Speeches

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, an average of five children have been killed or injured every day since October 2023. I'm not talking about Gaza, I'm talking about the West Bank. These numbers speak for themselves. Netanyahu's government's intentions are clear: violate the right of the Palestinian people to have their own state and prevent peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians, continuing the ongoing massacre in Gaza for the survival of its government. It is time for Netanyahu to leave and it is crucial that those ministers who defend settler violence are sanctioned directly by the European Union. We can't have double standards. Europe must do its part. We need an immediate ceasefire - we say it - the release of all hostages and a two-state political solution with the involvement of the international community. We need to recognize the State of Palestine. From here, too, I urge the Italian Government to follow the example of Norway, Spain and Ireland. It is time to build peace together.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the Digital Services Act finally empowers and protects European citizens from disinformation and fake news, placing limits on the action of platforms. The European Commission has done an important job, but there is still a lot to be done. But if Trump isn't happy, I think we're on the right track. And the Member States, the guarantors of privacy, are also moving in the same direction. I am referring, for example, to the absolute prohibition of advertising targeted at minors. But we need to go further. For example, thanks to the European regulation on artificial intelligence, we have added among the high-risk systems, and therefore more regulated, those that operate in the context of democratic processes. We have also introduced the obligation to clearly label content generated by artificial intelligence to combat the abuse of deep fakes. Protecting our democracy from disinformation is protecting our future. It's true in Europe, but it's also true globally.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, my commitment as a Member of the European Parliament began in this House ten years ago. Many things have changed since then, and I have changed too, but my will to fight for a fairer Europe, capable of responding to people's needs, of overcoming fears by finding the solutions we need together, has never changed. For this reason, on a story like this in Solingen, the answer cannot be to lock ourselves up in a propaganda fort, but to address the issues for what they are. We need to make sure that our citizens can feel safe and that crimes are prosecuted and prevented. However, we must prevent individual episodes from turning into a collective psychosis; rather, action must be taken on many different fronts – integration, cultural dialogue, the management of people’s movements, the repression of crime, cyber security. We cannot give up our liberties for supposed security, because then we will no longer be free or secure. Instead, we must work for our democracy to stop violence and hatred. It is a great, fundamental commitment to which we too are called as representatives of Europeans.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, EUR 7 400 million. This is the value of the agreement between the European Union and Egypt, signed in March at the court of al-Sisi with Giorgia Meloni in the company of Ursula Von der Leyen. There will be as many as 200 million used to stop the departures of migrants, still outsourcing the control of European borders and ignoring human rights. This agreement was not only signed bypassing the scrutiny of the European Parliament, but completely ignores the serious rule of law situation in Egypt. Indeed, cooperation with this country cannot ignore our demand to respect human rights by guaranteeing freedom of expression, releasing arbitrarily detained persons and ending the repression of minorities. The presence of Patrick Zaki, detained for months by the Egyptian regime and now finally free, reminded us in these days, here in the European Parliament, that he told us "if I am here it is because you too in these classrooms believed that fighting for my freedom was a battle to be won". We are also asked by the parents of Giulio Regeni, who died more than eight years ago in Egypt and for whom we are still looking for the truth. A truth that the Egyptian authorities continue to cover up and that the Italian government and the European authorities should demand much more forcefully. Yes, fighting for freedom and for truth is a battle to be won. And as Europe, we will have to continue to do so. Certainly the European Parliament will have to prevent this kind of commitment from being blocked by agreements without monitoring, without transparency, carried out by governments in an absolutely unacceptable way.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, more than 34,000 dead and more than 77,000 injured: And it is only a partial budget, the last one, after hundreds of days of war in Gaza and the massacre continues. Seven aid workers from the NGO World Central Kitchen were recently killed by the Israeli army. It must be said clearly: It is a war crime that we condemn and for which a thorough investigation will be needed to punish the perpetrators. There are also numerous victims among the operators of the UN agency that deals with Palestinian refugees, accused by Netanyahu's government of having participated in the attack on October 7. There is no evidence to support the allegations: A recent independent analysis by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna clearly states that the Agency is irreplaceable and indispensable. But we know it, we have also said it in this Parliament. Europe needs to act now to prevent an escalation and to achieve an immediate ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages still in the hands of Hamas. We work for an international peace conference and a UN mission in Gaza. We are working to stop the massacre.

