Speeches

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen. Before I shop for clothes, I usually go to my closet and look through it. What do I have in my closet? What fits with what? What have I not used in a while, and what is fashionable or not? Then I go shopping for clothes. This should really also be applied in our politics when we write laws to those it concerns. We need to look at what we have, how it affects those affected and what we can remove. Impact assessment, implementation, evaluation and follow-up. I know, it doesn't sound very sexy. But if we are serious about creating the conditions and opportunities for economic growth for Europe, to strengthen our global competition, then that is exactly what we have to do. Less is simply more, Both in my closet and here in the European Parliament.

Mr President, thank you very much. Dear colleagues, As a Swedish MEP, I stand here, proud, and represent a proud tradition and history with the Swedish labour market model, where our social partners have been trusted by politicians to manage social dialogue. Where we as politicians actually took a step back and let the social partners work together and find solutions. We are fortunate to live in a region of the world where our economy is developing, and this leads to increased prosperity, increased welfare, but also where social partners have jointly been able to find solutions to an ever-changing labour market. It is only through dialogue between workers and employers that solutions to challenges have been found. It is through the social dialogue between workers and employers that both the economy and our workers' rights have been strengthened, and it is through the dialogue between employers and workers that future challenges can also be solved. That is why, as politicians, we must also step back and actually allow social partners to do their job, namely to find common solutions. We must dare, as politicians, to let go at times to allow those who can, in fact, find the necessary solutions.

Mr President, dear Commissioner. Thank you, firstly, colleagues, for the very good cooperation on this resolution. The military junta in Myanmar has, since the 2021 coup, launched horrific violence against its own population, resulting in the killing of over 3 000 civilians, the imprisonment of over 16 000 political prisoners, using rape as a weapon, also the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, of which many are belonging to the Rohingya people. And this is done with impunity and this is done while Russia, China and Serbia are still sending military equipment to the military regime. And the last trick of this military regime is to dissolve the political parties, resulting in the dissolution of over 40 political parties, which make it impossible to have a political life and an opposition, but also securing the continuation of the military junta in Myanmar. You know what? The sad fact is that the biggest group in Parliament are not participating in this resolution. And I urge every member of the European Parliament belonging to the EPP Group who still believe in democracy for all people, in freedom for all people, in peace for all people to vote in favour of this resolution, because the people of Myanmar both deserve it and need it.

Madam President, (The speaker reads a poem in a non-official language). I greet your banks from afar. Oh, you, the river of Tigris. The river of richness and gardens. This is a poem by the great Iraqi poet al-Jawahiri, who wrote it an exile – a fate that he shared with many oppositional Iraqis during the Saddam oppression, where they were not able to operate in the country because there was a great risk for their lives, not only their lives, but also their relatives and loved ones. You cannot talk about Iraq without also mentioning Saddam, because what we are seeing in Iraq today is the prolongation of the results of the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein. It is unfortunate that, time after time, the European Union has not been choosing actively to stand by the Iraqi people. As was mentioned a moment ago, we didn’t even have a resolution on Iraq back in the October uprising in 2019. And this showcases a historical relation that has not been functioning. Iraq is a halting democracy, but still it is a democracy. There are periodical elections, even though the turn up to the elections is getting lower and lower. There is a constitution that is written by an elected parliament where you had a referendum and that’s unique for the region and the Middle East. But Iraq also needs support, not least when it comes to anti-corruption and poverty, fighting against poverty, and reforming the Constitution and strengthening the social protection and social programmes for those most vulnerable. And we need to fulfil our commitment, when we promised the Iraqi Government to pay for the cost of the evacuation of Iraqi refugees caught between Belarus and Poland, and we have to fulfil that promise. But maybe, above all, Iraq needs to be treated as an equal partner and a neighbour. And I do hope that the Commission will be able to fulfil that commitment and award of recognition of the efforts made by the prime minister of Iraq, al-Sudani, for his work to create a better and more transparent system in Iraq.

