Speeches

Mr President, thank you very much. Racism and discrimination are a reality that characterises people’s entire lives – their upbringing, their schooling, their opportunities and their daily lives. Racism does not only affect individuals. It affects all of us, whole societies and whole countries. Racism stands in the way of development. There are those who live and act in the belief that racism is not a problem. They're wrong. It shows all the research and all our history. Allowing racist ideas to have an influence in a country's politics, as happens in the EU, including in Sweden, is stupid. It's a short-term, expensive profit for a few. Racism is destructive. It's destroying. That is why we will continue to fight it, everywhere and all the time.

Mr President, thank you very much. Ideas are like energy. They don't disappear, they are transformed. Our responsibility is to understand which ideas provide the conditions for life and community, and which ideas create divisions, which build suspicions between people, which turn into hatred, which slowly but surely destroys. The nationalist ideas that were given space and emerged at the beginning of the 20th century, and that ended in the Holocaust, still exist. In today's Europe, they are carried by the far-right. But just as then, they are helped today, above all, by conservative and liberal politicians, who, blinded by their own gain, believe that they can tame monsters. Right-wing populism seduces easy-footed politicians. We see it in Italy, we see it in Hungary, in Croatia and sadly also in Sweden – the country that will soon take over the EU presidency. In order not to be forced to repeat our history, we must know it. We must understand how one leads to the other, and we who want to be on the right side of history must dare to make uncomfortable decisions. We have to dare to defend what we know gives our children a future to look forward to, and we have to put hard on hard against all steps in the opposite direction. And it has to be done now. It should have been done just now. We don't have a second to lose.

Mr President, thank you very much. It started with Jina Masha Amini, but the detainees, the injured, the murdered have many more faces and as many names. The perpetrators, murderers and accomplices – there are also many. But we know who they are and what they should be held accountable for. Then there's the rest of us, who are on the sidelines. We who can choose to live our lives as usual or do what we can with what we have. Peace and freedom do not come for free. The brave women, men and children who have taken to the streets all over Iran with their lives, they show how expensive freedom is. The reactions and perseverance of the outside world will determine whether their struggle, whether their death, was in vain or not. The freedom movement in Iran needs all the support it can get, while at the same time making it inconvenient for the Iranian assassination regime. (The speaker uses a non-official language).

Madam President, thank you very much. There are things in the world around us that we can say we didn't know or that we knew very little about. The situation of many Roma in the EU is not one of those things. For decades, we in power have received a report after a report describing in black and white all the grey scales of misery – from systematic discrimination in housing queues and the labour market to illiteracy, begging and sex trafficking of children – in the EU in 2022. Claiming that racism and discrimination against Roma in the EU is normalised is a understatement. Everyone knows, no one does enough. I hope that this report will be the exception that confirms the rule. Let it make a difference.

Mr President, thank you very much. Colleagues and visitors! This year we had to fight to find out the truth about the state of fundamental rights in our Union. The truth about the rise of racism. The Truth about Discrimination. The truth about the threats against journalists and investigative media. We had to fight the far right in this Parliament in order to be able to write down the facts at all. They wanted to make the facts invisible. They wanted to make invisible what affects people in Europe every day. But they lost, as racists, fascists and Nazis and their fellow runners always do in the end. No matter where they are, whether it is in the Swedish parliament and government or if it is in the European Parliament, they will lose in the end. But the path to their loss is a terrible journey. Those who pay the highest price are the ones who need the rights the most. I am so grateful and happy that we are still more human rights defenders in this Parliament. So far, the truth is on the table.

Madam President, thank you very much. united in diversity. That is the motto of the European Union. Those of us who sit here, however, do not reflect the diversity that exists among the citizens of the European Union. This is partly because not everyone has the same opportunities to take their place and raise their voice. Many are discriminated against, and we know that discrimination is intersectional. Several different grounds of discrimination interact and limit people's opportunities to take their place and raise their voice. The report on which we are about to vote is a step in the right direction. With this report, we recognise intersectional discrimination. We are saying that we should do more to combat it, and we are putting forward a series of tools on how to do this. I would like to thank you for your cooperation with everyone from right to left. The cooperation and the constructive atmosphere has given me hope.

