Speeches

Mr President, ‘Uber Files is a ton of foam with a gram of soap’. This was what the French government spokesman dared to say when he published the documents showing the extent of hyper-aggressive lobbying by platforms several months ago. A ton of moss... This scandal, which affects all European countries, is being swept aside as delivery workers die, labour law anarchy reigns and our courts fall under the number of disputes. No, to be outraged at the fate of French workers is not to make a ton of moss, as they say. Uber lobbied to circumvent our national laws for the sole purpose of doing good business, as Mark MacGann, the whistleblower behind Uber Files, explained to the Employment Committee on 25 October. The contempt of the irresponsible politicians is unbearable. In the face of these leaders who are putting our workers at risk, we demand that the light be shed. Soap, foam? No, but! Especially the right to know the truth.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, we were wrong about everything. This is, in essence, Charles Michel’s admission of Europe’s record, an admission which he ended up having to admit in his op-ed published in the newspaper on 15 January. After three decades of deindustrialisation, the President of the European Council can no longer deny the total economic failure and the stalemate in which the European Union is leading us. Faced with the aggressive industrial policy of China and the United States, Brussels realises that all these mountains of regulations, these lists of promises and these multiple declarations of intent have served no purpose. Indeed, the massive plan to support US companies and the Chinese government’s state aid to their industries contrast with the liquidation of our industrial jewels imposed by the European Union, as was the case for Pechiney or Arcelor. Protectionism, industrial voluntarism, defence of our major groups, that was what had to be done from the beginning. In any case, this is what we at the Rassemblement National intend to do and have planned for a long time.

Madam President, more than 4 000 kilometres away, terror and fear want to bury the hope born of a surge of freedom. Despite the extreme harshness of the regime, many women circulate without the prison that is the veil all over the country. Taking all risks, the protesters decided to show that Iran is not only the result of the 1979 Islamic revolution, but also a civilization that once celebrated as many goddesses as gods and did not always slam women. We must support this immense hope of freedom. We must drive away the hypocrisy that too often, if not permanently, prevails in our institutions. Shame on those who are able to make themselves liberators of women in Iran, but promoters of the Islamic veil in Europe. Shame on those who advocate emancipation there, but play the game of oppression here. Shame on those who support the freedom of Iranian women, but allow the submission of French, Belgian, German and Dutch women to Islamic law in our cities and neighbourhoods. The long civilisation we inherit guarantees equality between men and women and offers unparalleled freedom in space and time. Now more than ever, therefore, is the time to preserve who we are, to become aware of the invaluable opportunity our culture offers to our fellow citizens, and how fragile it can be if it is not fiercely defended.

Mr President, Commissioner, the New Year's Eve is an opportunity to make good resolutions. It is an evening where targets are set for the coming year. However, contrary to tradition, the European Union has no problem making us the same number throughout the year, from 1 January to 31 December. The problem is that everyone knows that the right resolutions are made not to be held. That is exactly what is happening here. This time, it is the children who receive the full attention of the European authorities. We grant it to you: fighting poverty, ensuring that our young people have a good education and that the youngest are accommodated in affordable structures must be top priorities. Saying it is good; doing so is better. That is the problem: The EU cannot, since we are talking here about a child guarantee which is only 5% of a European social fund which is itself already ridiculous. Yet the numbers on the ground are far more worrisome. One in four children in the EU is at risk of poverty or social exclusion. This is even more true at a time when prices are rising and temperatures are falling. The situation is deteriorating at great speed V. We have long denounced the bad political and energy choices made here. Thank you Europe for the disastrous result that the French are facing head-on. Nineteen degrees in homes: Imagine for the elderly and for children! Children fall into poverty because their families, especially single-parent families, are struggling to make ends meet. There is something indecent about this gadget that is this European guarantee, when it does not guarantee anything at all. It is even more sad, with Christmas approaching, that homes do not have enough to warm hearts. The only guarantee that is worthwhile is that of employment, reindustrialisation and the return of public services. More than a good resolution, it is actually the only solution.

Mr President, I cannot associate myself with a text that makes yet another call for increased international aid that is still disproportionately provided by Europe and the United States. Similarly, any discussion of debt should, first and foremost, involve China, which holds about 21% of the debt of the African continent, often through loans backed by draconian terms. Development policies cannot be limited to public aid. Other resources need to be used. We all have in mind UNCTAD’s estimate of $88.6 billion in illicit capital flight to Africa, a valuable resource for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Couldn't personal remittances, which now outperform public aid as external revenue for most low- and middle-income countries, also be better exploited? An effective strategy is based above all on mutual trust between donors and beneficiaries. In that regard, the conditionality of the aid, in particular the return of migrants, is a non-negligible requirement. Our wish would be for the post-Cotonou agreement to be an opportunity for a fresh start for a genuine development policy.

