What Jordi spoke about.

6

Jul

2022

EN Speech

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Presentation of the programme of activities of the Czech Presidency (continuation of debate)

Madam President, Madam Commission President, Vice-President, thank you. Prime Minister, you are taking over the Presidency of the Council in challenging times. This is beyond doubt. One of these big challenges is our dependency on fossil fuels. You mentioned that environmentally, but also geopolitically, we are paying a high price for this dependency. Turning towards a green economy is key to tack…

5

Jul

2022

EN Speech

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The EU and the defence of multilateralism (debate)

Madam President, despite the fact that we live in a context of intense geopolitical competition, that we are unfortunately returning to the politics of confronted blocs and that globalisation is being questioned due to some of its outcomes, we need to uphold more than ever multilateralism and its institutions. Never before have we been so connected with each other, and our challenges so interconne…

5

Jul

2022

EN Speech

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2021 Report on Kosovo (debate)

Madam President, thank you very much. I’m glad to see that in this report, we welcome Kosovo’s efforts to advance the reforms that will bring the country closer to the EU, that we recognise progress being made in a number of areas, and that we praise the support of institutions and the majority of the population to become members of the EU. But despite all of this, five member states, including Sp…

4

Jul

2022

ES Speech

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Loss of life, violence and inhumane treatment against people seeking international protection at the Spanish-Moroccan border (debate)

Madam President, the tragedy on Melilla's doorstep does not deserve a congratulation to the police action, nor that all the blame be laid on the mafias. It does not deserve the erection of higher fences, or the adoption of the inflammatory discourses and practices of the far right. It deserves that we wake up at once, that we react, that we practice a little humanity. As long as people in southern…

9

Jun

2022

EN Speech

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The call for a Convention for the revision of the Treaties (debate)

Mr President, some of the conclusions from the CoFE picture a more ambitious Europe that to be turned into reality requires changes in the Treaties. And this demand for change comes at a very timely moment where several crises are clearly reinforcing the case for more Europe. Now the question is whether the Conference’s efforts, particularly those from the citizens’ component, are going to be in v…

8

Jun

2022

ES Speech

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The instrumentalisation of justice as a repressive tool in Nicaragua

Madam President, the Nicaraguan Government will probably tell us that, with this resolution, once again, we are getting into its internal affairs, that we are interfering in its sovereignty. But not: This is not about sovereignty, this is about human rights. Because, when in a country there are dozens of political prisoners, including opposition candidates, human rights defenders, when in a matter…

7

Jun

2022

ES Speech

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Revision of the EU Emissions Trading System - Social Climate Fund - Carbon border adjustment mechanism - Revision of the EU Emissions Trading System for aviation - Notification under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) (joint debate – Fit for 55 (part 1))

Madam President, the great political project of the European Union today, and for the coming years, is called the Green Deal. A great deal to transform our destructive relationship with the environment and natural resources and curb climate change. It is a great transformation that requires the effort of everyone and compensation such as the Social Climate Fund so that no one is left behind. It's …

19

May

2022

EN Speech

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The REPowerEU Plan: European solidarity and energy security in face of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including the recent cuts of gas supply to Poland and Bulgaria (debate)

Mr President, Madam Commissioner, Putin’s criminal adventures make it very urgent now to disconnect from Russian fossil fuels. But we must not only become independent of Russian gas and oil: we need to disconnect from all gas and oil, no matter where it comes from, because all of it accelerates climate change. We must avoid that the urgency of finding alternatives to the supply of Russian gas and …

18

May

2022

EN Speech

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

Mr President, I condemn in the strongest terms the killing of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Aqla, as well as the wounding of Ali al—Samoudi. I express my utmost shock at the attacks by Israeli forces at her funeral procession where thousands of Palestinians gathered in mourning. This killing constitutes a very grave attack on press freedom. The targeting of journalists and media in Palestine …

4

May

2022

ES Speech

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Use of the Pegasus Software by EU Member States against individuals including MEPs and the violation of fundamental rights (topical debate)

Mr President, democracies, when they are not taken care of, degenerate. There is a fine line between a solid democracy, which guarantees rights and freedoms at all times, and a democracy that in certain cases violates rights and freedoms. Every time this line is crossed and no action is taken, every time one looks the other way, the governments that protect these violations feel more unpunished to…

3

May

2022

EN Speech

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The follow up of the Conference on the Future of Europe (debate)

Madam President, dear Commissioner, the Conference on the Future of Europe has been an interesting democratic experiment with promising results in terms of further European integration. It has provided a way for citizens, especially those randomly chosen for the panels, to lead the debate and to decide on recommendations for the future. However, it has failed to reach a wider audience and to have …

6

Apr

2022

EN Speech

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Global approach to research and innovation: Europe’s strategy for international cooperation in a changing world (debate) (debate)

Madam President, strengthening cooperation in research and innovation worldwide is essential in tackling together global challenges such as climate change, delivering innovative solutions to them, and fostering societal progress on a global scale. Reinforcing the EU’s leading role in this field is therefore a key dimension to our international action. While joining forces with key non-EU partners …