(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I just wanted to point out to the whole House that we have here with us today, in the balcony following this moment of voting, Patrick Zaki, a human rights activist imprisoned in Egypt for many years who, thanks also to our commitment here in the Chamber, the resolutions, the commitment that we have carried out - it was carried out first of all by President Sassoli during his presidency - today he can be here with us. He is free and no longer in Egyptian prisons. I think it is important to bring back to you what he told me yesterday when he arrived here that the fact that he is here and is no longer in prison is a demonstration that the struggles for human rights, for the activists, that we carry out in this House, can sometimes seem like desperate undertakings, but instead sometimes they lead to results, to free people who are in prison only for the desire to express their ideas and to be free people. So it is also the symbol of a struggle for human rights that we carry out and that we must continue to carry out together. Thanks to Patrick, thanks for being here.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, many billions of euros are currently lost a year in the purchase of new goods to replace broken ones, when it would be possible to repair them, not counting the 35 million tonnes of waste generated, because it is easier to throw away the broken phone or computer and buy a new one instead of repairing it. Europe often seems distant from the citizens, but the right to reparation that our political group has been asking for for years – we have fought a lot, here there are those who have dealt with it most of all, René Repasi, whom I thank for having carried out this battle for all of us – represents a real turning point for consumers, as well as for the planet. Finally, manufacturers will have to make it possible to access spare parts and the possibility of repairing products at reasonable prices and with an extension of the warranty. With these new measures, repair will be incentivised in the Member States and will allow consumers to save a lot, freeing up valuable resources in these difficult times and also safeguarding the environment from new waste and the overproduction of goods. It is a real turning point in the lives of all of us and I think Europe is moving forward even with these small steps that change people's lives piece by piece.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, European citizens care about animal welfare and the Eurobarometer data speak volumes. Citizens are calling on the European Union to better protect the welfare of farmed animals: a limitation of the duration of the transport of animals and also a greater protection of the welfare of pet animals. However, there are too many economic interests that prevail over the work carried out by the European Parliament, which has repeatedly called for the revision of existing rules that are obsolete, limited and often inapplicable. The European Commission's backlash against the ban on the use of cages on farms is a slap in the face to the commitment of the many who have spent their time in the "End the Cage Age" campaign, a European citizens' initiative signed by 1.4 million people. That's enough now. We ask for a clear plan, with precise timeframes; of the promised reforms, namely four proposals, only a weak proposal for a regulation on the transport of animals has been tabled. I am convinced that after the next European elections we will have to set up a European Commissioner for Animal Welfare; The citizens are asking us to do this and it is a first step that is not only symbolic, it is a necessary step forward.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, unfortunately, even in this House, in the celebration of the International Day for Women's Rights, we have heard transphobic words so it is a problem that everywhere, here too, is a cultural problem, a problem of laws. It applies to Thessaloniki, it applies to Greece, to the acts of violence that we remember, but it also applies to my country, Italy, where there continue to be suicides of girls and boys of the LGBTQIA+ community. There is violence, there is bullying, there is discrimination at all levels. We need to give a clear sign, a cultural, political and law change. Europe must ensure that all Member States put in place clear anti-discrimination laws and that criminals committing homophobic and transphobic attacks are always properly prosecuted. We must work together, it cannot be a theme that divides, we must be united because every life is worth it.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the famine in Gaza is much more than a risk, it is the dramatic reality that children, women and men are living in these hours, victims of the strategy of the Netanyahu government. High Representative Borrell also said: The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is not a natural disaster, Israel is using hunger as a weapon of war. What is happening at the Rafah crossing is inhumane and was observed on the spot by a delegation of parliamentarians from various political forces, starting with the Italian Democratic Party: Water, food, medicines, generators for hospitals cannot cross the border. That is why I myself, together with some of my fellow Members, have tabled a parliamentary question to the European Commission to commit to and to unblock this humanitarian aid financed by European funds that are still at the gate. But Europe needs to raise its voice now: Stop starvation as a weapon of war! An immediate ceasefire is needed to negotiate the release of human beings hostage to Hamas terrorists, and I believe it is time for the Netanyahu government to go home, for Netanyahu to resign and leave room for a new season that can build peace.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Mr Orpo, the idea of Europe that your government represents is the opposite of what is needed: an alliance where self-styled moderate and pro-European parties bow to the nationalist and reactionary right like the True Finns party. A model that perhaps can please the Melons and Salvini of Europe, but that produces only division, weakness, isolation and fragility for Europe. Let's not forget the demented, racist, homophobic statements of the multi-condemned President of the Finnish Parliament, not to mention the story of the former Minister of Economy who had to resign for pro-Nazi comments. Not only claims, but also destructive reforms such as your changes to the labor market and social security, which have led workers to protest in the streets for days. We are against these piles where self-styled pro-Europeans wink at the far right; It is true in Italy and it is true in Europe, where at the next elections we will have to work to keep Europe on a clear path. President Orpo, do not let the real Finns dictate the agenda, show, in the interests of Finns and Europeans, that you are a real European.

