What Heléne spoke about.

15

Dec

2021

SV 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, thank you very much. The global spread of infection continues to be very serious, and the vaccination rate is far from satisfactory. Access to vaccines in parts of the world is unacceptable. In Africa it is 4%. The EU must continue to take strong leadership, characterised by coordinated action. When new variants of the virus appear, we must act. We need to step up efforts to ensure a…

14

Dec

2021

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European Year of Youth 2022 (debate)

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, thank you very much. The European Year of Youth is a year of opportunities. One aim is to give young people more and better opportunities for the future. However, I would like to highlight the opportunities that it also offers for us in the EU. By promoting dialogue with young people and encouraging them to be active citizens, we are actually creati…

13

Dec

2021

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Equality between women and men in the European Union in 2018-2020 (debate)

Madam President, thank you very much. Commissioner Dalli! To be able to live a life free from violence, to have control over one's own body, to have the power to shape society and one's own life, to have one's own job, simply, to be able to have one's human rights – this should be a matter of course for all European citizens, but it is not the reality for all women and girls today. The progress to…

25

Nov

2021

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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, thank you very much. Yes, men's violence against women is one of our biggest societal problems. It is both a cause and a consequence of unequal societies, and violence in all its forms is preventable, but it requires political will. We cannot afford to wait another day for women to enjoy their human rights. It is also about the children. Every child has the right to a safe and loving…

24

Nov

2021

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The EU's role in combating the COVID-19 pandemic: how to vaccinate the world (topical debate)

Madam President, thank you very much. Imagine a pandemic strikes with full force. Imagine that a vaccine is being developed and that vaccinations are taking off. Imagine that the majority of the population in parts of the world is fully vaccinated. But imagine now that you live in a poor country where only 5% – and I repeat: 5% – received its first dose. This is not an imaginary example. This is a…

22

Nov

2021

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Coordination of Member States’ measures in light of increasing cases of COVID-19 in the EU (debate)

Mr President, thank you very much. Coordination on EU measures to address the COVID-19 outbreak was already on the agenda in March 2020, when the European Council met. It now reads "Coordination of measures in the context of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the EU". Yes, it is on the agenda today, 20 months later, but the discussion is as important now as it was then. Now the number of c…

20

Oct

2021

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The first anniversary of the de facto abortion ban in Poland (debate)

Madam President, thank you very much. Commissioner, thank you very much. Since the introduction of the abortion ban in Poland, tens of thousands of pregnant women and girls have been affected. An abortion ban not only threatens people's health and well-being. It threatens people's freedom, dignity and empowerment. Sexual and reproductive health is a fundamental part of the health and well-being of…

20

Oct

2021

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

Madam President, the Commission and the Council! This debate is about solidarity and about people's lives and health. Global access to vaccines is crucial to tackle the pandemic, and it is in everyone’s interest. The EU must act decisively to ensure global access. We need to help others and fight the pandemic in the world. In discussions on pandemics and vaccines, global access needs to be raised …

19

Oct

2021

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The Rule of law crisis in Poland and the primacy of EU law (debate)

Mr President, thank you very much. Madam President, thank you very much. Mr. Prime Minister! Your speech today scares me. Because we have our fundamental values in the EU of freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and human rights. Everyone should be able to control their own body. Everyone should be able to be themselves and love whoever they want. It should be self-evident throughout our E…

7

Oct

2021

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The state law relating to abortion in Texas, USA

Mr President, thank you very much. Imagine that you are the parent of a 14-year-old daughter. She's been raped and it turns out she's pregnant. She doesn't want to complete the pregnancy, but because of the law where you live, your daughter can't decide for herself. Imagine you are 30 years old. You are married, have children and become pregnant. You do not want to pursue this pregnancy, but becau…

5

Oct

2021

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EU Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority: ensuring a coordinated EU approach for future health crises and the role of the European Parliament in this (debate)

Madam President, thank you very much. Pandemics and health threats will continue to be part of our future. COVID-19 is not over and new crises are emerging. We cannot prevent future health crises from coming, but we can coordinate our efforts to prevent and manage these threats. We can take advantage of lessons learned. We can support the research, development and production of critical products. …

4

Oct

2021

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The impact of intimate partner violence and custody rights on women and children (debate)

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner Dalli! Yes, every child has the right to a safe and loving childhood. No child should be subjected to or experience violence, abuse or offensive treatment. When we talk about men's violence against women and about parents who practice violence, we must always have a child's perspective. When a parent takes the step of leaving a violent partner, there…

15

Sep

2021

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Identifying gender-based violence as a new area of crime listed in Article 83(1) TFEU (continuation of debate)

Madam President, thank you very much. Commissioner, thank you very much. I would like to reiterate the most important sentence of the evening: One in three women in the EU has been subjected to violence. That is the equivalent of more than 90 women in this House. Every time a man exposes a woman to violence is once too much, and this must be stopped. The EU must act vigorously. This week we have a…

15

Sep

2021

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State of the Union (debate)

Mr President, thank you very much. Thank you, President von der Leyen, for your speeches and important promises! Freedom and security, equality and gender equality, a green and sustainable Europe, where people can have confidence in the future. Yes, that is how we social democrats describe the world we want to live in. If we are to achieve that, it is high time for the EU to accelerate. The Interg…

13

Sep

2021

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Fair working conditions, rights and social protection for platform workers - New forms of employment linked to digital development (debate)

Madam President, thank you very much. Commissioner, thank you very much. After all, increasing digitalisation means that the platform economy is growing, and it is becoming an increasingly important part of our European economy. It opens up new opportunities, but unfortunately there are many examples of abuse and precarious conditions. The rules and standards in force in the labour market are bein…

13

Sep

2021

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European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control - Serious cross-border threats to health (debate)

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, thank you very much. When the pandemic broke out, it became clear that the EU did not have the necessary tools to deal with a pandemic. In some cases, the tools were available, but they were not used in the best possible way. We have faced tough challenges, and no one could be prepared. Now we know more. We know what a global pandemic can mean and w…

7

Jul

2021

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European Medicines Agency (debate)

Madam President, thank you very much. Commissioner, thank you very much. The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly demonstrated the importance of strengthening our collective preparedness and response capabilities. We need to build on the experience of the pandemic and create a balanced and effective structure within the EU, so that we are better equipped for the future. The citizens of Europe expect …

7

Jul

2021

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State of play of the implementation of the EU Digital COVID Certificate regulations (debate)

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner. On Monday, I travelled to Strasbourg with my new COVID certificate. This became possible after a rapid procedure in Parliament to safeguard freedom of movement in Europe. Now we make it easier for EU citizens to travel more safely – for work, family, friends or holidays. The urgent work to get the certificates in place was important and it is gratif…

7

Jul

2021

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Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 24-25 June 2021 (debate)

Madam President, thank you very much. The Commission and the Council! As a Social Democrat, I would like to talk today about the point that was not on the formal agenda of the European Council meeting. I want to talk about the fundamental values of human equality, about the rule of law and that it is totally unacceptable that we have Member States that are violating them. The latest: the Hungarian…

6

Jul

2021

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

Madam President, thank you very much. Commission, Prime Minister. In March, the Commission presented its annual report on gender equality in the EU. The report explains that the pandemic has exacerbated gender inequalities in almost all areas of life, both in Europe and beyond. The results relating to gender equality achieved through many years of hard work have been nullified. This is exactly how…