Mr President, . Woman, life, freedom: three words that have shaken the world. If you have not heard them, then you have been sleeping. It is time to wake up. If you have not seen the bullets of the IRGC and the freedom—seeking women’s body, if you have not smelt the poisoning gas that has been attacked to the schoolgirls in Iran, then it is time for you to come out of the cave that you have been into. But do you know what it is time for? For the foreign affairs ministers of the EU to actually finally act, to choose a side, to show the same courage as the women of Iran that are shouting on the top of their lungs for freedom. It is time to put the IRGC on the EU terrorist list. We have chosen to stand with the women and girls in Iran until the people of Iran are free. Our fury will be bigger than the oppressor. (The speaker used a slogan in a non-EU language.) Women, life, freedom. Put IRGC on the EU terrorist list now.

Mr President, thank you very much. It is a European failure that we stand here today, once again, for 20 years, and see people dying in the Mediterranean in their search for security and for a better future. This is a European failure. Today, however, I would like to turn to Giorgia Meloni, who said during her election campaign that her Christian heart and her parental heart were burning for Italy and Italian values. The question is, do any refugee children fit in this parenting heart of Giorgia Meloni when she adopts legislation that punishes boats and volunteers who help people out at sea in need? No, it doesn't seem like her heart hears those cries. Ten years ago, when the Lampedusa disaster occurred, when Alan Kurdi’s little body was washed up on the beaches where we take our children to create memories of children – we said: Never again! The images of Alan Kurdi's body were seen on every European mobile phone. We said: Never again! Today we're here again, and I'll say a few names: Ibrahim Salim, three years old, Halil Munir Abdulrezzak, three years old, Madina Hussini, six years old, Alan Kurdi – again – two years old, but in a different shape. Thousands are dying. It is a European shame that we are standing here and that people are still dying.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, Minister Roswall! I call the European Parliament the stronghold of democracy. After all, we are the only directly elected institution in the whole of Europe. We should all be proud of the trust that our constituents have placed in us. I am proud every day to represent the Centre Party, Sweden and our voters. But with that trust comes a heavy responsibility. A responsibility to keep politics clean from cheating, a responsibility to keep politics clean from corruption and, of course, from the influence of foreign power. Unfortunately, in recent months, our constituents have seen us fail in this responsibility. We have seen Viktor Orbán wave away our criticism of his unlawful actions. It is the politicians in Brussels who are corrupt. No code of conduct can prevent a person who is ready to commit a crime from committing a crime. But it should be easy to do right and it should be difficult to destroy what is ours. Corruption must be combated, cheating must be punished and the impact must be made more difficult. The world needs a strong voice for democracy and we can be that voice. But first we have to sweep in front of our own door.

Madam President, thank you very much. Dear colleagues and Commissioner, Today is the day of love. Then we'll celebrate love. But one in three women in the EU fears for their lives. They are afraid of being raped. They're afraid of being beaten. They are afraid of being controlled by a man in their vicinity, perhaps in their home. At the same time, we have heard here a lot about how this is unimportant, about how this does not matter, when it is one of our most important tools that first highlights the violent relationships that exist. It tries to prevent and criminalize, it also tries to protect. So there are a number of tools. I'd like to know what the crazy right has ideas for protecting women? No, these six countries that have not ratified the Istanbul Convention yet, they must do so now. So this is a strong call to you: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia – whose president was here today talking about the fundamental values of the EU, but has failed to get their country to ratify the Istanbul Convention – Lithuania and Slovakia. Ratify the Convention now.

Madam President, thank you very much. Madam Commissioner, Madam Minister. The extreme right in this House is vomiting out its xenophobia without any consequences. In their hateful, extreme propaganda, there is no responsibility for the radicalisation they have contributed to our societies. They are good at pointing out everyone else as terrorists, but are unable to see for themselves their own responsibility in what has led to right-wing terrorism in Europe. I am sincerely afraid to meet any of your supporters one evening out on the street. Not to mention my concern for my children if they meet your supporters who are constantly listening to you – and you have been given a political platform here to spread your hatred, your conspiracy theories and your racism. In fact, I and all other Europeans have the right to be free from violations and racism and terrorism in the streets and squares of the European Union. The battle for democracy takes place every day. But we must not give up. Democracy is the product of a hard and long struggle, and therefore we must constantly fight for it. Let us not forget the principles that are close to our hearts, the principles that have built our Union. But let us also not forget those who constantly undermine these principles, leading to people being put to death because of your hateful rhetoric.