(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I would again like to thank Mr Tudorache for the work he has done together, the fellow rapporteurs of the political groups, but also you, Commissioner Breton, for the work carried out even in the difficult negotiations that you have mentioned, I am thinking about fundamental issues such as the safety of the most powerful models, an issue on which we have taken stock of the need to give answers on this to our citizens, but also to our European businesses. It is very important now to work on implementation, as has been said by many and many, but it will also be important that Europe in the coming years equips itself with the necessary tools to be competitive, based on our vision of the future of artificial intelligence. It means completing the capital markets union, it means working on common investments and research, on sharing the computational capabilities of our supercomputers. Member States also need to play their part. I also think of my country, the Meloni government, which has announced many laws and committees on several occasions, but which still does not allocate resources for the development of artificial intelligence. This also applies to other countries, of course. We need a strong stimulus because we have before us a great challenge, to make Europe really lead the development of artificial intelligence, which cannot be achieved only by regulation, we need many other measures. We will all work on it in the next stages, but we have seen with this work, with this commitment, that when Europe really is united, really works together and makes the best use of the strength of its single market and its integrated market, it is able to give a clear line and really achieve a change that is needed.

Mr President, Commissioner Breton, ladies and gentlemen, after two intense years of work, we have finally come to pass the world's first binding law on artificial intelligence, aimed at reducing risks and increasing opportunities, combating discrimination, giving transparency, bringing our democratic values of freedom and equality into the development of these new technologies, while supporting innovation and competitiveness. Thanks to us, in the European Parliament, after a hard negotiation, unacceptable practices in Europe will be banned already by the end of the year, such as the recognition of emotions in the workplace and in the places of study, such as inferring a person's ethnic, religious or political affiliation on the basis of biometric data. An algorithm cannot predict whether a specific person will commit a crime by violating the presumption of innocence. workers must always be informed and trade unions involved in the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace. In short, we fight discrimination, we protect the rights of citizens and workers. These are some important examples of what we have achieved. In the final text we confirmed the plan of risk reduction for all the most sensitive areas, such as the use of AI in the medical field, in the administration of justice, in the workplace, in democratic procedures, thanks to the verification of compliance on data quality and appropriateness, cybersecurity, human control. Let's say that's enough of an artificial intelligence that systematically discriminates against women or non-white people when it has to select resumes or exposes patients to risks on the management of their health data. These are cases that we know and that we want to contrast with a rule that is finally able to act on this front. We want to increase the conscious use of artificial intelligence systems, not disincentivize it. People will know that thanks to these rules they will be able to use the systems with the greatest possible protection. But thanks to the work of the European Parliament, we have also achieved a lot in terms of transparency: Enough of the indiscriminate use of deep fake that will be made recognizable directly by the devices through the so-called "watermarking", an invisible labeling, and let's say enough to the use of copyrighted content without protection for their holders, because the right to be recognized the economic value of creativity and what is achieved by people is a right that must also be protected within the context of the development of artificial intelligence. We still have a lot to do. For the start of this implementation work is being built theAI Office, the European Artificial Intelligence Office, and we will have to accompany institutions and businesses in voluntary early compliance, in supporting the application of the rules before they are fully mandatory; a gradual accompaniment path that will also focus, for example, on the development of what we wanted, as a Parliament, namely the verification of fundamental rights, the impact assessment – something that will be crucial for the users of artificial intelligence to also play their part in reducing risks. I want to thank for this great work, which puts Europe at the forefront and which charts a path that we will have to continue with the planned directives, for example on artificial intelligence in the world of work, I want to thank my fellow rapporteurs, my fellow rapporteur Mr Tudorache and colleagues from the other political groups for this. We have achieved a lot because Parliament, Parliament's team, has been able to be united in negotiating according to our vision, that of truly putting the human being and European values at the heart of the development of artificial intelligence.