What Merja spoke about.

15 Sep

2026

FI Question

Defence (joint debate)

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Mr President, Europe's defence capacity must be strengthened, but faster must not mean less controlled. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has shown that Europe needs to be able to produce the defence equipment it needs and act faster in critical crises. It is therefore justified to streamline permitting procedures, facilitate transfers of defence equipment between Member States and streng…

15 Sep

2026

FI Speech

Hybrid attacks against the EU Member States (joint debate)

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Mr President, trust is also a critical infrastructure for society. Russian hybrid attacks against EU member states are not limited to cyberattacks or the dissemination of false information. The targets are critical infrastructure, borders, energy and transport, and ultimately also citizens' sense of security. Russia's goal is to create uncertainty, fear and confrontation in Europe. The EU must res…

7 Jul

2026

FI Speech

2025 Commission report on Ukraine (debate)

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Mr President, Mr Gahler's report on Ukraine, which we are debating today, sends a clear message. Europe's support for Ukraine is unwavering and must remain so. Support for Ukraine's EU accession path, the promotion of support for reforms and long-term economic, military and political support in the midst of the war are critical. Ukraine's defensive struggle is not just about its own future. It is …

16 Jun

2026

FI Speech

An EU future for the Western Balkans (joint debate)

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16 Jun

2026

FI Speech

Russia’s unacceptable provocative actions and drone incursions into Romania, the Baltic states and Finland (debate)

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Mr President, Russia's repeated provocations and drone intrusions into the airspace of Romania, the Baltic States and Finland pose a serious challenge to European security. They are not just isolated cases, but part of an exercise to test Europe's readiness and unity. For Finland and other neighbouring countries, such violations are a reminder that our security is in common. When the security of o…

29 Apr

2026

EN Speech

Sudan’s abandoned humanitarian crisis: three years of conflict (debate)

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Mr President, three years into this devastating conflict, Sudan has become one of the world's most neglected humanitarian crises. Millions have been displaced, famine is spreading, the basic services have collapsed. Behind the numbers are families forced to flee, children without education and communities cut off from lifesaving aid. We cannot allow this crisis to remain invisible. The European Un…

28 Apr

2026

FI Speech

Interim report on the proposal for the multiannual financial framework for 2028-2034 (debate)

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Mr President, thank you very much for your constructive cooperation with colleagues, in particular Mr Mureşan and Mr Tavares. From the transport negotiator’s point of view, the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2028-2034 is crucial for Europe’s competitiveness, security and also for climate objectives. Transport is not only a cost, it is a genuine investment in the functioning of the inter…

10 Mar

2026

FI Speech

EU enlargement strategy (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the enlargement of the European Union is not just an administrative process. It is, above all, a geopolitical choice. In the current security context, enlargement is a strategic investment in European stability, democracy and security. The key message of the report is clear. Enlargement must remain merit-based. Each candidate country must meet the criteria of th…

20 Jan

2026

FI Speech

Situation in Venezuela following the extraction of Maduro and the need to ensure a peaceful democratic transition (debate)

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Mr President, few will miss Nicolás Maduro, but his exclusion does not yet mean freedom for the Venezuelan people. State structures are largely unchanged. Power has not shifted to the people, but to the squeezes of superpower politics. A U.S. operation that violates international law reveals the harsh truth. It is not about democracy, but about oil, gas and minerals, about economic power, about mo…

16 Dec

2025

FI Speech

EU Defence Readiness (joint debate)

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25 Nov

2025

FI Speech

EU’s diplomatic strategy and geopolitical cooperation in the Arctic (debate)

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Mr President, the Arctic region is changing faster than any other part of the world. The climate crisis, the intensifying competition from the great powers and the deteriorating security situation require clear common solutions from us. We need to talk about the Arctic now, before others do it for us and past us. We have a clear goal: a stable and secure Arctic, in accordance with international la…

25 Nov

2025

EN Speech

Escalation of the war and the humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan (continuation of debate)

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Madam President, the war in Sudan has escalated into one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes of our time, and yet it remains among the most neglected. The European Union cannot look away. I urge the Council and the Commission to act: first, rapidly scale up humanitarian aid; second, secure immediate and unconditional humanitarian access ⁠– without that, no aid can reach people in desperate need…

21 Oct

2025

FI Speech

Stepping up funding for Ukraine’s reconstruction and defence: the use of Russian frozen assets (debate)

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Mr President, we will support Ukraine for as long as it takes. We have all heard and repeated this promise, but words alone will not stop missiles, they will not cost the necessary weapons systems, they will not save lives, they will not rebuild cities. One of our strongest tools is still to be used: 250 billion euros of Russian state money frozen across Europe. These aren't just numbers. They are…

8 Oct

2025

EN Speech

Europe’s automotive future – reversing the ban on the sale of combustion cars in the EU (topical debate)

