Speeches

Madam President, I'm sorry. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, Since Russia invaded Ukraine, more than 2 million Ukrainian citizens have been deported deep into Russia. Ukrainian civilians are being held in filter camps, in fact in gulags, where they are tortured and have no access to food. The process of filtration that takes place in the camps is the same as in Stalin's times. It is systematic, premeditated and aimed at the destruction of the Ukrainian people. Putin wants the destruction of Ukrainian identity and the Russification of children. Russia has kidnapped more than 200,000 Ukrainian children, which is close to 6% of Ukraine's child population. We strongly condemn the forced deportation of civilians and the abduction of children and the illegal adoption of Ukrainian children. We believe – we all agree here – that we are witnessing the genocide of the Ukrainian people. The most important thing is that we are not mute, that we do not end up with declarations, words of support, words full of emotion. And there are children kidnapped from their homes, abducted, unaccompanied, without help and without hope. Today, Ukraine needs the support of the European Union, of all Member States, such support as Poland gives. We have given shelter to Ukrainian citizens, but Ukraine needs weapons to protect its citizens. God bless Ukraine.

Madam President, I'm sorry. I do not share the satisfaction of the Commissioner, who said that he was pleased with today's debate. I do not share this satisfaction, because today the European Parliament and all the EU institutions should face the biggest challenges facing the European Union today: Putin, inflation, the energy crisis or the war in Ukraine. In the meantime, we are once again dealing with Hungary. The Commissioner was kind to say that the European Commission is the guardian of the Treaties. Commissioner, I think you have not fully read the treaties, because the report we are discussing today criticises Hungary for organising the judiciary. So let me remind you that this is a matter for the Member States. Hungary is also criticised for its electoral law, which is also a competence of the Member States. The same applies to religious freedom, media freedom, health protection or the protection of children from pedophilia. Please know the measure of things. Today, the European Union should respond to the challenges it faces, not plunge itself into such barren discussions, and it is... (The Chair took the floor)

Madam President, I'm sorry. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, First of all, I would like to thank the colleague shadow rapporteurs very much for their cooperation. We have worked really hard to create a comprehensive position of the European Parliament that will feed into the European Union-Interpol agreement negotiated by the European Commission. I would also like to thank the advisors, the LIBE secretariat and the assistants for their support. The result of our good cooperation is an own-initiative report, which was adopted almost unanimously at last week's LIBE meeting. Today, terrorism and organised crime remain among the most important and at the same time most serious security challenges. These are transnational, global phenomena, characterised by extremely dangerous dynamics and taking advantage of the state-of-the-art achievements of technology and digitalisation. Therefore, there is a need for an uncompromising response and more effective, coordinated cooperation between the European Union and international law enforcement bodies, such as the International Criminal Police Organisation – INTERPOL. Such cooperation is intended to ensure security and create the necessary framework for the fight against international crime. The European Union is already cooperating with Interpol. However, there are areas where this cooperation can be strengthened and, above all, formalised, as Interpol has not yet signed such a cooperation agreement with the Union. The own-initiative report is a list of recommendations for the negotiation of a cooperation agreement with Interpol. The key ones are: granting Union agencies access to Interpol’s databases, guarantees of compliance with European data protection rules when transferring data between the Union and Interpol, a call for reform of the red notice procedure. Since the processing of red notices is not transparent enough, there is ample evidence pointing to the abuse and use of this procedure by countries that want to persecute, silence and repress their opponents abroad. And the last point, but not least, is the exclusion of Russia from Interpol and the exclusion of its access to databases. The Russian aggression, the unauthorized invasion of Ukraine, where Russia commits the crime of genocide, is a sufficient reason to exclude Russia from Interpol. In addition, Russia is one of the main issuers of politically motivated red notices. Law enforcement cooperation must be based on trust and must be maintained. Therefore, Interpol should take immediate and decisive measures to exclude the Russian Federation. I hope that in tomorrow's vote you will support the report.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, Poverty in the European Union has a woman's face. The female dimension of poverty is due to many factors. This includes not only lower wages and pensions, discrimination on the basis of age, employment in low-paid industries and precarious conditions, but also economic violence, unpaid work at home and single motherhood. 85% of single parents are women. One in four children in Europe is at risk of poverty. Women are said to be poverty managers, manage the household budget, look for opportunities, additional forms of employment, cut expenses. Therefore, working for and investing in women is an investment in their families, especially their children. Women are the future of Europe. It is up to them – it is up to us – to develop their demographics. But in the context of the ageing of European societies, it is also worth remembering that they play a key role and dominate quantitatively in the health and care services sectors. Thank you, rapporteur, for your constructive and good work.

