What Romana spoke about.

10 Mar

2026

EN Speech

Guidelines for the 2027 budget - Section III (debate)

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Mr President, dear Commissioner, colleagues, if there is one lesson learned from recent years, it is that health is security. Health is resilience. Health is prosperity. Yet, once again, in the debate on the EU budget, health risks being sidelined. We face rising chronic diseases, mental health challenges, antimicrobial resistance and serious inequalities in access to care across Member States. An…

9 Mar

2026

EN Speech

One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

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Mr President, every day in Europe, thousands of young people try their first cigarette or vape. The tobacco and nicotine industry knows exactly what it is doing. Bright colours, sweet flavours and targeted marketing are designed to hook a new generation before they fully understand the consequences. The young are not choosing addiction, but addiction is choosing them. This is why we need stronger …

11 Feb

2026

HR Speech

Developing a new EU anti-poverty strategy (debate)

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Dear President, colleague and colleague, Commissioner, poverty has many faces: the face of a worker who works and barely connects the end with the end, the face of a pensioner who has worked all his life, and today chooses between heating and medicine, the face of a woman who due to years of poorly paid or unpaid work today has a small pension, the face of a child whose opportunities in life depen…

9 Feb

2026

HR Speech

World Cancer Day (debate)

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16 Dec

2025

EN Speech

Presentation of the EU Cardiovascular Health Plan (debate)

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Madam President, dear colleagues, Commissioner, we were waiting impatiently for this moment, because Europe needs tangible and ambitious solutions that will finally reduce deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases. All it takes is some courage and money. But are we courageous enough to finally get it right, to confront one of the most powerful drivers of poor health in our societies? For decades, p…

26 Nov

2025

HR Speech

EU strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities post-2024 (debate)

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12 Nov

2025

HR Speech

One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

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Dear Chairman, November 14th marks World Diabetes Day, one of the most widespread chronic diseases of our time. Diabetes affects more than 33 million Europeans and has strong, often persistent complications - from cardiovascular disease to blindness. Despite advances in science, many still do not have access to timely diagnosis, quality therapy and systematic education on prevention. For example, …

23 Oct

2025

EN Speech

Breast cancer: the importance of screening (debate)

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Madam President, more than 90 000 European women lose their lives to breast cancer each year. But why does it have to be like this, if we know that screening save lives? We have failed to reach one of the main goals set by the beating cancer plan, ensuring that 90 % of women have access to screening by 2025. So how do we respond to this failure? By acting. We must step up. We must reach out to the…

9 Oct

2025

HR Speech

World Mental Health Day - addressing the socio-economic factors (debate)

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On the occasion of the World Mental Health Day, we are sending an important message. Mental health is a universal human right. Unfortunately, for millions of people, this right is unattainable because they are trapped in poverty, even though they work. How to feel safe when the roof over your head becomes a luxury, not a right one? How not to be anxious when every day is a struggle for basic livin…

5 May

2025

HR Speech

One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

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3 Apr

2025

EN Speech

European Action Plan on Rare Diseases (debate)

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Mr President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, for 94 % of European patients living with rare diseases, there is still no dedicated treatment available. And that's a fact. But until now, Commissioner, we've seen progress only on paper: just new recommendations, new communications, new platforms. But patients cannot be treated with PowerPoint slides. And we really hope that you can change that. …

31 Mar

2025

HR Speech

One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

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Dear Chairman, we just don't talk enough about some topics. One of these is hyperemesis gravidarum, An extreme version of morning sickness that affects millions of women around the world. This life-threatening condition is characterized by relentless nausea, which often persist throughout pregnancy, uncontrolled vomiting and frequent serious complications. Due to the severity of the condition and …

12 Feb

2025

HR Speech

Silent crisis: the mental health of Europe’s youth (debate)

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Dear Chairman, a silent crisis, whatever we're talking about? This is by no means a silent crisis, this is a crisis that we have ignored and ignored. Yeah, just like that. We have all long been aware of the devastating statistics that say that 14 million adolescents in Europe live with mental illnesses. We have known for a long time that suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescen…

11 Feb

2025

HR Speech

Boosting vocational education and training in times of labour market transitions (debate)