Madam President, thank you very much. We live in a reality where many women do not decide for themselves whether they want to have sex or not and therefore cannot decide for themselves whether they want to get pregnant. In addition, there are many reasons why you want to interrupt a pregnancy. Whatever the reasons behind the desire to have an abortion, it is often a difficult decision – sometimes the most difficult decision in a woman’s life. At the same time, there is a dispute over whether it is the individual who should decide or whether it is the state that should decide that you should be pregnant, no matter what you want. Those of us who are prepared to defend our freedoms must put an end to value-conservative development. A concrete first step to do so is to ensure that abortion rights become part of the EU's fundamental rights.

Madam President, thank you very much. Firstly, we must be convinced that it is a fundamental right to decide when, where, how and if you want to become pregnant. Secondly, we must understand and act on the fact that the rights and opportunities that generations of women before us have fought for for decades are under threat. Abortion resistance is growing. Third, we scientifically know how to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies. This is done scientifically through early education and teaching about sex and cohabitation. It is done through a generous supply of contraception and it is done through the right to legal abortions. The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to tear up the law that gave American women protection and the right to make decisions about their own bodies will have far-reaching consequences far beyond America. This will also affect the EU. In Poland, amazing, brave Poles are fighting for women's right to make decisions about their own bodies. The fact that several women have died because doctors have not dared to give them the help they needed is unacceptable. We must act much more forcefully than we have done so far.

Madam President, thank you very much. Are all EU citizens equally valuable? If the answer is yes, then why do we allow millions of Poles not to have the same rights, freedoms and opportunities as the rest of us? Polish activists fighting for fundamental human rights risk being accused, prosecuted and brought to justice because of the Polish judicial system, which even the European Court of Justice is calling for to be reformed. Those who pay the highest price for our inability to do the right thing are Poles fighting for what Europe should be – free, equal, fair. It is a disgrace to the European Union and, in particular, to the Commission, which, by approving the plans of the Polish Government, paves the way for an authoritarian Poland, a mini-Russia in which the state oppresses its own citizens with our common tax money.

Mr President, thank you very much. Those who have tortured, injured and killed civilians in Ukraine must be brought to justice and severely punished. Sexual violence and rape are crimes that have been committed and are still being committed in Ukraine. It is used, as we know, to threaten, humiliate, humiliate and harm, and we know that it is mainly girls and women who are the victims. At the same time, we know that sexual violence and rape are war crimes that in practice rarely lead to legal aftermath and punishment. We need to change this. We must ensure that the words behind which we now form a majority also become deeds.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, dear Terry, You have managed to rally Parliament behind the important and big thing that we should not accept that the situation of the rule of law in the EU continues to erode. Instead, with this report, you and we are demanding that we do more, that the Commission do more. For it is with sadness that we note that behind the two countries that are leading the way in not accepting the principles of the rule of law are the majority of other Member States with similar tendencies. Countries that step by step in the shadow of Poland and Hungary are curtailing the freedoms that we know are essential for strong and sustainable democracies: media freedom, minority rights and civil society opportunities. We must demand, out of respect for the people who have elected us and out of respect for the institutions on which we carry out our mission, that the Commission take firm action against all Member States that violate the principles of the rule of law.

What our fellow Member is expressing is racism, and the fact that we are sitting here and accepting that this is being expressed in our House, in our Parliament, in Europe is shameful. I hope that there are many of us who protest against this and do not normalize what is going on now. Everyone heard what she said. Act, do something!

