What Hilde spoke about.

13

Sep

2022

NL Speech

Watch

Question Time (VPC/HR) The state of play of the war in Ukraine

I have one last question, Mr. Borrell. Last night we had a meeting of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. We discussed an opinion of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs. This was mainly about how Europe should function now. Because actually – and it is perhaps naughty what I am going to say now – the biggest problem Europe has now is how it is functioning at the moment. We had the Conference on …

13

Sep

2022

NL Speech

Watch

Question Time (VPC/HR) The state of play of the war in Ukraine

Mr Borrell, a lot of questions have been asked in the meantime, which shows that we are very concerned. I think that Europe has clearly shown its teeth thanks to the unity in its response to Russia in response to the crisis with Ukraine. My question is how we're going to preserve that unity. We all know that we need to expand the sanctions list. How will you deal with maintaining unity in expandin…

13

Sep

2022

NL Speech

Watch

Consequences of drought, fire, and other extreme weather phenomena: increasing EU's efforts to fight climate change (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the summer of 2022 was marked by extreme drought, the worst drought in 500 years. Once again, our farmers are among the hardest hit, while the agricultural sector was already in crisis. Between 2005 and 2016, as many as a thousand farms per day disappeared in Europe. A thousand, colleagues, because farmers are the weakest link in the chain and there was a crisis…

6

Jul

2022

NL Speech

Watch

Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 23-24 June 2022 (continuation of debate)

Mr President, the decision taken by the Council to grant candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova was actually the only right decision. Great promises were also made to the Balkans. But what surprises me is that not a single word was actually spoken about how the Union should function with 30 or 35 members. Leaders took note of the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe, while we all…

8

Jun

2022

EN Speech

Watch

Global threats to abortion rights: the possible overturn of abortion rights in the US by the Supreme Court (debate)

Madam President, it was a lively debate, I think we can say, this evening. An overturn of the Roe v. Wade would be a tragedy – I think everybody said that already. Not just for women in the US but also for women in Europe. The ones who make women suffer in the US are also active here, and they are successful in their repression. We even heard some today here in this Parliament. In Poland, there is…

8

Jun

2022

NL Speech

Watch

Conclusions of the special European Council meeting of 30-31 May 2022 (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, today I want to talk about two issues, namely sanctions and European defence. It is good, Mr Michel, that we finally have an agreement on that sixth package of sanctions. But let us be honest, it was a little too late for us in Parliament. And on sale – I think it was Mr Weber who said it: “I actually succumbed to Mr Orbán’s blackmail.” – twice actually succumbe…

6

Jun

2022

NL Speech

Watch

2021 Report on Turkey (debate)

Mr President, there is no place in Europe for this Turkey where journalists are attacked, opposition members are suppressed and violence against women seems to be accepted, and which disregards binding rulings of the European Court of Human Rights. Not membership, but partnership. Turkey is an important strategic partner; This became even clearer during the war in Ukraine. However, this does not m…

18

May

2022

EN Speech

Watch

The killing of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Aqla and the violent incidents at her funeral (debate)

Mr President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, one week ago, Shireen Abu Aqla, a prominent Al Jazeera journalist, was killed. She was killed while reporting in the West Bank. I’m as shocked and dismayed as you are, and I’m not sure what shocks me most – her death or the utter disrespect by Israeli police at her funeral, which I strongly condemn. Forty—two Palestinian journalists have been kille…

5

May

2022

EN Speech

Watch

The impact of the war against Ukraine on women (debate)

Mr President, Putin’s brutality knows no limits. One day, we were all appalled as a maternity clinic was bombed, the next as mass graves were discovered in Bucha. But how far does inhumanity go if you applaud military units that are linked to mass rape. The reports of sexual violence and rape by Russian forces continue to grow, and so do the number of pregnancies. Many Ukrainian women and girls ar…

4

May

2022

EN Speech

Watch

Reports of continued organ harvesting in China

Madam President, dear colleagues, in Europe, you have to wait a very long time for an organ donation, but in China you are helped within a couple of weeks. How is that possible? A real sign of progress, an ignorant observer would say, but it seems that China is harvesting the organs of prisoners, notably from Falun Gong, and that on a significant scale. We all hoped that these kinds of atrocities …

4

May

2022

EN Speech

Watch

Resumption of the sitting

Mr President, I would really like to make a point of order colleagues, an important point. We have just learned the horrible news that Swedish-Iranian academic Dr Ahmad Reza Djalali will be executed in Iran on 21 May. This House repeatedly called on Iranian authorities to hold the execution of Djalali, to pardon and release him. This House has also proposed targeted sanctions of the Iranian author…

5

Apr

2022

EN Speech

Watch

Outcome of the EU-China Summit (1 April 2022) (debate)

Madam President, our presidents Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen have done what we have asked them to do: they were tough on Xi Jinping and made it crystal clear that we expect China to help end Putin’s war. But, colleagues, Xi Jinping did not move an inch. On the contrary. The Chinese foreign minister declared there was no ceiling for China-Russia cooperation. And even after the massacre i…

5

Apr

2022

NL Speech

Watch

EU Protection of children and young people fleeing the war against Ukraine (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, since 24 February we have only been concerned with one thing, and that is the horror of the war in Ukraine. We get up with it and we go to sleep with it. And first came those images – those horrible images – of that maternity clinic in Mariupol, and then, last weekend, yes, crazy images of that massacre in Bucha. Millions of mothers and children are on the run. And as a…

