Speeches

–Madam President, the everyday action of the Chinese communist regime speaks its own language: it is ruthless and it is cruel. There are no limits as regards attacks on freedom of association, freedom of assembly, freedom of expression and freedom of religion and belief. The unlawful arrest of Cardinal Joseph Zen, one of the strongest advocates of this city’s pro-democracy movement, and the other trustees of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund is an attack on fundamental freedoms, and the regime continues to step up its efforts to undermine Hong Kong’s strong autonomy. In practice, they have abolished the autonomy. All charges against all political prisoners, including Cardinal Zen and the trustees, must be dropped immediately. The national security law must be renounced immediately. And the autonomy of Hong Kong must be respected by the communist regime of China. Nothing less is acceptable. The EU must, at the same time, offer all needed support to the human rights activists in Hong Kong and to help protect their rights and freedoms. The EU should also, through the EU global human rights sanctions regime, introduce sanctions against those in Hong Kong and those in China that are responsible for the human rights violations.

Mr President, colleagues, in a time of polarisation globally, and when our multilateral corporations are under tremendous pressure, we need more cooperation, cohesion and trust—building. We have in the last month become fully aware that global threat requires joint actions, but it is also time to understand that global prosperity requires joint actions as well. The post—Cotonou Agreement is essential part of the continued strengthening of the cooperation between EU and the countries in Africa, Caribbean and the Pacific. At the basis of trade and development cooperation must always be common values, democratic rights and a feminist approach, ensuring inclusion of women and girls and their rights. It is essential that we together fight climate change and put equality in the centre. I totally agree with the rapporteur, Tomas Tobé, that it is disappointing – I would even say shameful – that we have a Member State that blocks important agreements. It is important that the Council swiftly sign it so that it can enter into force. Global prosperity requires joint actions. The failure of one EU Member State to understand it shouldn’t deprive the progress of basic human rights; it’s unacceptable.

Madam President, colleagues, that the populist movements in the EU are puppets of Putin is unfortunately nothing surprising, but it is horrific. Russia has long been a cash machine for the far—right political forces in our Union – even for the Sweden Democrats who were here just a couple of minutes ago in claiming that they were voting in a certain way, but at the same time they were revealed to have direct connections to the Kremlin! It is not enough to say that you are voting in a certain way. You also need to cut the umbilical cord to the Kremlin. Russia and the anti-democratic movements in the EU and beyond meet in their mission of hate towards everything that we democratic forces believe in: women’s rights; LGBTI rights; migrants’ rights. These are basically democratic rights and the same rights that are a central part of the multilateral system we put in place after the Second World War, which Putin now wants to shatter. We promised ourselves that the horrific history of Europe would not repeat itself, but yet it has and it is. We need a truth commission that reveals the connections between the Kremlin and the populists, extremists and undemocratic EU forces in this Parliament and the whole EU. Thriving on war crimes must at no time or at any place be accepted. (The speaker declined to respond to a blue-card speech by Charlie Weimers)

Madam President, colleagues, it has been almost 75 years since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and we are witnessing serious human rights backlashes worldwide. The ruling Chinese communist regime is one of the biggest abusers in the world. Uyghurs have been suffering for long through persecution and detention in internment camps. One of the worst despicable acts in wars and used by oppressing regimes towards minorities is gender-based violence against women and girls. Women and girls are being raped, forcibly married, tortured and killed. We receive horrendous reports of Uyghur women and girls in the camps being subjected to systematic rape, forced sterilisation and separation from their children. I am glad for the urgency, but would have wanted to see stronger and specific calls on independent investigation into these unspeakable crimes of gender-based violence. Almost 75 years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but yet still, there is a lot to do to ensure we stand up for the basic rights of women and girls globally.

