Speeches

Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine requires a strong and united EU position. The debate in plenary is accompanied by the adoption of a joint resolution. Although I strongly disagree with certain points of the joint resolution, notably those on the continuation and strengthening of arms deliveries to Ukraine and the general exclusion of the promotion of Russian culture at events, I co-signed the joint resolution because I believe that there should be an unequivocal message condemning the Russian invasion. Because, at this time, a strong, united message is needed for an immediate ceasefire and for a complete end to all of Russia's aggressive military operations in Ukraine, which, however, must be carried out without the use of military means. The joint resolution rightly supports the establishment of safe passages and humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians, the strengthening of EU humanitarian aid networks in Ukraine, the investigation of alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes, the imposition of severe sanctions on Russian oligarchs associated with Putin’s regime, compensatory measures and alternative supplies of goods and energy sources in order to reduce the negative impact on citizens, as well as effective measures against unacceptable speculation, having, inter alia, drawn lessons from measures to address the pandemic.

Mr President, Commissioner – former colleague in the European Parliament – I welcome you. I am sorry, but the absence of the Council in a debate that has a misleading title – Banking Union – I think it says it all. In 2008, after the crisis, it was decided to open a debate to have a real banking integration and a single European capital market. Have we succeeded? No, it's not. We're a long way from that. And the great responsible is the absent Council. I myself have been a shadow rapporteur for 10 years on the EDIS directive, the European deposit insurance scheme, which is a Commission proposal, which is also supported by the European Central Bank and which the Council has been killing for 10 consecutive years. Who are we kidding? A few days ago there was a summit and Enrico Letta's report was presented, Mario Draghi's proposals on how to move these things forward, without which we cannot have real banking integration and a single market for capital in the European Union, at the expense of small and medium-sized enterprises, the weaker states that have a big handicap compared to the big companies of the rich Member States. This is my last speech in plenary. And I've learned to tell the truth. Don't make fun of people. It is not possible for European unification to run like a rabbit where it suits the interests of the powerful and to go like a tortoise or a crab, where national selfishness and the brutal interests of certain countries prevent banking unification. Let's be honest.

Madam President, today we are celebrating an important anniversary, the last major enlargement of the European Union, 20 years ago. One of the reasons I decided to deal with politics half a century ago was the vision of a united, democratic Europe of peoples, promoting peace, serving democracy, fighting inequalities, defending the rule of law and the welfare state. Spinelli's visions. What previous European leaders have done. I like Jacques Delors. Right now we need to think about the future too, drawing lessons from the past. And the future and its challenges teach us that enlargement must go hand in hand with political deepening. It is not possible to achieve the objectives of the common market without stronger and faster political integration, without a stronger Community budget, without more democratic and efficient and rapid decision-making, particularly in the Council, which is often at risk of paralysis. It is the last plenary in which I participate, as after three terms in the European Parliament and ten years in the Bureau of the European Parliament, I have decided for years to give the baton to the younger generations. I would like to thank colleagues from all political wings for their cooperation. And as a staunch visionary, Europeanist of the modern Left, I would like to say that the vision of a united democratic Europe will be jeopardized if we do not all fight more effectively to defend democracy, the political unification of Europe, against the ghosts of the past that threaten the very idea of a united Europe and democracy.

Mr President, the European orientation of the Western Balkans was decided 21 years ago, Mrs Dalli, at the Thessaloniki Summit – and not much has been done in those 21 years. And now with this tool, the Western Balkans Facility, EUR 4 billion in grants and EUR 2 billion in loans, the European Union is giving a 20-year delay signal that it wants to encourage this European orientation. And we need to run all sides faster. The countries of the Western Balkans that at some point want to become members of the European Union to go ahead with the reforms needed, but also the European Union, the Commission, the Council – because the European Parliament wants it across its political spectrum – to show that it does not intend to leave the Western Balkans waiting and delaying. It is not possible for the accession of Ukraine to run at hare speed and for the accession of the Western Balkans to run at turtle speed. Yesterday, at my suggestion, the Bureau of the European Parliament decided unanimously to create an antenna, a European Parliament presence in the Western Balkans. We want the Commission and the Council to support this message that the European Parliament is sending together. Not words, but action.