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I just want everyone, including those who listen to us and those who follow us, to know that Mr Ciocca is not new to doing these scenes. Even now, while we were voting, while we are doing our duty for the citizens of Europe, he does scenes only to be sent perhaps on social media or in some communication tool. It makes us ridiculous, it humiliates our work and I think it's a shame that these things can happen without immediate action. We need more readiness because we make ourselves ridiculous in front of the European citizens. Ours is serious work, you cannot do these scenes in this House because there are those who do nothing, do only this, do not work in Parliament, do not make amendments, do not produce anything and make the citizens believe that our work is this.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, we are not convinced by President von der Leyen's words here this morning. While around us Viktor Orbán hopes for Trump's return and Netanyahu says there will never be a Palestinian state, Europe must decide whether to disappear or become big, it cannot be content with half-way choices. We have heard of a humanitarian aid ship in Gaza, the first in many years, including the resumption of the enlargement process. Well, that's not enough! Europe cannot defend international law every other day, Gaza needs an immediate ceasefire and, in order for Europe to really accept new Member States and not delude them, it needs to proceed with reforms. Today we have too many vetoes and we risk going back on the choice of common debt, while we need a shared budget and taxation, even starting from those who, among the member countries, are ready to take these steps. Faced with what is happening in the world, a Europe of "too late, too little" will be wiped out. I therefore ask the Commission and the leaders of the European Council to live up to the moment we are living in.

Madam President, Commissioner Breton, ladies and gentlemen, this regulation finally creates a true European digital identity. I have followed this dossier thanks to my role as negotiator for the Socialists and Democrats in the opinion of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Citizens' Rights, and allow me to congratulate the rapporteur-general, Romana Jerkovic, on her excellent work. The new European Digital Identity Wallet will respect data protection and privacy. open source, on a voluntary basis and will allow storing personal data, credentials and attributes for easy access to services in all Member States. All this, without having to pay a commercial supplier: For example, citizens will be guaranteed the use of free electronic signatures. After the Artificial Intelligence Act, Europe must also be a world leader in the field of digital identity, putting people and their rights at the centre. From today we are European citizens not only offline but also online.

Madam President, Commissioner Breton, ladies and gentlemen, the regulation on the collection and sharing of data on short-term accommodation rental services is an important new piece of the European mosaic. I am happy to have followed him as a negotiator for the Socialists and Democrats Group. Let me also immediately thank the rapporteur, Kim Van Sparrentak, for the extraordinary work she has done in recent months. Online short-term rental platforms have stimulated the tourism economy but have also led to the so-called gentrification tourism of cities, undermining their livability and accessibility of housing. We cannot forget the university students who a few months ago in my country, in Italy, slept in tents in the squares, demonstrating against the dear rents for the off-site. And this problem also affects workers and families struggling with an out-of-control housing market. Today, some platforms do not comply with existing obligations and states are moving in order. The legislative vacuum in the area of short-term rentals is a real problem. This Regulation harmonises registration procedures between Member States. host, online platforms and competent authorities: This is not the final solution, but it is certainly a key first step in giving Member States the tools they need to legislate properly. I am proud that all our priorities have been confirmed. The host They will receive a registration number. Online platforms will need to ensure that the information provided by host they are correct and, finally, the authorities will be able to act in the event of fraudulent use of the activities of the platforms. In short, transparency and rules to ensure that, finally, political choices can be made in an ever-growing sector, that of short rents. The Europe we want, capable of imposing useful and effective rules even on those with great power such as digital platforms, is built step by step with choices like this.