Madam President, I have myself experienced war and have seen the brutal consequences of its indiscriminate violence against civilians, which has brought me to the EU. In European history there is and always will be a before and after of 24 February 2022. The after is the time when the EU must stand up to preserve peace and international security. Never bow to the imperialist Putin Russia. The after is the time when the EU must step up its struggle in defence of the rule-based international order and the principle of multilateral cooperation. I therefore welcome the Parliament’s new recommendations on the EU Foreign Security and Defence Policy, because in this new world order created by Putin and his men, our main responsibility is to stick together. I am therefore ashamed of the Orbán government in Hungary that is acting disgracefully. The EU has an important global role to play. For that, we need a stronger strategic autonomy and we need to act with allies. I also would like to join the call of our Finnish colleague for a swift approval of the Swedish and Finnish NATO membership. And finally, for me, the EU is synonymous with peace. I was once forced to flee to the EU for its peace. We can and we must stand up for it globally.

Mr President, colleagues, what kind of a world we want to leave behind for the future generation through our actions or inactions says a lot about what kind of humanity that exists today. The carbon border adjustment mechanism is one of the most important tools for us in the EU to reduce gas emissions in non-EU countries. The one—billion—dollar question is how to spend the estimated EUR 1 billion per year in CBAM revenues 2026 to 2030. We can decide to continue as business as usual through adding it to the Next Generation EU loans, or we can try to be revolutionary through investing it in the Next Generation EU and Global Citizen through new climate protection measures in developing countries. The reinvestment of revenues in climate resilience would set a precedent for the future CBAM systems. It is in the interest of our planet, vulnerable communities and the EU that revenues from such systems are used for climate actions rather than for continued public expenditures reductions. It is in the interest of us all. We need a just transition guided by solidarity that sees beyond national borders because we are not isolated islands.

Madam President, I want to start with thanking the Turkey rapporteur, Nacho Sánchez Amor, for the good work. Dialogue is important, but it must always be based on respect for international law and progress of democracy to ensure a cohesive world and respect for human rights. As the rapporteur clearly stated and rightly stated, we see enormous regression of democracy in Turkey. In the struggle for international law and democracy must also lie the battle against disinformation. I am therefore worried when, as a female legislator in this European Parliament, together with other Swedish—Kurdish female politicians in my country needing to face disinformation and baseless allegations by far—right Turkish media with ridiculous claims that I have been a part of an armed struggle in Turkey and been sent to this Parliament by PKK. These lies are unacceptable and are a direct attack on our European democracy. The even more ridiculous thing is that it is being echoed by Swedish far—right media as well. Olof Palme once said, ‘For us, democracy is a question of human dignity, and human dignity is political freedom’. Putting those words in the context of today, the spread of disinformation by far—right Turkish media are attacks on European democracy... (The President cut off the speaker)

Mr President, I also want to thank the rapporteur for this very comprehensive and important report. The EU enlargement process is a matter of the future of EU and trust in our Union. We must therefore ensure a clear pathway for those countries aiming to join our Union. When progress is made, appreciation must be shown. Albania is one of those countries that have shown most progress on their commitment to European integration and democratic transformation, and have clearly shown alignment with the EU foreign policy – not least when it comes to joint actions with the EU Member States after the horrific Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is time to advance on Albania’s accession process. One way of showing the country it is on the right path is by opening the accession negotiations with that country, and to schedule the first intergovernmental conference. With this said, the Albanian political parties must overcome political disputes to strengthen democracy and the economy further. Every stone must also be turned to fight organised crime and corruption. But it is clear that the Albanian Government and citizens see the European Union as their home. It is therefore time for us to open up the doors!

Mr President, colleagues, at the same time as we see backlash on our fundamental rights in some of our own Member States, we see progress on our European values in countries aspiring for EU membership. Moldova has in recent years taken important steps towards more democracy and respect for the rule of law, even though a lot remains to be done and needs to be intensified as regards judiciary reform and the end of corruption. Moldova has also taken a big responsibility for people in need, being the country receiving most Ukrainian refugees per capita and showing deep solidarity. As hard as we must be towards our Member States that take negative steps backwards, we need to salute those wanting to join our Union that take positive steps forward. We need to continue supporting the Moldovan people that has clearly shown that they want to be a part of our Union. My message to all our friends in Moldova is: we stand by you, we support you and we hope to see you represented here in this Parliament soon.

