What Abir spoke about.

12

Nov

2025

Speeches EN

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Commemorating the 10th anniversary of the islamist attacks of 13 November 2015 in Paris (debate)

Madam President, in accordance with Rule 118, I would like to make this House aware that on 28 October, the Israeli Ambassador to the UN, His Excellency Danny Danon, called the UN Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian occupied territories, Ms Francesca Albanese, a 'witch', and her report a 'spell book'. I would like to ask you, Madam President, to call upon the Israeli Ambassador to the EU and remind him that that kind of rhetoric led Europe to burn women who were opinionated, who were free, who were inconvenient, alive. Remind him that that kind of rhetoric does not belong in a democratic conversation, because if we would have used the same rhetoric, we would be calling His Excellency Danny Danon maybe a sexist, a misogynist, or a douchebag, I don't know. But we won't, because when they go low, we go high, and that's why we invited Ms Francesca Albanese to this House. I would like to extend my personal invitation to the far-right colleagues to come ask your questions, say your opinions, because this is what we do in a democratic society. But something tells me that when wisdom comes running to you, you will find a way to run away faster.

23

Oct

2025

Questions EN

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Combating violence against women and girls, including the exploitation of motherhood (debate)

I loved the tribute that you did to your mom. But have you ever asked her if she was seeing any violence? Maybe she felt it herself, she was maybe a victim of violence herself, and in that same question – were there migrants around her? Or was it a man? This is what you are not listening to when we are talking about men's violence. It's about the gender, it's not about the origin, because what is the common denominator is them being men – white, yellow, red, whatever.

23

Oct

2025

Speeches EN

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Combating violence against women and girls, including the exploitation of motherhood (debate)

Madam President, dear Commissioner, the EU has a violence problem, a gender-based violence problem. It's vast, it's severe, it's devastating. It is online, it is in real life. It is at home, it is in the workplace, it is in the public. It stretches from microaggressions to murders. This not only damages and changes a woman forever, but it is also costing the EU EUR 290 billion a year. So what's to be done, one can ask? Well, let's address the elephant in the room: we have to talk about men. Because even if it's not all men, it is always a man who is the perpetrator. And we have to talk to men because men have to be responsible for setting the norms among the male population in the EU. We also have to have consent-based legislation, because a 'no' has to mean a 'no' in Europe. And if we want to walk the talk, then we have to ensure that there is enough money in the next MFF to combat gender-based violence. It is high time for the EU to come back and come on track to the gender equality track.

21

Oct

2025

Speeches EN

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Recent peace agreement in the Middle East and the role of the EU (debate)

Madam President, on my way here this morning, I was looking at my phone and I had to see yet another Palestinian mother hug her kid, calling him to wake up from his death. Yet another mother, yet another parent, had to bury their child. What role can the EU play for these people? My answer would be to make the short lives of these kids, and their violent deaths, matter. And how can we do that? Yes, we know that peace cannot be achieved only when justice is served. That's why the EU has to, first, stop the Association Agreement with Israel, because we cannot be associated with war criminals. Two, we have to fully support the ICC and ICJ, because these war criminals have to stand in responsibility and end the impunity on both sides, Hamas and Israel. We have to stop the settler economy. We cannot have products from violent settlers' stolen land. We have to stop the land theft in the West Bank and the settler violence. And there is no other solution than the two-state solution, because Israelis owe it to the Palestinians, and the Palestinians well damn deserve their own state now.

21

Oct

2025

Speeches EN

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Recent peace agreement in the Middle East and the role of the EU (debate)

Dear colleague, do you claim that our demonstrators – our citizens who are outside demonstrating for peace, for human rights, for Palestinians – are on the wrong side of history? Do you, by any chance, mean that the recognition of a Palestinian state is a big mistake? Something that I think is a debt we have to the Palestinians for the last 70 years. Do you really mean that when we demand justice for the over 60 000 Palestinians killed, 2 000 of them under the age of one year, that this is Hamas propaganda? A call for human rights – is that Hamas propaganda for you?

