What Jan spoke about.

Madam President, twelve years ago, Putin attacked Ukraine. He wanted to stop Ukraine from joining the EU. Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have died. Millions of lives are broken. But Putin has not defeated Ukraine. He has made it stronger. With EU and US support, Ukraine is not just resisting, it is growing stronger – in security, in industry, in technology. Since the war began, the EU

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, while Russia is conquering and occupying, China is colonising in the modern era, Trump's America is asserting its interests from a position of strength, Europe is offering a partnership – something so rare in today's world. It therefore has a specific instrument: The Global Gateway. Global Gateway it aims to consolidate Europe’s geopolitical position

Madam President, the European Union was created as a peace project. In security, it relied on NATO, meaning the United States. But Europe is not weak in itself, it is only fragmented. Where the U.S. can cope with 30 combat systems, Europe needs 178. And to put it bluntly, it was, and often is, even more important for states to support domestic industry through defense spending than to ensure colle

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Robert Fico is not a political novice. He is prime minister for the third time in 12 years. 12 years is a long time in politics. In such a time, you can move the country to the core of Europe, adopt the euro, strengthen institutions, invest in schools, hospitals and infrastructure. Or you can systematically weaken it, undermine people's trust in the state, an

Madam President, I shall get straight to the point. The Russian regime is waging a hybrid war against Europe. Not tanks, but influence, disinformation and espionage, a reality that has also affected the European Parliament. Germany's AfD assistant MEP is under investigation on suspicion of espionage for China and Russia. Other MEPs faced an investigation over receiving money for advancing Russian

Madam President, one of the largest humanitarian crises of our time is happening right before our eyes, and yet, we hardly hear anything about it. I am not talking about Ukraine or Gaza. I am talking about Sudan, where a forgotten conflict is taking place. The screaming of millions of people who are forced to leave their homes – it is almost as if we don't want to hear. Sexual violence and hunger

Madam President, dear colleagues, do you find it appropriate to discuss a programme whose main aim is to accelerate and strengthen European defence capabilities in the ongoing war for 22 months? Is this the expected path to increasing Europe's readiness and defence capability? Europe isn't weak, Europe is just fragmented. Too many systems, too many standards. Europe uses 178 weapon systems, while

Mr President, Russian gas in Europe will end. At last. Only an energy-independent Europe can be safe, strong and prosperous. Most states, including the Czech Republic, have completed their homework and cut themselves off from Russian energy. Even so, last year the Kremlin accounted for about one-fifth of total gas imports to the European Union. Russian gas is neither cheaper nor more profitable. T

Mr President, in 2021, I was against a strict ban on the sale of new combustion engine cars from 2035. At that time I was a diesel owner and I believed that the market should decide for itself. Today, besides diesel, I am also the owner of the Czech electric car Škoda and my conviction is even stronger – the market will decide. And in line with the leaders of the automotive industry, I am convince

Madam President, honourable representatives of the Danish Presidency, I welcome the revision of the suspension mechanism for selected visas discussed today. However, I am afraid that it is not enough, because we are facing a Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, but also a hybrid, inflammatory war led by the Kremlin against all of us. The Russians are looking for ways to break up our society,

Madam President, every chain is only as strong as its weakest link. And every country is only as strong as its weakest region. That is why we must not neglect regions where people are forced to move to centres en masse for employment. We are dealing in one place with a lack of capacity in the healthcare sector, while in another we have a lack of capacity in the healthcare sector. There is a growin

Mr President, do you use a cell phone? I'm sure you do. Most certainly you will find parts in it which come from Congo, from a country that is consumed by a conflict for more than a decade. Rwanda-supported militias took over the Congolese strategic areas. Every four minutes, a woman was raped – every four minutes. It seems now that we have a deal between Congo and Rwanda. It should be an opportun

Mr President, only 25% of Czechs support the adoption of the euro. In terms of the common currency, we are at our worst in the whole of the Union. And why? After all, the Crown will not protect our sovereignty, nor will it defend us from outside interference. But we are still fixated on it. The euro is the second most important currency in global markets. The role of the European Central Bank is t

Madam President, dear colleagues, we must protect European citizens. Our rivals, and especially Russia, are increasing the pressure on us, concretely in the Baltic region. And I am sorry to say, but words are not enough. The GPS signal jamming is one of many examples. The Russians are targeting civilian planes in the region. Every week, tens of thousands of passengers, European citizens, are threa

Madam President, colleagues, citizens want and need affordable and clean cars. This is a simple political reality that many, from politicians to car manufacturers, seem to be forgetting and ignoring. Where is the affordable version of the European electric car? Where is the new Volkswagen Beetle, an affordable electric car that will be able to compete with cheap Chinese imports? Europe should focu

Mr President, three deaths, seven missing people, flooded cities, flooded houses, evacuations and thousands of households without electricity. This is the real picture left behind by the floods in the Czech Republic. I am originally from Semily, located in the north of the Republic, an area that has been affected by 100-year water – the third 100-year water in the last twenty-seven years. We are a