5

Apr

2022

EN Speech

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

Madam President, the criminal invasion of Ukraine by Russia will probably accelerate the geopolitical alignment between China and Russia which has been going on for a while. Obviously, China is not celebrating the invasion, but neither has it openly condemned it. China has sided with Russia’s false arguments, has refused to join the sanctions, and we suspect they might help Putin dodge them. There…

23

Mar

2022

ES Speech

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Roaming Regulation (recast) (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, five years ago, the end of borders for mobile tariffs was a before and after for users. The application of the regulations over the years has been a success, demonstrating not only the opportunity, but also the viability of it. Today, with the extension of the regulation on the for the next ten years, we take a further step by strengthening the principle of "" and th…

23

Mar

2022

EN Speech

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Debriefing of the European Council meeting in Paris on 10 March 2022 - Preparation of the European Council meeting 24-25 March 2022 (debate)

Madam President, four weeks into Putin’s criminal invasion of Ukraine, what is certain is that this war is not proceeding according to the Kremlin’s fullest plans, latterly due to the impressive resistance of the Ukrainian people and a strong response from the European Union and our international allies. Our priority now has to be ending this war. No more devastated Mariupols. This requires bold a…

9

Mar

2022

EN Speech

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Debate with the Prime Minister of Estonia, Kaja Kallas - The EU's role in a changing world and the security situation of Europe following the Russian aggression and invasion of Ukraine (debate)

Madam President, Jean Monnet was definitely right when he wrote in his memoirs, ‘Europe will be forged in crisis’. The EU’s response to the terrible crisis provoked by Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has been swift, united and strong. It’s an answer that lives up to the seriousness of the moment, the worst security crisis in Europe since the end of the Second World War, and it has allowed us, EU citiz…

8

Mar

2022

EN Speech

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Rising energy prices and market manipulation on the gas market (debate)

Mr President, if, back in October, we were right to be concerned about rising energy prices, we now have every reason to be even more concerned. Putin’s criminal attack against Ukraine further increases energy prices. We will see more vulnerable households and small businesses struggling to pay their bills. Governments will have to support them with direct measures, and that’s why I welcome some o…

17

Feb

2022

EN Speech

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Political crisis in Burkina Faso

Madam President, as, today and tomorrow, leaders of Africa and the EU meet to discuss the way forward in EU—Africa relations, we in this Parliament have to regret and condemn again a coup d'état in an African country, this time in Burkina Faso. Three Western African states, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali, are now led by officers who came to power by the use of force. There have been more successful…

17

Feb

2022

EN Speech

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The death penalty in Iran

Mr President, the human rights record of the Iranian regime is appalling. The death penalty is one of the cruellest manifestations of this. Despite repeated calls from the international community, the authorities keep carrying out death sentences with an average of around one per day in 2021. The country is one of the few in the world that executes minors and juvenile offenders in clear violation …

17

Feb

2022

ES Speech

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Droughts and other extreme weather phenomena on the Iberian Peninsula and other parts of Europe (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, alarms are going off in the Iberian Peninsula because we are certainly going through a long period of significantly below-average rainfall. Reserves are very low. In the case of Catalonia, which is the case that I know best, about 50%, and there is concern about harvests. In some territories the situation is alarming and in others, to say the least, worrying. These peri…

15

Feb

2022

EN Speech

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Corruption and human rights (continuation of debate)

Mr President, there are a growing number of authoritarian regimes run by kleptocrats and extractive elites. They blatantly use power to enrich themselves, while repressing dissenting voices to ensure that they can continue to steal with impunity. Against this background, the EU needs to lead global efforts to end systemic corruption, which erodes human rights, institutionalises crime and perpetuat…

15

Feb

2022

EN Speech

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

Madam President, one cannot be too optimistic regarding the recent evolution of human rights on a global scale. The rise of authoritarianism and backsliding of some democracies are trends that bring with them a backlash against civil society and media voices of dissent and universal values and norms. COVID-19 has only reinforced these trends. We know that all authoritarian rulers like to pretend t…

19

Jan

2022

FR Speech

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

Mr President of the Republic, there are several ways to make the European Union stronger. One of them is to fully respect diversity. We cannot be afraid of diversity, nor can we be wary of democracy, because these are elements that must be at the heart of our common action. But diversity, especially linguistic diversity, is not having a good time in Europe today. In Catalonia, Spanish courts want …

16

Dec

2021

ES Speech

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The situation in Cuba, namely the cases of José Daniel Ferrer, Lady in White Aymara Nieto, Maykel Castillo, Luis Robles, Félix Navarro, Luis Manuel Otero, Reverend Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo, Andy Dunier García and Yunior García Aguilera

Madam President, this is the third resolution, the third debate on Cuba that we have in this Parliament this year, and I cannot tell you anything different from what I said the last time we talked about Cuba in September. These are three very clear messages. The first message is to lament, denounce, criticize, the authoritarian response that the Cuban government continues to give to any expression…

15

Dec

2021

EN Speech

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Preparation of the European Council meeting of 16-17 December 2021 - The EU's response to the global resurgence of Covid-19 and the new emerging Covid variants (debate)

Mr President, we were already warned of the dangers of vaccine inequality. We already knew that in a highly interconnected world like ours, no one would be truly safe until everyone is safe. The longer it takes to achieve high rates of vaccination on a global scale, the greater the likelihood the new variants emerge that this become more resistant to existing vaccines. When you look at real number…