Speeches

Madam President, Prime Minister Tusk, dear colleagues, the next six months are crucial for the future of Europe. The Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union must find ambitious solutions to the problems we face. For example, defining new relations with the United States under the Trump era. We need a new fair trade agreement, but also a stronger security partnership to protect the interests of our states: Protecting European democracies – we need to effectively fight foreign interference, disinformation and political radicalisation, especially in Romania and Germany, where important elections are coming up; the need for a larger European budget; protecting cohesion policy and the common agricultural policy. We also need to have additional funding for health and education. The well-being of Europeans must come first; the situation in Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova and how we can be at the table of new negotiations, Europe, and involved in the process of reconstruction of Ukraine. You have evoked our security and we need to develop European industry and respect our NATO commitments. If we fail, the European project will be in danger, and then we will all be in danger.

Madam President, this year's last European Council is a chance for a fresh start in how we need to make politics at European level. I am convinced that the new President, Antonio Costa, supported by the European Social Democratic family, will bring a new approach to the way decisions are based and the consensus we so badly need is built. The international challenges we face are pushing Europe to act to find a solution to the conflicts and tensions that directly affect our citizens. We need to help our partners, as is the case with the Republic of Moldova, in the context of the energy crisis, but we also need to increase citizens' confidence in European decisions. European leaders must explain directly and honestly that if we do not defend our values, if we do not support our allies, if we give in to those who want to harm us, we will be next. Our democracies cannot be saved with beautiful images on social networks, but only through a responsible and coherent message. Our democracies have not started this war, do not occupy territories or manipulate public opinion. Our democracies want peace and stability, they want to develop and raise the standard of living of the population. Finally, the European Council needs to adopt a clear and determined position in this regard to show that Europe is a relevant and strong actor at international level.

Before switching to the next debate, I want to inform you that Mr Lukas Sieper requested a personal statement at the end of this debate, according to Rule 180 of the European Parliament's Rules of Procedure, and this has been granted. I want to remind you that Members making a personal statement may not speak on substantive matters.

Mr President, dear colleagues, more and more of our citizens use social media for information. It is normal because this is accessible to everyone. It is also a reflection of our society searching for faster solutions, where we, as individuals, are more and more isolated while still being connected all the time. We have been talking about this for many years in this House, but it seems that our democracies have been taken by surprise once again. The problem is not social media by itself. The real problem is that we have individuals, groups and external non-democratic powers using social platforms to misinform us, manipulate us to destroy our democracies. Imagine that, due to algorithm manipulation, you get bombarded by false information, paid posts and mass messaging. This is social engineering and this has been done while illegally using money for the political campaign. Acting illegally is not freedom of speech. This is what happened in Romania. This is what the report presented by the Moldovan authorities shows happened to them. The decision of the European Commission to open an investigation today confirms what happened. Our mechanisms have not been efficient enough. Our coordination needs to improve. Platforms need to pay for their mistakes and recognise their failure, so that we can rebuild better and faster. Everyone needs to respect the rules in time for the next Romanian and German elections. They need to start sharing information and presenting themselves in front of the European Parliament, as they have done in front of the US Congress. Dear colleagues, it is not about left and right, about traditional or new parties. If you fail with Romania, your countries will be next.

Mr President, dear colleagues, the elections that have just taken place in Romania have been a real shock for many. The scale of foreign interference has affected the social climate, generating a blaming vote with enormous risks on democracy and Romania's Euro-Atlantic future. But the danger has not passed. Thirty-five years after the Romanian Revolution of 1989, the seeds of distrust in democracy have been planted and demand a paradigm shift more than ever. People need to be listened to by respecting their opinion, dissatisfaction and expectations. Political leaders must learn to trust Romanians more, both in the country and abroad. Authenticity, trust, facts, but especially education and modesty are the ingredients for a new stage of Romanian democracy. In memory of those who sacrificed themselves for our freedoms and rights today, we have a duty not to give up. We have the mission to understand and especially to act so that the strong Romania we want to live in peace and safety in a united and developed European Union.

