Speeches

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, thank you to Oksana Zabuzhko for her words, for her testimony. Today my thoughts can only be directed to women of all ages who live in armed conflicts, who are forced to displacement and migration, to live in fragility and any situation that can aggravate inequalities and discrimination. The turbulence of all kinds that crosses our planet continuously threatens social and economic achievements whenever they compress the democratic, civil and ethical space in which our being women manifests itself. We have already experienced how the impact of the pandemic has had disproportionate repercussions on the situation of women, affecting labour market participation, increasing precariousness, unemployment, exacerbating the wage gap and leading to penalties due to increased family and care responsibilities. Gender-based violence in all forms, both online and offline, also continues to remain a drama, significantly affecting the exercise of rights, physical and mental health. Its prevention, prosecution, protection and support mechanisms for victims always require continuous and constant efforts and resources. It can only alarm the backlash over abortion legislation and the right to decide responsibly about one's sexuality, including sexual and reproductive health, without coercion and abuse. The issue of gender mainstreaming in European Union legislation and parliamentary activities is another step towards equal rights, which must allow one's diversity to be free to live one's life and achieve it while enjoying equal opportunities. The reflection that accompanies this celebration every year finds its deepest meaning in renewing the commitment of all to the fight against the removal of structural and cultural obstacles that limit participation in decision-making processes and generate inequalities in the path of women's emancipation. The promotion of equality, which is not only a fundamental value of the Union, is a human right, but remains the condition for building a society that can guarantee equality, well-being, peace and security.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, foreign interference endangering the functioning of European democracies and our freedoms is an increasingly complex and evolving phenomenon. As a 5 Star Movement, we have highlighted with our amendments the need for harmonised legislation to counter the dangers of opaque funding methods and in-kind contributions from third countries not only to parties, but also to persons holding elected or public office. We would like to avoid any situation that could expose the European Union and its Member States to the risk of interference, and so should those political forces who, by making a resounding mistake, have preferred to sign cooperation agreements with Putin's party, such as the Northern League, or those who carry out activities as parliamentarians for remuneration attributable to a third State. In wars, as we observe even these days, not only conventional weapons are used. The role of disinformation and fake news On social platforms, the manipulation of facts and narratives goes beyond propaganda to become a global threat to democratic societies.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the effects of restrictions in relational and social life, as well as in the field of work and education, have affected the well-being of young people, exposing them more to the risk of disorientation, precariousness and unemployment. Maintaining dialogue with young European generations, understanding their concerns and aspirations, or even supporting education, training and work projects will be key to overcoming the pandemic crisis and addressing the changes and challenges facing Europe. The process of European integration and the achievement of a greener, more digital and more inclusive Europe will then be able to count on the commitment and participation of young people if we are able to meet their expectations and if we are able to give them new opportunities, without leaving behind those who are most vulnerable and marginalized. The establishment of the European Year of Youth should be an opportunity to prioritise youth issues in all sectoral policies and to promote youth participation in the democratic and decision-making process. Let us ensure that young people are key players in shaping their future and that of Europe.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the recent revelations of the Pegasus project have highlighted the seriousness of the global threat of human rights violations that take place through secret cyber-surveillance. Lo spyware Pegasus, which was sold by a company to fight crime and terrorism, is just one of many tools accused of illegally targeting and spying on politicians, activists, magistrates, journalists or other groups of individuals. Anyone could be abused, with very serious repercussions on fundamental freedoms and even on personal security. There is a real surveillance industry, a market covered by widespread secrecy that offers low-cost and easy-to-access services and technologies. It is therefore extremely important that full clarity is provided on this type of activity, so that the shortcomings of transparency and responsibility of companies and users are addressed. Strict regulation and effective controls are needed regarding States of destination, contracts and all kinds of information pointing out the misuse of these products and the possible violation of fundamental rights.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, there are several questions that arise with temporary emergency measures for the benefit of Poland, Latvia and Lithuania. In the context of the proposal, in fact, no concrete problems related to the asylum systems of these countries are mentioned, while highlighting the increase in migratory pressure and the humanitarian crisis caused by the actions of the Belarusian regime. It is stated that it wants to make solidarity operational, but there is no mention of any form of relocation. The possibility to extend the registration of asylum applications up to four weeks and only at specific points close to the border, as well as the application of border procedures, which may last 16 weeks, allows the fictio iuris no entry for a longer period. The question then arises as to whether this will result in more de facto detention camps for those who seek international protection and are victims of political exploitation. Rather than sharing responsibilities in the field of asylum fairly between Member States, the measures seem to be aimed primarily at strengthening border security by facilitating detention and deterrence tools.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the rule of law crisis in Poland and the attacks on civil rights, which particularly affect women and LGBTQ communities, further distance the country from common European values. The erosion of the independence of the judiciary and its instrumental use to achieve political objectives has reached such levels, especially with the recent decisions of the Polish Constitutional Tribunal, as to call into question the primacy of European Union law and the European Convention on Human Rights. Protests continue over severe restrictions on abortion and risks to women's health, but there are new proposals from the government to introduce a centralised register of pregnancies and miscarriages. To control and target those who fall outside the standards imposed in the field of sexual and reproductive rights, there is clearly an aberrant plan against which the European Union must react strongly. Respect for human dignity and fundamental rights cannot have free zones in any Member State.

