Speeches

Mr President, Portugal sends a message to the NATO summit: We are ready to comply. For too long Portugal has fallen short of what was required, and that has changed. We are making up for lost time with an ambitious, solid and coordinated plan between the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces, fully aligned with NATO's strategic objectives. This investment is not only a response to external demand; it is a conscious national choice, with a direct impact on our security, international credibility and the economy, by boosting the defence technological and industrial base. Portugal has finally taken a big step in the dignification of our Armed Forces and in the valorization of the military condition. After years of investment, today we seriously recognize the essential role of those who serve the country in uniform, a sign that we honor those who protect us. Portugal does not want war; Portugal wants peace, but knows that there will be no peace without strength, nor strength without investment, preparation and political will. We owe NATO more than seven decades of stability. Europe has too often failed in its commitments, and the time has come to deliver.

The CDS, the party of which I am a member, has, as you know, a history in this area. We were among the first parties in the Assembly to propose criminalising the possession or use of pornographic material with minors. In this regard, I also invite the honourable Member to read pages 145 and 146 of the Government's programme, which will be discussed today in the Assembly of the Republic.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, this is not a technical or ideological debate. It's a theme that doesn't belong to the left or right. It belongs to decency. In Portugal, three children per day are victims of sexual abuse. Many of these aggressions occur where the child should be most protected, and we continue to debate, often with velvet gloves, as if there was room for ambiguity, as if it were possible to legislate gently about monstrosity. There is no more heinous crime that a society can tolerate, no deeper pain, no more serious institutional failure. We take this fight as a political priority. We want to correct the legislative flaws that leave children more exposed today than ever before. We are witnessing the digital industrialisation of child abuse with a detection system so limited that, in practice, most illegal material goes unpunished. We want to toughen sentences with the equalization of crimes online e offline, we want to ensure that victims have real support, that aggressors face justice without exception. We want the criminal law framework to be tightened and the prescription for sexual offences against minors to be increased. The CDS goes even further; we support criminalising the exposure of minors to pornographic content, where there are no effective age verification mechanisms – a gap that the text does not yet cover. If there is one line that no society feels it can cross, it is this. May this Parliament live up to the courage that every child victim has deserved and never seen.

Madam President, a blackout originating in Spain plunged Portugal into darkness. Millions of people ran out of electricity, rail networks stopped, traffic lights stopped working and hospitals used emergency generators. The truth is that the restoration of normality happened in Portugal first than in our neighboring country, and the government communicated with the Portuguese by the means available. The Iberian Peninsula is energetically surrounded, a true island in an interconnected continent. Last week's blackout exposed the risks of this isolation. The light returned in the middle of Tuesday morning, but Portuguese and Spanish were in the dark, not only literally, but also as to the causes of the failure. We therefore call for clear answers. We want a truly independent investigation, at all levels, and immune to political interference. In Portugal, the government responded responsibly, quickly and clearly, and avoided total collapse. But we want explanations, because in the neighboring country, in Spain, the blackout was not only electric, it was also political, and when leadership fails, the darkness extends long after the light returns.

Madam President, her name is Mykola, she is 19 years old. He grew up in Kharkiv, to the sound of sirens, under Kremlin attacks, but never lost hope. He dreams of being an engineer, not to flee the war, but to rebuild his free, secure and fully European homeland. Mykola believes in a Ukraine where the will of the people is worth more than the force of arms, where borders are not redrawn by violence, but respected by democracy. He looks forward to the day when the Ukrainian flag joins that of the European Union, not only in buildings, but in values. But for that day to come, peace cannot be synonymous with silence; It has to be fair. It cannot legitimize occupations or reward aggressors. Mykola does not ask us for compassion; calls for courage – the courage to support true peace, with guarantees, with justice, with consequences for those who have tried to erase the freedom of a people. A just peace is to draw a clear line between dignity and surrender. It's refusing to let Putin write borders or history. It's to make sure Mykola's dream and millions like it come true.