Madam President, I hope that we can agree that the latest dark months have taught us that there is never a time for silence when people are suffering. We need to end impunity regardless of where violence and violations of human rights and international law take place. Therefore, I also would like to propose a similar topic, but the topic would rather be ‘on the killing of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Aqla and the violent incident at her funeral’, with one round of speakers, after the debate on Moldova. I think it is important to show that we stand with journalists all around the world.

Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues, never in history have walls done anything other than separate. Never in history have walls done anything other than discriminate. The Polish Government managed to kill two birds with one stone when building yet another wall that fits best in a medieval society but has no place in our modern EU. Firstly, by environmental degradation through the construction of a wall on the Polish-Belarusian border running through protected areas, including one of Europe’s last primeval forests, which is causing a severe environmental impact on local wildlife. Secondly, by violating human rights and international law through the inhuman treatment of migrants at the border. I welcome the important support the Government is showing to the Ukrainian refugees, but that doesn’t give the national conservative government of Poland the right to discriminate others and totally disregard the common responsibility we have taken in the EU for our environment and climate. It must be costly for a Member State to violate human rights and cause environmental degradation in our Union. Those who do not respect our core values and our joint decision should not face impunity. There must be consequences, and the wall must be torn down.

Madam President, I want to start by thanking Commissioner Johansson for her leadership in defence of women and girls in Ukraine through the work presented at the beginning of this debate. Women’s and girls’ bodies have become a battlefield again in a war conducted by a man – Putin – again. With all the modern progresses worldwide, there is one crime we never have been able to consign to the dustbin of history: machismo. Rigorous investigation of the war crimes by Russian soldiers against women and children must be conducted to ensure justice for the survivors and end of impunity for the perpetrators. We know that survivors of sexual violence and trafficking are fleeing to countries in our own Union to seek shelter. I am, however, deeply concerned that some survivors are welcomed by restrictive anti—abortion laws, as in Poland. We know that criminalising abortion does not stop abortion, it just makes abortion less safe. Therefore, I want to emphasise that access to safe abortion services is a human right and must be respected by all our Member States. These human rights must be ensured for those women fleeing the war in Ukraine. Colleagues, let’s beat dictators, not women.

Mr President, Putin has thrown the world and Europe back to a time we had hoped never to experience again. A crisis of such dignity shows our true colours – if we are on the right side of history or choose the path of destruction. When I visited the Republic of Moldova last month with a delegation from Parliament’s Subcommittee on Security and Defence, it became very clear to me the enormous responsibility the government is taking. Despite the many challenges in the country, they show their call of solidarity through receiving the largest number of Ukrainian refugees per capita. We tend to very often in this Parliament talk about European fundamental values. This is actually European fundamental values in practice, in contrast to our own Member State, Hungary, which asks ‘How high?’ when Putin says ‘Jump’. I therefore welcome the decision by the Government of the Republic of Moldova to apply for EU membership. At the European Union we must support the people and government of the country, to defend their sovereignty and security, to support democratic economic and social development, and assist them to ensure they one day can also join us here in this Parliament.

Mr President, my friends in Burkina Faso recently saw their democratically elected president, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, toppled in a military coup – one example of the many recent coups. The urgent security situation needs to be addressed with full power because the people are suffering, killed, and young people are being deprived of their future. Lack of economic development and opportunities makes it easy for terrorist organisations to recruit and radicalise the young unemployed. Where possible, we must reach out to governments in the region to intensify our support for economic and democratic development and to combat terrorist organisations and military juntas through pulling the rug from under their feet. Terrorist organisations, including Boko Haram and al—Qaeda, have committed horrendous crimes against the population of the region, at the same time as military units have deprived the people of their freedom. In our struggle in defence of the people falling victims of the horrific situation in Western and Sahelian Africa, it is of the utmost importance that UN Security Council Resolutions 2250 and 1325 on including youth and women in peace and security is implemented, and that we step up our efforts to reach the UN Agenda 2030.

