What Željana spoke about.

21

Oct

2025

EN Speech

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Institutional consequences of the EU enlargement negotiations (debate)

Dear President, Madam Commissioner, Russian aggression against Ukraine, as well as the end of the wars in the western Balkans, has made us aware that the only true tool for bringing peace and security to the borders of the European Union is the enlargement process. The western Balkan countries have been dragged through the labyrinth of bureaucratic procedures of the European Union and the philosop…

21

Oct

2025

EN Speech

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

Madam President, Commissioner, the announcement of an agreement on the Gaza peace plan proposed by President Trump came as a relief. Yet lasting peace requires clear commitment from all sides to address the real obstacles. As long as Hamas remains the sole security authority in Gaza, reconstruction and a genuine peace will remain out of reach. Its actions continue to undermine the security of both…

8

Oct

2025

EN Speech

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United response to recent Russian violations of the EU Member States’ airspace and critical infrastructure (debate)

Madam President, for God's sake, I mean, I think we should first manage these speaking times here in order to manage everything in a geopolitical order. The recent incursion into European airspace showed that the threat is multifaceted, and that a wide range of means is used to destabilise us. The European Union must respond firmly to these hybrid threats. EU Member States must invest into anti-dr…

7

Oct

2025

EN Speech

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EU political strategy on Latin America (debate)

Madam President, dear Commissioner, Latin American partners are our natural allies. Despite these close ties, the European presence has significantly declined in recent decades, giving way to Chinese and Russian influence and enabling them to create economic dependencies that influence the foreign policy direction of Latin American countries. It is high time to re-engage with the region on areas r…

7

Oct

2025

EN Speech

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Situation in Afghanistan: supporting women and communities affected by the recent earthquakes (debate)

Mr President, Madam Commissioner, in what kind of horrific world could we imagine the deprivation of medical care for women after natural disasters due to a lack of women doctors? In what sort of dreadful world could we envision that a woman's voice could not be heard singing in a public? As inconceivable as it may seem, this terrifying situation exists. The Taliban authorities relentlessly invade…

7

Oct

2025

EN Speech

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Rising antisemitism in Europe (debate)

Madam President, the rise of violent protests against Israel, hate speech and the stigmatisation of Jewish communities across Europe is deeply concerning. So, dear Commissioner Brunner, I think it is last-minute that you appoint a special envoy for freedom of religion, and that we finally start to tackle the problems of people who freely express their beliefs. The horrifying attack on a synagogue …

7

Oct

2025

EN Speech

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The EU’s role in supporting the recent peace efforts for Gaza and a two-state solution (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, exactly two years ago, hundreds of innocent Israelis were brutally and tragically killed, raped and taken as hostages. This horrific massacre was not a random act. It was a meticulously planned terrorist strategy aimed at erasing any possibility of coexistence between communities in the region. Hundreds of hostages were taken, in acts reminiscent of medieval barbaris…

6

Oct

2025

HR Speech

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Role of EU policies in shaping the European Sport Model (debate)

Dear Chair, Dear colleagues, I congratulate Rapporteur Zdrojewski on this extremely welcome report. My country Croatia is globally recognized for its sporting successes. Our national identity is inextricably linked to the pride our athletes bring us - from football fields to athletic stadiums, from swimming pools to venues around the world. Today, 160 million euros is allocated for sports in Croat…

10

Sep

2025

EN Answer

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Implementation of EU-US trade deal and the prospect of wider EU trade agreements (debate)

The good things are that our jobs now have predictability and stability: 15 % is better than 39 % or 50 % or 100 %, or whatever. If you didn't do the maths, that's a good thing. If you are measuring high blood pressure, going over that would be a really bad thing for our businesses.…

10

Sep

2025

EN Speech

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Implementation of EU-US trade deal and the prospect of wider EU trade agreements (debate)

Mr President, dear colleagues, before our eyes, a new world order is emerging. Authoritarian leaders are watching closely, waiting for the Western alliance to show weakness. This is why I welcome this trade agreement as a clear sign of renewed transatlantic cooperation – something that is urgently needed at this critical moment. The European Union cannot afford to find itself on the wrong side of …

9

Sep

2025

EN Speech

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Devastating wildfires in Southern Europe: the need to strengthen EU aid to restore the massive loss of forests and enhancing EU preparedness (debate)

Mr President, I will just reply to the previous speaker. I'm very proud that, in 2017, the European People's Party was the leader in adopting the rescue mechanism when everybody else in this room was against it. I was fighting, together with my colleague Elisabetta Gardini, to get this budget that would be EUR 100 million at the EU level. Now Croatian firefighters are fighting so that all firefigh…

9

Sep

2025

HR Speech

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Ukraine (joint debate)

Dear Chair, Honourable Commissioner, I regret that High Representative Kaja Kallas is not here, she is in the College. I would like to welcome the Minister of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina who is here with us and speaks about enlargement and in fact about the need to preserve Bosnia and Herzegovina at this time. Ukraine is a problem we are facing and will face in the future because suddenly th…