Mr President, Commissioner, I come from a country where the sea is part of our identity: Portugal. For centuries, my country has seen the oceans not just as a means of subsistence, but as a strategic asset. The future of our planet depends on the health of the oceans in Europe and beyond, be it trade, security, innovation. The ocean is at the heart of Europe's future. That is why we are here today, to move forward with an Ocean Pact. More than a political commitment, it is a moral obligation to future generations. The oceans are more than waves, they are the blue lung of the planet, the engine of the global economy, a source of clean energy, food security and knowledge. With 90% of global trade passing by sea, healthy seas are synonymous with stable supply chains, energy sovereignty and climate resilience. Portugal wants to be one of the main ambassadors of the Pact for the Oceans. Not out of vanity, but out of responsibility. The blue economy already accounts for 5% of Portuguese GDP, three times the European average. And my country, with one of the largest exclusive economic zones in Europe, embraces this strategic responsibility: Protect, innovate and lead.

Mr President, Commissioner, I would firstly like to congratulate you on the strategy you are bringing to us today. It is a decisive step to face the reality that we all recognize. Threats no longer have borders and are increasingly fast, intelligent, interconnected. We are dealing with an explosive combination of organised crime, terrorism, hybrid threats and even acts of sabotage promoted by hostile states. But let's be frank, as we discuss strategies, criminals don't waste time with bureaucracies to cross borders. In this context, information sharing between Member States is absolutely crucial. If criminals continue to share information faster and more effectively than we do, Europe will have lost the battle before it starts. Dear Commissioner, this strategy is a unique opportunity to correct the mistakes of the past and demonstrate that Europe can respond to the threats it faces.

Madam President, Minister, Commissioner, defence policy must be guided by realism, not illusions. The European Union has recognised the obvious: Europe is not ready to defend itself. Peace depends on strength, and Europe does not have enough. For decades, we have believed in a world without war, a rules-based order and a safe continent, with no investment in defence. NATO remains the pillar of our security, imagining an isolated European defence of the Alliance is a dangerous fantasy. We do not need a European army, but 27 effective, interoperable armed forces with common standards and coordinated response capability. This means more harmonisation, advanced air defence and a robust defence industry; securing strategic dominance in space and cyberspace, these are all choices that will shape the future of Europe. The challenges we face are not theoretical, they are real, and history does not wait for those who hesitate. We need a defence policy commensurate with our time.

Madam President, Commissioner, a fair and credible migration policy rests on two pillars: welcome those who really need protection and ensure that those who have no right to stay in the European Union return to their country of origin. Those who do not return remain in legal limbo, vulnerable to human trafficking, labour exploitation and marginalization. This is not sustainable for migrants, for our citizens, for Europe itself. The alternative is chaos, the loss of credibility of our institutions and the growth of extremism. And if there's one thing history teaches us, it's that when the center fails, the extremes win. We need agile procedures so that decisions are not lost in bureaucratic labyrinths; firm cooperation with third countries, linking partnerships; we need to ensure that migration policy is not a patchwork of uncoordinated approaches. There is no fair reception without clear rules, no successful integration without controlled borders. Because a continent without order cannot be solidary, a policy without credibility cannot be human. It is this balance that we must defend, it is this Europe that we must build.

Mr President, three years. Three years of destruction, resistance, courage. Three years since Russia tried to crush Ukraine, believing that fear would weaken our response. They failed. Three years of devastated cities, broken families, children who have only known war. Three years of bombing of schools, hospitals and homes. Three years of war crimes. Three years that tested Europe, because this war was never just about Ukraine, it was always about us, about what we accept, about what we tolerate, about whether we are willing to stand up for the values we proclaim. Three years that have shown us that this war is not just about tanks and missiles, it's about the future of the international order. If Russia wins, they will prove that force rewards, that Europe retreats, that dictators can cross borders off the map without consequences. Three years of Ukrainian sacrifice, a test of our determination. Three years of choice, and Europe has only one possible choice: Stand by Ukraine until the end.

