficking in human beings and the sexual exploitation of women and children. Mrs von der Leyen picked up the glove at the beginning of her term and announced that she would submit a proposal. But a proposal has arrived that is decaffeinated, which is not enough. We need a proposal that really includes hate crime, but also includes gender-based violence, which is much more than a hate crime. It is the most widespread violation of human rights in the world and represents the most cruel exponent of inequality between men and women. Only in this way can we have a common definition of gender-based violence that includes all cases of violence, that can be applied uniformly throughout the European Union and that allows perpetrators to be prosecuted and victims to be protected in all countries of the European Union so that crimes do not go unpunished. I conclude this speech by expressing our appreciation to all the organizations that work in the defense of women's rights, to all the organizations that work in the protection of women victims of gender violence, and reminding all women that today they cannot listen to this debate because their lives have ended up in the hands of sexist terrorism.

. – Madam President, out of respect for this House, for the European Parliament, and out of respect for Spain, for our country, I appeal to those who are going to intervene in this debate to do so with serenity, with responsibility and, above all, with the truth. Do you want to discuss the threats to our rule of law in Spain? Well, I'm going to tell you what are the great threats to our democracy: The failure to accept the election results of July 23 and the absolute parliamentary majority that supports the new government is a serious threat to our democracy. How can the People's Party say that the Spanish Constitution is in danger, when it has constantly violated for five years, with its blockade, the renewal of the General Council of the Judiciary, to which Mr Weber referred, expired for five years? How can the Popular Party boast of defending the rule of law in Spain, when the government of Mariano Rajoy used the National Police to destroy evidence of corruption of its own party and create the so-called "Patriotic Police" to illegally spy on its political adversaries? How can the Popular Party boast of being the guarantor of the unity of Spain, when during the government of Mariano Rajoy took place the largest territorial crisis in the history of democracy in Spain, with two referendums and a unilateral declaration of independence? How can the Popular Party defend democracy in Spain, when today the ultra movements turn on the fuse and do not condemn the violence against the headquarters of the Socialist Party, the threats to socialist militants and the attacks on journalists? Ladies and gentlemen, in the face of the greatest territorial crisis of Spanish democracy, there are only two paths: the failure of imposition and threat or the path of dialogue, understanding and reconciliation. Mr. Weber, lying isn't right. And you lied. You made some statements to a Spanish media last weekend where you say: Amnesty for terrorist offences has not been seen in Europe. The European Union has to act now. I read literally section 2(c) of the Amnesty Act: ‘Acts classified as terrorist offences under the Criminal Code shall be excluded from the amnesty provided for in Article 1.’ From now on, any claim in this regard will be proving that they lie shamelessly. Ladies and gentlemen of the PP, there is no greater attack on the rule of law than its alliance with the extreme right. Whenever you bless the extreme right to govern, you attack the judiciary, the press, women and the LGTBI collective. His embrace of the far right represents the failure of a project of involution. While in Spain the government of Pedro Sánchez has the support of eight of the eleven parliamentary forces, you are increasingly isolated because you are not able to see that your mimicry with the extreme right is devouring you. Ladies and gentlemen, today the history of Spain is a success story and the main problem of the Popular Party and Vox is that they are incapable of understanding Spain. They are unable to understand that the greatness of Spain lies in its diversity and plurality. But there's no going back. We are social democracy. We are the Spanish Socialist Workers Party: The party that helped restore freedoms after four decades of Francoist dictatorship, the party that set up the welfare state, the party that put an end to ETA terrorism and, now, we will be the party that recovers coexistence between Catalans and between Catalans and the rest of Spaniards. Mr. Weber, you've made some appointments. In the face of attacks on freedom and hate messages, I recommend that you read, together with Mr. Feijóo, Antonio Machado: When you walk you make your way, and when you look back you see the path that you must never tread again.