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Madam President, dear colleagues, Europe's automotive industry stands at a crossroad. Our goal – to achieve climate neutrality – is beyond question. But the path we choose must be guided by reason, innovation and fairness. A blanket ban on internal combustion engines risks doing the opposite. It penalises technologies rather than emissions, discourages investment in new synthetic and renewable fue…

8 Oct

2025

EN Speech

United response to recent Russian violations of the EU Member States’ airspace and critical infrastructure (debate)

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Madam President, dear colleagues, recent Russian violations of EU Member States' airspace and critical infrastructure are not isolated incidents. They are deliberate acts testing our unity, our resilience and our credibility. Each drone incursion, each cyberattack, each interference attempt carries a clear message: to divide, to intimidate and to erode trust in the European project and our support…

10 Sep

2025

FI Speech

Serious threats to aviation and maritime transport from Global Navigation Satellite System interference: urgent need to build resilience against spoofing and jamming (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, GPS interference kills security. Safety is a critical core of aviation and maritime transport. The problem has been before us for years. Unfortunately, we are far too slow and naive in our response to the influence of external powers. I am concerned that, while our diverse European system does guarantee democracy, in some areas we would need less bureaucracy and committ…

18 Jun

2025

FI Speech

Upcoming NATO summit on 24-26 June 2025 (debate)

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Mr President, NATO and the EU are in the midst of a major transformation. It is easy to say that a certain percentage is added to the defense. However, this must not be done without preparation and a common picture of the situation, which also outlines what and what kind of actions need funding in concrete terms. In addition to defence readiness, security is energy self-sufficiency, nutrition self…

7 May

2025

FI Speech

EU support for a just, sustainable and comprehensive peace in Ukraine (debate)

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Mr President, the pursuit of peace is not a weakness. It has been the cornerstone of European construction. However, lasting peace in Ukraine requires a strong foundation. It calls for the strengthening of Ukraine's own defence capabilities and bold European diplomacy. A lasting peace in Ukraine can only be achieved if Russia meets at the negotiating table a strong and united Ukraine, underpinned …

6 May

2025

FI Speech

2023 and 2024 reports on Kosovo (debate)

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Mr President, Kosovo has gone a long way from the shadows of war to peace, from instability to democracy. Its people have shown that there is will: The desire to build a more stable and peaceful future. In recent years, progress in strengthening the rule of law and democracy has been encouraging. But we still have plenty of work to do. Minority rights and the fight against corruption require const…

2 Apr

2025

FI Speech

Immediate risk of further repression by Lukashenka’s regime in Belarus - threats from the Investigative Committee (debate)

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Mr President, the Lukashenka regime not only blatantly violates the fundamental rights of its own citizens, it also threatens regional stability and security. The climate of violence, persecution and fear in Belarus is the result of an authoritarian regime that does not shy away from the means to stay in power. When democracy is being eroded in one area of Europe, we cannot just be concerned, we n…

2 Apr

2025

FI Speech

The importance of trans-European transport infrastructure in times of stalling economic growth and major threats to Europe’s security (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, connectivity, capacity, co-operation are key issues in the development of transport throughout Europe. The transport network, the infrastructure networks in general, are at the heart of the competitiveness and development of the whole of Europe. Nothing happens without effective connections on land, underground, at sea, on inland waterways, in the air, in space and even…

1 Apr

2025

FI Speech

EU Preparedness Union Strategy (debate)

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Mr President, security is never self-evident. It requires continuous work and strong anticipation. The Preparedness Union Strategy presented by the Commission includes concrete actions to strengthen Europe’s security at large. But strategy alone is not enough. Building a preparedness union is not a sprint. The safety picture shall be broad. It's not just military defense. It is a marathon sport th…

12 Mar

2025

EN Speech

Frozen Russian assets (debate)

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Mr President, dear colleagues, history will remember how we responded in this moment. Will we stand firmly with Ukraine or will we waver? The answer must be clear. The European Union must step up. We have seen what is happening in the United States. Europe is the continent that Ukraine trusts. Within the EU, we hold over EUR 200 billion in frozen Russian assets, most of which are government bonds.…

12 Mar

2025

EN Speech

100 days of the new Commission – Delivering on defence, competitiveness, simplification and migration as our priorities (topical debate)

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Mr President, dear Commissioner, look to the future. Connect security of supply, transport, mobility and new defence policy to secure Europe. We do not need new European troops. We need smart use of existing powers, smart cooperation with supportive NATO countries. We need technological cooperation, smart use of European taxpayers' money, workable security of supply and wider perspective to securi…

11 Mar

2025

EN Question

White paper on the future of European defence (debate)

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Diplomacy really did not help Finland when our neighbour Russia decided to come across the border. The US has also been a long-term partner, but now it seems that President Trump is using the divide-and-rule model known since Roman times to get China off Russia's side to divide Europe and oppress others under its own power. One should not side with those who dream of Tsarist power or world empire.…