Madam President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, we did it. We found an ambitious agreement on the EU annual budget for 2025. With our plenary vote, we give the final go‑ahead for the EU budget to be signed into law. As the chief negotiator of the European Parliament, I believe it is important to highlight that this was more than a mere formality. In times of institutional transition, societal turmoil and complex geopolitical realities in many regions of the world, public budgets are often the focal point of political conflicts. We see governments and coalitions stumble over their battles about spending priorities, but we kept our unity. At almost EUR 200 billion, the EU budget for 2025 that we have agreed with the Council is 6 % bigger than this year's, meaning a EUR 10 billion increase, responding to the needs of Europeans while being able to pay back for the post-pandemic economic recovery of the Union without cutting key programmes. By approving our EU budget for next year, we will send a forceful message to the citizens that the EU, despite the difficult political and economic context, is able to equip itself with the financial means necessary to implement its policies and respond to its people's needs. On top of the Commission's proposals, we have managed to add: EUR 422 million more for education and young people, increasing Erasmus+, to a total of EUR 4.3 billion; EUR 45 million for research, innovation and health; EUR 30 million for agriculture, in particular for young farmers, making it a total of EUR 39.9 billion for the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund; EUR 5 million for nature, biodiversity and climate action; EUR 10 million for the management of the EU external borders, in particular for Schengen enlargement with Romania and Bulgaria; EUR 6 million more for military mobility or EUR 50 million more for humanitarian aid. And we have many examples of this kind, but also we have increased our support for the work of the European Public Prosecutor's Office and Europol. Within these tight margins of the financial framework, I am proud that we have shown that we can pay this cost without cutting flagship programmes, and at the same time, we managed to install a budgetary discipline. At the same time, we managed to restore Council reductions to the flagship programmes and at the same time retain a sizeable amount for the flexibilities for next year. We also have provision in the budget for additional disaster relief in our regions and, of course, in particular in the rural areas, and we are trying to help the compatriots affected by the floods, droughts and wildfires. As part of the agreement, we accorded to frontload payment appropriations of up to EUR 3 billion to provide support for regions affected by natural disasters. And, of course, we refer here to the regions and the countries from Central and Eastern Europe, and, of course, to our friends from Spain. Our unity among the groups helped to push our interests and priorities in the discussion with the Council. Despite the fact that we have differences in this House, we were able to negotiate a solid and strong budget for 2025 that replies to our citizens' expectations and helps alleviate some of the hardships that they are facing. I call on you to vote in favour of the budget 2025 tomorrow, and I would like to thank my colleagues, the shadows, my colleagues from the S&D conciliation team, the Council also for their work, but also the Commissioner. This is your last budget. You did a great job – thank you for that. And I think we need to approve the budget tomorrow.

Madam President, Europe needs to wake up. We face unexpected and unpredictable times, and European leaders must be more realistic in the way they design policies and how we build the future of the European Union. The report is right: the war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East, the threat of Russia and China and the growth of the far right are harming us. Europe needs to invest more in our military and civil preparedness, but the EU also needs to do more for our citizens, protecting our democratic values, listening to people while explaining to them the options and why we unfortunately need to make all of us further efforts. What are we fighting for if not for our people? In order to be able to maintain peace, we need to prepare for all circumstances. But no one will follow us if Europe is blocked by minor political interests, bureaucracy burden or the arrogance some are showing. If we build trust, Europe will be trustworthy.

Madam President, just a short intervention before the vote. First of all, thanking everyone for the support that they have given to the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2025, the Parliament's reading. And now we are supposed to vote on the resolution, I politely ask you all to support, as you did before, the compromises that we have reached for the resolution. We have solid, but at the same time fragile, compromises. But we need these strong positions in the upcoming negotiation with the Council. As the minister has just said, we have to show that we are capable of respecting the agreement, the compromises, but also what was discussed in the Committee on Budgets. I kindly ask you indeed to respect those compromises during your votes. People have high expectations when it comes to how we are voting, so I hope we will be able to respect what was agreed upon by everyone. This is fair and this is what people expect of us, and we need to defend this House also in our position in the upcoming negotiations.

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, the referendum on amending the Constitution with a view to the accession of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union has ended well. Citizens voted for the European path, development and security of the Republic of Moldova. Young people and the diaspora set the example and chose the path to a better future for all, even those who voted against. At the same time, the results of the referendum show the seriousness of Russian interference, but also the reduced response capacity against Russian propaganda. Democratic states and European institutions need to realise that the Russian Federation remains a threat and that membership of the European Union needs to be better explained. The Republic of Moldova must receive a predictable timetable for joining the European Union. That is why I hope that the completion of accession negotiations with the European Union will be possible by 2030. The European Parliament stands with the Republic of Moldova in achieving this goal.

The next item is the Commission statement "A stronger Europe for safer products to better protect consumers and fight unfair competition: stronger EU surveillance of e-commerce and imports" (2024/2862(RSP)). We start tonight's speeches with Commissioner Reynders.