I'm not going to answer that overly populist question, to which I have no answer. It seems to me that without security there is no freedom, and without freedom there is no European Union.

Madam President, Commissioner, from Stockholm to Paris, from Berlin to Brussels, we have seen the rise of organised crime cartels operating as genuine terrorist groups. And in the face of this, Europe has too often been slow and hesitant. Freedom of movement, one of the fundamental pillars of the European Union, has been instrumentalised to facilitate human trafficking, drug trafficking, smuggling and money laundering. We know that more than 70% of criminal networks operate across borders and that seven out of ten of the most dangerous involve citizens of multiple nationalities. First, these organizations must be recognized as a direct threat to national security and countered with the same measures applied to terrorism. Secondly, we need to strengthen European cooperation. Crime knows no borders, and neither can our response. No criminal can find refuge just because he has changed country. We advocate the extension of powers for the confiscation of assets and the restriction of the movement of criminal groups, including the imposition of entry bans and limitations for citizens convicted of serious crimes. There is also an urgent need to strengthen the European Arrest Warrant and to step up the fight against illegal arms trafficking, which is fuelling this escalation of violence. Europe is founded on freedom and the rule of law. Without security, freedom is just an empty concept, crushed by fear and violence. We cannot accept that our response is shy when criminals act without fear.

Madam President, Commissioner, organised crime networks are abducting the hopes of defenceless immigrants. It is a trade of exploitation and death. Smuggling of migrants on the central and western Mediterranean routes is no longer just a problem of illegal crossings. It is a highly sophisticated operation of migrant smuggling networks that are also involved in the trafficking of drugs, firearms and human beings. These networks not only exploit human suffering, they pose a much broader threat to our security. We need a robust system of intelligence sharing between Member States to track, attack, dismantle these criminal networks at their root. We need to update the legislation and confiscate the assets used by these criminal networks. We all know how difficult this work can be, but progress is possible. It is a matter of political will.

Mr President, without light, without water, without food, this is a country where 94% of the population lives in poverty, where more than seven million people have fled, not out of choice, but out of desperation. A country where the minimum wage does not buy even a kilo of rice, where hospitals without medicines and without electricity are places of despair, not cure. In Venezuela, Maduro does not rule legitimately, but by force, fraud and fear. This regime, ladies and gentlemen, usurps; does not lead, oppresses; Don't talk, lie. Today, there are more than 1 900 political prisoners in Venezuela, men and women who refuse to kneel before tyranny, who have sacrificed everything – freedom, family, future – so that Venezuela can be free again. Maduro will fall because oppressive regimes are condemned by the very force of freedom. And when that day comes, because it will, let history record that we defend without hesitation the right of the Venezuelan people to live in democracy. We democrats reaffirm our commitment to support the people of Venezuela and to ensure that power belongs to those who actually won the elections. We are and will always be on the side of free Venezuela, on the side of the people who do not give up.

Mr President, this is a war that is not declared, but that strikes where we are most vulnerable. The sabotage of submarine cables in the Baltic Sea is not just an incident. These cables carry 99% of international data traffic, form the backbone of global communications and the modern economy. Let's think about what that means. Our economies, our governments, our societies, everything depends on cables resting on the seabed. Russian sabotage, China's growing involvement and the attacks now spreading to Taiwan question whether we are ready to face a new era of hybrid warfare. The answer is obvious. This is not a mere carelessness. Europe needs a strong strategy, to strengthen our alliances, to invest in advanced technology, to create robust rules against increasingly sophisticated threats. In Portugal, the increase in Russian ship traffic in our waters is not a coincidence, it is a sign. We are one of the most important ports for connectivity between continents and that makes us a target. Protecting submarine cables is, above all, ensuring that our sovereignty is not held hostage by a battle at the bottom of the sea and a hybrid war that has already begun.