Madam President, thank you very much. I also want to start off with thanking my colleagues for a very productive negotiation, especially the rapporteur. ‘We continue to need your support.’ This was what the Cambodian opposition leader, Sam Rainsy, told me when we met recently to discuss the enormous crackdowns on democracy in Cambodia. Mr Rainsy has been sentenced in his absence to 25 years in jail. This is one of the many examples of how opposition leaders are systematically targeted by Hun Sen’s government. Only in March 2022, 19 opposition members were convicted and sentenced to up to ten years in jail. The situation for democracy in Cambodia is deteriorating fast and the democratic forces in the country continue to need our support. On 5 June this year, Cambodia will be holding communal elections. The communal elections will also be decisive for what to expect at next year’s national elections. It is unacceptable that over 100 candidates from the opposition Candlelight Party have been removed from the list by Cambodia’s National Election Committee to prevent them from running in the local elections. What is happening right now is a repeat of the national elections of 2008: the crackdown on the opposition through jailing them and with the aim of closing down the Candlelight Party, as they did with the Cambodia National Rescue Party and their members. The EU and the EEAS must closely monitor the situation and put pressure on the Cambodian Government to ensure free and fair elections, and the Government must immediately release all political prisoners. It is enough; we can’t just stand aside and watch while political opposition, trade unionists and many others are killed at the hands of the Hun Sen regime.

Mr President, Erdoğan is currently using Putin’s barbarian war in Ukraine as a smokescreen to silence Turkish critical human rights activists and the opposition – and even invading other countries. Whilst the world is looking in a different direction, Erdoğan sentenced the human rights activist Osman Kavala to life in prison, despite repeated calls from the EU and the Council of Europe for his immediate release. Regretfully, it does not stop there. Opposition leaders such as Selahattin Demirtaş and Aysel Tuğluk remain in prison as well on highly doubtful grounds. By silencing, jailing and censoring criticism against his own regime, Erdoğan is making it very clear to the world that he does not intend to respect fundamental European values. Instead, he has repeatedly shown a leadership style that resembles that of Putin. As Swedish, with Kurdish roots from the Turkish parts, I sadly know too well the consequences of his dictatorship. Enough is enough. We can’t continue acting as ‘business as usual’ with him. Let us all stand up against his authoritarianism through voting in favour of the resolution tomorrow.

Mr President, thank you very much. Despite the amazing technological successes that we have seen in recent decades and that have led to developments in our Union, there are a lot of risks and dangers that risk undermining our fundamental rights and freedoms. Innovation and inventions are currently being used by some to curtail our freedom, our democracy. Amnesty International has revealed that the Israeli spyware Pegasus has been used to hack up to 50,000 mobile phones worldwide. It has been revealed that 65 people from Catalonia, French President Emmanuel Macron, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, colleagues in our Parliament, journalists and NGOs, have been subjected to the spyware. Pegasus has become a toy. Every authoritarian wants a weapon against human rights activists around the world. The Commission must make this an immediate priority in order to be aware of the extent to which spyware has been used, against which, against how many and of which – not to throw responsibility on the Member States on an important issue such as this, where, moreover, there is a risk that states themselves have used the programme against innocents, as in Hungary and Poland. At a time when our common security is at stake, we need to combat all authoritarian and oppressive tendencies.

Mr President, thank you very much. Organised crime and terrorism risk breaking up our societies. It kills our children and young people. My heart hurts and I am filled with anger every time I read that a young person has been murdered or women have been trafficked. We must therefore do everything we can to crack down on serious crime. 70% of organised gangs are active in more than three countries. When crime sees no national borders, policy must ensure that we fight them together. Anything else would be naive. Cooperation is the key. However, when fighting crime, we must ensure that we do not risk undermining our fundamental rights and freedoms and violating the principles of the rule of law. It is crucial that we have safeguards in place to prevent abuse and protect the privacy of innocent people. I welcome this proposal to strengthen Europol's mandate, but I am disappointed, I must say, precisely by the lack of sufficiently strong safeguards. The collection of large amounts of personal data also creates a high risk of abuse. I would also have liked stronger protection to ensure that the new mandate does not risk exposing people to racism and discrimination, as is already happening today. Serious crime must be fought and must be fought with full force. At the same time, however, I am fully convinced that we could have done so with an even better proposal with even stronger safeguards.

