Speeches

I have supported progressive forces that want peace throughout this term of office. I have said throughout the period that UNRWA feeds hatred, feeds anti-Semitism. What schoolbooks do you think the terrorists who attacked everyone in Israel read before they went in and committed the terrible acts? What more cables under the ground, what tunnels? How much must be done with UNRWA for this to end? So I could really ask you the same question: Where is your limit on how much crime UNRWA can commit without losing confidence in them?

Mr President, Commissioner and Mr Borrell, I do hope for your swift recovery and I want to address you online since you’re not here – because today I wanted to talk to you about trust. Because without trust, there can be no ceasefire and no lasting peace. Yesterday in Geneva, I met the mother of a young Israeli man murdered by Hamas on 7 October, a young man whose corpse was then taken hostage to Gaza by an UNWRA employee in an UNRWA car. This isn’t just her mother’s story. It’s all on video. I saw it yesterday, and I will never forget it. When it comes to UNRWA, how could the EU even consider business as usual? You, Mr Borrell, criticised President von der Leyen for visiting Israel after the attacks. You’ve said you fully trust your own leadership to get to the bottom of alleged UNRWA complicity in Hamas terrorism, and you’ve said that major donors who have suspended funds to UNRWA, including my own country, Sweden, have fallen prey to emotions. What will it take for you to understand that your trust is frankly irrelevant if UNRWA loses the trust of parties involved, and that whether you like it or not, donor countries are parties involved and so is Israel? UNRWA’s failed to keep the trust of all its partners, and no organisation is irreplaceable. EU aid to Gaza can and must go to more responsible, more neutral, more trusted partners who have shown their capacity by serving millions elsewhere. And honestly, Palestinians in Gaza deserve better. (The speaker agreed to take a blue-card question)

Mr President, High Representative, as I said here in November, Europe’s most serious long-term threat is the Chinese communist regime, which seeks systemic global supremacy, and they have a plan to achieve it. They are a threat to democracy and human rights, to rule of law, and a level playing field, to free and fair trade, to the rules-based order. China is a global power with huge responsibility. But China’s leaders, including Xi Jinping, have too often contributed more to global problems than to global solutions by supporting Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine, by threatening Taiwan, by wrongfully jailing Europeans like Gui Minhai, by exporting the regime’s values of state control and oppression, forced assimilation in Tibet and Xinjiang, forced labour, crimes against humanity, and serious risk of genocide, as this Parliament first recognised in June 2022 at my initiative. In Hong Kong, ‘one country, two systems’ has become a fading dream. Jimmy Lai turned 76 last week, in prison, for printing the truth. And he could soon receive a life sentence. The EU has global power too. We must use all the carrots and sticks we have, we must say loud and clear, as this report states: ‘no’ to overdependence on China; ‘yes’ to tougher trade enforcement; ‘yes’ to more sanctions on human rights abusers. Free Ilham Tohti, free Gui Minhai, free Jimmy Lai, free all those wrongfully imprisoned.

Mr President, High Representative, I call again: from the river to the sea, all hostages must be free. Three weeks ago, I proclaimed in this house the urgent need to free all hostages, Israeli as well as Palestinians brutalised by Hamas, terrorists who oppress the people of Gaza, terrorists who want to wipe Jews from the land, who choose tyranny and war over peace. Thankfully, some of the Israeli hostages are now free, but so many are not. Step one: hostages freed. Step two: Hamas crushed. The Abraham Accords have shown us that there is hope for a third step. But the hope of two states living in peace next to each other is impossible as long as Hamas prevails. Iran’s puppet, Hamas, is not only keeping Israeli and Palestinian people hostage, they’re also keeping the hope for a prosperous Middle East at peace hostage. There is a better way when Hamas is defeated.