9

Oct

2025

Questions EN

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Declaration of principles for a gender-equal society (debate)

Thank you for this very not enlightening speech, because you only just criticise what feminists are doing. You're talking about gender, but then you claim that we are the sexists when you actually are the one who is because you only talk about sexism, not gender. So tell me, what do you actually want to do to combat the violence against women inside the EU? Besides talking about migration – all kinds of violence against women, what do you want to do so we can achieve true gender equality between women and men and all other genders? What do you actually want to do besides leading here with disinformation? Thank you.

9

Oct

2025

Speeches EN

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Declaration of principles for a gender-equal society (debate)

Mr President, every step towards women's rights began with a woman who refused to wait for permission to be equal. They were called difficult, emotional, demanding. I will never wait for permission either. Today we are witnessing, across Europe and beyond, a global backlash against gender equality and a growing anti-gender movement that yesterday was outside the House – today they hold seats in this House of democracy, trying to roll back decades of progress on gender equality and silence our voices. The roadmap that the Commission presented is very welcome. It is a renewed commitment, and I would like to thank Commissioner Hadja Lahbib for her strong and dedicated leadership for women, for a more equal Europe and world. The priorities are clear: a world free of gender-based violence, equal opportunities and education, sexual and reproductive health, and rights for everyone. Every step towards gender equality was once called uncomfortable, impossible or necessary until it became undeniable. Endorsing the roadmap is our next step to stand firm when gender equality is under attack, not just with promises, but with concrete, real actions.

7

Oct

2025

Questions EN

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Situation in Afghanistan: supporting women and communities affected by the recent earthquakes (debate)

You said something very interesting: that the Afghan women were born oppressed, on the one hand, and on the other hand that we women in Europe are already gender-equal. What is your answer to the women in, for example, Malta or Hungary, who are not allowed to have a safe and legal abortion? Many of them have damage for life, and some of them have actually lost their lives.

7

Oct

2025

Speeches EN

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Situation in Afghanistan: supporting women and communities affected by the recent earthquakes (debate)

Mr President, allow me to speak directly to my sisters in Afghanistan: all my respect for your fight and resilience, for your strength and courage. We see you, we hear you, and we are going to fight with you. Because we – women in Europe – know the fight for gender equality too well. But those who are trying to oppress us here just come in nicer suits. I know that gender equality is possible in Afghanistan, even if being a woman today in Afghanistan feels like being trapped in a nightmare. There is no doubt there is a gender apartheid in Afghanistan. And Madam Commissioner, we have to, as an EU, work towards having gender apartheid as a crime against humanity. We need also to focus on and prioritise women and girls in our humanitarian response, because we have to be the force that carries and the force that empowers girls and women in Afghanistan.

7

Oct

2025

Speeches EN

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The EU’s role in supporting the recent peace efforts for Gaza and a two-state solution (debate)

Madam President, today we are thinking about the victims of the terrorist attack on 7 October and their families. Peace is needed and it has been needed for the last 70 years. So let's talk about the peace plan then, and here, I really need the Commission to listen, because this plan comes at a time when several international organisations and bodies of authority and human rights organisations have concluded that after two years of violence, the atrocities in Gaza meet the threshold for genocide. What are the risks with this plan then? First, it risks locking in impunity, because how can two parties that are deemed by the International Court of Justice being war criminals, actually will lead to responsibility? Secondly, it risks to rewrite the responsibility of the attack, of what is going on. Thirdly, the outcome will be for the powerful ones and not for the victims. Fourth, the gains that are won on the battlefield will be permanent political gains. We all know that there cannot be peace without justice because it is very much needed...

10

Sep

2025

Speeches EN

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Rule of law and EU funds management in Slovakia (debate)

Madam President, Robert Fico – you are following the schoolbook of the crackdown on democracy and human rights. We've seen it before; you go after the LGBTQI+ persons, you go after the right of safe, legal abortion. You then go after the next group and the next group. You incite corruption. The freedom that you are enjoying, the democracy that brought you to power, the rule of law that is protecting your rights as much as anyone else's rights; these are principles and values that were fought for by the Slovak people long before you came to power. They were fought for with sweat, tears and blood. These are not for you to be used for your own agenda. You are turning your own country into Putin's Trojan horse, inside the very Union that contributed to the prosperity of your country. Not as a favour to you, but because the Slovak people belong in Europe. I am convinced that with the Slovak people, and because of our colleagues in progressive Slovakia, democracy will prevail and your attempt to turn your country into an autocracy will fail.

