What Marc spoke about.

11

Feb

2025

FR Speech

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Escalation of violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, something should be explained to me: Rwanda is invading the Congo and we, as the European Union, as European countries, are still sending arms to Rwanda? Rwanda is stealing Congolese resources and we are going to make an agreement with Rwanda to buy these raw materials from the Congolese who have been stolen? Because that's what's happening: The European Commission sign…

11

Feb

2025

FR Speech

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Wider comprehensive EU-Middle East Strategy (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, I have tried to understand the European Union's strategy in the Middle East. First I was told: "Yes, but it's human rights." I thought to myself: Human rights, but wait, when Israel commits genocide against Palestinians, when Israelis go door to door, house to house, to steal, to evict Palestinians from their homes, the European Union delivers them arms. When Saudi Arab…

22

Jan

2025

FR Speech

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Uniting Europe against actors hostile to the EU: time to strengthen our security and defence (topical debate)

Madam President, Commission, Council, 'we must increase our military spending'. You repeat it obstinately, ‘increase your military spending’, while trying to convince people that there is no more money for salaries, for pensions, for energy bills. There will be no doctor in the hospital or room available in the emergency room. At school, children will be crammed into small, cold classrooms without…

21

Jan

2025

FR Speech

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Geopolitical and economic implications for the transatlantic relations under the new Trump administration (debate)

Mr President, can you imagine Russia saying: "We want a piece of Denmark," or for China to say: "Listen guys, we're going to annex Canada!" You'd all stand up, rebel, call for weapons because you'd have to defend yourself. Yet today, the United States is doing this, and even more! They want Panama, they threaten us with an economic war against our industry, against our energy. And what does Mrs. v…

21

Jan

2025

FR Speech

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Need to enforce the Digital Services Act to protect democracy on social media platforms including against foreign interference and biased algorithms (debate)

Madam President, the Commission, the Council, today, it must be said, the fundamental problem is that a handful of billionaires hold most of our information. This was already largely the case for traditional media, now it is also the case for social media. And the consequences are there, we see them: For each publication from a friend of mine, I now receive three advertisements. Suggestions to inf…

20

Jan

2025

FR Speech

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Ceasefire in Gaza - the urgent need to release the hostages, to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to pave the way for a two-state solution (debate)

Mr President, this ceasefire agreement has revealed something surprising, perhaps, but fundamental about the nature of the Israeli state. In exchange for the hostages released by Hamas, Israel was forced to release Palestinian prisoners. Speaking of Palestinian prisoners, some said they were dangerous terrorists. I was looking at who the Palestinian prisoners were who were released. There were 69 …

18

Dec

2024

FR Speech

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Need to ensure swift action and transparency on corruption allegations in the public sector to protect democratic integrity (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I am Belgian, but I do not come from the MR. I say this because, first of all, they sent you Charles Michel, President of Europe – to what? 30,000 euros per month? – and, for five years, her only achievement was to refuse a chair to the President of the European Commission. Now we find ourselves with Didier Reynders, former Belgian Commissioner MR, who is suspec…

18

Dec

2024

FR Speech

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Tackling abusive subcontracting and labour market intermediaries (debate)

Mr President, listening to workers tell you that they do not receive the wages due to them, hearing them talk about fatal accidents at work or social dumping shows that today, everywhere in Europe, subcontracting chains have become chains of exploitation and underpayment. In Belgium, a university study identified no less than 188 subcontractors on a construction site – 188 subcontractors! This is …

17

Dec

2024

FR Speech

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Use of rape as weapon of war, in particular in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan (debate)

Madam President, sexual violence is used as a weapon of war in both eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan. The victims are countless, and the stories, the testimonies of women and girls are horrifying. Today, these crimes are being denounced here – all that would be missing! – but the words of some of you leave me with a bitter taste. Because, while we are blabbing here, while we are talk…

17

Dec

2024

FR Speech

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Misinformation and disinformation on social media platforms, such as TikTok, and related risks to the integrity of elections in Europe (debate)

Mr President, in mode full boomers, some of you come to criticise TikTok without ever having used it. So you find out today that there is a problem with weird algorithms? And this is panic. MEP Loiseau has just called all the young people who use TikTok fools. In Romania, they outright canceled a presidential election because TikTok would have played a role. It is possible! But imagine for a momen…

17

Dec

2024

FR Speech

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Toppling of the Syrian regime, its geopolitical implications and the humanitarian situation in the region (debate)

Mr President, Mrs Kallas, you who, after the fall of the Assad regime and as the new Foreign Minister of the European Union, rightly condemn the Russian presence in Syria, you do not condemn the American presence or the Israeli presence - strangely. You talk about free Syria, but you accept that your Israeli, American, etc. allies are illegally occupying part of the country. How to build a free co…

27

Nov

2024

FR Speech

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Presentation by the President-elect of the Commission of the College of Commissioners and its programme (debate)

