Speeches

Now I put the request to the vote by roll call. (Parliament rejected the request) The agenda is unchanged for Wednesday. The ECR Group has requested that the debate on the Commission statement on the devastating floods in Central and Eastern Europe, the loss of lives and the EU's preparedness to act on such disasters exacerbated by climate change would be wound up with a resolution. I give the floor to Mr Adam Bielan to move the request.

On 30 August 2024, a call for nominations with a view to the election of the European Ombudsman was published in the Official Journal. The closing date for submitting nominations is 30 September 2024. On 2 September, you received an email from me with further information on the procedure, including the standardised form for supporting signatures. I would like to recall you that, pursuant to Rule 237(2) of our Rules of Procedure, each nomination has to have the support of at least 39 Members who are nationals of at least two Member States. Each Member may support only one nomination. If you support more than one nomination, your signature will not be considered for any of the nominations in question. Also, your support will only be valid if indicated on the standardised form within the time limit for the submission of nominations. Once a nomination has been submitted, additional signatures will no longer be accepted. However, you may withdraw your signature by notifying me before the end of the time limit for nominations. I will then transmit nominations that meet all the criteria to the Committee on Petitions, which will hold hearings of the nominees at the beginning of December. These hearings will be open to all Members. The election of the new Ombudsman in plenary will then take place during the December 2024 part-session. ⁂ I would like to inform the House that I received many requests for points of order. I will take them in the order in which I received them.

I would like to inform you that, together with the President of the Council, I shall on Wednesday sign three acts adopted under the ordinary legislative procedure, in accordance with Rule 81 of the Rules of Procedure. The titles of the acts will be published in the minutes of this sitting.

The competent committees have transmitted 20 corrigenda to texts adopted by Parliament. Pursuant to Rule 251, these corrigenda will be deemed approved unless, no later than 24 hours after their announcement, a request is made by a political group or Members reaching at least the low threshold that they be put to the vote. The corrigenda are available on the plenary webpage. These titles will be published in the minutes of this sitting.

The EPP, S&D, Patriots, ECR and Greens/EFA groups have notified me of decisions relating to changes to appointments within committees. These decisions will be set out in the minutes of today’s sitting and take effect on the date of this announcement.

I have received two requests from the competent authorities in Germany for the parliamentary immunity of Petr Bystron to be waived. I have received requests from the competent authorities in Poland for the parliamentary immunities of Adam Bielan, Michał Dworczyk, Mariusz Kamiński and Maciej Wąsik to be waived. I have also received a request from the competent authorities in Hungary for the parliamentary immunities of Klára Dobrev to be waived. These requests are referred to the Committee on Legal Affairs.

Following the resignation of Martin Hlaváček, and on the proposal of the Committee on Legal Affairs, Parliament takes note of the vacancy of his seat from 1 August 2024, in accordance with the Rules of Procedure, and will inform the national authority concerned thereof. Following the resignation of Balázs Győrffy, and on the proposal of the Committee on Legal Affairs, Parliament takes note of the vacancy of his seat from 2 September 2024, in accordance with the Rules of Procedure, and will inform the national authority concerned. The competent authorities of Croatia have notified me of the election of Marko Vešligaj to the European Parliament, replacing Predrag Fred Matić, with effect from 5 September 2024. I wish to welcome our new colleague and recall that he takes his seat in Parliament and its bodies in full enjoyment of his rights pending the verification of his credentials.

The minutes and the texts adopted at the sitting of 18 and 19 July are available. Are there any comments? No. Therefore, the minutes are approved.