Mr President, thank you very much. Ladies and Gentlemen, Commissioner! The new Digital Services Act sets new standards, provides a new framework to counter the spread of illegal content online and gives individual users the opportunity to challenge arbitrary decisions by platforms. There is hope that we will have better control over the use of our data by online platforms and large tech companies, because they have a big impact on users and a number of response options. That is why I think we can demand much more from them. From the perspective of the FEMM Committee, in which I am the author of the opinion, we have paid particular attention to the situation of children who are very often victims of abuse in the online environment, as well as to improving the situation of women through commitments to internet service providers to combat discrimination, combat violence and respond to user signals. The most important thing on the Internet is the user and the protection of his rights, which is why we must strive to strengthen his position.

You use a language that is unacceptable to cultural people. I do not wish you to insult Poland and the Polish government. You have incomplete knowledge, because abortion is not 100% prohibited in Poland. If you want to speak about Poland first, please gain honest knowledge about it. Comparing people to cattle is, I understand, in communist culture on the ground, in my culture not.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, The global threat to the right to abortion – the very title of this debate is absurd, because abortion is not a universal human right and is not covered by any international legislation, on the contrary. The Convention on the Rights of the Child stresses that a child due to immaturity requires special care and care both before and after birth. The child before birth has the right to treatment, to inheritance, and you believe that he has no right to life. As for the Charter of Fundamental Rights, Article 2 states that everyone has the right to life, because this right to life is the fundamental right from which all other rights derive. The Charter of Fundamental Rights, Madam Minister, does not require renewal, as President Macron says, but fulfilment of its provisions, because this right to life is a fundamental value on which the moral and social order is based. Madam President, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that you did not react to the behaviour that took place in the room. You have allowed the insolent use of prohibited symbols. You did not take the floor. I therefore believe that a Member who has not complied with the Rules of Procedure should be punished and that it is absolutely inappropriate to attack, approach and yell at Margarita. It is simply a dictatorship of the mad scattered left. (The speaker agreed to respond to the speech signalled by the blue card)

Mr President, thank you very much. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Mr. Secretary of State! A Europe steeped in economic crisis, rising inflation, the war in Ukraine and all the geopolitical problems we face are certainly affecting the level and potential of the European economy. Therefore, one must ask oneself: whether the Fit for 55 package is capable of addressing all these challenges. Well, the assumptions of this package were created before the war in Ukraine broke out, before Russia attacked Ukraine. Today, Europeans are hit hardest by inflation. Are the restrictive climate policy objectives of the Fit for 55 package therefore able to mitigate and mitigate this situation? Definitely not. Will the left side of the Chamber take responsibility for the deepening energy poverty that will affect Europeans as a result of the solutions introduced? Why do you, who talk so much about social sensitivity, not notice the problems of the poorest people, especially those who use district heating, which these solutions absolutely do not notice.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Commissioner, thank you very much. Once again, my homeland, Poland, is under attack in the European Parliament. This time it comes at a particular moment – the Russian aggression against Ukraine. It is Poland, which has welcomed two and a half million refugees, that is most committed to helping the citizens of Ukraine. And even these circumstances did not stop you from conducting another session of hatred and unlawful attack on Poland, which today defends the honor of Europe. You are repeating slogans taken alive from Putin's propaganda. Check your eyes before it's too late! The former US ambassador to Poland had the courage to admit that the West had succumbed to Russian disinformation. Poland has already participated in five Article 7 hearings in the Council. All issues have been clarified. It's time to finish this procedure! In turn, when it comes to blocking funds from the RRP for Poland, it is not only illegal, but in the face of the war in Ukraine and the costs that Poland incurs, keeping the citizens of Ukraine, simply immoral.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Commissioner, I'm sorry. The Taliban takeover has revoked women's rights in Afghanistan by 20 years. Girls and women cannot participate in social and economic life, they do not have access to education. Girls over the age of 11 are forced into forced marriage, forced labor and sexual abuse. Unfortunately, they also have limited access to health care. In public spaces, they can only move with a male relative. The rigors of clothing are imposed on them. And all this contributes to plunging women into poverty. Afghanistan is currently facing hunger. This hunger particularly affects women. The situation resulting from the war in Ukraine will further aggravate this hunger. Dedicated assistance programs are needed. Women in Afghanistan need to know that the European Union will not leave them. We need to revise our policies and think about how we can help in a real way.