Madam President, thank you very much. Mr Prime Minister, Commission, honourable Members! Sweden is taking over the presidency at a turbulent time – the war in Ukraine and global inflation hitting the EU as a whole – but at the same time at an important time. Our citizens across the EU are looking to the EU for solutions that are difficult to find. It is no secret, Prime Minister, that my party, the Centre Party, is pursuing a policy that goes against much of the Swedish government's direction. But today I am proud to listen to you, Ulf Kristersson, here in the stronghold of democracy in the European Parliament. And it is with an expectant pride that I have followed the beginning of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. At the same time, there are concerns in a wide range of policy areas. It is about the fate of the climate. We have the biggest climate package in the history of the EU on the table, but half of the proposals are not yet on target. At the same time as the government at home is wavering, it will now try to bax a package of legislation in goal to secure climate neutrality by 2050. It is about migration. For eight years, we in this House have been fighting against the Council to pass legislation in the area of migration in order to have a sustainable, legally secure and humane refugee and migration policy. Will the Swedish government now also be able to take responsibility for migration policy in the future? That's the question. Last but not least, my concern is about our democracy in the EU. Our Union is built on values, and if we are not able to defend them, who are we? We have a real identity crisis. The Center Party will always be a blow to illiberal leaders like Orbán and Kaczyński They should be held accountable when they threaten our liberal democracy. Will your government be able to defend European values when going backwards at home? After almost 30 years in the EU, Sweden now has to shoulder the great responsibility of holding the presidency of the Council of Ministers. I wish the Government the best of luck, and I hope that all of us Swedes make sure to do the best and most of the Presidency.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen. The EU's motto is United in Diversity. We shall promote each other's diversity, between Member States and between citizens, and strengthen each other. However, in several Member States citizens are oppressed for one reason only: disability. They are put into institutions for life. They are deprived of their fundamental rights, such as voting, and where they are allowed to vote, polling stations are not securely accessible to them. It is completely unacceptable not to allow people to live their lives fully because of a disability. Clear signals have been sent from Parliament with this legislation to those Member States where the rights of persons with disabilities are not respected and guaranteed. Clear signals have also been sent to the Commission, where we now also want to see an accessibility card in place as soon as possible for people with disabilities. And now you can't drag your feet behind you. To those Member States which are not yet able to guarantee the rights of all their citizens: We're watching you! I'm keeping an eye on you! It is time for you to abolish these oppressive laws. I would like to thank Mrs Pelletier for her excellent cooperation. I would like to thank all the groups from right to middle to left for good cooperation, where we put aside our ideological and political differences and actually came up with a good text, a good proposal. This topic is so important to so many European citizens, and we should not shy away from it because of politics.

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, Twizire and Rebecca are two young Congolese women who are at the moment, as we speak, being treated for horrendous wounds after being raped at the same time as them being pregnant. They are like tens of thousands of Congolese women who are being treated for their wounds, and even more who never got treated. Rape is used as a systematic, strategic weapon of war by landlords who are financed by state actors in the region. On 20 October, over 180 000 Congolese were forced to be displaced, adding up now to nearly 6 million internally displaced Congolese. This madness has to stop. I call upon you, colleagues, I call upon the Commission and the Council, to keep pushing for peacebuilding in Congo. But there cannot be peace without justice. That’s why I promise tonight that these men, these landlords who are raping are going to be brought to justice. Mark my words: you’re all going to be punished.

Madam Chair, dear colleagues, it is amazing how that government in Qatar is using this to say that this is a smear campaign, that this is about racism, this is about them being a middle Eastern country when in fact there is nothing more racist than when you treat a migrant workers like this. Because, let’s admit it, if they were Europeans, this treatment would not be in place. It is because they are Asian. It is because they are poor that this government is protecting these oppressors and there is nothing more racist than when a government protects the ones who are abusing human rights, the ones who are not paying these salaries for these migrant workers. And to the FIFA chair: You suddenly started to understand how it is to be an Arab. Really? Do you know how it is to be a woman in the Middle East, deprived of your human dignity? You cannot file for divorce because then your children will be taken from you. You cannot be yourself. You cannot choose what to wear. You cannot even apply for a passport without a man. Do you understand how it is to be an Arab woman? No, you don’t.