Madam President, Commissioner, yet again, we address the dire human rights situation in Iran. Johan Floderus, a Swedish citizen and EU official, remains captive to the regime’s twisted hostage diplomacy. So too does Swedish citizen Ahmadreza Djalali. Yet again, we demand their immediate release and, yet again, we condemn the regime’s unabating brutality. In September last year, 22-year-old Jina Mahsa Amini was murdered for the ‘crime’ of showing her hair. More than 500 were then killed in crackdowns. In July, I nominated Jina Mahsa Amini and the Women Life Freedom movement for the Sakharov Prize of 2023. Two months ago, I called for a debate to echo that movement’s message of dignity and opportunity, fullness and fairness, and hope. Now, yet again, I have called for this debate and put forward an urgency resolution because critically, the fight for women and freedom and even for life itself continues in Iran. In October, 16-year-old Armita Geravand was beaten to death for resisting the regime’s diktat forcing hijabs. At a funeral, 2012 Sakharov winner Nasrin Sotoudeh was beaten and jailed. Women human rights defenders, opponents, are being locked up when peacefully exercising their fundamental rights, and this House demands their immediate release. No more discrimination against women, no more hostage diplomacy. Designate the IRGC as a terrorist organisation. No more shielding Iran’s leaders from accountability. If the mullahs don’t stop, we will keep standing here. We will keep taking action and we will keep the pressure on again, and yet again.

Mr President, Commissioner, Europe’s biggest long-term threat remains the Chinese communist regime, which seeks systemic global supremacy, and they have a plan to achieve it. Tiananmen, Tibet, Xinjiang, Hong Kong. In 2019, Hong Kongers stood and sang for freedom. Thousands, including children, were arrested and jailed. And in 2020 came the infamous National Security Law, which continues to strangle freedom, with new restrictions now threatening all remaining independence for civil society, business and the judiciary. We are seeing freedom of religion tested, with the regime’s red and gold flag now being paired alongside Christian pulpits. This Parliament has called for targeted sanctions against all those responsible for ongoing crackdowns, for the release of Jimmy Lai and all human rights defenders, and for the protection of Hong Kongers in Europe. So my question to the Commission is, how will human rights in Hong Kong be prioritised in the EU-China summit this December?

Mr President, commissioners, I want to talk about hostages. I want to talk about the over 200 Israeli women, children and men whom Hamas kidnapped on 7 October. And I want to talk about the Palestinians in Gaza whom Hamas has taken hostage too. And while I welcome the positive news about a possible deal, it is still vital to stress that Hamas must release all hostages – all hostages. The vicious terror organisation Hamas, set on annihilating the State of Israel, has butchered Israelis, raped women in front of their children, burned humans alive. But Hamas is also tormenting Palestinians in Gaza, blocking their escape, using them as human shields, refusing basic rights, torturing people for being gay, silencing women. Hamas leaves no hope for the future of Gaza and for the people of Gaza that they claim to represent. Hamas must be defeated: from the river to the sea, all hostages must be free.

Madam President, Armenian genocide, Holodomor in Ukraine, Holocaust, deportation and gulag, Srebrenica, Bucha: never again. Right now in Nagorno-Karabakh, against ethnic Armenians, hunger is again being used as a weapon of ethnic cleansing. Attacked and outlawed, tens of thousands are being forced to discard their identity or else desert their homeland. Words have not worked. Our Union must act. Hold Azerbaijan’s fascist leaders accountable for their attacks against Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. Sanction all those responsible for blocking the Lachin corridor. Use all the leverage we have. Step in and step up as an EU agent of peace. Save Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh from being wiped out before we witness another genocide in Europe. Never again.

Trade is one of our strongest EU tools for influence and partnership, and the EU has tried to cooperate with the People’s Republic of China, now we need to confront. On trade the Chinese Communist Party does not play fair and at the same time, both at home and abroad, it increasingly undermines democratic values and represses human rights. And I love free trade. But the Chinese regime has not earned the windfall profits which finalisation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment would bring. In June 2022, on my initiative, this Parliament recognised crimes against humanity and serious risk of genocide being perpetrated in Xinjiang by the Chinese Communist Party. I then asked High Representative Borrell what steps were being taken to either prevent or punish such atrocity. So now the question to you: how does the European Parliament’s assessment of genocide against Uyghurs affect the Commission’s mix of carrots and sticks in EU relations with China?