Mr President, minutes before we began this plenary session we learned of the death of Ivan Illarramendi, a Spanish compatriot killed by Hamas on 7 October. I want to convey here all our affection and appreciation to your family and tell them that they can be sure that we will work tirelessly until justice is done. We are witnessing an unmitigated human catastrophe in the Middle East. Our support for Israel for the savage terrorist attacks by Hamas that killed more than 1,400 Israelis and our solidarity with all their families do not force us to close our eyes to the unjustifiable collective punishment imposed by the Israeli Government on the more than two million Palestinians living in Gaza. How can we be unmoved by Palestinians who do not receive water, electricity, food or medicine? How can we be indifferent to the few humanitarian aid trucks that have entered Gaza from Egypt? How can we ignore the fact that hospitals cannot use the necessary devices to keep sick people and newborn babies alive? Ladies and gentlemen, bombing hospitals, attacking refugee camps, destroying schools and forcing people to drink from saltwater wells is not self-defence. The United Nations has said: These are war crimes. And war has its rules. But Netanyahu's government acts as if Hamas were the entire Palestinian people and maintains a siege that makes no distinction between guilty and innocent. Israel of course has the right to defend itself against Hamas. But Mr. Netanyahu has no right to dehumanize a people. Gazans have the same rights and freedoms as the rest of the world's citizens and their lives must be protected, because every democracy must respect the values that underpin it, the same values that draw the border between barbarism and civilization. And in the face of the human disaster in Gaza, the European Union cannot limit itself to showing concern about what is happening while the Government of Israel challenges even the United Nations and its Secretary-General, António Guterres. The European Union has a moral obligation to act without delay to put an end to the deaths of innocents in Gaza, to release the Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas, to allow humanitarian aid to pass through and to prevent an uncontrolled escalation in the region and to lead an international peace conference that will give a just solution to a conflict that can no longer last. Peace and coexistence are always built with negotiation and dialogue, never with violence and revenge. The Israeli Government must return to the two-State solution and negotiate with the Palestinians who had renounced violence. Because Hamas is not Palestine and does not represent all Palestinians. The European Union is playing in the Middle East its credibility as an exporting power of peace. History is written with courage, leadership and solidarity. The opportunity for peace is now and our Union must step forward. Ladies and gentlemen, if the European Union is not able to call with one voice for an end to the violence and the resumption of the peace process, does this mean that it is resigned to the spiral of fanaticism that is leading to catastrophe? Let us not resign ourselves to fanaticism, let us demonstrate our commitment to the best values, let our ideal of international justice prevail and let us call with one voice for an end to violence and the right of Israel and Palestine to exist in the same land.

Madam President, Hamas' barbarism has shocked us deeply. No cause – I insist, no cause – justifies the killing of innocent people. We feel the immense pain of the people of Israel. We also feel the terrible suffering expressed by the relatives of the hostages, who today accompany us in the Chamber. Shira, Jonathan, Noam, we will not rest until your families return home. We will have no better way to help Israel than our commitment not to give in to the quest for peace, a peace that must prevent us from witnessing again last night's massacre at Al Alhi Hospital, with more than 500 sick people, children and elderly Palestinians killed. Mrs von der Leyen, besides showing our Union's solidarity with the Israeli people, which of course we have to do - and you did - did you remind Mr Netanyahu that crimes are never fought with other crimes? Did Mr. Netanyahu rebuke his defense minister's unworthy language after calling Gazans human animals? Did you tell Mr Netanyahu that your ultimatum for one million Gazans to leave their homes in a few hours in a situation of helplessness was totally unacceptable? In short, did it remind you that there will only be lasting peace when the Palestinians see their future with hope? Ladies and gentlemen, at a time when the lives of millions of human beings are in danger, the European Union cannot make any more mistakes, intolerable mistakes such as the attempt - proposed by Commissioner Várhelyi - to suspend all aid to Palestine. We now have an obligation to lead an international mediation to achieve a ceasefire, release Israeli and European hostages, save the wounded Palestinians crammed into hospitals and open a humanitarian corridor in Egypt. This is not the time for ideological battles or double standards. Israel has every right to fight Hamas and respond to the heinous attack on October 7, but it is obliged to respect international law. The killing of civilians in Gaza, the siege of water, food, electricity, medicines and the intolerable ultimatum of population displacement are in violation of international humanitarian law. Ladies and gentlemen, after the persecution of the Jewish people for centuries and the extermination of six million Jews by Nazi cruelty, the Jewish people achieved their dream: a state of its own. It has also long been the right of the Palestinian people to achieve their own dream: the right to one's own State, to a Palestinian State that can live in peace with the State of Israel. Because peace is always possible. And if peace was possible after millennia of wars here on our land, on the land we now tread, it can and must also be possible in the land of the Middle East. The European Union's responsibility as a peace-exporting power is to act together to contribute to a peaceful and just solution, however impossible it may seem; a solution to build a free and hate-free Middle East; a Middle East where walls will fall forever and weapons will be shut down forever; a Middle East of open roads, schools, hospitals, decent housing. In short, a Middle East that in the end we can call home. Now that thirty years have passed since the Oslo Accords were signed, we must remember that the only possible path to peace was taught to us by Labour Prime Minister Isaac Rabin. He sacrificed his life for peace and today his words must guide us to move forward in the peace process as if there were no terrorism and to fight terrorism as if there were no peace talks.