9

Jul

2025

EN Speech

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EU-US trade negotiations (debate)

Mr President, dear Commissioner, we are here to talk about EU-US trade. The negotiations with the US are taking shape and the positive framework agreement by the deadline set by our transatlantic partners is expected from you, dear Commissioner. Although we are diversifying our trade with our like-minded partners, we must not forget that the deal with the US would bring certainty for our businesse…

8

Jul

2025

EN Speech

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2023 and 2024 reports on North Macedonia (debate)

Madam President, 21 years ago, at Mostar airport, I was waiting for President Trajkovski. His plane never arrived; he crashed, along with all his cabinet – people I knew. He was a great man, a man of peace, a man of reconciliation. He made the awkward agreements. And he was the man who brought peace in Macedonia at the time. I remember him from the conferences we used to attend together, and every…

8

Jul

2025

HR Speech

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2023 and 2024 reports on Bosnia and Herzegovina (debate)

Dear Chair, Honourable Commissioner, I would like to thank Rapporteur Kolář who clearly recognized the principle of constituency of the people as the basis of the institutional set-up in Bosnia and Herzegovina 30 years after the signing of the Dayton-Paris Peace Agreement. At the beginning of this plenary session, we expressed our deep respect for the victims of the Srebrenica massacre in the week…

19

Jun

2025

HR Speech

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Institutional and political implications of the EU enlargement process and global challenges (debate)

Over the past two decades, the European Union has faced a number of crises: from the 2008 financial crisis, through the 2015 migrant crisis, to the COVID pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Despite all this, the European Union has emerged from these challenges by losing only one member, but has preserved the unity of its core values. As the last country to join the European Union, Croatia knows very …

18

Jun

2025

EN Speech

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Upcoming NATO summit on 24-26 June 2025 (debate)

Madam President, happy birthday High Representative – it's not a nice way to spend your birthday, listening to all of us here giving the speeches. On 5 %, it's quite realistic that we have to increase spending in order to seriously engage with our transatlantic partners and talk about strengthening the European pillar of NATO. The European Union must understand that without the American security g…

17

Jun

2025

EN Speech

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2023 and 2024 reports on Montenegro (debate)

Mr President, Madam Commissioner, European values encompass the respect of the rule of law, good neighbourhood relations as well as, in the case of Montenegro, the protection of the cultural, material and immaterial heritage of the Croatian minority. In order to advance towards EU accession, Montenegro must also ensure equal representation of national minorities in media, judiciary, law enforcemen…

17

Jun

2025

HR Speech

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European Ocean Pact (debate)

Dear Chairman, Commissioner Kadis, the European Ocean Pact has recognized our long-standing demands to hear the voice of those who have lived for centuries in harmony with the sea and from the sea, just like Croatian fishermen. With almost 70,000 kilometers of coastline and 40% of the population living within 50 kilometers of the sea, maritime issues are strategic issues for the European Union. Th…

16

Jun

2025

EN Speech

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Signature of acts adopted in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (Rule 81)

Madam President, dear colleagues, while the world's attention is turned to conflicts shaking the foundation of our global order, another atrocity has unfolded almost unnoticed before our eyes. In the early hours of Saturday, more than 200 people were brutally massacred in Yelwata, Nigeria, sheltered in a local Catholic mission, in a region already ravaged by religious violence. This is the single …

6

May

2025

EN Answer

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

As a politician, I could just say that every politician and everyone in this House has responsibility for the words they say. So, I never insulted anyone. It's not mine to speak on behalf of other politicians. Democratic words should be preserved to build peace, and not war with words. This was the beginning of my speech as well. So, I stick to the logic that there is no place for insults in polit…

6

May

2025

EN Speech

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

Mr President, dear colleagues, war begins in the minds of the people, and it's in their minds that peace is also created. For decades, we relied heavily on American partners, and we still do for our defence and defence of our trade routes, at least in the Red Sea. But with unjustified imposition of tariffs, it has become clear we must take matters in our own hands and strengthen our competitivenes…

5

May

2025

EN Speech

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Preparation of the EU-UK summit (debate)

Madam President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, the summit of 19 May represents a unique opportunity to deepen our cooperation with the UK in areas such as defence, trade, foreign affairs and energy. We urgently need to enhance our partnership with the UK on security and strategic questions. However, in our dialogue with the UK, we must take into account the problems of every Member States, a…

2

Apr

2025

EN Speech

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European oceans pact (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, as geopolitical tensions escalate, our oceans and the seas must be seen as a strategic field that we must observe and control. Attacks on critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea and continuing tensions in the South China Sea illustrate the need for a clear strategy of the European Union. In a turbulent, multilateral world order, the EU must sail with …

1

Apr

2025

EN Speech

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Crackdown on democracy in Türkiye and the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu (debate)

Madam President, although Türkiye's public diplomacy remains the most prestigious art for showcasing the positive aspects of why Türkiye is an essential ally in the current geopolitical turmoil, let us be clear about our stance. We must unequivocally express our concerns about the partner that is arresting political opponents. Putting journalists in a jail and silencing civil society. The recent c…