Madam President, thank you very much. Commissioner Schinas! Antisemitism – it's not just about occasional idiots or a statement from time to time. It's not just crazy tweets by Kanye West or some meme that people laugh at in secret. No, the anti-Semites have a very conscious and systematic strategy that plagues our entire society. When I tell people that EU aid is being used for anti-Semitic schoolbooks in the Palestinian school system, people do not believe it to be true. Books that teach young children to hate Jews and incite violence. Although the content of the books has been revealed time and time again, the payments to the Palestinian school system continue. Millions roll in without the need for change. In math classes, students are allowed to count martyrs and suicide bombers. The school books describe Jews as sinful liars and deceivers, that Jews spread corruption and that they are condemned to annihilation. At the same time, Palestinian President Abbas said just last week that Jews were not murdered during the Holocaust because of anti-Semitism, but because of their money dealings and usury. Palestinian schoolchildren hear the same thing in their EU-funded schoolbooks as they hear from their leaders. In fact, today's debate on hatred and antisemitism is not worth much as long as the Commission does not stop its active support and funding of anti-Semitic indoctrination, as Parliament has demanded many times now. We have terrorist acts against Jews in Israel, in the United States and here in Europe. When will the Commission take antisemitism in the world as seriously as in Europe?

Mr President, High Representative, Jina Mahsa Amini dared to defy the Iranian regime by showing her hair in public, and for this she paid the ultimate price. And one year ago, she was murdered. The protests which followed showed the brutality of a regime which uses its morality police to force political submission, a regime which supports Hezbollah, Hamas and other terrorists, which seeks death to Israel, stakes its future on the Chinese Communist Party and aligns itself with Putin, Kim, Assad and Maduro, and which now sends drones for Russia’s indiscriminate killing of Ukrainians. Iranians are suffering and we have seen recurring protests and crackdowns. The regime is frightened more will take to the streets. Last year, more than 500 protesters were killed. Schoolgirls have been poisoned in their own classrooms. ‘Women, life and freedom’, this was Jina Mahsa Amini’s universal message of dignity and opportunity, fullness and fairness and hope for women everywhere and indeed for all people. So in July, I nominated Jina Mahsa Amini for the Sakharov Prize. Last week I called for this important debate. We shall honour her memory and cause, by putting more pressure on Iran’s human rights abusers with more EU sanctions, by labelling the IRGC as terrorists as this Parliament repeatedly voted for. And finally, by refusing more talks and any negotiations with the Iranian regime until all EU citizens that are unjustly held are freed. So the fight for women, life and freedom continues. Let’s dare to follow Jina Mahsa Amini’s lead.

Madam President, Commissioner Várhelyi, dear colleagues, last year, the EU finally opened the accession talks with Albania, which constitutes one step towards EU membership and a new face in the EU-Albania relations. Becoming a member of the EU is not and should not be a quick or an easy process. The road towards EU membership is one of requirements aimed at guaranteeing democratisation, modernisation, the rule of law, stability and growth in each and every state aspiring for EU membership – and it is vital that the pace of accession should be determined by the reform progress. Regarding Albania, I will highlight a couple of issues that I think are crucial. Firstly, we must commend Albania’s consistent and full alignment with the EU’s foreign policy, including its response to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. However, when it comes to the situation inside the country, many reforms are still needed. One issue of concern is the deteriorating situation of the freedom of expression and media freedom. The trend is incompatible with EU integration. Democracy requires freedom to speak and scrutinise, and a lively opposition. This cannot be stressed enough and the violence against journalists must stop; the attempts to discredit reporters must stop and finally, the draft anti-defamation legislation is unacceptable. The Albanian Government has extensive homework to do. I hope that it will advance the EU reform agenda in cooperation with the opposition and with all segments of society.

