What Jordi spoke about.

23

Apr

2024

EN Speech

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EU’s response to the repeated killing of humanitarian aid workers, journalists and civilians by the Israel Defence Forces in the Gaza Strip (debate)

Madam President, the tragedy of Gaza seems to have no end. Just when it looks impossible for the suffering of Palestinians to increase, reality grounds us with children killed in a playground or with mass graves and the razed hospitals. No, the terrible massacre of 7 October should never have happened, and neither should the carnage in Gaza, a disproportionate response that may amount to an unlawf…

23

Apr

2024

ES Speech

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Conclusions of the recent European Council meetings, in particular on a new European Competitiveness deal and the EU strategic agenda 2024-2029 (debate)

Madam President, this is my last plenary session and, since we are talking about priorities for the coming years for the European Union, let me humbly place duties on those who are going to continue. Defend Europe, a stronger, more integrated, more cohesive Europe, more competitive and more able to decide and preserve its legitimate interests more autonomously. Defend a Europe that redirects globa…

22

Apr

2024

ES Speech

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Preventing plastic pellet losses to reduce microplastic pollution (debate)

Madam President, it is very good news that we are moving towards European legislation to combat pollution caused by plastic pellets. In February 2021, I was able to verify on the spot the consequences of this type of discharge, which occurred repeatedly and on a large scale. I visited the Pineda beach, in Tarragona, near the largest petrochemical site in southern Europe, in Catalonia, and that day…

10

Apr

2024

EN Speech

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Order of business

Madam President, on behalf of our group, we agree to postpone this debate. However, we have to make sure that we can have a proper debate in our final session. It’s been over half a year that this terrible war is going on. The humanitarian law, international law has been shattered, the world has been shaken by this horrible conflict. There is ICJ provisional measures, there is a Security Council r…

13

Mar

2024

ES Speech

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The case of Rocío San Miguel and General Hernández Da Costa, among other political prisoners in Venezuela

Mr President, the last annual report on the common foreign and security policy reminded us that the European Union must contribute - I quote - 'to global multilateralism, to the peaceful resolution of conflicts and to the development of democracy'. This, and not another, must be our main purpose. In this regard, we take note of the announcement of presidential elections in Venezuela on 28 July, bu…

12

Mar

2024

ES Speech

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Council and Commission statements - Preparation of the European Council meeting of 21 and 22 March 2024 (debate)

Mr President, at the next meeting of the European Council, governments will again talk about the war in Gaza. They have an opportunity to be more forceful and less erratic in responding to this terrible war. Will they take advantage of it or will they prefer to continue juggling language? After so much war and so many thousands of deaths – mostly innocent civilians – with an unsustainable humanita…

28

Feb

2024

ES Speech

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Strengthening European Defence in a volatile geopolitical landscape - Implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report 2023 - Implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report 2023 (joint debate - European security and defence)

Madam President, the creation of a self-defence policy has always been a stone on the road to European integration. The Russian invasion of Ukraine will perhaps be the moment when we realized the urgency of changing our security and defence paradigm. In addition, we are rethinking – more forcefully than by conviction – some of the foundations that have largely underpinned our relative prosperity. …

27

Feb

2024

EN Speech

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War in the Gaza Strip and the need to reach a ceasefire, including recent developments in the region (debate)

Mr President, almost 150 days of war in Gaza. Almost 30 000 people killed – mostly innocent civilians. How many more lives need to be destroyed until this bloodshed finally ends? I say it again: the atrocities committed by Hamas do not justify the massacre of civilians in Gaza, nor the collective punishment to which, as a matter of fact, its population is being subjected. And things can only get w…

8

Feb

2024

EN Speech

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Association agreements for the participation of third countries in Union programmes (debate)

Mr President, Madam Commissioner, the participation of third countries sharing our core values and priorities in Union programmes has a positive effect both in the achievements of such programmes and in our cooperation with like-minded partners. This is especially the case in the field of research and innovation, where international cooperation plays a key role in tackling global challenges and fo…

7

Feb

2024

ES Speech

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Empowering farmers and rural communities - a dialogue towards sustainable and fairly rewarded EU agriculture (debate)

Mr. President, farmers and ranchers have many good reasons to take to the streets to protest: loss of competitiveness, stagnation of farm incomes, closure of farms. But let's not be mistaken. The problem is not the Green Deal, as we are constantly told by the conservative coalition, often with populist and demagoguery arguments. The problem is an economic structure contrary to small producers and …

6

Feb

2024

ES Speech

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Further repression against the democratic forces in Venezuela: attacks on presidential candidate Maria Corina Machado (debate)

Mr. President, the confirmation of the disqualification of María Corina Machado and other members of the Venezuelan opposition is contrary to the Barbados agreements between the United Platform and the Maduro Government and deals a severe blow to the hope of free and fair elections in Venezuela. Despite the many efforts made to reach elections on an equal footing, we see the persistence of politic…

6

Feb

2024

ES Speech

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Water crisis and droughts in the EU as a consequence of the global climate crisis and the need for a sustainable, resilient water strategy for Europe (debate)

Mr President, in Catalonia we are suffering the most serious drought since we have records. Today it would take nine months of rain to recover the reserves found in the internal basins by 16%. If the rain doesn't fall from the sky, we can't just stare at the sky. And that is why the Government of the Generalitat has been taking measures for two years, since when we were still at 70% of reserves, m…