Mr President, thank you very much. When I sat in the Swedish parliament, there was a debate about democracy in the Swedish parliament, and then Johan Pehrson, the Liberal Party chairman, ran into the hemicycle when the Sweden Democrats MP said that white people are easier for democracy than people like me, who come from the Middle East. Then Johan Pehrson rushed in and took a stand against this racist claim. From the anger that Johan Pehrson knew then, to today sitting in a government with the Sweden Democrats in the driver's seat, where they decide. An anti-democratic party decides, and Johan Pehrson is so happy for this cooperation. I wonder what happened? We haven't changed. We are still standing up for liberal democracy, for human rights, for cooperation, for international solidarity. What happened? Well, the established parties, it is they who have changed by first saying ‘but they are right about certain things’, then they adopt certain policies to win political points, and eventually they sit in the same government. It is our indifference when these forces are allowed in. No, enough is enough!

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, representatives of the Council, ladies and gentlemen. Schengen is undoubtedly one of the biggest gains we have with the EU. And when you ask our citizens what is the point of Europe, freedom of movement is one of the first things that our citizens mention. That is what enhanced cooperation means and what it leads to. This is the confidence we have in each other when we do what we have decided to do. That's what it will be: Our citizens will benefit. Unfortunately, however, this freedom is constantly under attack and under threat in several Member States, picking short-term and cheap points by introducing and prolonging border controls in a pale effort to show strength and authority. The resources to maintain these illegal border controls can be used in so many other ways. Call me if you want tips on how you can use them, instead of preventing ordinary Swedes from going to Denmark to work and earn a living. What is often forgotten to say is that these border controls are detrimental economically to our border regions. I would therefore call on the European Court of Justice to crack down on these arbitrary and illegal border controls now.

Mr President, three weeks of continuous courage shown by the women in Iran. Persian, Azeri, Kurdish women are paying the ultimate price for freedom – their lives. This is a courage that has not been met by you, Mr Borrell, when you didn’t take the opportunity during the General Assembly in the UN and take a stand for the woman in Iran. Enough for the press releases now, enough for the mumbling. It’s time to speak out. It’s time to act. The hands of the regime of the mullahs in Iran are stained with blood. Neither history nor Allah or God Almighty will forgive you for the crimes against humanity that you are committing against your own citizens. We, the peoples and the citizens of the EU demand the unconditional and immediate stop of all the violence against the women and men in Iran. Until Iran is free our fury will be bigger than the oppressors. Until you, the women of Iran are free, we are going to stand with you: (the speaker used a slogan in a non-official language) – Women, Life, Freedom!

Madam President, thank you very much. Madam Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank you very much. Once again, we are horrified by the abominable and inhumane nature with which many of our Roma citizens are forced to live, and how police brutality and racism only add to the poverty and misery of Roma communities. We are appalled at how mismanagement and the Commission's inability to act allow discrimination to continue, as if it were something new, and as if it were the first time the Commission has looked between its fingers as states and governments slip at their democratic values. Why is nothing happening? In Bulgaria, we see how EU money is being used to train police officers to fight so-called radicalisation in Roma communities. In Hungary, EU money is spent on demolishing Roma houses and evicting Roma families and building segregated housing for Roma only. Anti-Gypsyism against Roma is flourishing across the EU, often driven by governments themselves. Enough is enough! This Commission must act when countries abuse their own populations with EU money. This Commission must show that it seriously wants to stand up for democracy and human rights and the equal right and value of all.