Madam President, thank you very much. On the table is the worst recommendation made by the Committee on Foreign Affairs during my time in the European Parliament. But I am not surprised when Swedish Social Democrats hold the pen. The task was to draft a recommendation for the EU's relationship with the Palestinian Authority, but the text focuses much more on Israel than on the Palestinian Authority. The Social Democrats simply cannot refrain from manifesting their hatred of Israel, and it is unworthy of the European Parliament to do the same. While this recommendation lists – to some extent relevant – criticism of Israel, it ignores key concerns on the Palestinian side. Hamas' horrific attacks on the Israeli people, for example, are not mentioned. The threat of destroying Israel is not mentioned. Even the problem of anti-Semitism and discrimination against Christians is not addressed. The text I have on the table is imperfect, unbalanced and unserious. It might have served as an SSU debate article, but it cannot be accepted as an official recommendation of the European Parliament. I urge everyone to vote negative.

Madam President, High Representative Borrell, the Cuban people deserve an explanation. When signing the EU—Cuba deal in 2016, it was under the premise that the new agreement would oblige the Cuban Government to uphold and improve human rights, and no one in their right mind could claim that the Cuban regime either upheld or improved human rights since then. The PDCA provides for the suspension of the agreement in the event of human rights violations: therefore, you need to explain why you have not called for an urgent meeting as provided for in the agreement. Why are EU relations with Cuba continuing like business as usual when this agreement promises respect for human rights? And why did you not meet with any political activists or human rights defenders during your recent visit to Cuba? Please, High Representative, please, Mr Borrell, do something. Act now. Too many generations in Cuba have been deprived of their rights.

Mr President, this topic is very serious. The Taliban have banned girls from returning to secondary schools and universities, depriving an entire generation of proper education. Today, we are pointing out the Taliban’s unkept promise that girls and women’s access to education would be restored. Afghanistan is now the only country in the world which refuses to allow women and girls to be educated beyond primary level, and this recent decision reflects the Taliban’s goal to have women and girls locked up in their homes. This medieval attitude deserves our strongest condemnation and firm action from the EU. The Taliban’s systematic violation of the rights of women and girls since 2021 may even amount to crimes against humanity, according to the UN. Therefore, we call on the EU to hold the perpetrators of these grave violations accountable, including by sanctions. At the same time, we ask the EU and the Member States to increase support to Afghan groups providing education to women and girls. The EU should support alternative education options both online and via community education. Young girls belong in schools, on an equal footing with boys. Girls’ rights are human rights.

Mr President, Commissioner, ever since the beginning of the war, more than 16 000 Ukrainian children have been abducted and forcibly transferred to Russian institutions. The aim is to get children Russified and prepared to be adopted by Russian families. This attempt of forced Russification is indeed part of a wider plan of Putin that aims to erase Ukrainian identity and amounts to a full-scale war crime. Putin is stopping at nothing to destroy Ukraine as a nation. One of the darkest pages of our history is repeating itself, and it’s now unfolding before our eyes. This forced displacement of people takes us back to Stalin times and the Soviet Union. The issuance of an arrest warrant on Vladimir Putin from the ICC marks the first step in the right direction towards ending these crimes: accountability and justice. Putin must be punished. The EU must stand united and explore all tools at our disposal to take these children back home – home to Ukraine, home to Europe.

Mr President, dear colleagues, thousands, thousands of school girls in Iran have been poisoned, many of whom have been hospitalised. And we don’t know for sure who is behind the attacks or what the purpose of them is. But what we do know for sure is that girls have been hurt, that girls have been prevented from attending their education, and that this has hindered both young girls and their parents from participating in the protests against the regime. And if the regime is not behind the poisoning attacks, it has nevertheless failed to act on numerous credible reports of systematic, toxic attacks in schools across Iran. Either way, these attacks are a sign of weakness of the regime. Strong leaders would never attack nor accept attacks on their own children. The resolution that Parliament is to adopt tomorrow recalls that the Islamic Republic bears full responsibility for Iranian women and girls’ fundamental right to education and to safety. Needless to say, depriving girls of education has a devastating impact on their future as they become more vulnerable to poverty, forced marriages, domestic violence and sex trafficking. And why? Why have these girls been poisoned and kept from school? It looks like the poisoning attacks on school girls are revenge for the role young women played in recent protests against the regime and against the mandatory veiling. When girls speak up and demand the basic human rights that every single person is entitled to, they are punished with violence even in their own classroom. The poisoning of school girls in Iran is pure evil, and the regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran is pure evil. So the most important task for us, dear colleagues, is to reiterate our steadfast support for the aspirations of the Iranian people who want to live in a free, democratic country. The European Parliament stands with the women and girls in Iran, and I stand with you, the change-makers of Iran.