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Mothers raped in front of their children, children raped in front of their parents. Mothers taking their children and fleeing from bombed Ukraine to the nearest safe country. This country turned out to be Poland, to which over two and a half million people fled during those days. It was in Poland that they found refuge, in hospitable Polish homes. It was Poland that hugged the war refugees. 160,000 children are already included in the Polish education system. It was Poland that prepared a special law giving entitlement to health, social and educational care. We call, Commissioner, for the creation of a fund that would allow for simplified financing of the costs associated with the reception of war refugees. Let me remind you: We have taken in two and a half million war refugees. What funds have been channelled from the European Union? You are so touched, you say: How terrible it is. Let's get started! It's time to put an end to the politics of appearances. Hard sanctions are needed. There is genocide in Ukraine. Putin's army of barbarians is trampling on basic human rights, while the EU is imposing tough sanctions. But against whom? Against Russia? No, against Poland, which has accepted two and a half million refugees. It is Poland that is illegally blocking funds from the NRRP. We are bent over the fate of the bleeding Ukraine, but nothing happens, ladies and gentlemen, for no reason. Do you remember the annexation of Crimea by the Putin regime in 2014 and the embargo on arms exports to Russia introduced at that time? How many Member States of the European Union have broken them? 10. And the current sanctions are as porous as a sieve, there are none. So Putin's barbarism looks like this: raped women are then ripped apart by Russian barbarians, by Putin's army of barbarians. Ukrainians are dying before our eyes. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is not only Putin's war on Ukraine, but it is a war on the West. This is a war against the whole world. You're talking about human rights. They are violated because the sanctions are, unfortunately, apparent.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, I'm sorry. I listened attentively to what the Commissioner said, because I know that you were in Poland. You were on the Polish border and you know very well that in just a few days it was Poland that received 1.2 million war refugees. It was Poland that provided them with shelter, and it is primarily to Poland that these war refugees are fleeing. And the involvement of Polish government services, local government, Polish citizens is huge. I am proud to be Polish. It is a pity that you did not have the courage to emphasize this strongly and clearly. But let's look at the European Commission's commitment to helping countries that are helping and welcoming refugees. Well, ladies and gentlemen, this is a help that is really illusory, small, one could say even minimal, not to say none, in the face of a war catastrophe. Concrete help is needed. The funds owed to Poland from the National Recovery Fund, which are unlawfully blocked by the European Commission, should be immediately unblocked. In the face of war and this tragedy that is unfolding before our eyes, it is time to start acting in solidarity. And I am sending this call to the European Commission and to Parliament, which tomorrow wants to vote on a resolution on blocking funds for Poland. Your hypocrisy is enormous.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, I'm sorry. First of all, I would like to thank the rapporteur for taking up this very important, much-awaited topic. I would like to talk about this issue in the context of the situation outside Poland's eastern border, in the context of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Every day 100,000 war refugees enter Poland. These are most often women with children who left their homes in a hurry, taking only the necessary things into a handy suitcase. In Poland, they are received hospitably, warmly, they are not held in refugee camps, they benefit from our Polish hospitality. If we told those women who had to flee their homes before the war with their children that there are golden passports in the European Union, golden passports used by Putin's oligarchs to ensure a prosperous, comfortable life, they would certainly be surprised and would probably not believe that this is happening in a free European Union, in which the President tells the European Commission very clearly that EU values are not for sale. Well, they are for sale and have a measurable price. It's time to end this dirty practice and it's time to review which Putin's oligarchs got their passports, got their golden passports, got their golden visas, and it's just high time we did something about it.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, The situation in Burkina Faso is dramatic. There is a military junta in power, there is an escalation of violence. Thousands of deaths have been recorded. Last year alone, one and a half million people were internally displaced – they had to leave all their belongings behind. Among internally displaced people, children and women are particularly vulnerable to violence and sexual exploitation. Please note that there is an increase in the criminal practice of trafficking in human beings. This is all happening in Burkina Faso in the 21st century. Women are at risk of extreme poverty. What should I do? In particular, increase financial support and humanitarian aid to address immediate needs. But it is time for the Union to act, to learn from its commitments when it comes to the application of the arms export control and tracing system. This junta has a weapon to which it unfortunately has unlimited access, and hence this escalation of violence.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Well, climate change is one of the biggest challenges of our time and global warming is causing world hunger, malnutrition, exposure to disease and lack of access to water. What should be our priorities for the session in New York? When we look at these climate changes, we could say that in the European Union they affect women less than on other continents, but in the European Union women also face very serious problems. I will come back to this issue because I think there is a great deal of indifference to this issue in this House. In the European Union, young girls are still at risk of forced marriages with adult men. Focus, ladies, on real problems and let us support women regardless of their age, their status, their social position, their religious denomination. Let's not forget the little girls who are brutally raped.