Mr President, thank you very much. I'm embarrassed to be in a parliament with a bunch of racists. They are the reason why we stand here today and the hatred and threat against Roma continues. You are a disgrace in our democratic Europe. Racism against Roma is a disgrace. It doesn't seem to matter how many frameworks or strategies we adopt. The lack of political will to change and to crush the injustices they face every day and in their conversation with society – school, care, social services, job search or housing search – can be seen from afar. All our citizens deserve to be respected for who they are and given the opportunity to realise their dreams, not to be subjected to hatred and intimidation even by elected representatives. Even when the war arrives, discrimination does not stop. We are receiving alarming reports that Roma fleeing today's Ukraine face serious discrimination when trying to reach neighbouring countries. Finally, we have a system in place in the EU where we can cut off financial support to Member States that violate the rule of law and human rights. However, it is clear that many Member States are completely disregarding their commitments towards Roma as discrimination continues. Commissioner, how do you ensure that no Member State will escape its responsibility for the human rights and freedoms of the Roma? Romani children, women, men, young and old... (The President took the floor.)

Mr President, the further a regime drifts from truth, the more it will punish those who speak it. Since Russia’s illegal war, war crimes and unspeakable horror in Ukraine, hundreds of thousands of Russian people have been taking to the streets for peaceful protests. As a response, the Russian regime is deploying indiscriminate and illegal force against those protesters. On 22 March, opposition politician Aleksei Navalny was sentenced to an additional nine years in prison. Russia is not only pursuing an illegal war against Ukraine and the Ukrainian people; it is also continuing to pursue a war against the truth in Russia and beyond. But colleagues, Putin cannot silence truth with criminalisation and prison. The truth will prevail. And with tomorrow’s vote, the European Parliament can show that we will always stand with those who speak it.

Madam President, thank you very much. Colleagues! The far-right parties are like a cancer in our Union. Not only do they want to divide from within through hatred and intimidation, they are not afraid to seek help from outside too – from tyrants like Putin. In fact, the far-right parties and their friends are the greatest threat to our modern and democratic Europe. The Swedish Sweden Democrats, the French National Assembly, the German AfD and the Hungarian Fidesz are some of those who have been caught with links to the Putin regime, and some of them have even received financial support from the same Kremlin that today carries out war crimes in Ukraine. A few weeks ago they were Putin's biggest supporters, but today they are trying to hide it. In conclusion, I would like to address my colleagues in the Conservative EPP Group and the Liberal Renew Group, in particular the Swedish parties Moderaterna, Kristdemokraterna and Liberalerna: We may not agree with you on much, but even you can do better than to become a doormat to the far-right party Sweden Democrats by entering into cooperation with them only to gain government power. Don't be the right-wing extremists' useful idiots! Instead, let's knock right-wing extremism and their friend Putin out of influence!

Madam President, the recent situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is a systematic attempt by Azerbaijan to erase Armenia’s history and its rich culture. The Armenian cultural heritage dates back to ancient times and needs to be treated with the respect that it deserves. Azerbaijan’s attack on the Armenian cultural heritage is an attack on its people, a country and most importantly, it is an attack on its future generations. It is also an attack on international commitments. In its attempt to rewrite history, to assert dominance, Azerbaijan has resorted to the destruction of cultural treasures that future generations now never get to enjoy. This is something that I, with my own Kurdish roots, have seen happening to my people and our identity for decades by Turkey. It has consequences beyond possibility of explanation. In December 2021, the International Court urged Azerbaijan to cease all destruction of Armenian cultural heritage. The resolution that we will vote on today provides us with an opportunity to send a clear message to Azerbaijan. The world is watching and we will not stay quiet if this silence and threat of violence doesn’t stop. The European Parliament must stand firm against the unacceptable action of Azerbaijan. International agreements must be followed. We therefore call upon Azerbaijan to comply with its obligation, especially with regard to its membership in UNESCO, which clearly opposed the destruction of all cultural heritage. Enough is enough.