The next item on the agenda is: the report by Evin Incir and Frances Fitzgerald, on behalf of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on combating violence against women and domestic violence (COM(2022)0105 - C9-0058/2022 - 2022/0066(COD)) (A9-0234/2023)

Mr President, I want to send a message to the two young children, the two transgender people, who were chased by a mob of hundreds of people and by chance we did not mourn victims, as we had a brutal murderous violence in 2018 with Zak Kostopoulos as the victim in Greece. The message is that those of us who consider it self-evident that all people, regardless of their sexual orientation, have the right to safety and respect are the great majority in my country, Greece, and within the European Parliament and the European Union, because hate speech leads to violence and the political investment of Hitler's and Mussolini's political grandchildren in this hate speech that generates violence will not win. Not in the European elections, not ever. Because the millions of dead, including gays who died in the crematoria, are a lesson that leads us to the future of all democrats, from the democratic right to the left.

Mr President, I would like to thank our rapporteur, Mr Negrescu, because with the constructive contribution of the shadow rapporteurs from almost all the political groups, we have formulated an ambitious text calling for a stronger Community budget with increased own resources, so that the objectives set can be achieved, not only by Parliament but also by the Commission and the Council themselves. My first remark to Mr Halicki is that absent far-right MEPs, of whom not a single one is present, have tabled some extreme amendments to destroy this consensus. Do not vote in favour of them, so as not to destroy what was built by Mr Negrescu, as was the case last year with Mr Lewandowski's report, which belongs to your political group and you mentioned, because the majority of the PPE has joined with the far-right, who want neither a strong budget nor a united democratic Europe. Therefore, you did well to scrutinise the absent persons, but do not join them in the votes to spoil the balance that has been achieved. My own political group has worked constructively. And my last remark: It is not possible to achieve these objectives, Mr Hahn and colleagues, with a budget of 1% of European GDP. We need a more ambitious budget with increased own resources.

The next item is the joint debate on the European Semester with the report by René Repasi: European Semester for economic policy coordination 2024, on behalf of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (A9-0063/2024) and the report by Mr Dragoş Pîslaru - European Semester of economic policy coordination: employment and social priorities for 2024, on behalf of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (A9-0050/2024).

It is clear, ladies and gentlemen, that different views will be heard in this debate. What I would like to ask you on behalf of the Bureau is to listen to the different point of view and to wait for the speaker to express an opinion with which we are more in agreement. Please respect all speakers, without interruptions or disapprovals from below. Respect the debate as it was introduced and as it is conducted. The different views will be heard; They need neither disapproval nor a break from below, because they do not honour the European Parliament.

The next item on the agenda is the debate on topical issues, pursuant to Rule 162 of the Rules of Procedure, and our subject this time is: Allegations of corruption and misuse of EU funds in Spain during the pandemic. I would like to remind you that no blue card interventions will be accepted for this debate and there will be no catch-the-eye procedure.

The Minutes of yesterday's sitting and the texts adopted at that sitting have been distributed. There were no comments, so the Minutes were approved. We shall now proceed to the discussions following the adopted agenda.

The next item is the debate on the Commission statement on the next steps to enhance patient safety by rapidly ensuring the availability of medical devices through a targeted transition period (2024/2587(RSP)).

The first item on the agenda is the joint debate on: - the recommendation by María Soraya Rodríguez Ramos and Samira Rafaela, on behalf of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on International Trade, on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Advanced Framework Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Chile, of the other part (11669/2023 - COM(2023)0432 - C9-0467/2023 - 2023/0260(NLE)) (A9-0010/2024), and - the interim report by María Soraya Rodríguez Ramos and Samira Rafaela, on behalf of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on International Trade, on the proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Advanced Framework Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Chile, of the other part (2023/0260R(NLE)) (A9-0017/2024), and - the recommendation by Samira Rafaela, on behalf of the Committee on International Trade, on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Interim Agreement on trade between the European Union, of the one part, and the Republic of Chile, of the other part (11667/2023 - C9-0466/2023 - COM(2023)0435 - 2023/0259(NLE)) (A9-0011/2024)).