Madam President, neither will the French be consulted on a possible enlargement to the Balkans, nor on the previous waves of accession – 59% of them are rightly opposed to this. Let’s talk about economy first, since the Albanian minimum wage of EUR 250 is the lowest in Europe, leading to unacceptable dumping, for example for the textile sector, which is starting a timid renaissance in the lands of the Grand Est that are dear to me. As regards security, a recent Europol report recalls Islamist infiltration, aggravated by the return of jihadists. Finally, this leak forward will only reopen wounds never closed. Thus, Serbia is required, more or less explicitly, to recognize Kosovo as a prerequisite for accession. And according to the echoes of it, the recent proposal from Paris and Berlin would be close to the most unworthy bargaining on this point. We will therefore not be trapped in a project as unpopular as it is irresponsible and capable of setting the Balkan powder keg on fire.

Mr President, Commissioner, the European Union never lacks imagination when it comes to wasting time and money on useless texts. And what better example than these guidelines? Almost every year, the Brussels institutions waste their time drawing up these non-binding guidelines, just there to orientate on subjects that do not, in general, even fall within their competences. Do you therefore think that the Member States are so incompetent, so incapable of taking decisions on their own? Have you gone so far in your federalist illusions that you feel compelled to tell our rulers what to do? Whatever the topic on the table, you only have one answer: more EU. You dream it all powerful and present in everything. And in the few areas that we have still managed to preserve, despite your assaults, you allow yourself advice and guidance. This may surprise you, but we do not need your advice. We democratically elect our governments and, whether we support them or not, they are responsible for governing us. We strongly reject this European interference, which gives lessons when it should be silent. Our Member States are in the best position to know for themselves what they need. In these turbulent times of repeated crises, decency would have you let countries do what it takes to get their people out of the crisis. People have their eyes on you, ladies and gentlemen, and the recent elections reveal their mistrust of the European Union. It's time to listen to them.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, with the health crisis, the EU has taken care to prevent the French from leaving their homes. With the energy crisis, you are now making us live hell inside our home. The fight against energy poverty is actually summed up by wearing sweaters and rolled collars in our homes. I'm ashamed of you. On this World Day for the Eradication of Poverty, we are reduced to approaching the future in misery and cold. A situation for which Europe is entirely responsible. The ecological transition, the desire to bury nuclear energy in the long term, the organized dependence on foreign gas and the dogmatism around intermittent energies such as wind will indeed end up costing us dear, very expensive. Your green energy mix project is plunging the household budget into the red. The stagnation of wages as well as inflation, which melts as snow in the sun the savings of the peoples of Europe, lead us right to general impoverishment. We had already pointed to your plan to end homelessness in 2030. The problem is that despite what you say, the phenomenon is far from being solved. Worse, it is getting worse at such a rate that the actors on the ground no longer know where to turn. It is time to put an end to this disastrous policy. France must regain control by lowering VAT, investing in nuclear power, exiting the European energy market and immediately stopping the policies that the Greens are demanding while the people suffer. The only way to stem poverty is to: regaining our sovereignty.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the integration – sorry, the – of the Roma is one of the sea snakes of the European programmes. However, the assumptions on which they are based do not stand up to scrutiny. It must be said that dealing with this issue implies a good deal of lucidity, particularly with regard to the real desire to assimilate so many Roma into the majority population. In this regard, the persistence of practices that deeply offend our sensitivities, such as early marriage or child labour, justifies certain specificities. This persistence may also partly explain why the record of public policies deployed in recent years in favour of these populations is of rare destituteness. However, this is not due to lack of generosity: This is demonstrated, for example in the field of education, by the quotas and other scholarships made available by certain Member States. Moreover, school segregation cannot be mentioned without acknowledging that it too often results, as I have pointed out in the past, from decisions by parents of pupils who disagree with the management of the school as to the prospects of their children. You can see it: the causes of the current status quo are diverse and require a measured response. As long as the Commission insists on an unqualified condemnation of some Member States, any improvement seems out of reach.