Mr President, I am known to be a friend of Israel, but in this context, I would like to highlight this: true friends are honest with each other, and true friends can also discuss uncomfortable issues. And while I stand by Israel, the Middle East's only democracy, and its indisputable right to defend its territory and people, I do have an uncomfortable issue to address. The draft legislation on the planned judicial reform is worrisome. We don't know how the final reform will look, and that is important to keep in mind. Only a draft has been presented so far and at this stage, Israel's democratic allies, among them the US, have expressed concerns, but more importantly, many, many, many, many Israelis have expressed their discontent. And as Israel is a genuine democracy, people are by all means allowed to protest and enjoy the rights to freedom of expression and opinion. The regional comparison is noteworthy. Israel is the only liberal democracy in the Middle East. Israel is the only country where people are allowed to protest and express dissenting opinions, as the Israelis are doing right now. So I do hope that the government of Israel will listen to the concerns of their transatlantic democratic friends. But I know for a fact that the government of Israel are listening to their people, as in all genuine democracies. I look forward to continuing and deepening the relations between the EU and Israel, including by discussing uncomfortable issues like this one, because that's what friends do.

Madam President, thank you very much. Commissioner Johansson! Protecting the EU budget and economic interests is fundamental to citizens' trust. We must ensure that taxpayers' money is spent correctly and effectively. Corruption, fraud, fraud, crime – this breeds anger and disappointment, but also suspicion and worry. It must therefore be crystal clear that the European Parliament has zero tolerance for the misuse of EU funds. Whether it's a mistake or organised crime: Problems need to be addressed. Whether it is a small business or a state or government that does not respect the rule of law: Everything needs to be investigated and remedied. That's how zealous we're supposed to be. That is why it is good that there is broad support in Parliament for stepping up the EU's anti-fraud efforts. However, there was one aspect missing when the negotiations on this report began, namely the one on EU funds spent outside the EU's borders. I am pleased that my colleagues agreed to my proposal not to focus solely on fraud and corruption within the EU, and to disregard the large sums going to the EU's candidate and partner countries. We must demand strong anti-corruption action in all countries receiving EU aid. If partner countries and candidate countries clearly show that they are unwilling or unable to fight corruption, then EU support for them must be throttled. It is totally unacceptable that EU funds continue to flow to corrupt recipients. My proposals won a majority among the other political groups, and the text on which we now have to take a position includes new recommendations, such as that the EU should freeze budget support to third countries that fail to take action against widespread corruption, and that the fight against corruption should be given higher priority in the negotiations with the EU candidate countries. I therefore hope that tomorrow's report will receive a great deal of support from Parliament. There may be differences of opinion on the size of the EU budget. I myself and the Christian Democrats think that the EU should have a much smaller budget. But whatever you think about the size of the budget, I am sure we all agree that irregularities, fraud and corruption must be combated.

Madam President, Mr Borrell, we promised never again. The European Union is founded on the values of human dignity, freedom, equality and human rights. I took the floor to remind the High Representative about the situation in Xinjiang: persecution, detention and forced labour, torture, rape and systematic sexual abuse, mass forced sterilisation and forced abortions. So I would like to remind Mr Borrell that the CCP’s crimes against the Uyghurs constitute crimes against humanity and a serious risk of genocide. So let me remind you that all signatories of the Genocide Convention are obliged to prevent and punish the crime of genocide. So please, Mr Borrell, if you cannot prevent the genocide, at least punish the abusers and sanction the monsters, because we promised never again.

