What Nikola spoke about.

Madam President, Mr Commissioner, dear colleagues, our entrepreneurs have ideas, talent and ambition, but they lack a business environment where these ideas can flourish. And that's on us: we make it hard for them with too heavy administrative burdens and then, in some Member States, we pile on another layer of national requirements and obligations. And SMEs are paying the highest price: higher co

Madam President, Mr Commissioner, dear colleagues, tomorrow we vote on three important pieces of defence legislation that can help us move faster in closing our defence investment and capability gaps. In practice, this means less paperwork, faster procurement and fewer obstacles to moving equipment across the EU, so getting the right capabilities to the right place at the right time. Russia's war

Madam President, Madam Commissioner, dear colleagues, obstacles to businesses, cross-border operations and expansion constitute a major hurdle to an effective single market. We complain a lot about the 15 % US tariffs, but we tend to forget that existing barriers in our own single market account to much more. And yes, a single business code would be a game changer. Today, a company expanding acros

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, the 2025 report on Moldova sends a clear message: despite an extremely challenging geopolitical and economic environment, Moldova continues to move forward on its European path. The progress is concrete. Moldova is replacing its Soviet-era standards with European ones. These are not merely technical changes, but tangible steps, improving quality, safety

Madam President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, Firstly, let me congratulate the organisers on collecting 1.3 million signatures. That shows that this issue matters to European citizens. Today, a video game can easily cost EUR 70 or more. Imagine paying for a game, only for the publisher to switch it off forever a couple of months after that. No access, no ownership, gone. Most people would call t

Madam President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, I have just one question: why should Russia be rewarded? It continues to kill civilians. It continues to destroy Ukraine's cultural heritage and sports infrastructure. Hundreds of Ukrainian athletes and coaches have lost their lives and hundreds of sport facilities lie in ruins. Normalising relations with Russia means legitimising its actions –

Mr President, dear Commissioners, dear colleagues, people must trust that their representatives are chosen by their votes and not by foreign manipulation. In Bulgaria, we are on the frontline of a hybrid war where disinformation constantly seeks to destabilise our democracy. This is why the Commission's voice is vital. Speaking up for democratic standards isn't interference. It is a duty to protec

Madam President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, the Predator conviction is welcome, but justice that goes no further than the foot soldier is no justice – it's damage control. Those who pursued accountability were sidelined and questions of government involvement left deliberately unanswered. This raises a fundamental European question: can abuses of surveillance powers happen without real co

Madam President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, since Russia's invasion in Ukraine, Europe's security landscape has changed dramatically. And, as recent developments in the Middle East remind us, the global security environment is changing every day. In this increasingly complex geopolitical context, Europe must accelerate defence cooperation and invest more in our collective security. Flagsh

Mr President, dear Mr Commissioner, dear colleagues, sport is built on the rules of fair play. Online piracy breaks that rule even before kick-off. When a live event is stolen in real time, its economic value is destroyed instantly. No replay, no compensation, no second chance. Yet, today, pirates are faster than the law. The digital market moves fast, while enforcement still takes hours or days,

Mr President, Mr Commissioner, dear colleagues, when governments undermine the rule of law, citizens must not lose Europe. Conditionality must hit those who break the rules, not the people who depend on the respect of the rule of law. The report rightly insists on one essential guarantee: this regulation must not become a bargaining chip. The rule of law report should be the objective basis for co

Dear Madam President, honourable Commissioners, honourable Members, yes, action is needed against the growing problem of addictive behavioural patterns, but they must be well thought out and targeted. The proposed ban on the use of social networks by children aged 13 to 16, except with the permission of parents, is not such. Will we present a copy of the child's birth certificate plus a copy of th

Madam President, dear Mr Commissioner, dear colleagues, Russia's aggression has dismantled any illusion that our security is guaranteed and our only answer lies in unity. EDIP will allow Member States to buy together, plan together and prepare together, securing the availability of defence equipment across the EU. With this deal, we ensure that European money serves European interests. By setting

Madam President, Madam Commissioner, dear colleagues, across Europe, families risk their lives on dangerous routes, while criminal networks make billions by exploiting them. These groups are global, well-funded and increasingly sophisticated. Strengthening Europe's capacity to confront them is therefore essential. Renew Europe has always said that a credible migration policy must also tackle the b

Mr President, dear Mr Commissioner, dear colleagues, democracy is like a dyke holding back a rising tide. If we ignore the first crack and we hesitate to reinforce the walls, the flood will still come. And when it does, it will not just wash away one country's rule of law, but will undermine trust in our entire Union. Hungary's backsliding did not happen overnight. It grew in the silence of our he

Madam President, Mr Commissioner, dear colleagues, every year the Commission's rule of law report uses the same phrase: lack of progress. But the truth is that the reports are much softer than reality is on the ground. Let's be clear, pre-trial detention instead of being a measure of last resort is used as a measure by default. A democratically elected mayor is given an ultimatum to choose between

Mr President, Commissioner Ribera, dear colleagues, the Commission's decision to fine Google for abusing its dominance on the AdTech market sends a clear message: the EU will not tolerate gatekeepers who distort competition and undermine media freedom in their Union. But let's be honest, a fine alone does not solve the problem. Google can pay it and move on. Google needs to make changes because, i

Madam President, Mr Commissioner, colleagues, we have reports, we have data, we have policy objectives, we have recommendations. The task is clear: end the fragmentation, unite our market. We cannot call our market single if internal barriers still divide us. People do not have equal access to products across all countries. We still see dual quality and unfair pricing that depend on the borders be

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, this is a report whereby we, as the only European Union institution that is directly elected by the European citizens, want to show how we see sport being developed on our home soil and we want to reinforce it together with the Commission. For better or worse, sport in Europe is not organised the same way as in other continents; I think, personally, that is

Madam President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, the single market is one of the EU's greatest strengths, delivering significant benefits to both citizens and businesses. Yet, despite its vast potential, we are failing to truly seize its true advantage. This week, I had a meeting with a group of Bulgarian students here at the European Parliament. When I gave them an example of the price and quality

Madam President, Bulgaria supports the full membership of the Republic of North Macedonia in the European Union and has a long history of support. We were the first to recognize its independence, we have a declaration and a good-neighborly treaty, and we have sent military assistance. We were among the first to ratify North Macedonia's NATO accession protocol. At the same time, we are worried. We

Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues, first of all, it is important to note that the annual Rule of Law Report is a report on one of the foundations of the Union. One of the main reasons it is a place of high standard and quality of life and a place that in times of global instability and irrational policy-making remains a center of principles and reason. It is no coincidence that the report

Madam President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, pluralism is the lifeblood of a real democracy. Without pluralism, there is no democracy. But in order to preserve it and strengthen it, we need to emphasise the importance of media freedom and media pluralism. They are essential to our democracies. They are enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights. They are key to holding power to account and