Speeches

President. – That is overwhelmingly adopted. This is significant. Can I also say that this vote is significant not only for the much—needed funding it will make available for the people of Ukraine, but it matters for democracy. Thank you for showing us, once again, that this Parliament is efficient, is effective, can act and can legislate urgently and fast. This is the democracy and legitimacy of European—level decision making.

Stop killing women. No more excuses. Protect women. We need action now. We need proper protection frameworks. We need more convictions of those who prey on females. And we need to end the remaining institutional blindness to the endemic violence against women. We need the urgent ratification of the Istanbul Convention in all Member States. Bernice should have arrived at work yesterday. She should have been able to go home and play with her children. She should not have been forced to live in fear. She should have been safe. She should have been free from torment. She should not have been killed. None of the horrific examples of violence against women we are forced to endure should take place in our Europe. We are not talking about victims: these are our fallen warriors. Women deserve to live free from fear everywhere. Stop killing women.

Yesterday in Malta, Bernice Cassar, a 40-year-old woman, a mother of two young children, was shot dead by a windscreen in her car. This is just one example of the abuse and murder of women in Europe, just because they are women. For months, Bernice asked for help, asked for protection, but neither help nor protection, never arrived. It was left alone.

Thank you very much, Minister Bek. The joint text agreed by the Conciliation Committee on 14 November 2022 has now been approved by both Parliament and the Council. The budgetary procedure for the financial year 2023 can thus be deemed to have been completed. The Union’s general budget for the financial year 2023 is definitively adopted and we will now sign the budget, as happens every year. (The President of Parliament signed the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2023.)

Ladies and gentlemen, I now invite you to watch a video clip prepared for the 70th anniversary of the European Parliament. (the video clip was broadcast in the Chamber)

It is in this capacity that the Members of this Parliament, whom I have the honour of presiding over, come together to vote democratically, every month, in Strasbourg. It is for the respect of human rights that this Parliament is fighting for the neighbouring people, who are struggling for democracy. And it is to meet the current needs of our European citizens, severely impacted by inflation and the cost of living, that we will continue to seek, over and over again, solutions to our common challenges.

Moritz, just to be clear, you are proposing the change of title to this: ‘Assessment of Hungary’s compliance with the rule of law conditions under the Conditionality Regulation and the state of play of the Hungarian RRP’. Does anybody want to speak against? I don’t see that to be the case. So we put the request to the vote by roll call. (Parliament agreed to the request) So the title is changed. Also for today, The Left Group has requested that the Commission statement on the ‘Situation of human rights in the context of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar’ be wound up with a resolution to be voted on Thursday. I give the floor to Manon Aubry to move the request on behalf of The Left Group.

We now come to the order of business. The final draft agenda as adopted by the Conference of Presidents on 17 November pursuant to the Rule 157 has been distributed. I would like to inform you that I have received three requests for urgent procedure from BUDG Committee and from the Commission pursuant to Rule 163 on the following legislative files: – amending Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027; – amending Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 as regards the establishment of a diversified funding strategy as a general borrowing method; and – ‘Macro-Financial Assistance+’, the instrument for providing support to Ukraine for 2023. The vote on these three requests will be taken tomorrow. If adopted, the vote will be held on Thursday. We now move to changes requested by political groups. For Monday, the Renew Group has asked that the title of the Commission statement entitled ‘State of play of the negotiations between the Commission and the Hungarian Government linked to the Conditionality Regulation and the RRP’ be changed to ‘Freezing of European funds to Hungary under the RRF and the Conditionality Regulation’ with resolution. I give the floor to Moritz Körner to move the request on behalf of the Renew Group.

I would like to inform you that, together with the President of the Council, I shall today sign eight acts adopted under the ordinary legislative procedure in accordance with Rule 79 of Parliament’s Rules of Procedure. The titles of the acts will be published in the minutes of this sitting.