Madam President, Commissioner, I can only be delighted to hear you finally talk about our SMEs. More than 60% of them had already reported their difficulties following the health crisis. And now that they are trying to get back on track, they have to deal with the crisis caused by the rising cost of living. It is more than urgent to take an interest in their fate. In her speech yesterday on the EU, Ursula von der Leyen presented her ideas, which you took up today. Of course, we can only agree with you on this point. Our SMEs deserve an enabling environment for their development, a skilled workforce and reliable sources of raw materials. Yet your response to these concerns is sadly Pavlovian. Create new funds paid directly or indirectly by Member States and establish free trade treaties when we are in a weak position to negotiate. At the same time, why change a losing team? To your observation, you add the usual sustainability and transition goals that are supposed to solve everything. That, too, is becoming sadly systematic. However, when the EU discusses the establishment of a social climate fund, which is supposed to help reduce the negative effects of this forced green transition, it excludes SMEs. Apparently, it is better to support the unemployed than employers. What I finally notice is that there is not much in your speech about short-term solutions. At the moment T, what concerns our SMEs is whether it is better to reduce the order book, become technically unemployed or simply close. What we would like to know, Commissioner, is what will be offered to Member States to help them support their SMEs. On that, I think you're a little quiet. It is high time for our policy makers to take responsibility and make the right decisions. Capping the price of gas is a good thing, but it is not enough. More needs to be done to support these companies, which are the backbone of our economy. Behind your fine words today, Commissioner, we are therefore waiting to see your actions, hoping that they will be more successful than your recent decisions. The survival of our economy depends on it.

Mr President, Commissioner, austerity, social breakdown, cuts in public services: A few years ago, the EU did not go there with a dead hand to snatch the Euro-Titanic that was fleeing everywhere. While the small music of the return to budgetary rigour is being heard, the European Union is drowning out the fish with texts like this one. When you – and I quote – call on the Commission to promote the social economy at international level, you really have to restrain yourself so as not to laugh. The reality is that the cumbersome "Commission" liner is sailing blind, encountering galley on galley, submerging our markets with low-cost products, imported through container ships that cross seas and oceans. How far away is the social economy! We no longer have time to pay for words by adding commas to reports that ultimately have only one goal: set the bar for a Commission that rows, while the purchasing power of the French takes hold. Faced with drift, against winds and tides, the patriots are the only ones to keep the course of the nation that protects.

Mr President, Commissioner, the pandemic has demonstrated the state of devastation in our health care system, plagued by the lack of resources and the precariousness in which professionals in the sector are plunged. Neither one nor two, the European Commission, visibly very proud of its handling of the latest crisis, feels pushed to the point of volunteering to become director of Hospital Europe in order to manage the next one. We think we're dreaming. This report accomplishes the unprecedented feat of crossing all the red lines, trampling on the sovereignty of states with the famous European Health Strategy, which we resolutely reject. We thought we'd seen it all: Undocumented migrants should be able, according to the report, to benefit from care like all others. We refuse all these excesses. The French are no longer entitled to the air call that constitutes aid for foreigners who have arrived on our soil, especially since at the time we are talking, one in two of my compatriots has already given up seeking treatment, for lack of resources or doctors. Faced with this unacceptable report, we have co-signed, together with the ECR Group, an alternative resolution in order to bring together another model where the only reminder we accept is that of defending our nations. To take care of health, let us avoid following the unfortunate prescriptions of the Commission.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the ordeal of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang province throws a stark light on a China where civil liberties, particularly religious liberties, remain limited to the congruent portion. Indeed, in addition to the fact that only official religions have the right to be cited, their worship is restricted to a so-called "normal" practice, without that concept being defined. Moreover, the persecution of Uighur Muslims, as well as Christians in Xinjiang, is part of a sinization strategy aimed at placing all faiths under the ruthless tutelage of the Communist Party. One million members of ethnic minorities, mainly Muslim, including Uighur, are reportedly detained. At the same time, Christians are subjected to the worst bullying, as illustrated by the scandalous arrest of a 90-year-old cardinal. Our recent debate on forced organ harvesting will also have highlighted one of the most sordid aspects of such systematic abuse. We must therefore be clear-sighted about the true nature of the Chinese regime, beyond its cleverly distilled propaganda towards the rest of the world.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, do you hear this little music coming up? Like the proposals of the Conference on the Future of Europe, which clearly call for a European education policy, there is growing pressure on states to renounce their sovereignty. This resolution on the European Education Area goes totally in this direction by crossing several red lines. First, the recognition of micro-credentials is not included in the Council Recommendations, as mentioned in the text. Your invasive Europeanism therefore goes far beyond the demands of states. Secondly, the text refers to reports that have not yet been adopted, such as the one on the New Bauhaus. We do not accept this policy as a fait accompli. For us, things are clear: we refuse to place the fate of the French in the hands of a Europe responsible for social devastation and deindustrialisation, but which remains convinced of transforming everything it touches into gold. Qualifications, training and certifications must remain in the hands of nations. With us, education will have to remain national.