I have a few announcements before we go to the agenda. Over the last days, we have witnessed the consequences of extreme weather and flooding in Poland, Hungary, Austria, Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Germany, which have been devastating, as are the brutal impacts of major wildfires in Portugal. We have seen stories of heartache and loss, of courage under pressure, of survival and hardship. I know that all our thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones, their homes and those missing, with the first responders, and with all those still battling. This is a moment for European solidarity, of coming together to play our respective parts however we can. In the worst of times our people need to see the best of Europe. And on behalf of the European Parliament, let me underline that we will continue to do whatever is necessary to help. The leaders of the political groups have just agreed to hold a debate in this Chamber on Wednesday in order to assess the European Union's readiness to provide immediate, crucial assistance to provide such assistance to the countries and the regions affected by these catastrophic incidents. When people look to the European Union, they will find us ready. Dear colleagues, today also marks two years since the brutal murder of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in Iran, a date which will forever live in infamy. Let me reiterate now that the European Parliament proudly stands with those brave, defiant women and men who continue to fight for equality, for dignity and for freedom in Iran. We continue to stand with those who risk their lives, even from prison, to keep the Women, Life, Freedom movement alive. Today, we honour the legacy of Mahsa Amini, our 2023 Sakharov Prize winner, and all those who paid the price for liberty. The European Parliament remembers here, today and always. Now, dear colleagues, it is also with a very heavy heart that I inform you of the passing of our colleague and dear friend Predrag Fred Matić on 23 August. Fred was a champion of social justice, of human rights and equality. Whether it was fighting for women's rights, veterans' rights or access to health care, he did not only influence policies – he changed lives. Everyone who worked with him knew how passionate he was about the power of Europe to make a difference, how deeply he believed in politics as a force for good and the infectious nature of his enthusiasm. As a war hero, a Member of Parliament, a former minister, he was driven by a strong sense of duty and unwavering in his commitment to build a better Europe. His legacy will endure in all of us who had the honour of working with him. Our thoughts are with his family, the Croatian delegation and the S&D Group in this House. Please join me for a moment of silence to honour the memory of Mr Matić.

Good afternoon, dear colleagues, could I please ask you to take your seats? Nice to see you all after the summer break. All right, let's start. So, dear colleagues, welcome back. We are back in Strasbourg, and we start this plenary session. I declare resumed the session of the European Parliament adjourned on 19 July 2024.

I have received a request from the competent authorities in Denmark for the parliamentary immunity of Anders Vistisen to be waived. I have also received a request from the competent authorities in Czechia for the parliamentary immunity of Jana Nagyová to be waived. These requests are referred to the Committee on Legal Affairs.

Dear colleagues, dear colleagues, on 19 July 1992, thirty-two years ago, Judge Paolo Borsellino and five members of his escort were killed in a mafia attack. The rubble of the Via D'Amelio massacre did not bury the ideas and courage of a man who dedicated his life to the search for truth. An example of civil commitment that is not only Italian heritage, but also European. The destiny of the individual becomes the legacy of an entire community when his actions are inspired by the shared values of legality and freedom. The European Parliament will continue its fight without hesitation against all forms of organised crime, in the name of Paolo Borsellino and those who, like him, have paid with their lives for their love of justice. On this point I have received several references to the regulation, we follow the order in which I received them.

The next item is the election of the President of the Commission (2024/2011(INS)). Pursuant to Rule 206(4), The Left Group has moved that the election of the President of the Commission be adjourned.

This is the third time you’ve done this! I ask that the Member is taken out of the room. Let me repeat: I ask that the Member is taken out of the room now! Do I have to say it again? (shouting from Diana Iovanovici-Șoșoacă) I would ask you also not to shout at the ushers. (more shouting from Diana Iovanovici-Șoșoacă) How many colleagues need to come and escort you out of the room? I think you’ve spoken – enough! (Diana Iovanovici-Șoșoacă was escorted from the Chamber)

I’ll announce the results. We had 612 members voting, 147 blank, 465 votes cast. So the absolute majority was 233. Kosma Złotowski received 335 votes, and Pál Szekeres 130. Therefore, Kosma Złotowski has been elected because he has obtained an absolute majority of the votes cast. I would like to congratulate him. In accordance with Rules 18 and 17(2), the quaestors will take precedence in the order in which they were elected, and, in the event of a tie, by age. The composition of the new Bureau will be notified to the Presidents of the Institutions of the European Union. (The sitting was suspended at 10.20)

One seat remains to be filled in the election of the quaestors, so a second ballot is necessary. Unless there are any comments, I take it that the two candidates Mr Złotowski and Mr Szekeres are still standing? Yes. So I will proceed immediately to the vote. The vote is open.

I will announce the results. We had 669 Members voting. We have 28 blank or void votes and 641 votes cast. That means the absolute majority is 321. I will now read the results: Andrey Kovatchev, 559; Mark Angel, 461; Miriam Lexmann, 459; Fabienne Keller, 398. Then we have Kosma Złotowski, 260; and Pál Szekeres, 174. That means that Mr Kovatchev, Mr Angel, Ms Lexmann and Ms Keller have obtained an absolute majority of the votes cast. So I declare them elected as quaestors, and I would like to congratulate them on their election.