Debate contributions by Nicolae ȘTEFĂNUȚĂ

Madam President, (the beginning of the intervention was not done on the microphone) We are both Romanians and last night we heard a well-known voice in Romania, of populism, which said that the European Union does not want your diaspora at home, because Europe needs salahors. And frankly, I hate that term, salahors, because no one who works should be demeaned. Work and craft are gold bracelets. There is no shame in doing any work. And we need to protect everyone in Europe, those who are building Europe today, people who are working in construction and from their hands are building construction sites all over Europe today, including in us. Moni, who works in agriculture and who, out of the sweat of her hands, feeds us all, as the famous pictures on the Internet say, and nobody appreciates it. Cristina, a doctor in a Western country who takes care of patients, many of them Romanians. So my message to all these people is this: be proud of what you are doing, because it is a pride to build this continent. And if you have problems, come to us, come to Roxana Mînzatu, let's solve them. Don't go to the populists, they don't have any solutions.

Madam President, based on the rule of law and based on democracy, having such a debate would undermine the very principle of legality in the middle of an ongoing election. Let me tell you something: the proponent that came with this proposal tonight, his party leader yesterday incited 'skinning alive' those who he considers responsible for this – and this in the middle of riots that were violent. Enough with the violence. He said it was a metaphor. Well, a metaphor is what Shakespeare said, that the world is a stage. A metaphor is not when you say 'skinning people alive', when you put women down, when you put minorities down, when you go against the constitutional base of the country, when you say that ethnicities are less than people. So enough with the hate. Let's not export the hate. Romanians deserve a European, modern, democratic life.

Mr President, many of us believe that we are living in the century of artificial intelligence, of TikTok, of technology. In fact, we live in the century of loneliness and those Tech guru who say that money is everything, that cryptocurrencies, that values, billions - huge, are, for me, also an expression of their loneliness. But I am concerned about young people, who are experiencing anxiety, depression, burnout. Tell them what else? To tell us that their hair is falling out from stress? That they don't have help in the worst of times? By the time they're 20, they're exhausted. That can't be our answer. I stand here, in front of you, as Vice-President of the European Parliament, but also as a person who benefits from therapy and enjoys it, saying that we need to help young people in Europe. No one should be left behind! They're not alone! And not only in the rich countries that can afford it, but in every member state of the European Union, we should have a minimum number of guaranteed therapy sessions for all. Because mental health is not a fad, it's health. Point.

Your group is fighting hard on migration. What do you think will happen to people who are left without means in North Africa, in the Saharan region, who are left to climate change, to war, to war of water, of resources? Where would they go? Where would they go if we don't help them where they are? If we don't help them develop where they are? Aren't you by having this argument, by bowing to King Trump, aren't you in fact going against your own policies on migration?

We are opening the debate on Council and Commission statements on the political crisis in Serbia (2025/2554(RSP)) with statements by Mr Adam Szłapka from the Council.

We are opening the debate on the political crisis in Serbia and I would like to welcome a delegation of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, which is in Parliament for the 16th meeting of the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee. (The speaker uses a non-EU language) We are happy to have colleagues from Serbia here in the middle of the European Parliament. For me and for many others, all the Balkan countries, including Serbia, belong to the European space. We are waiting for them in Europe!

Thank you, Mrs. Vautmans, although I note that it is not point of orderBut I understand the feeling of debate. That concludes today's debate.

The next item is the debate on the Council and Commission statements on the escalation of violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (2025/2553(RSP)).

I would add, as president of this sitting, that Nicolae Ceausescu was also the source of millions of crimes in Romania. But we are not having a debate on this and I give the floor to Mrs Šuica from the European Commission.

If the translation was correct, the term you used is not allowed in this House and there will be consequences to the message you have used. It is not OK in this House of democracy. Thank you. Regardless of what we think of Mr Trump, it is not possible to use such language.

Madam President, I listen to some recently and, quite frankly, quoting Zuckerberg, quoting Musk, in this debate is like quoting the owner of Haribo on the benefits of gummy bears! Social media has promised to connect us, but in reality, they separate us. Parents sit in one room, children in another, each living in a reality given by their screen. Algorithms decide what we see. Algorithms decide what we think. Algorithms decide what we vote for, and bots amplify all these messages until they go viral. So why is extremism gaining? Because false information becomes visible, and the truth is hidden under the rug. I saw this in Romania and when the truth came out, it was barely heard, because it was a room full of lies. Democracy cannot be bought by those who control algorithms. Democracy has no price and it is in danger, and we are here to defend it. So I want to tell Mr. Musk that Václav Havel said: ‘truth and love beat hatred and lies’.

I listened to all the comments made by the right and the extreme right in the House. To deny the existence of Palestine – because you said the two‑state solution was a fantasy – where would you like these people to go? Where would you like the millions? Maybe push them out into the sea? How is anything but a two‑state solution even reasonable in your mind? You mentioned the example of Bosnia, but Bosnia was a state altogether. How can you imagine the faith of the Palestinian people within a Balkan solution, such as the one you mentioned? I think it's purely incredible to deny that the right solution is that of a two‑state solution now.

Before we conclude the vote, and since this is the last voting session of the year, I would like to express my gratitude, on behalf of all of us, to Parliament's services and those who have been working hard to make the sessions possible – including our interpreters, our ushers, the staff from the canteens, all the way to the last worker at the European Parliament, and including the public that watches us and comes to watch our sessions. We love public debate, we love discussion, but we also have to carry on our work here. (For the results and other details of the vote: see minutes)

We continue with point five on the agenda, which is our last vote of the day, and that is the report by Ms Gálvez on the recommendation to the Council on the EU priorities for the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. (For the results and other details of the vote: see minutes)

We continue with the report by Mr Radtke on Amending Directive 2009/38/EC as regards the establishment and functioning of European Works Councils. (For the results and other details of the vote: see minutes)

We go on with the joint motion for a resolution tabled by six groups on the continued repression of civil society and independent media in Azerbaijan. (For the results and other details of the vote: see minutes)

We continue with the vote of a resolution tabled by six groups on the human rights situation in Kyrgyzstan, in particular the case of Temirlan Sultanbekov. (For the results and other details of the vote: see minutes)

The first vote is on the joint motion for a resolution tabled by five groups on the 11th year of the occupation of the Republic of Crimea. The vote on the resolution is by roll call. (For the results and other details of the vote: see minutes)

We have taken on board Mr. Bloss' point of order. We don't take any more points of order. The next item is the vote. Colleagues, please insert your cards.

Mr Bloss, I am sorry. I would ask the ushers to take care of the protesters. (The sitting was suspended at 12:04 owing to a disturbance in the visitors’ gallery)