Mr President, Mr Vice-President, Mental Health Day is a good opportunity to reiterate the European Parliament's call for awareness of the importance of this issue and the need to accelerate investment in policies and support for staff in the field. As the European Parliament's chief negotiator for the European Union's budget, I have called for a considerable increase in funding for the European health programmes next year in order to finance the mental health component precisely. An increase of €50 million for You4Health and €60 million for the health research cluster. Loneliness, bullying, stress and professional or social pressure are some of the phenomena that today lead to a major health risk for our societies. We must learn to act more coherently, to provide access to specialist assistance, information and prevention, taking into account the complexity of this phenomenon. I stress the necessary support for young people and seniors, but also the fact that we have millions of Europeans living in other EU countries who need support in their mother tongue and accessible services in their country of residence.

Madam President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, last year set a negative record for the number of drugged drivers at the wheel in my country, in Romania, who caused accidents leading to the loss of lives. The tragedy of the two young people killed in the May 2 resort shocked everyone. Unfortunately, drug use now also affects non-users. In the absence of clear procedures at European level, sometimes the culprits escape to other states with more permissive legislation or find procedural flaws difficult to manage at national level. We can't just sit around and watch anymore. We need more effective joint action at European level: information campaigns, the active fight against drug use and trafficking, the improvement of services to combat drug addiction and coherent legislation at European level are just some of the areas where we need clearer and stronger measures. That is why I have called, in my capacity as chief negotiator on the European Union budget, for additional funding for the European Drugs Agency, but also for Europol. So I invite you to support us in this endeavour.

The next item is the Commission statement on strengthening the security of Europe's external borders: the need for a comprehensive approach and increased support from Frontex (2024/2852(RSP)).

Madam President, Prime Minister, last year, Romania and Bulgaria were partially welcomed into the Schengen area, after 13 years of waiting. The results achieved as a result of integration by air and sea have been a real success. At the same time, elections in Austria are over, and full membership can no longer be blocked with false populist arguments promoted by certain pseudo-patriots. It is time for the representatives of the Council of the EU to decide on the full accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area, and I hope that the real problems in Hungary will not affect this commitment. Honestly, our citizens have had enough of this ping-pong between populists, but also between institutions. This injustice must be repaired immediately and free movement within the Schengen area must be accessible to Romanians and Bulgarians. If you are serious about this topic, we ask you to propose to the Member States at the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 10 October to come up with a real and concrete perspective on the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area by the end of the year.

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, the European path of the Republic of Moldova is close to becoming irreversible. If the citizens of the Republic of Moldova will vote massively for joining the European Union, at the referendum that will take place on October 20, then the road to accession will become easier and the support of the European Union more consistent. As Vice-President of the European Parliament, who is also responsible for the relationship with the Republic of Moldova, I am glad that through this resolution we once again show the unconditional support of all pro-European political families in the European legislature for Chisinau's European path. It is a support for the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, for their development and security, in a challenging context, generated by the hybrid war and the interference of the authoritarian regime in Moscow, which wants to block this European path. I have to say it very clearly: Moldova is not sold, contrary to what the Russian agents there say. Moreover, we decided to allocate additional funds for the Republic of Moldova, EUR 50 million for the candidate countries and the Eastern Neighbourhood, EUR 3 million for pre-accession assistance. There's a lot of things to do. We are here for the Republic of Moldova. Thank you.

Madam President, French President Emmanuel Macron has recently said that the European Union is at risk of disappearing. Maybe he is right, but what he forgets to say is that the reason Europe is lagging behind is because the European Union has completely turned to the right of politics, forgetting the concept of solidarity and the need for dialogue. Multi-speed Europe is only the embodiment of an anti-European message meant to separate us, although the European project exists to unite us. The latest European barometer shows that 70% of European citizens believe in the European Union, in its key role for peace, security and development. It is time for political leaders to live up to expectations and act, equipping the European Union with the capacity to act directly to raise living standards, create well-paid jobs and improve education and health services. The solution to a better Europe is a united Europe based on mutual respect.

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, temporary border controls are only the result of too long-overlooked problems, which we Social Democrats have repeatedly raised. The subject of Schengen has been excessively politicised by populist leaders. This was the case in the Netherlands and Austria, where, in search of non-existent electoral benefits, certain political parties, without any argument whatsoever, kept Romania and Bulgaria outside the free movement zone, although they complied with all Schengen criteria. It is time to restore the principles of law, protect the right to free movement for European citizens and include in the Schengen area all countries that comply with the rules. At the Justice and Home Affairs Council on October 10, the interior ministers must offer concrete solutions, but also a real perspective that, by the end of the year, Romania and Bulgaria's access to the free movement area by land will be achieved. The decision can easily be formalised at technical level. Pilot projects implemented by the European Commission for border security and good results achieved through enlargement Air Schengen prove the efficiency of European solutions and the fact that, with the integration of Romania and Bulgaria, the Schengen area becomes safer. That is why, as the European Parliament's chief negotiator on the European Union's budget, I have asked for EUR 4 billion for border security, the management of migrants and refugees, and the enlargement of the Schengen area. Let's not miss this moment and make the right decisions.

