What Hilde spoke about.

25

Nov

2025

EN Speech

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European Defence Industry Programme and a framework of measures to ensure the timely availability and supply of defence products (‘EDIP’) (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, for me, on defence it's really clear: come together, buy together or become irrelevant. And for the moment, we must admit that we are irrelevant. Look at what happened in the last days: Putin and Trump around the table, and Europe was nowhere. We had no common reaction ready. The new European Defence Industry Programme is that investment in European defence backbone,…

12

Nov

2025

EN Speech

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Commemorating the 10th anniversary of the islamist attacks of 13 November 2015 in Paris (debate)

Madam President, dear colleagues, I would like to raise a point of order under Rule 150. This House adopted a very strong resolution on the arbitrary arrest and torture of the Belgian‑Portuguese researcher, Joseph Figueira Martin, in the Central African Republic. Last week, our colleague was sentenced to 10 years of forced labour. So, colleagues, I really would like to reiterate our demand for the…

21

Oct

2025

NL Speech

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Renewing the EU-Africa Partnership: building common priorities ahead of the Angola Summit (debate)

Mr President, Africa is a crucial continent for Europe. If you look at Africa today, you will see a continent of growth, of youth, of innovation. This is the first pillar on which this cooperation must be based: enhanced cooperation on Erasmus+. The second pillar is that of peace and security, and we reiterate here our previous resolutions that Europe must play a role in ending that war between Rw…

21

Oct

2025

NL Speech

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

Mr President, yes, we must do more to help Ukraine win, both militarily and financially. Ukraine needs an additional EUR 140 billion over the next two years to stand up to Russia’s beating. But let us do that without burdening Belgium with a financial risk of, you hold, one-third of its GDP. That's pure madness. So yes, let's mobilize Russian assets to support Ukraine, but do it wisely: not by sto…

21

Oct

2025

NL Speech

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Recent peace agreement in the Middle East and the role of the EU (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, yes, we must welcome the peace agreement, the release of the hostages and the ceasefire. But be very careful, because let's be honest: It is only a very small step, very fragile and it has actually already been violated by both parties. People continue to die of violence, of famine. That is why I repeat our call loud and clear: open all border cros…

11

Sep

2025

EN Speech

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Gaza at breaking point: EU action to combat famine, the urgent need to release hostages and move towards a two-state solution (RC-B10-0372/2025, B10-0369/2025, B10-0372/2025, B10-0373/2025, B10-0374/2025, B10-0381/2025, B10-0385/2025, B10-0387/2025) (vote)

Madam President, colleagues, I want to thank all of you for the very hard work and the willingness to compromise on this important text, because it is an important, balanced text. Without a European position, Europe cannot act. Gaza is running out of time. Vote with your conscience, but above all, vote with your political weight and make sure we have a statement.…

10

Sep

2025

NL Speech

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Case of Victoire Ingabire in Rwanda

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, today we have two very special guests here and I would very much like you to give them a big round of applause: Rémy and Raïssa, the children of Victoire Ingabire. There they are. They're fighting her battle. A fight for freedom, for justice, for a democratic Rwanda. And while Victoire is innocently imprisoned, they're standing here. Young people, …

9

Sep

2025

NL Speech

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Gaza at breaking point: EU action to combat famine, the urgent need to release hostages and move towards a two-state solution (debate)

Mr President, we have already heard a number of parties here. I hold my heart for the negotiations this afternoon when I hear my predecessor speak. If we only focus on October 7, if we only focus on what the terrorist organization Hamas has done, without looking at the actions of Israel, then we will not get there this afternoon. I'm really making a call: I will soon lead the negotiations between …

9

Sep

2025

EN Speech

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Ukraine (joint debate)

Madam President, dear colleagues, it is very good that there is a coalition of the willing who want to provide Ukraine with security guarantees, but let us not get ahead of ourselves. Europe has increased its military help for Ukraine, but it is far from enough. Last week we all saw Russia launch one of its deadliest attacks on Ukraine. The Russian economy is not collapsing as predicted. Our sanct…

8

Sep

2025

EN Speech

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Announcement by the President

Madam President, dear colleagues, I raise on a point of order under Rule 150. In July, colleagues, you all remember we voted a strong resolution to free Mr Joseph Figueira Martin, a Belgian-Portuguese citizen who has now been unjustly imprisoned in the Central African Republic for over 470 days. The same is true for Ahmadreza Djalali, who remains imprisoned under dire conditions. And Jimmy Lai, th…

9

Jul

2025

FR Speech

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Arbitrary arrest and torture of Belgian-Portuguese researcher Joseph Figueira Martin in the Central African Republic

Mr President, today I am addressing you with seriousness and determination. Joseph Figueira Martin, my compatriot, a Belgian-Portuguese aid worker, has been detained for more than a year in the Central African Republic, without a fair trial, without credible charges, and without adequate medical care. He was abducted by the Wagner Group, tortured and isolated. We can no longer remain silent in the…

9

Jul

2025

FR Speech

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Democratic Republic of the Congo-Rwanda peace deal agreement (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, we welcome the important step in the search for lasting peace in the Congo. But does this agreement improve the situation on the ground? Commissioner, where is Europe? Why is the Memorandum of Understanding with Rwanda not yet suspended? This conflict has claimed more than 10 million lives. It is as if an entire country, such as Belgium, has been wiped off the m…