Madam President, I would like to raise an item on the agenda, pursuant to Rule 195 of Parliament's Rules of Procedure. We have heard the heartbreaking testimony of Yulia Navalnaya, a reminder of the need to step up our efforts to protect those who, like Navalny, have made the defence of human rights and dignity their mission. Together with other colleagues and Gariwo – the gardens of the Righteous, I sent you a letter asking you to commit the European Parliament to solemnly celebrate the European Day of the Righteous on 6 March. The day would be made particularly significant by the launch of an appeal for the release of Yuri Dmitriev and Narges Mohammadi, true fighters for truth and justice, still imprisoned by the regimes of Moscow and Tehran. An appeal for their release must become a shared political objective: We hope that you can accept our request and give substance to the European Day of the Righteous on 6 March.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, 11 days ago was the terrible but predictable news of the murder of Alexei Navalny, yet another crime on Putin’s conscience: This is a very serious crime that the entire international community must firmly condemn. We can't help but talk about the state of human rights in the world. As a Union, we cannot allow other cases like this to happen. For this reason, on March 6, the European Day of the Righteous, established also thanks to the commitment of the Gariwo association, committed to the Gardens of the Righteous, we will ask even more forcefully for the release of Yuri Dmitriev and Narges Mohammadi, true fighters for freedom, justice and truth, still imprisoned by the Russian and Iranian regimes. Europe must lead by example: David Sassoli said in 2019 that we were not an accident of history. Well, today I allow myself to borrow those words. Navalny's death cannot and must not be an accident in history, but it must be a force for our support for those who fight against violations of human rights and freedoms everywhere in the world.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, hunger is being used as a weapon in Gaza. Humanitarian aid is no longer coming in: in February they were much less than in January, while the death toll reaches more than 30,000 civilians, women and children. The UN Agency for Palestine Refugees, UNRWA, cannot be left without resources. What lasting peace and security can this humanitarian catastrophe guarantee? And in all this we hear Netanyahu say with impunity that there will never be any Palestinian state, while Hamas leaders enjoy comfort and wealth far removed from the violence that erupted after the October 7 massacre. We need the international community to return to the field without reticence to give hope to those who suffer today, so we need a peace conference, we need a more united Europe to stop violence. There is no alternative and action must be taken now to stop this massacre.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Mr Iohannis, Romania is an important European country. After joining the Union in 2007, it will enter the Schengen area from next March. This is good news, because it speaks to us of a more united and stronger Europe, where citizens can enjoy equal rights. A Europe that, today, faces great challenges together. We have adopted in this Parliament, in recent months, the first regulation in the world that regulates artificial intelligence, but that is not enough. I am thinking of the migration phenomenon, where Europe must speak with one voice, without nationalist vetoes, to finally manage in a structured and non-emergency way the arrivals of human beings, from the Mediterranean as from the Balkans. Digital revolution, migration, but also climate change, new frontiers of work and tackling inequalities: These are priorities on our political agenda. The European elections are approaching and will be crucial for the future of this continent. Millions of young Europeans are calling for a better future. We need to be able to guarantee it by making the right choices.