5

Feb

2024

EN Speech

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Measures for a high level of public sector interoperability across the Union (Interoperable Europe Act) (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, one of the Digital Decade targets is that public services are 100% available online by 2030. At the same time, in the digital single market, digital public services should be provided and be accessible from anywhere in the EU without technical barriers. However, as we know, too many obstacles hindering interoperability persist today. The Interoperable Europe Act will be…

18

Jan

2024

ES Speech

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Recent ecological catastrophe involving plastic pellet losses and its impact on micro plastic pollution in the maritime and coastal habitats (debate)

Mr President, all the support for the Galician people who, once again, suffer an ecological catastrophe in their seas and on their beaches, but also suffer the incompetence of their Government, of the Xunta, which reacts late and badly. In my country, in Catalonia, unfortunately, we also know the problem of pellet pollution on the coasts, a particularly serious situation on the beach of La Pineda,…

16

Jan

2024

ES Speech

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State of emergency in Ecuador (debate)

Mr President, I would like, first of all, to express all our solidarity with the Ecuadorian people, who undoubtedly deserve to live in peace and security. I also condemn the serious acts of violence perpetrated by organized crime. The images we've seen these days are as creepy as they are unacceptable. Without a minimum of security, there is no freedom or prosperity. That is why we support the Gov…

16

Jan

2024

EN Speech

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Humanitarian situation in Gaza, the need to reach a ceasefire and the risks of regional escalation (debate)

Mr President, 100 days of war in Gaza, 100 days of death, destruction and human failure. After the massacre of hundreds of innocent Israeli citizens on 7 October, the massacre of thousands of innocent Palestinian citizens in the 100 days that have followed. Violence breeds violence and international humanitarian law today lies under the rubble of Gaza. I do not question the need to respond to addr…

16

Jan

2024

EN Speech

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Presentation of the programme of activities of the Belgian Presidency (debate)

Madam President, dear Prime Minister, I’m sure you are fully aware of the importance of letting each and every EU citizen feel part of the European project. The more attachment it gets, the stronger it will be. I would like to call your attention to one unresolved issue that has been passed on to your presidency from the previous Spanish one, which is the official request to grant Catalan, Basque …

13

Dec

2023

ES Speech

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Review of the Spanish Presidency of the Council (debate)

Madam President, Mr President, we are in Strasbourg and we are going to talk about Europe. From his speech today, I share his Europeanism: the need to defend the unity of Europe, the achievements of Europe, especially at a time when we have an unbridled far right with the shameful complicity of the right. I don't know if I can share the optimism at the end of his speech. You and I are more or less…

12

Dec

2023

ES Speech

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Situation in Venezuela (debate)

Mr President, at the time we welcomed the dialogue between the Maduro Government, the Venezuelan opposition and the United States, and the Barbados Agreement on the presidential elections to be held in the second half of next year. However, we are concerned about the uncertainties that still weigh on these elections and call for clear mechanisms to be established to ensure the participation of opp…

12

Dec

2023

EN Speech

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Need to release all hostages, to achieve a humanitarian ceasefire and prospect of the two-state solution (debate)

Mr President, without the abhorrent massacre of innocent civilians committed by Hamas on 7 October, this terrible war in Gaza today wouldn’t be happening. This is as true as the fact that that two months later, with some 18 000 Palestinians killed, many of them children and women, nearly 2 million internally displaced, and a catastrophic humanitarian situation unfolding, it has become evident that…

22

Nov

2023

EN Speech

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The unlawful detention of President Mohamed Bazoum in Niger

Madam President, they allow unlawful detention of President Bazoum, and the coup d’etat by the military junta in Niger must be condemned with the strongest terms. We urge the military authorities to unconditionally release the legitimate President of Niger, together with his family and other officials detained, and to swiftly return to the constitutional order and to democracy. Meanwhile, while st…

22

Nov

2023

ES Speech

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Threat to rule of law as a consequence of the governmental agreement in Spain (debate)

Mr President, it now turns out that right-wing and far-right groups are concerned about the rule of law in the Spanish state. Now. And where were your concerns when six years ago we were beaten up by Catalans for voting in a referendum? They applauded him with their ears. Where were they when the judges twisted the Penal Code to the extreme to aberrantly impose long jail sentences on nine Democrat…

22

Nov

2023

ES Speech

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Humanitarian situation in Gaza, the need for the release of hostages and for an immediate humanitarian truce leading to a ceasefire and the prospects for peace and security in the Middle East (debate)

Mr. President, today we see a small ray of light after almost fifty days in the darkness of war and death. We welcome the four-day truce with the exchange of hostages and prisoners. It's a step in the right direction, but it's not enough. We need a permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages and the multiplication of humanitarian aid. After the abominable acts of Hamas on October 7, Israel ha…

8

Nov

2023

EN Speech

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Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 26-27 October 2023 - Humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the need for a humanitarian pause (joint debate - Conclusions of the European Council and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the need for a humanitarian pause)

Madam President, one month and one day ago, Hamas committed the most terrible of atrocities. Slaughtering innocent people isn’t fighting for freedom; it’s simply being criminal. Israel had the right to respond, but this response had to be proportionate, targeted and within the limits of international law. We do care about international humanitarian law, and everyone must uphold it. But one month i…

8

Nov

2023

EN Speech

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Order of business

Madam President, one month ago, the brutal Hamas attacks against innocent civilians, most of them Israeli citizens, unleashed a brutal war that has already claimed over 10 000 Palestinian deaths, 4 000 of them children, a huge humanitarian crisis, destruction of hospitals and other civilian infrastructures, and a vast amount of suffering that adds hatred where there was already too much of it. Int…