Speeches

Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to award the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Alexei Navalny. The empty chair in this hemicycle symbolizes, once again unfortunately, that a winner of our prize is deprived of freedom. To our deep regret, Alexei Navalny cannot be here with us today, because he is being unjustly detained in a prison in the Russian Federation. But I am very honoured to have with us Daria Navalnaya, daughter of Alexei Navalny, who is here today to represent him, and his chief of staff, Leonid Volkov. Kira Yarmysh, a press officer, is also with us. On behalf of the European Parliament, I would like to welcome you all and thank you for being here. I invite you now to watch together a video dedicated to this year's winner of the Sakharov Prize. Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, 2021 is the centenary of Andrei Sakharov. His peaceful struggle to promote human rights and his courage in confronting the repressive and brutal Soviet regime inspired the prize we are about to award today. Andrei Sakharov would perhaps be sad and at the same time proud to know that, more than thirty years after the fall of Communism, the prize that bears his name is awarded to Alexei Navalny, his compatriot. If the sadness can be motivated by the fact that today the Russian political regime is guilty of repressing civil society organisations, restricting media freedom and putting political opponents in prison, no doubt Sakharov would be proud of the determination with which Alexei Navalny is fighting for human rights and fundamental freedoms. Alexei Navalny's courage arouses astonishment and admiration. They threatened him, mistreated him, poisoned him, arrested him, imprisoned him, but they failed to silence him. He fought tirelessly for the Russian people, as an anti-corruption activist, was a political candidate and is a blogger and lawyer. In other words: His action for freedom of thought and expression is here today recognized by us as an absolute value. As he once said, corruption thrives when human rights are not respected. And I think he's right. The fight against corruption is a fight for respect for universal human rights and is certainly also a fight for human dignity, good governance and the rule of law. It was to defend these principles that Alexei Navalny was deprived of his liberty and nearly lost his life. He's a political prisoner. And on behalf of the European Parliament I call for his immediate and unconditional release. As every year, I also urgently call for the release of all the other Sakharov Prize laureates – let us not forget them, let us not forget them – who are still in prison: Ilham Tothi, Nasrin Sotoudeh, Aymara Nieto and Raif Badawi. Sergei Tsikanousky and Mikalai Statkevich, two of the 2020 winners, were wrongfully sentenced yesterday by the illegitimate Belarusian regime to 18 and 15 years in prison. Among the hundreds of political prisoners in Belarus there are also four winners, including Maria Kolesnikova and Ales Bialiatski. Other Sakharov Prize winners are being harassed. This is the case of Dr. Mukwege, who is facing an alarming increase in intimidation and death threats. This is also the case for Memorial, the 2009 award-winning organisation and one of the oldest and most important voices in defence of fundamental freedoms in Russia, which is currently undergoing a liquidation process. In a world where authoritarian regimes and populist forces attack human rights and undermine fundamental freedoms, all these Sakharov Prize winners, and Alexei Navalny among them, are demonstrating to all of us, by their example, what it means to fight for freedom. They are a source of inspiration for all those who dream of a better and fairer society, in Russia but not only. The European Parliament will spare no effort to support their battles and protect them. I and the whole of the European Parliament look forward to the day when Alexei Navalny will be able to return to the European Parliament to collect the Sakharov Prize in person. I now give the floor to Mrs Navalnaja, and Members of the European Parliament from all Member States who are present or remotely connected are eager to listen to her.

The next item is the joint debate on the statements by the Council and the Commission on - Preparation of the European Council meeting on 16 and 17 December (2021/2966(RSP)), and - EU response to the global COVID-19 resurgence and the emergence of new COVID variants (2021/3012(RSP)).

In relation to the decisions of several committees to enter into interinstitutional negotiations under Rule 71(1) of the Rules of Procedure, as we announced at the opening of the session last Monday, I have not received any request for a vote in Parliament from a number of Members or political groups equal to the average threshold and therefore the committees concerned can start negotiations.

As announced at the opening of this part-session, the votes were distributed in different voting sessions, taking into account the number of amendments tabled and the number of requests for split votes. In view of this, today's second voting session is deleted and the votes initially scheduled for this voting session are redistributed. Information on the distribution of votes will be available on our Parliament website.