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, So many untruths, and frankly speaking, lies have fallen here, that I will refer only to one, to this legal lie. I would like to inform you that Article 7 has not been activated in relation to Poland and no risk of a breach of this Article by Poland has even been identified. Therefore, the rule of law mechanism was invented because there was no consensus and agreement in the Council, because such premises do not exist in relation to Poland. And it's not right to lie like that. When it comes to the conditionality mechanism and understanding it as an instrument to respect sound spending of public funds – as it was designed and agreed by prime ministers at the July 2020 summit – we are of course in favour of not embezzling EU funds. And Poland is an example of how to spend EU funds decently, solidly, conscientiously. You want the conditionality mechanism to be a political instrument and put undue pressure on the European Commission to make the conditionality mechanism a de facto caricature of the rule of law.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, The EU has one of the highest animal welfare standards in the world. We have regulations, unfortunately there is a lack of effective implementation and enforcement. Therefore, there are many problems. When it comes to the transport of animals, I would like to draw attention to the transport of animals that are unable to be transported – because this is also the case – to overloaded trucks, to the lack of space over the heads of animals, to the lack of water and food, to adequate ventilation, to the beating of animals with sticks and electric rods, to hours of suffering and stress. Millions of animals make their last journey every day in absolutely horrific conditions. This can be remedied. That is why I believe, firstly, that there should be a clear definition of the capacity of animals to be transported, that there should be more control in the area of existing legislation, that transport geolocation systems should be used so that the duration of the journey can actually be determined, that appropriate sweating systems are in place, that the chambers, interiors of vehicles for transporting animals are adapted to those animals, that vehicles are equipped with cameras, that ammonia levels, air access and access to water are measured. Temperature sensors are also necessary. Indeed, there is much we can do if we want to apply the Farm to Fork Strategy in practice. We should do everything to ensure that the slaughter of animals takes place as close as possible to their breeding. Then we will not pollute the air with unnecessary emissions, we will shorten the chains and thus eliminate unnecessary suffering of animals. And the quality of meat from unstressed animals, as we all know, is much better and greater.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, The first country in the world to introduce abortion on demand in 1920 was the Soviet Union. In 1933, eugenic abortion became a law in Nazi Germany. After World War II, the communists introduced abortion on demand in all countries of the Eastern Bloc. Today, the left is trying to convince us that access to abortion is a human right. Abortion is not a universal human right and is not covered by any international law. On the contrary. The Convention on the Rights of the Child emphasizes that a child due to immaturity requires special care and care, both before and after birth. Article 2 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights states that ‘everyone has the right to life’. Because this right to life is the fundamental right from which all other rights derive. The Charter of Fundamental Rights does not require a ‘renewal’, as Macron said, but the fulfilment of its provisions. The right to life is a fundamental value on which the moral and social order is based. Today, left-liberal circles are wreaking ideological turmoil. You want abortion on demand, euthanasia, considering it irrelevant that every person has the right to life from conception to natural death. You disregard the fundamental principle that my freedom ends where the other person's freedom begins. The other person in this case is the most vulnerable – the unborn child, who has the right to medical treatment, the right to inherit, but in your opinion does not have the right to life.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, First of all, I would like to thank the shadow rapporteurs. Thanks to the good cooperation with the political groups, we have created a draft opinion that improves the situation of women by obliging internet service providers to counter discrimination, combat violence and respond to user signals. We have also highlighted the specific situation of children, who are often victims of abuse online. We have required ISPs to create codes of conduct and take remedial action. Some of our demands were included in the final IMCO report. We have a long way to go, but we have made progress towards protecting children from inappropriate content and women from cyberbullying.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, thank you very much. More than one million citizens have signed a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses. Wild animals in circuses are forced to perform various so-called circus tricks, the training of which is very painful for them, and the ways in which this is done absolutely do not justify the fact that wild animals are used in circuses. Certainly, the welfare of wild animals is not preserved in circuses. It should definitely be stressed that the use of wild animals in circuses has no value: Neither educational nor cultural. Treating animals in the 21st century so that elephants, zebras, tigers perform some tricks is simply unethical. Enforcing behaviors unnatural to these animals is simply barbaric.