10

Sep

2025

Speeches EN

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After 10 years, time to end mass migration now - protect our women and children (topical debate)

Madam President, this debate is both factually and morally wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. And two factual wrongs you will find already in the name of this debate. There is no mass migration to Europe, but in fact, there is a 66 % drop in the applications of asylum. The second wrong is the EU-wide data shows that sexual violence is committed by EU nationals, by men who are known to the women in their own homes. The common denominator here is spelled M-E-N, men. That is where the wrong is. The far right are twisting facts into an ignorant, hate-fuelled portrayal of migrants. Correlation does not equal causality. Women's rights organisations are rejecting your cynical weaponisation of our pain for your racist agenda. I have my voice. Don't you dare claim to represent it.

18

Jun

2025

Speeches EN

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Case of Ahmadreza Jalali in Iran

Mr President, nine years ago, Ahmadreza Jalali was arrested in Iran with fabricated charges of espionage. He was sentenced to death without a trial. Under the influence of torture, he is held in the notorious prison Evin and at risk of being executed at any time. Jalali has constantly been denied medical care and held in isolation without any contact with his family, and in the last year his health has severely deteriorated. In May this year he had a heart attack and after all of that, no medical attention or help. Sweden and Member States and the External Action Service bear a responsibility to increase their pressure on the regime in Iran for his immediate release. And to you, Ahmadreza Jalali, we have not forgotten you. You're always on our minds. And I would like to extend the gratitude of the Members of this House to his family, especially his wife, for always reminding us about his case, for always being there. Thank you for your fight for Ahmadreza Jalali. Release Ahmadreza Jalali now.

18

Jun

2025

Speeches EN

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Stopping the genocide in Gaza: time for EU sanctions (topical debate)

Madam President, for too long have we spoken of Palestinians suffering. For too long have we done close to nothing. Just sending money over is not enough anymore. I know that there is not so much you can do, Madam Commissioner. But there are some things that actually you can take a lead on, and be the one who will redefine how history will look at us. There are 40 000 displaced in the West Bank; nearly 60 000 people dead in Gaza. But we still lack an EU common action. We need actions. No more words. Stop the Association Agreement – that's where you can take a lead, Madam Commissioner. Sanction the Netanyahu regime, like we have done with the Russians – there you can also take a lead, Madam Commissioner. Sanction the settler economy – there also you can take a lead, Madam Commissioner. We need a leadership of action. No more words. No more hiding behind 'We are sending money', because when the money is there, the aid is stopped. It's not reaching the starving people.

17

Jun

2025

Speeches EN

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Situation in the Middle East (joint debate)

Mr President, earlier today, 51 Palestinians were killed by Israeli tanks just because they were standing in line for food. They were starving. They were not armed terrorists. The Israeli‑backed humanitarian fund is nothing else but a war strategy of Netanyahu. In Stockholm, in The Hague, in Brussels, hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets showing a red line, marching for a ceasefire, for ending this war on the people in Gaza, showing more leadership than many of those who are European leaders today. Thank you to all of you who are demonstrating or taking to the streets, showing us that Europe is not only its leadership. Next week, the leaders of the EU have the opportunity to actually take action. And you, Commissioner, you have the chance to be one of those who will define history. You have the chance to be one of those who will rewrite our complicity with the silence that we have. Europe should not reward war criminals and acts of war crimes with trade deals. It's time to end the Association Agreement with Israel.

