What Reinhold spoke about.

The ÖVP delegation welcomes the efforts to set the EU priorities for the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. The promotion of women's rights and the strengthening of gender equality are important concerns that we support. The report contains many valuable approaches, which we support in principle. At the same time, however, there are individual aspects which, in their current

Mr President, nine years ago, Daphne Galizia was murdered by a car bomb. That's a fact. But it's also a fact that no one has been convicted of ordering the bombing. Colleague Agius said it very clearly: we have to respect, of course, the independence of the Maltese courts. But the trial left questions about the police investigation and the handling very open. The wider picture is also worrying: th

Mr President, I thank Commissioner Šuica for her work. Europe's own history teaches us that peace takes root when nations learn to build together. That conviction should guide the Pact for the Mediterranean. Co‑ownership must mean that our sovereign partners help shape our common priorities and share responsibility for delivering them. We need concrete results: cooperation between universities, re

You yourself used the word ‘a beautiful day’; It doesn't help people today and tomorrow. I believe that the high standard of living that characterises the European Union also obliges us to think about today and tomorrow. Today and tomorrow demand precisely these cooperations with the Gulf States. And the Gulf States are certainly not behind here, even when it comes to renewable energies. I don't k

(Start of speech with microphone switched off) ... relatively simple and the European Commission has already started it anyway. This does not only apply to energy autonomy, which must be given greater prominence, and independence, combined with autonomy in the energy sector. But – I am also saying this – we will continue to need close cooperation with the Arab states, especially with regard to LNG

Madam President, the Red Sea is becoming a second Hormuz. The Houthis have seized key ports and islands along the Bab al Mandab Strait, through which most of Europe's trade with Asia passes. As the Yemeni Government launched a Saudi-backed counteroffensive, the Houthis hit back. Behind this spiral, of course, is Iran, and this support allows the Houthis to threaten a second essential waterway. Eur

Madam President, Russia is escalating, and we have been very quiet so far. We should get a lot louder. If civilian ships are attacked off Bulgarian and Romanian coasts, it may seem too far away for some. How would we react if such attacks took place in Rome, in Paris, in Berlin? The location of the attacks was no coincidence, because Ukraine is directly and immediately affected, because these are

Mr President, it was in October 2024 when I observed with colleagues the elections in Georgia, and we raised at that time serious concerns about pressure on voters. Now, after two years, Georgian Dream is moving from pressuring voters to excluding parties that could challenge its power. And I want to underline also what my colleague David McAllister mentioned already: I, with colleagues, took the

Mr President, Taraneh Rahimi's family says she can no longer walk. According to her cousin, a prison doctor ordered urgent hospital treatment and alleged torture worsened her condition. Therefore, it was refused, telling her that she would be executed anyway. Taraneh, a young student, and Leila Abolhasani, a mother of two, face execution following prosecution linked to the January protests. Leila

Madam President, in March 2018, I served as an election observer of OSCE in Russia during the presidential elections, as well as I did in previous elections before in Russia. At that time, there was still hope that free elections might one day take place in Russia. Unfortunately, we see now the opposite. In September, United Russia - Yedinaya Rossiya - was awarded 349 of 450 seats. But what choice

Madam President, Europe's relationship with China has become deeply unbalanced. In 2025, the EU recorded a trade deficit with China of almost 360 billion. European companies continue to face barriers to the Chinese market, while subsidised Chinese products benefit from broad access to ours. This is not fair competition. Not at all. Europe must demand reciprocity and defend its industries against d

Madam President, dear colleagues, we must look on the situation in Zambia after the election day. Mutotwe Kafwaya, a former minister, was killed during a security raid in the days following the election. This was not an isolated act. Violent incidents had already marked the campaign, and the election observation delegation had repeatedly called on all political leaders and their supporters to refr

Madam President, The answer to the difficult supply situation in Cuba cannot be a restriction of freedom of expression and assembly, of human rights. Colleague Botenga, you can't make it that easy. And the answer to the blackouts cannot be the suppression of civil rights and the arrest of hundreds. Despite reforms, Cuba lacks a democratic structure. Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela are to be mentione

Madam President, what we are witnessing in Hong Kong is a systematic undermining of freedoms that were once guaranteed. Since Beijing's introduction of the national security law in 2020, it has increasingly been used to silence journalists, publishers and pro-democracy activists. The arrest of bookseller and former journalist Leticia Wong, as well as the convictions of Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-

Mr President, nearly every day, shots are fired at ships and drone attacks are made on pipelines. The conflict in the Gulf region is escalating and European drivers are already feeling the threat of a blockade of two oil trade routes at the petrol station. Last week alone, Iran attacked at least 10 merchant vessels near the Strait of Hormuz and, at the same time, the Houthis have now seized key po

Madam President, I understand the anger of my colleagues, and the recent brutal killing of 28 Christians, including Pastor Markus Nyam, in Kawel village, is another reminder that religious persecution remains a tragic reality in Nigeria. We have to keep in mind that this was not an isolated incident. Across Nigeria, Christian communities continue to face repeated attacks from Boko Haram and other

Mr President, dear colleagues, as Commissioner Šuica mentioned, the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in El‑Obeid is yet another tragic reminder that the people of Sudan continue to pay the highest price for a conflict they did not choose. Reports of discriminate attacks on civilians, the destruction of vital infrastructure and the obstruction of humanitarian assistance raise serious concerns abo

Mr President, my dear colleagues, reconstruction is an important step towards providing the people of Gaza with the prospect of returning to a semblance of normal life. Hopefully, it is soon possible. The EU conducted an assessment in April, together with the World Bank and the United Nations, finding out that we would need USD 71.4 billion to rebuild the Palestinian enclave. Reconstruction must g

Mr President, dear colleagues, Russia's brutal war of aggression has shown that there are no grey zones on our continent, no place for grey zones. We must therefore continue supporting all enlargement countries who are demonstrating willingness to progress on the path of EU integration. Moldova has shown a strong determination in the implementation of reforms, in the face of challenging circumstan

Madam President, dear colleagues, for Europe to thrive in a multi-polar world, economic and political agreements are essential, especially with reliable and like-minded countries like Mexico. This is why the modernised strategic partnership agreement is so important. It is not only a trade agreement, it is a strategic investment in our common future. This partnership opens new opportunities for Eu

Madam President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, in Nicaragua, the political imprisonment of human rights defenders is not an isolated incident. Their detention is part of a broader campaign to dismantle democracy and suppress dissent. Tragically, Brooklyn Rivera, leader of an indigenous party, died after spending more than 970 days in detention. At the last EuroLat Asssembly, EPP and like-min

Mr President, enlargement is a fundamental building block for a stable and prosperous future for our continent, and it is good that all our rapporteurs mentioned this in a very clear and open way. As EPP rapporteur for Montenegro, I am delighted that the country is making strong progress. While there are still obstacles, all in all, Montenegro is on a right path, with strong politicians. We could

Mr President, dear colleagues, a government cannot claim to be moving towards Europe, but is acting against all our democratic principles. Unfortunately, what we see in Turkey is exactly that. The reality is alarming: 28 mayors and 120 opposition officials have been arrested and removed from office, and Turkey now ranks 159th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index. These are not iso

Madam President, dear colleagues, even if the US‑Iran framework agreement is signed this Friday, the threats coming from Iran remain. The regime in Tehran is not only cruel and lawless towards its own people, but also towards the countries in the whole region with its attacks and, of course, with its sponsoring of terrorism. As Chair of the Delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula, I would