At the beginning I must point out the sanctions that unfortunately we had to impose on some colleagues. Violating the rules of the COVID Pass to enter Parliament is a serious gesture, not only because it violates the rules we have given ourselves and then because it puts our own health and the health of others at risk. In accordance with Rules 10(2) and 176 of the Rules of Procedure, I have decided to impose penalties on the honourable Members: Christine Anderson, Clare Daly, Stasys Jakeliūnas, Mislav Kolakušić, Cristian Terheş and Mick Wallace for entering Parliament’s buildings without showing the European Union Digital COVID Certificate, in breach of the Bureau decision of 27 October 2021 on exceptional health and safety rules governing access to Parliament’s buildings in its three places of work. Taking into account the punctual, recurrent or permanent nature of the conduct of those Members and the degree of seriousness and possible damage to the dignity and reputation of Parliament and having taken note of the observations of the Members concerned, the penalties shall consist of: - for Ms Christine Anderson, forfeiture of entitlement to the subsistence allowance for a period of 2 days; - for Mr Clare Daly, in an admonition; - Mr Stasys Jakeliūnas, forfeiture of entitlement to the subsistence allowance for a period of 2 days; - for Mr Mislav Kolakušić, forfeiture of entitlement to the subsistence allowance for a period of 2 days; - Mr Cristian Terheş, forfeiture of entitlement to the subsistence allowance for a period of 7 days; - by Mick Wallace, in an admonition. The decisions were notified on 14 December 2021 to the Members concerned, who may lodge an internal appeal against that decision with the Bureau in accordance with Rule 177 of the Rules of Procedure. Such an appeal shall suspend the application of the penalty.

Thank you to the President, we thank him for his words, for his message and for the commitments that naturally await the European Union and Ghana and many African countries. Thank you for your presence, it was truly an honor to listen to you.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is an honour today to have the President of Ghana here with us in our plenary, a country with which we have many relations, with which we want to develop cooperation. It is a very important sign of the European Union's attention with an important African country. I would immediately give the floor to the President for his speech.

Of course, Parliament will always be attentive to the reasons of the dissidents, of the opposition in the Russian Federation, to those who fight in that country for freedom. The debate is closed. Written declarations (Rule 171)

The next item is the statement by the President on the 30th anniversary of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and its importance for the future of Russia and Europe (2021/2995(RSP)). Ladies and gentlemen, in order to start this debate, we must go back thirty years. The collapse of the Soviet Union was a process rather than an event, yet it was unimaginable to many. The long period of the Cold War ended and many of the member states of the Soviet Union are now members of the European Union. The transition to democracy takes years, as does the creation of new institutions, new procedures and the change of habits and mentality. However, our relations with Russia are at their lowest point and the current crisis at our eastern border does not bode well. I believe that it is our duty not to renounce European values and to support the Russian people in their desire to transform their country. It is very difficult to build democracy, but it is also easy to lose it if we do not take care of it. The nature of democracy is essentially based on trust, the trust of citizens in their institutions. This trust must be renewed every day, made to grow as a capital and cared for as the best investment.

The final draft agenda, as set by the Conference of Presidents, pursuant to Rule 157 of the Rules of Procedure, at its meeting on Wednesday 8 December 2021 has been circulated. I would like to inform you that I have received a request for the application of the urgency procedure under Rule 163 concerning the following legislative file, which concerns transitional provisions for certain in vitro diagnostic medical devices and deferred application of prescriptions for in-house manufactured devices. This request will be voted on today. Under the Rules of Procedure, only the author of the request and a speaker against, as well as the chair or rapporteur of the committee responsible, may be heard. Is there anyone in this House who would like to speak on the request for an urgent procedure? There's no one there. I would also like to inform the House that no proposals have been tabled to reject the Council's position with regard to Mr Wölken's recommendation for second reading on health technology assessment, nor have any amendments been tabled under Rules 67 and 68. Consequently, the vote on the amendments to the recommendation, scheduled for tomorrow's voting session on Tuesday, is no longer necessary. I would like to inform you that the votes were distributed in different rounds taking into account the number of amendments tabled and the number of requests for split and separate votes. However, this distribution may be subject to change. Information on the distribution of votes in different rounds can be found on Parliament’s website in the section ‘Priority information and documents’. The agenda is therefore deemed to have been adopted. I would like to inform the House that I have received a request for a point of order and I will give the floor to Mr Joachim Kuhs.

I would like to inform the House that, since the session was interrupted on 25 November, I have signed under Rule 79 of Parliament's Rules of Procedure, together with the President of the Council, three acts adopted under the ordinary legislative procedure. I would also like to inform the House that on Wednesday I will sign, together with the President of the Council, six acts adopted under the ordinary legislative procedure. The titles of these acts will be published in the minutes of this sitting.

Several committees decided to enter into interinstitutional negotiations under Rule 71 of the Rules of Procedure. The reports, which constitute the mandates for these negotiations, are available on the plenary website and their titles will be published in the minutes of the sitting. A number of Members or one or more political groups reaching at least the average threshold may request in writing, by midnight tomorrow, Tuesday 14 December, that decisions on the opening of negotiations be put to the vote. If no request for a vote in plenary is submitted within this deadline, committees may start negotiations.

The S&D, Renew Europe and ID Groups have informed me of some decisions to amend the appointments in committees and delegations. These decisions will be included in the minutes of today's sitting and will enter into force as of this announcement.