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Dear Chair, colleagues and Commissioners, we are living in a time of great change, at a time when quality vocational education and training is crucial for the labour market and the jobs of the future. Unfortunately, many, especially the long-term unemployed, women returning to the labour market and older workers in need of retraining are excluded from the education system due to financial barriers…

10 Feb

2025

HR Speech

One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

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Dear Chairman, the greatest wealth a country can have is healthy citizens. That is why the Multiannual Financial Framework is much more than just a financial plan and figures. It is an important political document that sends a clear message about our political priorities. It is important that health care issuances are sufficient. So looking back to 2028, we need to make it clear: Health must becom…

20 Jan

2025

HR Speech

One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

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Dear Chair, we celebrate cervical cancer prevention week, which kills around 13 000 women every year in the European Union. I wonder why many countries are still unseriously dealing with this problem. Perhaps because it's about women's health, which is still, obviously, a second-rate political issue. Why do many Member States still not have organised national screening programmes? And although Eur…

20 Jan

2025

HR Speech

Heat record year 2024 - the need for climate action to fight global warming (debate)

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Dear Chair, colleagues, yes, 2024 was marked by historically high temperatures, but this trend is projected to continue in the years to come. Europe is warming faster than the global average, making it essential that all states signatory to the Paris Agreement fully comply with its provisions. It is not enough for the European Union alone to be at the forefront of introducing rigorous rules. Great…

25 Nov

2024

HR Speech

One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

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Dear Chairman, pensions from which one can live with dignity are not a privilege, but a fundamental human right. On average, European pensioners receive a pension equal to 58% of their average salary, while in Croatia this share is significantly lower and is only 37%. With 37%, a third of pensioners in Croatia live in poverty and a third are on the verge of poverty. Those who have worked all their…

13 Nov

2024

HR Speech

One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

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Honourable President, poverty and inequality are a serious problem in the European Union. One in five people are at risk of poverty. That's an alarming piece of information. Children and young people, women, people with a low level of education, the unemployed and the elderly are a particularly vulnerable group. We're talking about millions of people struggling to survive every day. They're not ju…

22 Oct

2024

HR Speech

Guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States (debate)

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Today, the European labour market faces a number of challenges. Labour shortages, skills shortages, the green and digital transitions all point to the importance of an innovative, competitive and adaptable market. However, in creating a competitive market, we must not forget about social values. We must not sacrifice fundamental labour rights. Today we need strong trade unions to help and protect …

10 Oct

2024

HR Speech

World Mental Health Day - need for a comprehensive EU strategy on mental health (debate)

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Dear President, we live in a time of great economic uncertainty, fear of wars, climate change, social isolation. Therefore, it is not surprising that mental health disorders have become a serious social problem. Depression is one of the leading causes of disability. The European Mental Health Strategy was a step forward, but could have been more ambitious. Adequate funding and binding measures wer…

9 Oct

2024

HR Speech

Ensuring sustainable, decent and affordable housing in Europe - encouraging investment, private property and public housing programmes (debate)

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Dear Chair, Mr Commissioner, millions of citizens across Europe are living under pressure from high house prices, high rents and utilities. Many live in debt slavery, while banks make enormous profits. This is not a challenge that our citizens should face on their own. And it is absurd that today young people have drastically fewer opportunities when it comes to housing than their grandparents, fa…

28 Feb

2024

EN Speech

European Digital Identity framework (debate)

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Madam President, I would like to thank all the colleagues who took the floor tonight, and especially I would like to thank the shadows for their excellent cooperation. By working together, we are one step closer to a European Digital Identity for all European citizens, valid and recognised everywhere in Europe by all 27 national public administrations. And finally, dear colleagues, digital or not,…

28 Feb

2024

EN Speech

European Digital Identity framework (debate)

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Madam President, dear colleagues, in today’s digital era the term ‘digital identity’ frequently arises in relation to many of our daily activities. Whether we talk about online banking, shopping online, accessing government services online, or simply signing up for a new social media account, we all use our digital identity on a daily basis. But our increased presence online raises multiple securi…

6 Feb

2024

HR Speech

EU2040 climate target (debate)

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Mr. Chairman, Mr. Commissioner, it is of utmost importance that the European Union remains consistent with the idea behind the European Green Deal and that we become the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050. Some think this plan isn't ambitious enough. I don't agree with them. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent by 2040 is very ambitious, but I would like to know and it is n…