21

May

2025

Speeches EN

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The EU's response to the Israeli government's plan to seize the Gaza Strip, ensuring effective humanitarian support and the liberation of hostages (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, representative of the Council, dear colleagues, I'm tired of having this debate in this Chamber. So now I'm speaking to the people of Europe directly. I know, like me, the eyes of the starving children in Gaza, the pictures of the shredded bodies of the children in Gaza are haunting you. 14 000 children are on the brink of death – 14 000, by the end of today – as a direct result of the Israeli siege. And finally, we have seen some movement yesterday. Finally, the Council agreed to review the Association Agreement with Israel. And it is thanks to you, the people of Europe, you made that possible. So don't stop now, don't look away. Write to your Members of Parliament, call your government, email your representatives, ask for them to push for the stopping of the Association Agreement with Israel during the review time. It is a history-defining moment. Let the people of Europe be the ones who define that history.

21

May

2025

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The EU's response to the Israeli government's plan to seize the Gaza Strip, ensuring effective humanitarian support and the liberation of hostages (debate)

Madam President, thank you for giving me the word on the point of order. I noticed that both Ms Bentele and Mr Leggeri had symbols on their jackets that resemble the association that you also made to the symbols of Ms Boylan and I wish to just draw your attention to that. If we want to have no symbols at all, then I suppose that we should not have symbols at all.

1

Apr

2025

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Human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter – annual report 2024 (debate)

Madam President, Madam High Representative, the world is in turmoil. In the heart of all that are the attacks on human rights: war, sexual violence, crimes against humanity, climate crisis, man-made disasters, state-capturing oligarchs that tear down humanitarian aid. The ICC is being threatened; the ICJ is undermined; international law as we have known it is no longer existing. Nobody is coming to the rescue either. This fight will have to be ours to take. There is much to talk about defence now, but if we cannot even defend our fundamental human rights, what are our armies going to be defending? The fight back must start now, and this is how: put the right to abortion in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; create a consent-based definition of rape; prohibit discrimination across the EU; strip anti-democrats like Viktor Orbán of powers. Enough of democratic backsliding, anti-gender backlash and racism. The buck must stop now.

12

Mar

2025

Speeches EN

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Secessionist threats in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the recent escalation (debate)

Mr President, there will be a time when it is too late to act. Bosnia and Herzegovina is wrapped up in a conflict that is driven by Milorad Dodik and his boy band: Putin, Orbán and Vucic. Together they struck a serious blow to the Dayton peace agreement. Mr President, Commissioner, esteemed colleagues, let us not fail the people of Bosnia again. We failed them as we watched the first genocide after the Holocaust unroll in front of our eyes in July 1995, in Srebrenica. We failed them when we watched concentration camps built where Bosnians were systematically murdered, tortured, raped, starved. We failed them when we watched Sarajevo be under siege for three long years. The time for press releases is over. It's time to act! Impose swift sanctions on those who are breaching the Dayton peace agreement. Strengthen our EUFOR mission so we can keep the peace. And continue the support to the Bosnian legal system and institutions, with the aim for them to become members of the EU. Do not let the people of Bosnia down again. Never forget Srebrenica!

11

Mar

2025

Questions EN

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Roadmap for Women`s Rights (debate)

A lot of what you said was utter nonsense, among others, about being a Muslim, that if you are against Islam, then you are for women's rights. Of course, that is just utter nonsense, because in the Islamic world there are women that are so much stronger than you are. Nevertheless, to my question: you don't see yourself as a threat to women's rights? Because I am so much more afraid of you and what you can do with your power here – to my rights, to my girls' rights – with your anti-gender approach and with your racist approach. Don't you consider yourself as a threat to us?

11

Mar

2025

Questions EN

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Roadmap for Women`s Rights (debate)

Dear colleague, you said that the patriarchy that we are talking about that has been oppressing women in Europe, and even in this House to some extent, at points when you see the number of chairs that are women or the positions that are, you know, given to women in politics, but also in finance and all of that and boards. Is that a made up concept or is it a reality that we actually are living day to day? And then you also say that there is an ideology that is called gender equality. So you do not adhere to the fact that women are also humans and they have also human rights?