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Commissioner, it is with sadness that I have listened to your speech, full of half-truths, lies and manipulation, and I want to protest vigorously. I have no words when the Commissioner, a representative of the European Commission, repeats fake news and untruths. You said that three provinces have created LGBT-free zones in Poland. I ask you to indicate at what address there are zones in Poland where LGBT people are not allowed to enter. Apologize to the local authorities you mentioned. It's far from right. The European Commission should be the guardian of the Treaties, i.e. ensure that competences are not exceeded. And this country goes beyond the competences that are conferred and defined in the Treaties. Health policy, as well as justice, you should know, is an exclusive competence of a Member State. And it is the European Commission, which should be the guardian of the Treaties, that brazenly disregards itself. Let the European Commission deal with Commissioner Dalli, Commissioner for Inequality and Exclusion. There are so many real problems in the European Union. Please stop humiliating Poland and Poles and deal with matters that fall within your competence, such as, for example, speculative trading of emissions. And I'm asking you not to disturb me.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, Commissioner Dalli has prepared a handbook that provides guidance on how to communicate so that no one feels excluded, while excluding Europe's Christian heritage from communication. It's getting in the way of Christmas. Jesus is disturbing. It disturbs Mary. In the name of equality, Christianity is being destroyed. Commissioner Dalli should therefore be the Commissioner responsible for creating inequality and exclusion. In fact, she became a representative of the ideology of invalidation. It is a devastation of humanism. This is what the European left is doing. This is their dream and this is their goal. And we must be fully aware that the Commission was aware that such a handbook was being created. By cutting yourself off from the Christian roots of Europe, you are denying not only our common European past, but you are also questioning the future. A Europe without Christian values will simply cease to exist. I wish you all a healthy, blessed Christmas.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, Now that the world is moving online, especially during the pandemic, it is being followed by various forms of violence: hate speech, trolling, stalking or blackmailing using pornographic content. Cyberbullying can start online, but often ends offline with devastating consequences for victims and their families. Anything that is banned offline should also be banned online. Once again, I stress that I am firmly opposed to violence, but in accordance with the competences conferred by the Treaties and in an ideologically neutral manner. First of all, the report does not talk about violence against women and girls, but uses the non-Treaty concept of gender. For this reason, there may be many inaccuracies in the application of criminal law, which requires far-reaching guarantees from all sides. One of them is the principle of legal certainty. It cannot be achieved by introducing new, blurred concepts. Since Article 83 of the Treaty already mentions computer crime in the catalogue of eurocrimes, the mention of gender-based cyberviolence in the report should be considered as an example of a broad interpretation that constitutes manifest abuse and must be treated only in terms of instrumentalisation of EU criminal law for strictly political purposes. For me personally, it is sad that once again such an important topic as violence against women and girls has been spoiled by unnecessary ideological intrusions.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, We need to talk about violence and help break the silence of its victims. One in three women in the world has experienced physical, psychological, economic or sexual abuse. Unfortunately, women and girls in Europe also continue to experience the very specific and cruel violence of genital mutilation, and marriages between underage girls and adult men are also taking place in the European Union. I regret that this issue was not raised either in the Commissioner's speech or in the position of the European Commission. Do you pretend that these cruel crimes do not exist? Cyberviolence is also an increasingly common form of violence, including stalking, hate speech, and the dissemination of pornographic material. Anything that is illegal offline should also be illegal online. According to the data, domestic violence intensified during the pandemic, as victims were forced to remain locked up with their perpetrators. Last year, in my country, Poland, which you are so interested in, an anti-violence law was passed. The new rapid response procedure against perpetrators of domestic violence is to quickly isolate the victim from the perpetrator and order them to leave their home immediately. Take an example from us, let's exchange good practices. Let us have a common cause, and unfortunately we are divided by ideology.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, thank you very much. The current energy crisis requires us to redefine our energy policy. And the state is this: EU solidarity has been buried along with Nord Stream at the bottom of the Baltic Sea, the rising prices of allowances and their speculative nature – in terms of CO2 allowances – are reducing the competitiveness of European industry. As far as the energy perspective proposed in the "fit for 55" package is concerned, 80 million people are expected to be affected soon by deepened energy poverty, which is already very high. Winter is approaching, we have empty gas storage facilities, which are the result of gas blackmail, which is not mentioned in this House. Finally, a just transition. The biggest costs of the transformation will be borne by countries such as Poland. Is it as part of this just transition that the European Commission unlawfully blocks funds under the RRP?