Madam President, Mrs von der Leyen, we will never support you. Never, because in your Europe, working is no longer enough to live: More than a third of Europeans today say their income is no longer enough to pay the bills. More than a third of Europeans have had to give up healthcare, almost a third have had to give up even meals, and more than two in three parents today give up family outings. In…

26

Nov

2024

FR Speech

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Continued escalation in the Middle East: the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank, UNRWA’s essential role in the region, the need to release all hostages and the recent ICC arrest warrants (debate)

26

Nov

2024

FR Speech

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Reinforcing EU’s unwavering support to Ukraine against Russia’s war of aggression and the increasing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia (debate)

14

Nov

2024

EN Speech

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Faster and Safer Relief of Excess Withholding Taxes (A10-0011/2024 - Herbert Dorfmann) (vote)

Madam President, my machine only half works. I can abstain or vote against, but I am unable to vote in favour.

14

Nov

2024

FR Speech

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Enhancing Europe’s civilian and defence preparedness and readiness (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, whenever I hear that with the defence budgets we have today, we are not able to defend ourselves, I wonder what we are doing with this money. Because we spend more on defense than Russia, than India, than South Africa, than Brazil. Apparently, with that, we're not able to defend ourselves. It's still pretty mind-blowing. One point on which we agree is that to…

13

Nov

2024

FR Speech

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EU-US relations in light of the outcome of the US presidential elections (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, there is a tale by La Fontaine entitled 'The cuckold, beaten and content'. And sometimes I have the impression that Jean de La Fontaine was talking about Europe against the United States today. Even before Trump, they used their secret services to spy on us and push us into war, especially in the Middle East, which destroyed a region close to our continent. A…

22

Oct

2024

EN Speech

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People’s Republic of China’s misinterpretation of the UN resolution 2758 and its continuous military provocations around Taiwan (debate)

Mr President, thank you, Commissioner. I think in this House, we need to choose the titles of our debates and resolutions with more care, because we're speaking about a resolution of over 50 years ago, over half a century ago. And as far as I know, the interpretation of this resolution by the People's Republic of China has not changed. It's always been the same as it is today. In line with this, t…

22

Oct

2024

FR Speech

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General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2025 – all sections (debate)

Madam President, I still want to react to the perfidy of some of the proposals made here. Some colleagues see Israel carrying out genocide in Gaza, ethnic cleansing in the West Bank, they see Israel attacking Lebanon and, despite all this, they do not ask for sanctions, they continue to support arms deliveries to Netanyahu, thereby making the European Union complicit in war crimes. Today, after mo…

21

Oct

2024

FR Speech

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

Madam President, you know that, on the basis of Article 188, MEPs easily earn EUR 14 000 per month. However, every year our group calls for these salaries to be lowered so that MEPs are a little more in tune with the reality of workers, who are struggling to make ends meet. Every year, this vote unmasks MEPs who, on the one hand, preach austerity and misery for workers, but, on the other hand, giv…

9

Oct

2024

FR Speech

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Taxing the super-rich to end poverty and reduce inequalities: EU support to the G20 Presidency’s proposal (topical debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, what a marvel! After years of mobilization, you are forced to admit that indeed, it may be time for the rich to pay some taxes. Frankly, it is not too late – well, not too soon rather. You still have to explain to me: You're all for it, but in the governments you're a part of, there's almost no one among you who actually enforces it. However, the question arises…

8

Oct

2024

FR Speech

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The crisis facing the EU’s automotive industry, potential plant closures and the need to enhance competitiveness and maintain jobs in Europe (debate)

Mr President, in my country, in my city, in Brussels, Audi risks closing a factory and sending back thousands of well-trained workers who are now victims. Victims of what? Some say it's China's fault or the Green Deal's. No, today they are victims of a lack of industrial strategy. That's because we allowed Audi or other manufacturers to say: "We're going to prefer big cars and cars on which you ca…

8

Oct

2024

FR Speech

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Escalation of violence in the Middle East and the situation in Lebanon (debate)

Madam President, what we are seeing today in Lebanon is nothing more than the export of the genocidal logic that Israel is already applying to Gaza, and now wants to apply to Lebanon. Carpets of bombs on Beirut, which Netanyahu justified by the absurdity of saying "they put a missile in every kitchen, a rocket in every garage" and that gives him, according to him, the right to target anyone, any h…

7

Oct

2024

FR Speech

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One year after the 7 October terrorist attacks by Hamas (debate)

Madam President, Mr High Representative, this tribute to the more than 1,200 victims of Hamas' murderous assault on 7 October is important. It is our duty to commemorate the innocent victims. Around 100 hostages are still being held in Gaza today. Today is an important day. The question I want to put to this House is this: When are we going to hold a day here to pay tribute to the more than 40,000…

18

Sep

2024

ES Speech

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The case of José Daniel Ferrer García in Cuba

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I really don't understand you. You say you are concerned about human rights in Cuba and the conditions of detention of a detainee. Okay, but why don't we talk about the massive, flagrant and systematic violation of the human rights of the entire Cuban people, which is the U.S. blockade? As we speak, this blockade is depriving the Cuban people of essential med…