Señora presidenta, señorías, expreso mis más profundos palabras de solidaridad hacia las víctimas de la mayor catastrophe jamás vivid en España. The President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, although he was able and willing to act, was forced not to do so, no one asked him. He is a politician who convenes an extraordinary plenary session, in the midst of tragedy, to discuss the control of Spanish public radio and television, because nothing is more important in his media agenda. A politician who takes advantage of the greatest disaster ever remembered to use the victims as a bargaining chip in a budget negotiation. A politician who refuses, 15 days later, to declare a national emergency and take the reins of a catastrophe only and only for partisan interests. A politician who says he is fine, surrounded by others who say that everything was, after all, a miscalculation. Gentlemen, 223 dead, muddy streets turned into ruins, faces marked by loss, and survivors combing through murky waters for the rest of their lives are a portrait of monumental failure. Ha fallado la prevención, ha fallado la respuesta adecuada, pero, sobre todo, ha fallado la decencia. España deserves mucho más.

Madam President, cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, manipulation of public opinion, instrumentalisation of migration crises, disinformation campaigns – we are facing a war of hybrid attacks and foreign interference. This battle is not fought with conventional weaponry, but with disinformation and manipulation. For years, the Kremlin has orchestrated disinformation operations to advance its geopolitical objectives, from the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 to the recent destabilisation of Moldova. The risks associated with hybrid threats to the European Union are increasing, fuelled by a volatile geopolitical context and new technologies that facilitate the spread of lies. The instrumentalisation of migrants provides an opportunity for criminal networks, especially when it comes to human trafficking. Cybercrime groups can disrupt our internal networks, compromising security and stability. We need to send a clear message to everyone who wants to try to sabotage our democracies and erode the foundations of our society. We need to step up European security cooperation, especially information sharing, to identify and neutralise these threats. We need to build a more informed, critical and resilient society. A population able to distinguish between fact and fiction is much less susceptible to manipulation. Where there is interference, sanctions must be strict against those who finance and promote these threats. We are facing an adversary that turns information into a weapon, exploits social and political divisions, and tries to undermine citizens' trust in institutions and democracy. We cannot allow this to happen. The fight for the truth and integrity of our societies is a priority that we cannot postpone.

Madam President, today we remember Daphne Galizia, who was brutally assassinated for exposing corruption and defending the truth. Her legacy lives on, but in Malta the culture of impunity persists. Malta's recent history reminds us of the massive power of citizens and journalists in the fight for justice. Their efforts led to the courts declaring the EUR 4 billion hospital privatisation deal fraudulent. Because of them, former Prime Minister Muscat and his associates are facing criminal charges linked to this web of deceit. Their courage has exposed schemes from the abuse of disability payments to fraudulent ID cards that aim to exploit the most vulnerable. Yet despite these victories, the Maltese State has failed to implement a single recommendation from the public inquiry into Daphne's assassination. Not one conviction has been secured for the corruption she exposed. When institutions are taken captive, justice stumbles and journalists become the last line of defence. This is the reality we face in Malta today and we cannot turn a blind eye. It's on those who believe in justice, fairness and the rule of law to stand up and call for change. We must support the fight for reform and insist that no journalist, no citizen, ever faces the threat that Daphne did. We honour her memory – yes – but more than that, we owe it to every European who believes in truth, accountability and democracy.

Madam President, France, Denmark, Germany, Austria: in 2024, Europe is once again shaken by violence, with at least seven terrorist attacks and 21 recorded attempts. Most of these attacks are fuelled by extremist movements, which find their support in the Iranian regime. This picture is not mere chance, it is a clear warning of the growing threat Iran poses to Europe's internal security. Terrorism makes no distinctions, does not respect innocent or guilty, children or adults. It knows no boundaries, no boundaries. It's not just about ideology, it's a cynical and orchestrated offense against our way of life. In the face of a regime that promotes and sustains terror, inaction is as dangerous as the very terror we fight. The fight against terrorism cannot be achieved with romanticism. We need strict sanctions. We need to anticipate these threats. We need to prevent radicalisation in all its forms and protect our borders by denying terrorists the means to act. But we know that this cannot be done in isolation and cooperation between the ‑ Member States is vital. Freedom and security are inseparable. We cannot allow fear to make us give up the values we stand for.