Mr President, Commissioner, despite the ingratitude of the Malian junta towards the 59 French soldiers who have fallen in the Sahel, our total withdrawal from that region is not conceivable. On the one hand, because other actors will soon have to make up for the departure of Westerners. Turkey already strengthens its military and diplomatic presence, when it does not play, moreover, the religious card. On the other hand, because any advance by Islamist terrorists would inevitably affect Europe in terms of security and migration, this is all the more true at a time when the conflict in Ukraine raises the spectre of famine in an Africa dependent on its wheat imports. However, in the aftermath of the end of Operation Barkhane and its European counterpart Takuba, the deterioration of the balance of forces on the ground is blatant. This is evidenced by the chilling admission of the Nigerien president in December that the jihadists are superior to certain African national armies. The long-announced rise in terrorism to the Gulf of Guinea has now been proven. With its new Peace Facility, it is hoped that the European Union will finally approach military cooperation with Africa in a realistic and lucid manner. At the same time, Europeans are likely to remain the largest providers of development aid. But our considerable commitment must finally be paid back: it is intolerable that the sacrifice of French soldiers should be met with an obsessive hatred of our country.

Madam President, persistent reports on organ harvesting in China point out that this trafficking is not confined to areas ravaged by war or organised crime. They are also false with the allegiance of ‘roses’ cleverly orchestrated by the Middle Kingdom, via a considerable investment in its external propaganda. The country probably has the sad record of applying the death penalty, on which it maintains a certain opacity. Organ harvesting from convicts, too often carried out in defiance of consent, is symptomatic of the indifference to human dignity within the Chinese prison system. Religious minorities are at the forefront of these abuses. And while the plight of the Uyghurs is regularly denounced in the media, the plight of Christians is hardly more enviable. Beyond the dread that these practices inspire, we must collectively take responsibility. The measures introduced in Canada, Spain and Italy against medical tourism in the field of transplants must be precursors in order to eradicate, finally, this particularly sordid form of trafficking in human beings.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, teachers murdered because they teach in French rather than Arabic, or because they teach a secular, non-Quranic curriculum: This is what has reduced Burkina Faso to the onslaught of Islamist terrorism. In addition, on the one hand, the persecution of Christians, who make up more than 20% of Burkina Faso’s population, and, on the other hand, the increasingly frequent recruitment of children by terrorist groups, justifying the country’s addition to the UN’s annual report on children and armed conflict. An entire generation is thus in the process of being deprived of education and, to put it mildly, of the future, in addition to the 1.3 million and some internally displaced persons. All this is desolate; Whose fault is it? France has courageously and at arm's length carried out a vast counter-terrorism operation in the Sahel since 2014. Barkhane will have cost the lives of 58 of our sons, not to mention the many wounded, victims of the cowardly explosive device attacks favoured by terrorists. All this to confront the hateful obsession of populations heated white by social networks and the staggering ingratitude of the Malian junta in power. The future will tell whether the attitude of the Burkinabe lieutenant-colonel, who was declared president yesterday, will be on the sidelines. However, the attacks on Tuesday 8 and Thursday 10 February in Benin, the perpetrators of which were neutralised in Burkina Faso, confirmed that the destabilisation of that country carries the risk of conflagration throughout West Africa. Following its withdrawal from Mali, France will therefore have to reconfigure its military apparatus. As for the European Union and the Member States, which are clearly unwilling to support it in this perilous task, they will at least have to try not to blow on the embers by adding the political deadlock to the security chaos.

Madam President, High Representative, ‘effective and mutually beneficial instruments for managing migration’: from Dakar, the President of the Commission echoed the Greek Prime Minister’s call for legal pathways for migrants from Africa at the dawn of this week’s summit with the African Union in Brussels. In short, it is assumed that in return for small concessions on illegal immigration, the floodgates would be opened to legal immigration. The French, who are mostly hostile to it, will appreciate it. As for development aid, although the European Court of Auditors has undermined its effectiveness in its 2020 report on Kenya, it will take the lion's share of these discussions, in addition to the new mirifique programme that is intended to respond to the Chinese silk route, the Global Gateway. How could these faded solutions lead to the shadow of a result? Mali is a case in point in this regard, since, despite $1.8 billion in international public aid in 2019, the readmission rate of its migrants from the European Union is capped at 2.1%. A scandal to which is now added an inexcusable diplomatic affront, flouting the sacrifice of French soldiers in the Sahel since 2014. In short, everything must change so that nothing changes, and the so-called New Deal with Africa, with its snoring Anglicism, will undoubtedly be a new illustration of this.