Mr President, thank you very much. We have tools and there is money, but it is obviously sad that there are far too many people in power who do not want to change the fact that Roma in the EU live more than others in poverty, live without electricity, water and sewage, do not go to school, do not have work, have major health problems and in many countries are not even registered as citizens even though they have lived in the country for generations. There are probably thousands or more children, Roma children, who are not on paper. If there is one thing we should be ashamed of, it is that this is happening in the world's richest region, and if there is one thing we should do, it is to change this unworthy reality.

Madam President, thank you very much. Commissioner, thank you very much. Dear colleagues, We know that in Afghanistan, girls are being stopped from going to school. We know that women are prevented from working, and we know that they are also not allowed to travel without the company of male relatives. All this while more than 24 million Afghans are dependent on emergency humanitarian assistance, and 97% of the population is at risk of falling into poverty. 97%! We are witnessing an upcoming humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan, and we in the EU, the richest region in the world, cannot and must not look away and blame ourselves for being distracted by other atrocities. We are the ones on this earth who have the best, most and most opportunities to make a difference. Humanitarian aid to Afghanistan must be scaled up and we must continue to work for and provide protection to those who fight for their rights no matter where they come from, no matter what colour they are.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioners! Colleagues! I just got back from Ukraine and Poland. Together with Polish volunteers, I visited an area northwest of Lviv, around the small town of Javoriv. Ukraine's future is on the run. In the surrounding villages, the population has increased, doubled, tripled, by the people – including many children – who are now displaced in their own country. Putin's bombs have forced millions of children to flee their homes. Those who should sit safely in the school bench or play in kindergarten are instead in uncertainty. Teenage rooms have been replaced with tent beds in transit accommodations, playgrounds for train stations. At the Medyka border crossing between Poland and Ukraine, I witnessed the first meeting of many children and young people with the EU. Thanks to amazing volunteers, most were received with warmth, a blanket, some food and chocolate. At the same time, neither the Polish authorities nor the EU's own resources were in place, and anyone could easily reach the tired and vulnerable people who arrived. At another border post, children had frozen to death and died of dehydration in their mothers' arms. The Polish volunteers talked about trafficking gangs that have systems in place to catch women even before they left Ukraine and then abduct them once they have crossed the border into Poland. I got testimonies of mothers who had to pay for the flight across the border with sex. No woman should be exposed to this and no child should have to experience this. The EU must eradicate the purchase of sex by men! Men's purchases of women and children! How sick is this? How sick are there in the EU? Who kidnaps children? Who has sex with children? Who buys and exploits a woman on the run who has lost everything? It does men who have a place in hell. The EU has enormous resources and, with them, huge responsibilities. But after the days in Ukraine and Poland, I am afraid that our big words about how terrible it is do not turn into action. I dream nightmares that we knew, that we heard and that we saw, but that we didn't do everything we could.

Madam President, thank you very much. The textile sector has a major impact on the climate, the environment and human rights. This is precisely why we need rules and guidelines on how to reduce all the negative impact that is currently a fact. We have tried to influence the Commission to present a holistic approach, which is also what industry players demand. We have done everything we can to ensure that you make binding proposals, not keep the door open to arbitrariness. We have presented figures and facts about discrimination and human rights violations that exist in industry and from which we could take steps. My questions to the Commissioner responsible are as follows: Will the strategy include a binding climate target that includes all emissions from our consumption? Will the strategy take into account the fact that we need to drastically reduce our consumption and production of textiles? How? Are you setting goals for this? How will you ensure gender mainstreaming at all stages of the value chain?