Madam President, Europe's motto of 'United in diversity' makes more sense today than ever in this debate. I've heard some really troubling statements and that's why I'm going to clarify one thing: the best way to defend the rule of law is to assume the democratic results emanating from the ballot box. And, therefore, it does not endanger the unity of a country that government that advances for social progress, for job creation, for raising pensions, for opening dialogue, for coexistence. Whoever breaks and endangers the unity of a country is the one who endorses or who raises a citizen rebellion against the democratic results of the polls. And, therefore, we socialists will continue to work for that space of coexistence, for that space of understanding and dialogue and for a stronger Europe. Because the history of Europe always ends well.

Madam President, we are attending the last debate in the legislature on the state of the Union, which is taking place at a time of profound change. President von der Leyen, Commissioners, thank you for your capacity for dialogue to reach consensus. We in the Socialists and Democrats Group are very proud to have contributed and to have led historic decisions that have put Europe back at the heart of our citizens. Faced with the response given by the financial crisis in 2008, weighed down by the austerity policy imposed by the right, the response to the pandemic and Russia's war against Ukraine, led by social democracy, has been marked by unity and solidarity. Now our main priority must be to promote reindustrialization to ensure open strategic autonomy, with a view to Africa and Latin America. Alongside reindustrialisation, we need to move forward with the green transition. Curbing the effects of climate change is a legal obligation and a moral obligation. We need to push forward the reform of the electricity market to accelerate the deployment of renewables and reduce electricity prices. Mrs von der Leyen, in front of those who bet on climate denialism, it is essential that today she has broken her silence with a clear message of support for the Green Deal, committing herself to promote laws on the restoration of nature and air quality. We will pay close attention to these claims being fulfilled. But in order to create wealth and new opportunities, we need to consolidate the social pillar. And on that, Mrs von der Leyen, I would have liked to hear a greater commitment. Inflation, high interest rates and higher mortgage prices make a fair life project difficult. Public housing as a right and not as a commodity of speculation, parity in employment, the prohibition of unpaid internships, minimum living income and an anti-poverty strategy with binding targets must be a reality. And we must also protect women who suffer gender-based violence. Mrs von der Leyen, I share your statement about 'it is not no', of course it is. And now the time has come to step up and put violence against women on the European Union's list of crimes. Our fight for justice is unwaivable. Because social cohesion not only dignifies people, but allows us to act with weight and voice in the world. Today we are united in the face of the aggressor. Putin is a criminal who will spend his last days in an international court. And the Commission must present, without further delay, a proposal to invest frozen Russian assets in the reconstruction of Ukraine. We are united, but let us not fall into complacency. The time has come to strengthen the unity of the European Union. We must speed up decision-making by moving towards a qualified majority and we must also continue to support the other countries in our neighbourhood that want to unite their destiny with that of the European Union. And while we face the main challenges, we need to solve other challenges that will shape the future of Europe: the Pact on Migration and Asylum, to prevent loss of life in the Mediterranean. And let me say one thing here, Mrs von der Leyen, European taxpayers' money cannot end up in the pockets of governments that are attacking people's fundamental rights. We need a permanent fiscal capacity to deal with future crises, a reform of fiscal rules, greater social justice. And an economy that is not only more competitive is essential. It doesn't just help to grow economically. That economic growth has to translate into people living better, distributing benefits to all and not privileges to the few. Ladies and gentlemen, we live in the European Union, a life project that has built the best place for democracy, rights, equality and solidarity. Today, the alliance of the right and the extreme right represents a resounding failure that goes towards involution. Mr Weber, in politics it is essential to be coherent and to be coherent means that the words are in line with the facts. You cannot appeal and refer to the von der Leyen majority and then add your votes to the far right to form governments and to form majorities in this Parliament. That can't be done. But there's no going back. We will continue to build a prosperous, open and inclusive Union; a Union proud of its plurality and diversity; a Union embracing the rule of law, firm in the fight for equality and social justice; a Union of tolerance and progress. There's always time for a dream. 70 years ago, Europe dreamed of its best destination and made it a reality. Today, one more year, we live that dream. Let's keep making it happen.