Madam President, Commissioner, we are living in times of great progress and, paradoxically, in times of regression. People are persecuted for their beliefs, voices are silenced for the simple act of professing a faith. This is not an isolated phenomenon; He is here, among us, disguised as indifference or false neutrality. But every time we ignore an attack on a church, a mosque or a synagogue, every time we allow religious hatred to manifest itself, we become complicit. If we close our eyes to the resurgence of anti-Semitism, which forces so many Jews to hide their identity, what have we really learned from the darkest times in history? If we allow the persecution of Christians, attacks and vandalism against churches to become a normality, how can we seriously assert that we defend freedom and human dignity? If we are not able to protect religious freedom, what other freedom are we willing to lose? The Europe I want, the Europe we work for every day, is a Europe where differences are celebrated and not feared. The Europe I believe in is the one that has known that, after two world wars, hatred and extremism cannot be tolerated. The Europe in which I grew up is one that does not turn a blind eye to intolerance, and it is in this Europe that the firm response must begin.

Madam President, this year, flames have consumed more than 100 000 hectares in Portugal, turning forests that take generations to grow into ashes. We have seen villages surrounded by fire, people losing their homes and, tragically, lives that we can no longer give back. We have seen our firefighters and armed forces fighting the flames, often in impossible conditions, putting their own lives at risk. And year after year, we face a fire season that starts earlier, lasts longer and becomes more devastating. This is a disaster with a lasting impact on the environment, the economy and the lives of thousands of Portuguese who depend on the land to survive. Acting only in response to disasters is no longer enough. We live in a scenario aggravated by climate change – longer, drier and warmer summers make fires more frequent and more devastating. The truth is that Europe has the means, but we lack coordinated and ambitious action. We must invest heavily in prevention. It means sustainable management of our forests. It means a real commitment to monitoring technologies such as early detection systems. We need to act earlier, faster and more effectively.

Thank you for your speech and your question. I believe that, in fact, here in this plenary, in this Parliament, nobody wants Hungary to be on the wrong side of history. I therefore hope that Hungary will be able to respond clearly and transparently to the questions that have been asked by the European Commission.

Madam President, the Hungarian 'national card' system represents a dangerous breach in the shield protecting Europe, and the consequences are not hypothetical. When we talk about Ukraine, we are talking about a people who have chosen democracy, Europe and the rule of law. When Viktor Orbán devalues this struggle, he ignores that the attack on Ukraine is actually an attack on the values that cement our Union. If we let Ukraine fall, we will weaken our own democracy. As Ukrainians struggle, die and resist the aggression of an imperialist power, Hungary opens its doors to Russian and Belarusian citizens. Every Ukrainian soldier who stands up for his country is a living shield for Europe. Russia's victory in Ukraine would be the ultimate proof that borders in Europe can be redrawn by force. And at the same time as they fight, we cannot allow loopholes to be created for those who want to see us divided. The Schengen area is not a whim, it is a pillar. And the Hungarian ‘national card’ turns Schengen into a vulnerable front, a deception that favours those who want to exploit our flaws and loopholes. The international order is at stake and Hungary cannot be on the wrong side. In this delicate geopolitical context, this scheme facilitates the entry of Russian and Belarusian citizens into the European area by subverting the controls required by Union rules. It is an open door to infiltration by spies and external manipulation, at a time when Russia is clearly committed to destabilising Europe. When we talk about common security, there is no room for compromise. Let's not be naive. We cannot treat our security with the lightness of those who believe that threats will disappear on their own. We cannot allow the Schengen area, which symbolises trust between Member States, to become a tool of political manipulation or a security fallacy.