Mr President, thank you very much. People are running for their lives, families are splitting up, children are being killed, live, just a few hours away. whereas reality has shown that the EU’s slippery asylum and migration policies, focusing on closed borders, returns and cooperation with states that do not respect democratic rules of the game, are not sufficient; This policy has played its part. It's not what people fleeing for their lives need. The Temporary Protection Directive is therefore very welcome. But more is needed. The EU is the most free and prosperous region in the world. We have a duty and a responsibility to practice solidarity with the people of Ukraine. We must also provide protection to those fleeing war and terror, regardless of nationality, regardless of background. We must never normalize and never accept racism.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner Dalli! We know that those who contribute least to climate change are the ones who suffer the most from its consequences. The poor are hit harder than the rich, and the majority of the world's poor are girls and women. They are the poorest in the world. They are the poorest in the EU. They are the poorest in Sweden. It is the single mothers who are primarily forced to choose between feeding their children or paying the electricity bills. The fact that climate change amplifies the inequalities and injustices that existed before is nothing new. Yet the will of the vast majority to actually change this is lacking. There must be more of us who dare to act on the fact that a fairness perspective is a crucial prerequisite for building a sustainable future.

Madam President, thank you very much. Today's ruling is a strong and clear message to the governments of Poland and Hungary, as well as to all other leaders in the EU Member States who feel tempted to violate fundamental rights and democratic principles. Your attempts to break our common rules harm our societies and violate our values. Your policy undermines opportunities for journalists, judges, minorities and women, and at last we are taking a clear step in the right direction, towards what you are doing. The majority of Member States agree and individual governments cannot ignore this. Now we have the tool in our hands. Let's use it.

Madam President, thank you very much. Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much. The European Union is not only the richest region in the world, it is also the region in the world that enjoys the most and the greatest freedoms. It is a fact to be proud of. It is a fact to defend. We cannot, we must not accept that the EU is made up of an A and a B team: a law that has the right to enjoy these freedoms and rights and a law that has not. Women in Poland and Malta are EU citizens just as much as you and I are. It is a disgrace that we leave their right to make decisions about their own bodies in the hands of value-conservative rulers. How can we defend and fight with credibility and strength for women, whose rights are governed by religious extremists who oppress them in countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, the United States and the Philippines, when we are not even able to defend the rights of our own citizens? When right-wing populists hook arms with ultra-conservative and religious groups, it is women's rights and freedoms that are attacked first. It is sad and frightening that conservative parties with such ease open the doors to far-right forces, at the cost of women's freedom. The fight continues.

Mr President, dear colleagues, I was 10 years old the first time I picked up the phone and a Nazi told me that I didn’t belong in Sweden, where I was born and raised. He said he would kill me and my family if we didn’t leave the country – my home country. The threats never stopped, but my fear became anger and my anger became political action. I am European. I am elected by the people. A Member of this House. And I stand before you as the Greens/EFA candidate for President of this Parliament. To those of you who keep telling me that I don’t belong, you are wrong. The pro-democratic majority of this House will never allow you to define who belongs to this Parliament or to our European family. Standing here today my thoughts go to our dear colleague, the late President Sassoli. He will be remembered for his seemingly effortless commitment to the European project and the work of this House. Let us honour his legacy by standing up together for fundamental rights, European solidarity and a European Union for all. There are three little words written at the bottom of every resolution, every report and every legislative position in this House. Three small words that connect us all: united in diversity. I believe in a European Parliament of diversity, but believing in diversity as a strength also means we must defend this European project. The fundamental rights of EU citizens and the rules of democracy are not negotiable. As your President, I will listen to and learn from those who stand up for their rights and our common future. From young people demanding climate justice to minorities demanding a seat at the table and brave Europeans risking their own safety to help migrants at our common borders. When governments tell our citizens that they do not have the right to decide over their own bodies, we must stand with them. As your President, I would honour the legacy of the former President Simon Veil with an initiative to reward individuals and organisations fighting for sexual and reproductive health and rights wherever they are challenged in Europe. Dear colleagues, we must earn and protect the trust of our citizens by delivering on the biggest challenges that people around Europe face today. So let this Parliament be a force for social justice, green transition and fair recovery for all. This Parliament has declared a climate emergency. Let us act on it by ensuring that the Commission delivers on the Green Deal. Let’s raise the bar for climate action and the protection of biodiversity, and let’s earn the title as guardian of the treaties, when the Commission fails to fulfil this role. This House must lead by example. As your President, I will work tirelessly for a European Parliament where diversity is an asset, not a disadvantage. Zero tolerance on sexism is possible. Let us make anti-harassment training mandatory. Let’s create an equal workplace with flexible methods. Let’s ensure transparency and internal democracy in this House, ending the time of back-room dealings. Let us practice what we preach by making sure our own institution is a front-runner in the green transition. For example, by adding solar panels on the 20 000 square metres of flat roof available on our buildings here in Strasbourg. We have had the courage to take on the Commission and the Council when it was necessary in the past. As your President, I will fight for a feminist parliament that defends and protects. Let us be courageous again. Mr President, colleagues, before I finish. You cannot be what you cannot see. To all the 10-year-old girls out there who are told that you do not belong, with this candidacy I want to show you that you do. The European Parliament, this House, is yours.