Madam President, I want to start with thanking my colleagues from the different Groups represented yesterday at the meeting for very fruitful and constructive negotiations, and I hope that we will be able to send a clear message to the horrific military junta in Myanmar today. Over one year has passed now since the bloody military coup in Myanmar. The military junta has erased years of progress and the people are suffering. It is with a heavy heart that we observe the deteriorating situation, but we can’t continue just observing. We need to strengthen the sanctions and demand change. That includes EU companies taking their share of responsibilities also. We can’t just observe while violations of international law are taking place because it is about real people’s lives we are talking. There has been an increasing number of reports of violent attacks and killings against civilians, labour unions, journalists, religious representatives and peaceful democratic protests. According to the UN, over 14.4 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. Of the affected, the most vulnerable are women, girls and children. The international community has to drastically increase demand of an immediate end of the military junta’s violence towards the civilian population, including religious and minorities such as the Rohingya. We cannot stand by while the people of Myanmar are suffering. The latest two weeks have shown that actions can be taken if the will is there. Let us create the will today before it is beyond even more of our control.

Madam President, democracy is in danger all over the world. Journalists are being killed even on open streets and a dangerous culture of impunity is growing. The spike in the murder of journalists in Mexico is a part of the deteriorating situation of journalists in the whole world. 2020 has proved to be a very deadly year for journalists in Mexico, and it is the worst place on this planet in which to exercise their profession. Between 2012 and 2022, 78 journalists were killed in the country; 33 of them were killings linked to their professions. Violence against journalists, human rights defenders, indigenous women and LGBTI people are rarely investigated or prosecuted. Dear colleagues, it is a matter of deep concern and a mockery that a country with these kinds of growing violations continues to call itself a democracy. Inhuman acts of killing and violence against journalists and human rights defenders in Mexico must be condemned. The Mexican authorities must uphold commitments to investigate and resolve these crimes and prosecute perpetrators to the full extent of the law. That is how it should be in a rule—based country. The Mexican Government must strengthen protections for journalists and human rights defenders, and the authorities must implement their international commitments on human rights and the rule of law. The EU can’t continue with business as usual. We need to toughen up and step up our support for the journalists and human rights defenders and all those who are suffering right now at the hands of the Mexican Government.

Mr President, at the heart of democracy lies transparency, because without transparency, there is no accountability. Let me quote the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, herself, back in 2019: ‘If Europeans are to have faith in our Union, its institutions should be open and beyond reproach on ethics, transparency and integrity’. Yet in 2020, the words seem to still be just words, because if the true will would have been there, we wouldn’t have needed to call for a debate to demand access to what should have been an obvious thing to do. Be open with the Commission President’s conversation with Pfizer’s Chief Executive, regardless of if they are done via text message, email, letter or even pigeons. The Commission President could have transformed her words from 2019 into actions in 2020 in order to pave the way for all our Union’s institutions and constituted a role model for the Member States, but instead, she chose the opposite. Being an advocate for rule of law and democracy means understanding the importance of public access to documents. This is because in a functioning democracy, the public power requires the trust of the people. Public access enables the citizens to exercise control over the administration. Public access allows for civil society and journalists to exercise their fully-fledged scrutiny over society and its functions. By allowing transparency, we build citizens’ trust and confidence, and we combat undemocratic ideas and powers. There is a clear link between a high degree of transparency and a low level of corruption. This is because transparency allows us to detect corrupt practices and prevent it. Public access to information means preventing corruption and creating trust. To achieve trust is truly a challenge for a Union with approximately 450 million citizens in 27 Member States. This is important and something we must be mindful of because transparency is only resisted when governments see it as a threat and transparency is only a threat when we have something to hide. The Lisbon Treaty clearly demands more transparency in the EU, and especially so in legislative procedures. Transparency is what citizens have the right to demand and what the EU has a duty to deliver. The time is now to update the Union’s legislation on access to documents. The current legislation is two decades old and needs a thorough makeover to provide our citizens with their fundamental rights.