Mr President, environmental protection is now at a crucial juncture in the European Union. The People's Party-led attempt to reject the nature restoration law sends a devastating message about the viability of the Green Deal. The right has seen in the environmental agenda the ideal field for its electoral dispute with the extreme right. Mr Weber, you did not have the decency today to be in this Chamber and to stand up, but I am not going to give up using the lectern to send you a message. You, Mr Weber, intend to win votes with a false defense of farmers and rural communities and have not hesitated to resort to a strategy of lies to circumvent scientific certainties and settle into denialism. But science leaves less and less room for climate denialism. On July 3 and 4, we broke the daily average temperature record on Earth. In 2022 alone, almost 62,000 people in Europe died from high temperatures. Today there are one million species in danger of extinction. More than 80% of our habitats are in poor condition. Despite the support of more than 3,500 scientists and large companies, the People's Party has declared war on the law of restoration of nature, an indispensable law to repair degraded habitats, an essential law to guarantee food security, a law necessary to guarantee the growth of companies, an urgent law to stop the increasingly extreme impact of climate change. In short, a law to maintain a habitable planet for the generations of today and tomorrow. Mr Weber, your radical drift has led you to confront your own political family. It is positioned against conservative governments that in the Council have supported this idea. But even more serious than the confrontation with his own comrades is to lose the historical memory to embrace the values of the ultra-right in Hungary, in Poland, in Italy, in Finland and also in Spain. The reactionary program of the Popular Party and Vox is already a reality. They attack the LGTBI collective, they attack women and today they attack the fight against climate change. The Popular Party and Vox are denialist parties and their denialism means stealing the future from the new generations. We need to be able to understand that our societies deserve a green and digital transition without giving up big social gains. Today we are the Europe that cares, the Europe that protects, the Europe that undertakes, that progresses, a Europe that advances. While some retreat, hate and destroy, the Social Democrats are clear about the fate: less inequality and more rights. This is about moving forward or going backwards and we are clear about it: Go ahead.