Madam President, Minister, Commissioner, colleagues, no – the proposal that the Council has made for next year's EU budget cannot be accepted as such. It is too far from what the European Parliament has requested to see in its guidelines earlier this year and it proposes severe cuts that go against what has been agreed in the recent revision of the multiannual financial framework. My role as rapporteur and negotiator on behalf of the European Parliament is to defend the role of our institution as a budgetary authority, but also to make sure that the annual budget addresses the priorities, which we have agreed together with the political groups. The recent European elections have sent a clear message that for more solidarity between Member States and more investment in policies and programmes, we need adequate financing and we need, of course, to use that financing in order to improve people's lives. This call cannot be translated into more budgetary cuts and a reduction in badly needed resources to help our people go through these difficult times. Prudent budgeting does not mean to block the financing of citizens' priorities. It does not mean rebates, and it certainly does not mean cutting programmes to finance high interest rates. We need to do more together and better, not less. Indeed, some errors have been made in the forecast, also by the Commission. It is up to us to find together the best solutions to the current challenges, but we still have a different perspective on how to reach that goal. To be clear, the Council proposes to cut commitment appropriations for next year by EUR 1.52 billion. This translates into a EUR 400 million cut for our research programme, Horizon Europe, and a EUR 110 million cut for the Connecting Europe Facility Digital. We also have cuts for the InvestEU Fund, Digital Europe Programme, the Single Market Programme, including SMEs, the Technical Support Instrument as well as for EU4Health. The Council proposed also a huge cut to Erasmus by EUR 294 million, which is our flagship programme for young people and education. We also see cuts in employment and social innovation, European Solidarity Corps, Creative Europe, Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values and our LIFE environmental programme. Even border protection is affected. These cuts go against what the Parliament has defended in its guidelines, meaning more investments and financial allocations for the programmes that improve people's lives. We also call upon the Commission to be clear on the negative impact of these measures and to act consistently in enabling us to reach a good outcome during the negotiations. Together with my colleagues from the Parliament, we prioritise programmes for health, education and youth, support for agriculture and farmers, the need to improve our infrastructure and have a fair, green and digital transition. Defending gender rights, protecting our values and making our fight against corruption more effective. Improving our action at the global level, in particular in our neighbourhood, both east and south: western Balkans, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. Protecting our borders and ensuring the functioning of the Schengen Area with Romania and Bulgaria joining the freedom of movement zone by land. We also call for a better coordination of our social security system to improve intra-European mobility. Last but not least, we understand the need for solidarity. In the context of the natural disasters that affect our continent, I call together with my colleagues upon the Commission and the Council to allocate additional financial means for all the instruments dealing with such crises, like the EU Civil Protection Mechanism or the EU Solidarity Fund, but also to prioritise investments that enable to reduce the impact of natural disasters. We are confident that the European Union, being based on solidarity, will find the resources for those affected by the floods. At the end, dear colleagues, I count on your support in establishing a strong budgetary position of the European Parliament. I appreciate the work of our shadows and the good relationship we managed to build. Dear Minister, I am confident that our negotiations can lead to a good outcome for the people that have so many expectations from us. So let's not let people down. Dear Commissioner, we do count on your valuable experience in finding the best compromises, hopefully in time, but before the end of the current mandate. We have a lot of work to do together and I'm confident we will find a solution for it.

Madam President, Commissioner, we have all seen the disastrous effects of the massive floods caused by Cyclone Boris in Central and Eastern Europe, which have unfortunately led to the loss of human lives. In Romania, thousands of households have been affected by floods, and the danger has not yet passed. The people in the area are asking us for urgent measures to support them. As the European Parliament's chief negotiator for the European Union budget, I have called on the Commission and the Council to activate the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve and the Integrated Political Crisis Response mechanism so that we can directly help those affected. At the same time, I support an increase in the budget for financial instruments dedicated to emergencies and disasters, both for the Civil Protection Mechanism and for compensation. Last but not least, we need to invest in prevention, and in this respect we have once again called on the European executive to come forward with concrete proposals and financial allocations. We stand with those affected, we will seek immediate solutions and we will do everything we can so that the European Union can support them. We would like to thank all those involved in the rescue and the volunteers who helped those affected by the floods.

The next meeting will be held tomorrow, Tuesday 17 September 2024 at 9 a.m. The agenda has been published and is available on the European Parliament's website.