Mr President, in Europe, 4 million young people a year undertake a traineeship as a first step towards entering the world of work. A growing phenomenon and a theme, that of internships and traineeships, which I have been following for many years, working in this Parliament to strengthen its quality, strengthening the Youth Guarantee and helping girls and boys in the difficult transition between study and work. Thanks to many battles and the push of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit, today we are one step closer to a historic milestone, namely the publication by the Commission of a directive on the quality of traineeships, which must establish some key concepts: Enough of the exploitation of youth work, enough of unpaid internships and internships, enough of humiliating and non-transparent working conditions, enough of the replacement of regular jobs with internships, a shameful practice to reduce costs, obligations and rights, depressing the use of the quality apprenticeship channel. In October 2020, this Parliament adopted for the first time a resolution calling for the banning of free internships, after having banned them in this same European Parliament thanks to the campaign of some young MEPs, as I was. We had an exceptional ally, who said: “It is a battle of dignity. Recognising the right to be paid is just as important as the right to have a job: An internship is not enough to make a young person happy. That was David Sassoli. Let us carry this battle of dignity to the end.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Orbán's Hungary has once again been guilty of a serious breach of the rule of law, to which this House must react. I am referring to the case of Ilaria Salis, a European citizen, who has been arrested for a year in very harsh conditions, forced to sign sheets in Hungarian without translation and carried on a leash and with chains in a courtroom. In Europe, the rights, including those of those arrested and detainees, who are later found guilty or innocent, must be respected. I am ashamed of the silence of the Italian government. Prime Minister Meloni is ready to welcome the Orban ultra-right into her political group, but she cannot demand respect for one of her townspeople. I read of his ministers who have not seen, who do not know, who are then dismayed, but who in the end are mute in the face of the nationalists, the far-right of their friends. An embarrassing, unworthy submission that arouses anger and just indignation. This is a case – not unique, but emblematic in its own way – of what happens in a country that thinks that Europe is only a source of resources, of money from which to draw without respecting rules. Well, let us say it loudly, at least here, clearly, at least in this House: Europe, Prime Minister Orbán, is not an ATM! Human rights come first in this House and our Union is founded on them. So, here too we send a clear message: dignity for Ilaria Salis, dignity for a person who must be able to be treated appropriately with respect to European values. From this case as from others – but, as I said, this is an emblematic case – our dignity passes. Let us unite, let us make an effort to give a unified message from this House, because Ilaria Salis needs to feel close to the institutions for her dignity, for her life.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I want to say this clearly in this House: neo-fascist and neo-Nazi organisations must be dissolved and their promoters prosecuted in accordance with the law. No tolerance is possible towards the intolerant. Our European democracy, born of the Resistance, must be defended by those who want to pollute it with the virus of nationalism, which in this very House has been defined by Mitterrand for what it is: war, therefore violence, oppression, the end of freedom. Therefore what happened during the commemoration of Acca Larentia in Rome offends our memory and our history; The fascist greetings shown in that circumstance are a scar that has, alas, gone around the world. But, unfortunately, they are not the only example of what is happening in Europe and in particular, today, in Italy: We know, for example, that the State Attorney's Office in Italy, on the input of the government, opposes compensation to families affected by Nazi-fascist crimes, opposing surreal motivations to block access to the fund, also established. This is a shameful issue that will deserve further investigation and we will soon be promoting these same European institutions. But then we cannot remain silent about the unacceptable silence of the government and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in the face of the detention, for a year in Budapest, of the Italian citizen Ilaria Salis, precisely on charges related to a clash with neo-Nazi groups: a revelatory silence of the cultural subjection to undemocratic worlds of a part of the right that claims to sit in the rooms of the government of the European institutions. With the next European elections, on the other hand, we have the opportunity to clearly take another path for the defence of our values, for the protection of our future. We will not back down and with the democratic vote of the citizens I am sure that we will throw these ideas back and those who carry them forward in the closet of our shame.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, more than three months have passed since 7 October and the humanitarian situation in Gaza is only getting worse: More than 23,000 Palestinians have died and more than 60,000 have been injured. We need an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages, as High Representative Borrell has called for, preventing an escalation in neighbouring Lebanon and the Red Sea. The Italian government, unfortunately, has only made disasters: It has eliminated cooperation funds, frozen €7 million for the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees, and frozen and blocked several projects in Gaza and the West Bank, where Israeli settler violence continues. A shame to which Giorgia Meloni must answer! The international community, on the other hand, must intervene to restore hope to a peace process that must resume immediately, for two peoples and two states that can finally live without fear and with respect for their rights. While too many people die every day you can't waste any more time, you need a ceasefire now!