Mr President, the question of the amount of humanitarian aid provided by Western countries must have as its corollary the question of its effectiveness and its merits. First of all, it cannot remedy the shortcomings of national authorities indefinitely. The approximately 32 million displaced or refugee Africans, for example, must be offered sustainable solutions in their own countries instead of just our subsidies. In addition, there have been numerous scandals over the management of these funds, from the artificial inflation of beneficiary lists to the extortion of aid workers, in particular by Islamist Al-Shabab terrorists in Somalia, from which some NGOs have been withdrawn. The fact that Niger or Nigeria have for some time declared recognized organizations persona non grata illustrates the tangible risks of diversion to belligerents or terrorists. For my part, I have also urged clarifications with regard to the Tindouf camps, de facto under the leadership of the Polisario Front, to no avail. It is also illusory to claim that European humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, which is supposed to be quadrupled, will not pass through the Taliban in any way, since the Taliban will necessarily intervene in its distribution. They will also hinder the exercise of women humanitarian workers, thereby affecting Afghan women and their children. The European Union, the world’s largest donor, cannot compromise itself for the benefit of regimes or entities that we disapprove of and have sometimes fought at the cost of the blood of our own soldiers.

Madam President, as I pointed out in 2019, the Anglophone crisis in Cameroon does not lend itself to outrageous simplifications. While there is agreement on its most tragic aspects, many of the reforms undertaken since its inception have often been overshadowed. Whether it is the creation in 2017 of a national commission for the promotion of bilingualism and multiculturalism, the recruitment of English-speaking teachers and magistrates, or the major national dialogue and status granted in 2019. Occult, the attitude of the leaders of the English-speaking agitation in the North and South-West regions, many of whom reside in the United States and Europe, is also omitted, as some would have rejected any discussion with the government. Moreover, is this insurrection based solely on linguistic and cultural considerations? Many Anglophones live, after all, in regions that are not, in this country 80% French-speaking. The claim of some Anglophones regarding their representation in oil companies could be symptomatic of underlying economic motivations. Let us refrain from shouting haro at Cameroon, let alone at a time when Islamist terrorism seems to be on the verge of inflaming the whole of Central Africa. The heavy toll paid by the country in its resolute struggle against the Islamic State and Boko Haram, on its soil and beyond, in the framework of the Multinational Joint Force and the Trans-Saharan Partnership cannot be overemphasized. In addition, hundreds of thousands of Nigerian and Central African refugees are being received in difficult circumstances. At a time when, in 2020, the Far North of Cameroon will have been the target of more Boko Haram attacks against civilians than Nigeria, Niger and Chad taken together, Cameroon, a guarantee of stability in a region under tension, needs our support, not our anathemas.

Mr President, the enlargement process to the Western Balkans is symptomatic of the European Union’s democratic deficit. Indeed, 59% of the French are opposed to these new accessions. Figures from other Member States, such as Germany or Austria, are in unison. This massive rejection contrasts with the apparent fait accompli emanating from the European authorities. At today's summit, the President of the Commission declared that the Balkans were already part of the European Union. A democratic aberration, this enlargement is also a democratic aberration in social and economic terms. First of all because, together with Albania, Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina, outside the Republic of Serbia, the EU would integrate, for the first time, states that are predominantly Muslim and, above all, won over by imported radical Islam. Indeed, the region has been disastrously marked by the highest concentration of jihadists returning from Syria or Iraq in Europe. States such as Bosnia and Herzegovina or North Macedonia have even publicly and voluntarily repatriated some of them. Moreover, while the EU has lost, with Brexit, a significant net contributor and one of its economic drivers, these countries are undeniably lagging behind in this area. Our industries will inevitably suffer from increased competition at least in terms of wages and social security. Albania has the lowest monthly minimum wage in Europe. The textile sector, which is starting a timid renaissance in my region of Grand Est, will soon have been swept away by this massive dumping. Moreover, the Commission denies even its own principles. Thus, Jean-Claude Juncker theorized in 2018 that the resolution of border disputes would be a prerequisite for any new accession. However, the enlargement process is continuing today, even though tensions are high in the Balkans over Kosovo Serbs, the Orthodox Church of Montenegro and the differences between North Macedonians and Bulgarians. In short, this senseless project confirms the inevitable decline to which the European Union is committed. This decline is all the more obvious in view of the insolent dynamism of the United Kingdom... (The President withdrew the floor to the speaker)