Madam President, thank you very much. In Poland, a total ban on abortions has been in place for a year. Large parts of the country are covered by so-called LGBTIQ-free zones, and now the Polish government is pushing for the introduction of a national register where women, pregnant women, should be registered and monitored. It sounds like a scene from a dystopian TV series, but that's the reality for Poland's women. whereas Polish rulers systematically work with the Catholic Church and ultra-conservative organisations against women’s rights and freedoms, enabling oppression, discrimination and hatred against LGBTIQ people; Here's how it is. Confidence in the Polish government is exhausted, and the EU has democratic tools that can be used to put an end to their ideas. There's no defense as to why we don't use them. The people of Poland that just as much EU citizens as you and me.

Madam President, We have a lot of problems in Europe. We are facing enormous challenges. Then you choose to make a hen out of a feather, when you should instead speak plainly about the growing inequality in Europe, about poverty in Europe, about racism and discrimination in Europe, about gender equality that is repeatedly threatened. You should spend time highlighting how right-wing populism systematically works against the rights and freedoms of women and girls. You should talk about the climate crisis, about how we are going to save our planet and about the need for Europe to be at the forefront of transition. You should talk about that. The fact that we are debating an internal working document instead, the purpose of which is to make all European citizens feel included in the work of the European Union, is under criticism. You should be ashamed. Your way of misleading and abusing your mandate clearly shows why we need an EU Commissioner fighting for the rights and freedoms of all, for women and for LGBTIQ people.

Mr President, thank you very much. Every day, women are beaten, raped and killed or murdered by men close to them. Every day, children are also subjected to the abuse that it is actually also to see and hear their mother being subjected. We can keep talking about it being like this. Or we decide to do more to stop it. It is possible, but it requires us to use the tools that are available, that work. In other words, it is politicians, the party group, the parliament, the government or the Commission who do not do what is necessary, who do not use the tools that actually exist, all politicians who accept that men abuse, rape and kill women. You know who you are and we know who you are.

Mr President, thank you very much. The complex issue of ensuring demand for labour as well as eliminating exploitation and the more or less slave-like conditions of the labour market we call the black labour market has been on the EU agenda for decades, but a few significant steps for change have been taken. whereas the lack of legal pathways, especially for migrants working in middle- or low-wage sectors, coupled with an increasing number of closed borders and restrictive migration policies, is forcing people to make life-threatening journeys in order to reach dreams of jobs under safe conditions at fair payment; The Green Group therefore welcomes the report presented by our colleague Abir Al-Sahlani. If the report's demands become a reality, it will clearly improve the conditions for migrants coming to the EU to work. However, we have tabled an amendment to include the need for an intersectional perspective on migration legislation. Labour immigrants are not a homogeneous group, and we know that women, for example, are particularly vulnerable and at risk of exploitation. Anyone who disagrees with Mr Al-Sahlani's report accepts that people are exploited with the aid of life. I hope many of us want to see a change.