Mr President, we have come to the point of no return in our relationship with the Iranian regime. The Islamic regime in Iran is barbaric and brutal. It despises everything that we defend. The Iranian people ask for freedom. They ask for respect and dignity. The Iranian people ask for their fundamental human rights to be recognised, but the Islamic regime would go to any length to crush the people’s strive for freedom – detention, violence, torture and now mass executions. The Iranian Parliament has moved to execute all the tens of thousands of protesters arrested over the last two months. More than 14 000 people – 14 000 people! We must do everything in our power to support the Iranian people. The Iranian people deserve to live in a free, stable, inclusive and democratic country and we must ensure that they trust in our support. Therefore, we must put all the Iranian parliamentarians who voted for mass executions on our sanction list. We must suspend all political negotiations with Iran, including the JCPOA, because we cannot negotiate with murderers. I ask the Commission to stop legitimising the repression of mandatory veiling in Iran. Please stop all campaigns saying things like ‘Freedom is in hijab’. Please, everyone in this House and the Commission and the Council, now we have to stand united and stand with the people of Iran.

Madam President, Commissioner, there is no free Ukraine without a free Belarus, and vice versa. The destinies of Ukraine, Europe and Belarus are interconnected, and therefore it is equally important to enforce the support of Ukraine’s defence and, at the same time, enforce the support to the democratic movement in Belarus, because Belarussians don’t support the war. Yet, Belarus is participating in the war. The Russian military constantly launches missile strikes on civilian facilities in Ukraine from Belarussian territory. If the leader of Belarus were Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, if the leader were the one that the Belarussian people wanted and voted for, then Belarus would not be part of the war. This is why the EU must do everything in our power to ensure the democratic transition in Belarus. I ask the Commission to redouble its efforts to support democratic society in Belarus. To the Belarusian people: I stand in solidarity with you, who are being held hostage by the Lukashenko regime. You deserve to live in a sovereign, free and democratic country. You deserve peace and safety.

Mr President, High Representative, I say to the Iranian women – the changemakers in Iran – we support you. I want to be crystal clear that we wholeheartedly support the aspirations of the Iranian people who want to live in a free, stable, inclusive and democratic country. And we strongly condemn the compulsory hijab law. We condemn the morality police. And we condemn the brutal repression and violence. But words are not enough. I call on the EU and the rest of the world to take action. We need an investigation and we need accountability. The abusers must be punished. Actions do speak louder than words. That is why I hope that the EU High Representative will never wear the hijab in meetings with Iranian counterparts again. The former High Representative, Federica Mogherini, failed in representing our EU values and that is why I hope the new Swedish Foreign Minister will never wear the hijab in meetings with Iranian counterparts; the former Swedish Foreign Minister and leader failed in representing European values. Enough is enough.

Madam President, the Xinjiang police files is yet again confirming the heinous crimes committed by the Chinese regime in Xinjiang. And now I present to you the European Parliament’s political response to the evidence that we have received. And the European Parliament, for the first time, recognises that the Chinese regime is committing crimes against humanity and the serious risk of genocide in Xinjiang in the resolution that is to be adopted tomorrow. Genocide. That is deliberate acts with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. Genocide, crimes against humanity, torture, forced abortions, political indoctrination, mass deportation. ‘Never again’ has failed. The European Parliament now demands the European Union and its Member States take all necessary steps in accordance with the UN Genocide Convention to end these atrocities and ensure responsibility for the crimes committed, because we have promised ‘never again’.

Madam President, I do have a point of order. As we are now to adopt this part-session’s urgency resolutions, I would like to update this House on a case we have discussed many times before. Media now report that the Swedish-Iranian national, Ahmad Reza Jalali, who is sentenced to death in Iran, will be executed by 21 May. So I would like to remind the President and my colleagues that we have, on several occasions, adopted resolutions here calling for Dr Jalali’s pardon and immediate release. Therefore, I expect this House now to do everything in our might to save Dr Jalali.