Mr Michal Wiezik left the EPP Group and joined the Renew Europe Group as of 8 December 2021. Mr Dorien Rookmaker, a non-attached Member, joined the ECR Group as of 8 December 2021.

Following the appointment of Mr Johan Danielsson as Minister of Housing and Deputy Minister of Labour in the Swedish Government, Parliament takes note of the vacancy of his seat, in accordance with the Rules of Procedure, as from 30 November 2021. Following the resignation of Mrs Evelyne Gebhardt, Parliament takes note of the vacancy of her seat as of 2 February 2022, in accordance with the Rules of Procedure, and communicates it to the national authority concerned. The competent authorities of Germany have informed me of the election of Mr Karsten Lucke as Member of the European Parliament to replace Mr Norbert Neuser as from 11 January 2022. I welcome the new colleague and recall that he sits with full rights in Parliament and its bodies under the conditions laid down in the Rules of Procedure.

. – The minutes and approved texts of the sittings of 22, 23, 24 and 25 November 2021 have been distributed. Are there any comments? (The minutes of previous sittings were approved)

Colleagues, as we start our plenary session here in Strasbourg, our thoughts are with the victims of the terrorist attack of 11 December 2018 that hit the city in the heart. We remember the five people who lost their lives, with respect and sadness, and our solidarity goes out to all the other victims, to the families, to the City of Strasbourg and to the French people. More than ever, we must defend the values and freedoms that form the foundation of our diverse and inclusive plural society. This is arguably our most heartfelt tribute. I suggest that you observe a minute’s silence. (Assembly, standing, observes a minute of silence)

Ladies and gentlemen, before continuing with the debates, I shall proceed to the communication of the results of today's voting session. (The President read out the results of the first three votes) The joint text on which the Conciliation Committee reached an agreement on 15 November 2021 was approved by both Parliament and the Council. The budgetary procedure has been implemented in accordance with Article 314 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The budgetary procedure for the financial year 2022 can therefore be considered as concluded. I therefore declare the budget of the European Union for the financial year 2022 definitively adopted and will now proceed to the signature of the budget. (The President, in the presence of Johan Van Overtveldt (BUDG Chair), Karlo Ressler and Damian Boeselager (rapporteurs for the 2022 general budget) signed the 2022 budget).

I shall now proceed to the opening of today's voting session. We will vote on the dossiers on the agenda. The voting session will be open from 12.30 to 13.45. Voting will take place according to the same procedure as during the previous voting session. Voting will be by roll call. I declare the voting session open. You can vote until 13:45. The results of the votes will be announced at 4.30 p.m. Plenary discussions will resume at 15.00 with the discussion on topical issues, such as the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and how to vaccinate the rest of the planet. Thank you for your participation. (The sitting adjourned at 12.42)

It is with great sadness that we learned the news of the terrible bus accident, near Sofia, Bulgaria, which cost the lives of forty-six people, including many children. On behalf of the European Parliament and personally, I would like to send all our solidarity to the families and friends of the victims, to the people of North Macedonia and Bulgaria. For this I invite you to observe a minute of silence, thank you. (Parliament stood and observed a minute's silence) ***** I would like to inform the House that I have received a point of order and that I will give the floor to Mr Zimniok. The issue is shortcomings in parliamentary committee procedures. Mr Zimniok, you have the floor.

I thank Mrs Sviatlana for her words. Your freedom is our freedom. The European Parliament is very convinced of this. Thank you for your presence.

Dear colleagues, I am honoured to have with us today Mrs Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, whom I thank for her presence. (Live and prolonged applause) One of the important and prestigious leaders of the democratic opposition in Belarus who, as you will remember, together with other leaders of the democratic opposition, was awarded the 2020 Sakharov Prize, and who accepted my invitation to address the European Parliament. Sviatlana is a symbol, along with others and others, of the struggle for democracy and freedom, and it is a voice for many political prisoners, who are currently in prison in Belarus and whom we do not want to forget. More than a year after the elections, of which the European Union has not recognised the result, Belarus continues to violate the rights of its citizens, to silence civil society, to use repression as a daily weapon. The regime has not hesitated to use men, women and children in need of protection, putting their lives in danger, without any respect for fundamental human rights, for the sole purpose of destabilising the European Union. We reiterate this again today in this House: Union values are not for sale. And this Parliament is also asking the other institutions to live up to the defence of fundamental rights. There are currently 900 political prisoners in Belarus, including the 2020 Sakharov Prize winners, and remember them: Maryia Kaslesnikava, Mikalai Statkevich, Siarhei Tsikhanousky and Alies Bialiatski. We are with them and will continue to demand their freedom. (Applause) At this very important moment we have Mrs Sviatlana, to whom I give the floor for her message. Thank you very much.