Mr. President, the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka Dam is a war crime that shows Putin's desperate attempt to win a war he has long since lost. The dam's destructive effects on Ukraine's economy, its villages, its cities, its agriculture, its displaced population and its environment are still incalculable. But what we should be clear about is who should pay for war reparations. The time has come to use the billions of frozen Russian assets and properties of sanctioned oligarchs to pay for the damage of the invasion. Putin's payment for the damage caused is not only an act of justice to the Ukrainian people, but also to our citizens. Because our societies also pay the consequences of war with rising prices. For our citizens, we must continue to make courageous decisions. Our citizens deserve a reform of the electricity market to guarantee reasonable prices. It deserves progress in the reindustrialisation of the European Union to achieve strategic autonomy and deserves a reform of economic governance with clearer and more flexible fiscal rules that ensure fiscal stability with the necessary growth of the economy. In short, our societies deserve a green and digital transition without renouncing the great social achievements. In the midst of the transformation of our Union, where is the right heading? Now the European People's Party is dragged by the extreme right to declare war on the Law of Nature Restoration, an indispensable law to repair 80% of the degraded waters and lands. The Social Democrats will oppose the counter-reform of the Green Agenda that the most reactionary forces are trying to establish. Because the climate emergency kills people and destroys economic prosperity. More than 300 000 Europeans die prematurely every year from poor air quality. At a time when Italy is suffering from terrible floods and Spain is suffering from severe droughts, the denialism of the right and the extreme right is totally unacceptable. Ladies and gentlemen, the science is clear. Environmental protection will increase our resilience to extreme weather events. Gentlemen of the People's Party, now that you have decided to ignore historical memory in order to embrace the values of the far right, how far are you willing to go? In addition to their climate denialism, will they strengthen the alliance with the ultra-governments of Poland and Hungary that violate the rights of women and minorities? Will they abandon human rights with their opposition to the Due Diligence Directive to prevent multinationals from using children as labour anywhere in the world? Will they continue to foster anti-immigrant sentiment even as we finally begin to negotiate with the Council the conclusion of the migration pact? The principle of flexible but compulsory solidarity, agreed in the Council, is not enough. What the frontline receiving countries need are clear common management policies on arrival and a solidarity-based distribution in terms of reception. Ladies and gentlemen, in times of recomposition of the global geopolitical board we need to strengthen alliances between countries to advance democracy, security, the eradication of poverty and inequalities. The EU-CELAC Summit offers a unique opportunity to usher in a new era of cooperation on both sides of the Atlantic. Because we want for Latin America and the Caribbean the same thing that is at stake in Europe today and that we must defend every day: peace, progress and democracy.

Madam President, today is the last plenary session and the last voting day for a colleague from the S&D Group, our colleague Eric Andrieu, a Member who has been working in this House since 2012. (Applause) Those of us who have been fortunate enough to work with him, to get to know him and, in addition, to share friendship are aware of the loss this Parliament has today. So, I want to wish our partner the very best. Here you have a great family, which is the European family, who will always be very grateful for all your work, Eric. Thank you very much!

Mr President, I can only agree with Commissioner McGuinness when she says that the agricultural sector is a strategic sector in the European Union. The war in Ukraine has shown us our weaknesses, energy dependence very clearly. That is why we have to understand the great role that farmers in the European Union are playing in ensuring food supplies in the European Union without having to depend. But other fundamental issues must also be taken into account in this debate, ladies and gentlemen. Science leaves less and less room for climate denialism on the right and the far right. We have lived the driest month of April since there are records. The report by the European Commission's Copernicus service shows that temperatures in Europe are rising twice the global average. We are in record numbers of days declared as heat waves and we are going through long droughts. In 2022, 63% of European rivers had flows below the European average. But if there is anything more serious than droughts and heat waves, it is the right's false dilemma between supporting farmers or protecting the environment. What will be the future of agriculture if denialist policies turn our ecosystems into deserts? The dangerous thing is to combat scientific knowledge by making mistakes such as the legalization of illegal wells in Doñana and showing its rejection of two of the main objectives of the European Commission in its Green Deal: reducing the use of pesticides in agriculture and rebuilding one fifth of destroyed habitats in the European Union by 2030. Land conservation and agricultural activity cannot be held hostage to electoral calculations. The only way to preserve in the medium and long term the exceptional value of our fields is to review these issues. Faced with unfulfilled false promises, Social Democrats will ensure the work of farmers in our unique ecosystems by delivering on the commitments of the Green Deal and Climate Law. Ladies and gentlemen, the weather is talking. The ecological transition needs courage and truthfulness to protect the work of our farmers in a sustainable environment, which is nothing but to protect the future of our way of life both in cities and especially in the countryside.