1

Mar

2022

NL Speech

Watch

Russian aggression against Ukraine (continuation of debate)

Mr President, Mr High Representative, colleagues, Putin has been given the opposite of what he wanted: More European unity, more NATO, and more Western determination. Putin is clearly out for a dirty war, for revenge against Ukraine, against the West, and he threatens with nuclear weapons. It is difficult to act against so much irrational belligerentism. But make no mistake! Autocrats around the w…

16

Feb

2022

NL Speech

Watch

One youth, one Europe (topical debate)

President, 2022 is the European Year of Youth. This is a fantastic case. After all, our youth is the best time of our lives. Nevertheless, we have to face the fact that the past few years have been very difficult: The wretched coronavirus has paralysed the social life of young people, cut them off from friends and family, and prevented them from going out and having fun. Let us not turn youth into…

16

Feb

2022

EN Speech

Watch

EU-Russia relations, European security and Russia’s military threat against Ukraine (debate)

Madam President, a lot has been said already, and for me it’s very clear: if we want to become a real geopolitical player, we need to get our act together by making ourselves less reliant on the Russian gas supply, by building a shield against Russian attacks and, most importantly, by setting up a real European Defence Union. We have to believe in the power of Europe. But what really worries me, M…

15

Feb

2022

EN Speech

Watch

Human rights and democracy in the world – annual report 2021 (debate)

Madam President, I want to talk to about the women and girls in this world, because it’s necessary because women’s rights were violated on a massive scale during the coronavirus pandemic. They were victims of a real shadow pandemic, filled with online and offline violence, and they were at the forefront of our fight against the deadly virus, day-in, day-out. If this health crisis has taught us any…

15

Feb

2022

NL Speech

Watch

Implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report 2021 - Implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report 2021 (debate)

Mr. President, Mr. Borrell... I'm going to wait, Mr President, until he listens... [In English: ] Europe is sleepwalking towards disaster. Russia and China align their strategies. One is about to invade Ukraine, the other is waiting for his chance to take Taiwan. That is also our business, Mr Borrell, because both conflicts will strike Europe at heart. A refugee flow, a very expensive energy bill …

15

Feb

2022

NL Speech

Watch

Strengthening Europe in the fight against cancer(debate)

Mr President, first of all I would like to thank and congratulate Véronique, my colleague within Renew, on whom I am very proud of the excellent work she has done with this report. Six thousand children die of cancer every year in Europe! In fact, it is the leading cause of death in children over one year of age. And that is unacceptable. We cannot allow disturbed parents with sick children to roa…

14

Dec

2021

EN Speech

Watch

European Year of Youth 2022 (debate)

Mr President, I’m really happy that 2022 will be officially the European Year of Youth. But let us be clear, we should not make it a symbolic year, but a historic year. Last year, 24% of children were at risk of poverty, and the last two years 18 000 minor refugees disappeared, and at least, colleagues listen carefully, one in five children is a victim of sexual violence. And moreover, during the …

25

Nov

2021

NL Speech

Watch

Situation in Somalia

Mr President, the situation in Somalia, I do not have to tell you, is particularly worrying. An amalgam of conflicts hampers the stability, development and prosperity of the country. The country is plagued by terror, violence, political instability. Climate change is also taking its toll, resulting in a humanitarian disaster. Let me give you the figures: 2.9 million internally displaced people, si…

25

Nov

2021

EN Speech

Watch

The International Day of Elimination of Violence Against Women and the State of play on the ratification of the Istanbul Convention (continuation of debate)

Mr President, for already almost an hour and a half today, we have listened to the stories and we have listened to the numbers. But, Madam Commissioner, did we really hear them? I will repeat them: nearly one in three women have been abused in their lifetime and, since the COVID pandemic, the figures are even worse. Since the COVID—19 pandemic, we see a real shadow pandemic. Since the start, two i…

20

Oct

2021

NL Speech

Watch

Preparation of the European Council meeting of 21-22 October 2021 (debate)

As is often the case, this time the most important item of the European Council is not on the agenda. I'm talking about Poland. We saw a Polish prime minister here yesterday who refused to engage in dialogue, and it is abundantly clear that the Polish Supreme Court has been completely politicized and is now being used as a weapon against the European Court of Justice, which has denounced that poli…

7

Oct

2021

EN Speech

Watch

The case of Paul Rusesabagina in Rwanda

Mr President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, you do not kidnap someone to give him a fair trial. That came across my mind when Paul Rusesabagina was arrested in Kigali last summer. And so a few months ago, colleagues, this House adopted a strong resolution – a very strong resolution that condemned the illegal rendition of Paul and called on Rwanda to give him a fair trial. Colleagues, it real…

6

Oct

2021

NL Speech

Watch

European solutions to the rise of energy prices for businesses and consumers: the role of energy efficiency and renewable energy and the need to tackle energy poverty (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, everyone is concerned. “Can we still pay our energy bills for the winter?” And high energy prices are putting things on edge. It is about the core of our European way of life, about our families. That's what we need to protect now. How are we going to ensure that energy does not become a luxury product in the short term? Only if we ensure a genuine European Energy Union…