9

Jul

2025

NL Speech

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Lessons from Budapest Pride: the urgent need for an EU wide anti-discrimination law and defending fundamental rights against right-wing attacks (topical debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, yes, I am one of those 200 000 people who attended the Pride in Budapest. The Pride that Orbán with all his might has tried to ban by instilling fear in us with fines, facial recognition and arrests. In fact, these are practices that we should not accept in a free Europe in 2025. Fortunately, Orbán got the opposite of what he wanted. He received th…

8

Jul

2025

EN Speech

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Situation in the Middle East (debate)

Madam President, Minister, Commissioner, colleagues, the European Union stands at a crossroads. The recent reports confirm what we can no longer ignore: grave violations of human rights by Israel, including attacks on hospitals, the blockade of humanitarian aid and forced displacement. Over 17 000 children have been killed in Gaza, according to Unicef today. There is no doubt, colleagues, these ac…

8

Jul

2025

NL Speech

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Preparation for the 2025 EU–China Summit - Tackling China's critical raw materials export restrictions

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, we have heard it several times today: China's export restrictions on our raw materials are one of the biggest threats to our European industry. That is why we must now dare to set a border with China. China will not like it and will retaliate. However, it would be much worse to continue now as if nothing were going on, because that would cost us much more in the…

18

Jun

2025

NL Speech

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Case of Ahmadreza Jalali in Iran

Mr President, nine years. For so long, the Iranian regime has held Dr. Djalali, our VUB professor, hostage. A European citizen, tortured, without medical care, sentenced to death after a mock trial. Now, with increasing tensions, his life is even more in danger. Iran uses it as a currency. What about us? We're watching. This is no longer an individual file. For me, this is the litmus test for Euro…

18

Jun

2025

EN Speech

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Stopping the genocide in Gaza: time for EU sanctions (topical debate)

Madam President, colleagues, what you are witnessing in Gaza is not just a human tragedy. It's a giant failure of us as part of the international community. Every day Europe does not act, we become more and more complicit to acts of genocidal violence. Yes, Israel has a right to exist and to defend itself. Yes, Israel has the right to use force to free the hostages. But what Netanyahu is doing has…

18

Jun

2025

EN Speech

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Stopping the genocide in Gaza: time for EU sanctions (topical debate)

Madam President, before I start, please stop the clock. I really need that we verify if he said 'Heil'. I really think so. We cannot continue with somebody here on the tribune saying 'Heil'. We cannot speak – we can only look at the computer. Please do that. It will take 10 seconds and then we'll know.…

21

May

2025

NL Speech

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The EU's response to the Israeli government's plan to seize the Gaza Strip, ensuring effective humanitarian support and the liberation of hostages (debate)

Mr President, thank you for leading this emotionally charged debate with a strong Belgian hand. You can feel the charge here. In that context, the Council decided yesterday – I have to breathe – that it is going to ‘investigate’ whether Israel is violating human rights. Even Donald Trump has admitted that the suffering of Palestinian children and babies touches him. What does our Council do? He wo…

7

May

2025

EN Speech

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

Madam President, good morning colleagues. It strikes me as odd that nobody has mentioned the deal Ukraine made with the US – how Trump has really bullied Ukraine into signing away a big part of their rare minerals. This also affects us and our ability to support Ukraine in the long run enormously, colleagues. Let's not forget that we signed a partnership with Ukraine back in 2021. That deal includ…

6

May

2025

EN Speech

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A revamped long-term budget for the Union in a changing world (debate)

Mr President, this debate could not have come at a better time, because this week we are commemorating the end of the Second World War eighty years ago. In those eighty years, Europe has become insanely richer. A project of 450 million free Europeans is an unprecedented tour de force. Only we have forgotten to defend that Europe. We outsourced that to the Americans. Today, Europeans are rightly co…

6

May

2025

NL Speech

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A unified EU response to unjustified US trade measures and global trade opportunities for the EU (debate)

Mr President, I have followed the debate this morning and I see a very clear line. This is not a technical debate. We don't want to escalate. I understood that very well. But we also don't want to mess with us. We need to be very clear about the bully. We have to stick to our best offer: a zero rate on both sides. Let President Trump tell us when he's ready to negotiate. In the meantime, we will c…

5

May

2025

EN Speech

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Order of business

Madam President, colleagues, I would like to make this point of order, because 25 April marked the ninth anniversary since Swedish-Iranian academic Ahmad Reza Djalali was arrested in Iran. In October 2017, he was sentenced to death after a grossly unfair trial. He is currently, colleagues, the longest standing EU citizen held hostage by the Iranian authorities, and as a consequence of years in pri…

2

Apr

2025

EN Speech

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Progress in the UN-led efforts for the resumption of negotiations towards a solution to the Cyprus problem

Madam President, colleagues, Cyprus remains a political scar on Europe – a split island, a split capital and families torn apart. We cannot just sit here and accept it. Decades of talks, studies and debates have dragged on, but the solution has not changed – stick to the UN plan and EU values. What is missing now, colleagues, is political will. We need the political courage. Turkish leadership nee…

1

Apr

2025

FR Speech

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Targeted attacks against Christians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – defending religious freedom and security (debate)

Madam President, what can we say in a minute about a conflict that has lasted for thirty years? First of all, I would like to express my condolences to all Congolese families. We are at your side. Let's talk about numbers: more than 10 million dead, nearly 7 million displaced, more than 2 million women raped and more than 200 mass graves. The situation is horrific. It is not just about religion. T…