Madam President, welcome, dear Chancellor, dear Olaf Scholz. It is a pleasure to welcome you to the European Parliament on the day we commemorate our birth as a Community project to guarantee peace and freedom on our continent. Chancellor, on May 23, the Social Democratic Party of Germany celebrates 160 years of history, 160 years building a free, democratic, modern Europe and in permanent search for greater equality between its citizens. His presence in this House comes at a time when Putin's war against Ukraine is entering a crucial phase in the face of the Ukrainian army's announced spring offensive. We want peace in Ukraine. But we do not want the peace of the vanquished. We want a just peace based on respect for international law. And for the duration of the war, we must continue to help the Ukrainian people in all areas: political, humanitarian, military and economic. This is very clear to us in this House. On the other hand, in a context where high inflation continues to directly harm the population, and especially the most vulnerable, we need to make determined progress in meeting the objectives of the social pillar with the transposition of the Minimum Wage Directive, the adoption of a directive on minimum living income and the right to housing as a commodity. Mr Scholz, we are aware of the impact the war has on German industry and households. Thanks to its leadership, Germany has made difficult but necessary decisions on matters crucial to the future of our Union, from military aid to Ukraine to the gas ceiling. And now we must lead the reform of the electricity market to ensure reasonable prices. Ladies and gentlemen, if we want to make progress on the long-awaited strategic autonomy, we need to do so by talking about the reindustrialisation of the European Union. Alongside the adoption of the Chips Act and the reform of the electricity market, we must accelerate the proposal on critical raw materials. And in order to address social, climate and environmental challenges, as well as reindustrialisation, we need to strengthen economic governance, with clearer, more flexible fiscal rules to ensure fiscal stability with the necessary growth of the economy. Today, 9 May, we celebrate Europe Day. And for the Social Democratic family Europe is first and foremost a community of values. A community of values questioned today by the far right, joined by a conservative right that has lost and made the decision to become the opposition. Conservatives, today, are the opposition in Europe. We have seen how they are also the opposition in Germany. And, really, I think the important thing is to be aware that we must strengthen the alliances that have managed to build a European project based on these common values and not put ourselves on the side of those who want to deteriorate the European project. We know which side Weber is on. He is much more comfortable with Mrs. Meloni than with Chancellor Scholz. In any case, everyone will have to choose. Mr Scholz, we Social Democrats are not pro-European out of necessity, we are pro-European out of conviction. Not even in the most difficult moments of recent European history has our commitment to the Union faltered. And I am convinced that this May 9 Europe could not receive a better gift than the commitment of the German Government to continue unblocking resistance and reaching agreements in times of crisis, advancing integration, breaking taboos, working for progress in defense of our value system, which is nothing but defending democracy, freedom and respect for human rights.

Madam President, Mr Bettel, welcome to the European Parliament. You appear before this House as a representative of a country, Luxembourg, traditionally at the forefront of European integration. More than seven decades after Luxembourg laid the foundations of the Benelux, our Union is facing one of the greatest changes in our history. Mr Bettel, as you said in your speech, the time has come to decide how we want to continue building Europe. And I'm going to add something to seniors: with whom we want to continue building Europe. The latest episodes show that the European Union is witnessing a moment in which some abandon their moderation and the extreme right, with policies of hatred against science, women, LGTBI people and immigrants, deteriorates the gains achieved. In Poland, women are persecuted and convicted for defending their rights. Ms Meloni in Italy suffocates the rights of LGBTI people to register the children of gay couples and declares a state of emergency to remove any protection for immigrants. Speaking of another fundamental challenge to which you have referred, the climate, in Spain the Popular Party and the extreme right of VOX endanger the future of a natural jewel such as Doñana, and political leaders such as the vice-president of my region, Castilla y León, say that we leave the children alone, who will already decide when they grow up whether CO2 is a polluting gas or not. For all this, it is time to choose where in history we want to be. Ladies and gentlemen, in the context of Putin's war against Ukraine, our citizens are struggling to find decent work, to buy affordable housing or to ensure education for their children. And at the same time, the number of millionaires increases. How can we ask citizens to resist when there are multinational companies that barely pay taxes in the European Union? Mr Bettel, we must also commit ourselves to a fair fiscal policy. The Social Democrats know where we are going. We will continue to lead the response to all of these challenges. We will continue to uphold the rule of law to protect minorities from attacks by far-right forces. The time has come to commit. I, like you, also thank those who help me write some great speeches. I had a way of ending up in which I was going to ask you which side you wanted to be on in this European construction. After your speech, I need not ask you, and I will therefore thank you for your commitment to continue building a fairer, more social and more egalitarian Europe.