11

Mar

2025

Speeches EN

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Roadmap for Women`s Rights (debate)

Mr President, on behalf of the Renew Group, we would like to welcome the Commission's Roadmap for Women's Rights. The backlash on gender equality is here, ongoing every day, and now it's cheered on by President Trump. Every victory we have made for women's rights, it has been a hard fight to win it and it has brought prosperity and development to the entire humanity. This movement is so eager on attacking fundamental rights and human rights. The EU is no exception. Ladies and gentlemen, the anti-gender movement is growing in our continent and in this House. The trend of mainstreaming misogyny must end now. We have to mainstream gender equality. This is a call for action to us all feminists to mobilise, unite and to rebuild a better world based on feminism free from patriarchy. We must increase funding for gender equality in the next MFF; enshrine the right to abortion in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights; criminalise rape with a consent-based definition of rape; and finally, the EU needs a feminist foreign policy. It will take us 130 years to eradicate extreme poverty for women and girls, and 60 years to reach gender equality in Europe. It is time to put in a higher gear.

11

Feb

2025

Speeches EN

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Wider comprehensive EU-Middle East Strategy (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, representative of the Council, dear colleagues, President Trump says that he is committed to buying and owning the Gaza Strip. He says that the Palestinians can get much better housing in neighbouring countries. Wow. I did not know, actually, that the conflict in Israel and Palestine was about better housing. And you know what? Surprisingly enough, Prime Minister Netanyahu says it's an innovative proposal. And the world is silent. It may come as a surprise to you, Mr. Donald Trump, but neither people, their rights nor their lands are up for sale. On 25 February, the EU-Israel Association Council is meeting, and we from this House do not expect anything less than the utmost pressure on the Netanyahu Government to commit to a long-term peace, and let me tell you how it starts. It starts with seriously committing by the Israeli side, by Netanyahu, to the ceasefire deal, ending the violence in the occupied West Bank and lifting the ban on UNRWA. And the EU must invest in the rebuilding of Gaza without forced displacement. Let this be very clear: you cannot have safety and peace in Israel if you do not have safety and peace in Palestine. All human rights matter, enough with the double standards.

10

Feb

2025

Answers SV

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Escalation of gang violence in Sweden and strengthening the fight against organised crime (debate)

Thank you, colleague, for your question. Are you aware of the fact that the vast majority of young people who are now in the criminal gangs were born and raised in Sweden? They have gone to Swedish preschool, they have gone to Swedish school. How can you make the connection to immigration? They are a Swedish product, nothing more. It is the Swedish failure that we need to talk about, not about migration. I am also a product of migration. But here I am, just like you. What's happened? Then what has happened?

10

Feb

2025

Speeches SV

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Escalation of gang violence in Sweden and strengthening the fight against organised crime (debate)

Madam President, I would like to thank you for your Sweden is shaken by the brutal gang violence. Children acting as drug couriers, teenagers acting as torpedoes and greedy gang leaders whose ruthlessness and brutality have no borders and who control their illegal activities outside Sweden's borders. This is certainly a European problem. From 1 January to today, there have been 33 detonations and explosions around Sweden. We have a government in Sweden that promised a paradigm shift in the election campaign. Unfortunately, we can only conclude that the current government's policy has not succeeded. There are many things that should have been done differently, which should have been done in the past. Not least, the policy should focus more on strangling recruitment to the gangs. Our first line of defense here is parents, teachers, school staff, social workers and field assistants. It is the school and it is our preventive work that will determine whether these gangs remain in the future. So far, the digital platforms, where much of the recruitment of these young people takes place, are not forced by law to remove content such as advertisements recruiting children. If you talk to customs in Sweden, you can see pretty quickly that they are understaffed. There are now 200 people. They would actually need to be 400 people, and the EU Port Alliance has criticised Sweden precisely for this deficit. But instead of investing more in school and giving young people an alternative, instead of investing in better customs work, more staff and better machines, politics has been boiled down to a competition in tougher penalties and tougher measures against immigrants. Migration policy is not the tool to solve gang violence. And one question: How do you know that there are African gangs in Sweden? When was the last time you were in Baghdad? What kind of bullshit is this?