Following the election of Søren Gade, Linea Søgaard-Lidell and Peter Kofod as members of the national parliament of Denmark, Parliament takes note of the vacancy of their seats from 15 November 2022, in accordance with the Rules of Procedure.

The minutes and the texts adopted of the sittings of 9 and 10 November are available. Before I give the floor to some colleagues, I see there are no comments and therefore the minutes are approved.

Thank you very much, Eider. I’ll put the request of the Verts/ALE Group to a vote by roll call. (Parliament rejected the request) The agenda therefore remains unchanged. The agenda is adopted and the order of business is thus established.

Thank you, Christophe. Ms Aubry, would you agree to the request by the S&D and Renew groups so we can vote on at least having this debate, which would be wound up with a resolution, the timing of which we will then discuss at the Conference of Presidents? I’ll put this to a vote by roll call. (Parliament agreed to the request) Therefore we will have a Commission statement on the outcome of the modernisation of the Energy Charter Treaty. As a second point this afternoon, the statement will be followed by a round of political group speakers and it will be wound up with a resolution later on. Let’s now move to another request, also for today. The Verts/ALE Group has asked that the Commission a statement on the EU response to the increasing crackdown on protests in Iran be added as a third item this afternoon. The statement would then be followed by a round of political group speakers. I give the floor to Hannah Neumann to move the request on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group.

Thank you, Ms Aubry. I have received an alternative proposal from the S&D and Renew groups. I give the floor to Inma Rodríguez—Piñero to move the request on behalf of both groups.

I should also like to inform you that, together with the President of the Council, I shall today sign one act adopted under the ordinary legislative procedure in accordance with Rule 79 of Parliament’s Rules of Procedure. The title of the act will be published in the minutes of this sitting.

The TRAN and LIBE committees have decided to enter into interinstitutional negotiations pursuant to Rule 71(1) of the Rules of Procedure. The reports, which constitute the mandates for the negotiations, are available on the plenary webpage and their titles will be published in the minutes of the sitting. Pursuant to Rule 71(2), Members or political groups reaching at least the medium threshold may request in writing by tomorrow, Thursday 10 November at midnight, that the decisions to enter into negotiations be put to the vote. If no request for a vote in Parliament on the decisions to enter into negotiations is made within the aforementioned deadline, the committees may start the negotiations.

Today is 9 November, a date that will always be symbolic in Europe’s history. Eighty-four years ago Europe lived through one of its darkest moments, but on the same day 51 years later, in 1989, we experienced one of the brightest moments in our recent history. This week I visited Auschwitz-Birkenau, a quiet part of the world which provided the setting for the worst crimes that man has even seen. Eighty-four years have passed since Kristallnacht, but despite decades of effort we have not yet done enough to end the scapegoating, to end the discrimination. We have not yet done enough to make every citizen in Europe unafraid to be themselves. And today let me reiterate our commitment to fight hate, to teach tolerance and respect, to combat anti—Semitism and to always remember. The hallmark of our European Union has been the bravery, the political courage of women and men who put division aside and fought for unity, for freedom. That is what we saw 33 years ago with the fall of the wall in Berlin. It meant hope; it meant liberty; it gave a chance to 150 million people to live in democracy; and fundamentally it contributed to reconciliation and unity in Europe. Dear colleagues, we must never go back to a divided continent. Our Europe is one where we live together united, a Europe of peace, a Europe of hope and a Europe where we pull down walls. I would also like once again to raise the issue of the situation in Iran. The situation in Iran has deteriorated even further. The people in the streets of Iran need our support. They deserve our support. Women, students, intellectuals and so many others risk their lives in Tehran and other cities in their fight for basic human rights. The Iranian regime shows no mercy towards the protesters and now calls have begun for imprisoned women to be sentenced to death. This is why I have urged the High Representative in a letter sent yesterday to take a firm stance against these despicable actions. This House has made it very clear we need an international investigation to keep the oppressive regime accountable for its ongoing human rights violations. It is now time to impose further targeted sanctions. There can be no business as usual with the Iranian regime.