Madam President, we do not want France to become an economic desert. However, this is what our country is gradually becoming. Lack of investment in transport, medical deserts and brain drain are the dramatic consequences of general impoverishment. Right now, my compatriots are panicking at the soaring cost of energy. Fuel oil has increased by 40% in six months. This increase will drive millions of our citizens into poverty and further worsen the situation of those already in it. Before the crisis, my region of Grand Est was already the most affected region in France by energy poverty. In 2015, one in four households reported having great difficulty in meeting their heating expenses. By depriving us of our levers to act, the European Commission is helping to stifle our economy. Worse, the Green Deal will plunge the French into the red. We don't want your solutions. They help to accentuate our problems. The National Rally will never stop fighting for France to take back its destiny by proposing the real solutions.

Mr President, the sentencing of Paul Rusesabagina to 25 years in prison is a scathing denial of Paul Kagame's pink legend of Rwanda, justified by the country's fair economic performance. There is no need to go back to the details of the case in order to challenge the disproportionate nature of the sentence imposed on the hero of Hotel Rwanda. Moreover, it could have been expected that his bravery during the 1994 genocide – when, in his capacity as deputy director of the Hôtel des Mille Collines, he saved more than 1,000 people from carnage – would have been taken more into account. This judicial epilogue is also part of a particularly harsh context for the opposition. Consider the unsolved disappearances of certain political and cultural figures, as well as allegations of mass surveillance of electronic communications. These accusations are doubled by suspicions of pressure that the country would exert on diasporas, present in particular in Europe. On the latter point, the European Union, the Member States and the international community must demand full transparency.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I can only support the philosophy which permeates this report and which corresponds to the ideal of localism, which is ardently defended by the Rassemblement National. This is the only relevant response to both the challenge of global development and the challenge of preserving biodiversity. However, Europe, already burdened by draconian environmental constraints, cannot assume a global leadership role. This is especially true at a time when China has sometimes been associated with environmentally harmful projects, whether in terms of fossil fuels, infrastructure or deforestation. No need to go further than in my region of the Grand Est to convince yourself of the impact of the strong Chinese demand for imported timber. Secondly, it is true that agroecology has an underestimated economic potential; but it is also the responsibility of the countries concerned to develop the frameworks, including legal ones, that are conducive to its development. There is also an urgent need to mobilize new sources of financing for sustainable development beyond international aid alone. For example, in 2017, remittances from emigrants to their countries of origin reached $466 billion, about three times the value of official development assistance. It is a reservoir of insufficiently exploited resources. In short, the only prism of European and Western responsibility seems to me to be a largely outdated approach, because in our multipolar world, our action will have little impact if it is not part of a global effort.

Madam President, the tragic case of human rights activist Ahmed Mansoor highlights the persistence of arbitrariness in all countries where the rule of law is not the rule. It is true that criminal legislation and the penitentiary system fall within the sovereignty of each State. However, the judicial and prison treatment of Ahmed Mansoor violates not only the relevant international standards, but also the directives of the competent judge and the applicable national legislation. It is also clear that this case is part of a general context of serious restrictions on fundamental rights, in particular of opinion and expression. This trend obviously primarily concerns those States where authoritarianism was already entrenched, in this case those in the Gulf. In this regard, there is an urgent need to consider the possible role played by the NSO company, whose shadow had loomed over the Kashoggi case, as well as, in general, the use of surveillance technologies against certain political activists. However, the denunciation of this tragedy cannot amount to an unqualified condemnation of the United Arab Emirates, whose contribution to the fight against Islamism on their soil and in the world must be recalled. For example, the country has classified the Muslim Brotherhood or Islamic Relief Worldwide as a terrorist organization. This is all the more remarkable at a time when another Gulf state, Qatar, is accused of compromising with radical movements. This is evidenced by the blockade initiated against this country in 2017. Undoubtedly, huge progress remains to be made in the area of fundamental rights, including social rights. The Ahmed Mansoor case calls for unreserved condemnation, the plight of workers under the yoke of the iniquitous kafala system leaves no one indifferent. All these issues must be on the agenda of the bilateral dialogue with the Emirates, which is also a partner in the fight against Islamist terrorism.