(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, violence against women remains one of the most widespread and serious violations of human rights. The suffering and negative consequences on physical and psychological health, as well as in the public and private sphere, are amplified in conditions of vulnerability, humanitarian crises and with the current pandemic. Femicide, trafficking, genital mutilation, sexual abuse and harassment, online and offline, are just some of the phenomena through which violent behavior manifests itself, to which the family context is not foreign. It is therefore necessary to strongly condemn the attitude of those Member States which call into question the Istanbul Convention, delaying its ratification and implementation or even expressing their willingness to withdraw. This type of behaviour undermines efforts in the European Union to expand actions to prevent gender-based violence, to facilitate the protection and assistance of victims, the reporting and prosecution of perpetrators. The objectives of the Convention represent a priority challenge to be overcome in the legislative, social and cultural fields to combat violence against women and affirm their fundamental rights.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the European Court of Auditors has provided a worrying picture of the fight against money laundering in the banking sector. Despite continuous updates of the rules, Europol estimates that the value of suspicious transactions in Europe amounts to hundreds of billions of euros, or about 1.3% of the EU's GDP. European anti-money laundering legislation, consisting of directives and not regulations, continues to be transposed in a fragmented and uneven way, while the Commission is unfortunately slow in ensuring its implementation and initiating infringement procedures. As the Court points out, action is needed to improve money laundering risk assessments, as well as terrorist financing in relation to third countries, as well as on supervisory procedures, information exchange, investigations and decisions relating to breaches of EU law concerning credit institutions and financial institutions. Bridging the shortcomings of the banking system to target those who intend to convert and move illicit proceeds must be a priority to protect the legal economy.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the recent events in Rome have rekindled attention to the danger of far-right groups using both physical and moral violence as a method of political action. They are also yet another sign of a growing phenomenon affecting every Member State of the European Union. The squadrist attacks suffered by a union and a hospital garrison, which took place with the involvement of representatives of a far-right political force, are the subject of a debate in Italy on the legitimate request for the dissolution of fascist-inspired political movements. With the intention of acquiring proselytes and popularity, extremist and violent groups instrumentalize the discomfort of social groups deriving from the current emergency and health context with the aim of hitting the symbols of democracy, institutions, civil liberties, fueling the rhetoric of hatred, xenophobia, racism and other forms of intolerance. These vile and despicable conducts, which do not provide an answer to the problems concerning work, safety and health, are an insult to the values of democratic societies and must be strongly condemned and prosecuted.

(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the transformation of EASO into a more efficient European Agency with more resources and tools has required a lot of work to improve the text of the legislative proposal. The aim has always been to strengthen the Common European Asylum System, through adequate support for the management of migration flows, asylum applications and the reception system. Despite the well-known diversity of views on the part of the Member States, the Italian Government and the Mediterranean countries have shown, in this case, a clear willingness to move beyond the deadlock that has been affecting the immigration and asylum reform package for years. The prediction of the "sunrise clause" for the rules concerning the monitoring of national asylum systems and the various powers conferred on the institutions and the Agency, it remains a key element. The Regulation is related to the ongoing debate on fair sharing of responsibility and solidarity, in particular on an automatic and mandatory relocation mechanism. The frontline countries do not intend to backtrack on this.

(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, violence against women and any other form of gender-based violence, whether online or offline, is one of the most widespread and unpunished violations of fundamental rights and freedoms. Often it causes mortality, causes disability, and it is a few days ago the news, yet another, of femicide, yet another woman, wife and mother killed by her husband in my region, in Calabria. The recognition of gender-based violence as a new area of crime will make it possible to combat it more effectively, on common legal bases, with regard to the definition of offences and sanctions. However, in addition to a harmonised legislative framework on aspects relating to the prosecution of perpetrators, prevention, failure to report and the protection of victims, targeted social and economic actions are needed in order not to exacerbate inequalities, as was the case during the pandemic. Ending physical, sexual, psychological or economic harm and suffering, as well as gender-based discrimination and unequal treatment, must be a battle of civilisations that no one should shy away from.