Mr President, Mrs Calviño, I would like to congratulate you on taking up your duties at the European Investment Bank and I would like to believe that it will be as successful or even more so as your term as Minister of Finance of the Spanish Government. We need more investment and this problem cannot be solved by the market alone. We need the active involvement of the European Investment Bank to leverage private investment as well; to achieve climate goals, without addressing this challenge as a source of new inequalities and energy poverty; to do what we need to do for water; to serve public health; to win the bet of new technology; to invest in innovation; for the European Union to finally be present among digital giants and not all of them to be American or Chinese; and to win the cohesion bet, because there is a risk that inequalities, which are already large, and social and regional inequalities, will increase if the digital and green transitions are not financed in a way that reduces these inequalities. Mr Cormand's report supports progressive objectives. We ask and hope that you too will be able to make a shift towards a more progressive and social agenda than your predecessor.

Mr President, the revision of the multiannual financial framework is totally inadequate, and the responsibility lies with the Council, which is once again proving to be a major obstacle, a major brake on the progress of the European Union. We cannot ignore, ladies and gentlemen, that this revision provides for cuts to the Horizon Europe, EU4Health, Common Agricultural Policy and Cohesion Policy programmes. Those who criticize these cuts and at the same time vote for this revision, remind Catholic monks in the Middle Ages who baptized fish meat to eat it in fasting seasons. The revised budget, while a slight improvement over the existing one, is in real terms – if we subtract inflation – at 1% of European GDP, well below the previous one. As for the STEP platform, it's another missed opportunity. Nothing to do with President von der Leyen’s initial announcements of an autonomous European Sovereignty Fund; of the additional EUR 10 billion requested by the European Parliament, we went to EUR 1.5 billion, of which not a single additional euro for the Innovation Fund, InvestEU and Horizon Europe. I wonder why you are embellishing and voting in favour of this package.

The next item is the report by Mr Gabriel Mato, on behalf of the Committee on Fisheries, on the state of play of the implementation of the common fisheries policy and future prospects (2021/2169(INI)) (A9-0357/2023).

The first item on the agenda concerns the Commission statement on: Recent ecological disaster on plastic pellet losses and its impact on microplastic pollution in marine and coastal habitats (2024/2513(RSP)).

Madam President, those who have spoken of hatred against Greece or of expediency must answer a question. Do the liberals of Renew Europe, Emmanuel Macron's group, hate Mitsotakis, undermine Greece? Because it is also this group that has taken the lead to have this debate and to have a resolution as the outcome of this debate at the beginning of February. And secondly, we love Greece and Democracy as many Greeks as we criticize the rapid decline of freedom of the press and the rule of law in recent years under the responsibility of the Mitsotakis government. And the biggest proof that things have gotten worse is that this debate about press freedom is being silenced, Madam President, by the vast majority of the media in Greece, which is highly pro-government. A news that interests Greece par excellence does not exist for millions of Greek women and Greeks, because it is simply not in the interest of the Mitsotakis government. This is wrong and needs to be corrected.

Oh, thank you. I can only agree completely with Mrs in 't Veld's remark. Mrs von der Leyen's absence, as she is used to leaving after the first round of speakers, is an insult to the European Parliament and I would like the presidents of all the political groups to join in with what my dear colleague has now said and I would also like, in addition to the Belgian Presidency, Mr Charles Michel, who is in a hurry to become our colleague in the European Parliament, to be here to tell us about the failure of the Summit on 15 December.

Mr President, the December summit was a major failure. Bazaars and behind-the-scenes agreements with Mr Orban, blocking the revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework, not a word in the conclusions on the ongoing massacre in Gaza instead of demanding an immediate ceasefire. The final compromise in the Stability Pact is far behind the initial proposals for changes tabled by the Commission. It brings a new austerity, as it has rules that will prove unrealistic, at a time when inflation, which is largely inflation of greed and over-profit for the powerful, reduces wages and the purchasing power of workers and pensioners and makes it difficult to invest at a time when there is a huge investment gap. The problem is, Mr Šefčovič, that you too have left, that alongside the failure and paralysis of the Council, which its President, Charles Michel, is abandoning prematurely to become a Member of the European Parliament, we also have the Commission's timidity and conservatism. The current Commission is a long way from the reform momentum of the Delors period. (The speaker agreed to answer a blue card question)

The next item is the debate on the Council and Commission statements on: ‘One year after Moroccogate and QatarGate – Assessment of measures to enhance transparency and accountability in the European institutions’ (2023/3033(RSP)).