Mr President, thank you very much. Thank you for a very good report, despite a very messy start, because of the crazy right over there trying to hinder the work. In addition to the systematic dismantling of rights in our Union in several quarters, several governmental parties have used these times of crisis to reduce the rights and freedoms of European citizens. In many cases, governments have used the security argument to increase the coverage of our citizens and further curtail privacy and limit opportunities for already marginalised groups, such as LGBTIQ people. People with disabilities have been deprioritised in the care queues, as if their lives were not as valuable. Women's autonomous right to their own bodies has been restricted, and our womb has become political propaganda for the far right. Racism thrives and women in the EU are beaten and murdered by a man in their own homes. They are controlled and restricted. We have to do better. We need to do more. This is simply not good enough in the world's only union of democracies.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, thank you very much. There is a difference between Hungary and the Hungarian government and Viktor Orbán. As you have heard, we are quite tired of standing in this House deploring the corrupt and authoritarian regime of Viktor Orbán. At the same time, we are pleased that the Commission has finally begun to implement the democracy lock or what is called the rule of law mechanism. I myself was in Hungary a few days before the elections and saw hope in the eyes of Hungarian citizens and the question: Why haven't we acted before? The longer we take, the deeper Viktor Orbán and his lackeys put their claws in Hungarian society. I would also like to say that I am very much in favour of the Commission now wanting to add corruption as a point to the European Magnitsky Act. I very much look forward to the conclusions of such a review of the accounts and financial affairs of Mr Orbán and his lackeys. There will be a lot of dogs buried there, funded with our taxpayers' money. (The speaker declined to reply to a post ("blue card") by Ádám Kósa.)

Mr President, dear colleagues, dear Commissioner, I would like to start by thanking the Commission for adhering to Parliament when we sent a strong signal, with the support of two thirds of the votes here in Parliament, when it came to labour migration policy and the law report that I was rapporteur for. Thank you for that. I do hope that we will also gather strong support and remain united on this matter of the Talent Partnership, because these are of utter importance to our work, to our Union. Firstly, because the Talent Partnership can be used to create legal pathways to the Union for migrants who want to create better lives, who want to be part of our communities, who want to work – better, safe, legal pathways. Secondly, they can be part of our solutions to face the challenges of the ageing population, where we have a decrease in our labour force, meaning also a decrease of our welfare state or also the build of our welfare state. Thirdly, the Talent Partnership can improve the growth of our economies. As we speak, we are losing 2% every day of our productivity with the unfilled vacancies on the labour market. That’s why these Talent Partnerships are very, very important. But for them to be able to work and function, the first thing we need is good legislation, and we need to change the mind—set and narrative around migration, because now we are mixing everything. We need to know that not everyone wants to come to the EU. We are competing on a global scale over these talented, skilled people and we are losing in competitiveness. We are not as attractive as we used to be, or as we think. Thirdly, I think that we also need to work on the circularity of migration, so we prevent the brain drain, and we ensure that people who come also return. One last thing I would like to say, Mr President of the Parliament, is that I am very tired, I am really sick and tired, of being addressed as ‘the different one’. This Parliament contains non—ethnic Europeans. I myself came as an unaccompanied minor when I was 15 years old from Iraq to Sweden, and I am so tired of this racist narrative. I hope that whenever it comes, you stop it, because it is not acceptable. I am a part of the EU as much as you are and there are even more people who can be that! (applause)

Madam President, the crackdown on democracy in Cambodia is not news to us in this House or in our Union. For years, members of the Cambodian opposition have been – if not their parties dissolved – prosecuted, imprisoned and even killed. The prisons of Cambodia are overcrowded with activists, with trade unionists, with political oppositions, with journalists, with land rights activists, with human rights activists, and their one and only demand is a free and democratic society in Cambodia. Every day, leaders like Mu Sochua, Sam Rainsy, Kem Sokha and many others are still fighting the good fight. We have some brave Cambodians here today in our Parliament, and allow me, please, Madam President, to welcome them and let us today give them a strong message of support and let this message of support reach the Prime Minister in Cambodia – Hun Sen and his regime – that we are watching very closely and we stand ready to act with all our tools available, sanctions included, if the upcoming local elections in Cambodia will not be free, fair and transparent.

Mr President, thank you very much. Pegasus technology was developed for governments to fight terrorism and prevent crime, but the government of Hungary has been spying on its journalists, the government of Poland has been spying on opposition politicians and now this list has also become longer, with countries such as Luxembourg and Spain and the Belgian police. I am very pleased that our own Liberal group, Renew, has been the one who has started the work to create a committee of inquiry into how this technology has been used, with Sophie in 't Veld as the champion. But I would urge you all as you go home to your home countries to demand answers from your governments and see which governments have acquired this technology. I myself have written a letter to the Swedish Minister of Justice, Morgan Johansson, demanding to know whether Sweden has acquired this technology and whether it has been used. I would urge you to do the same.

Mr President, thank you very much. Honourable Commissioner, honourable Members! I survived a war when I was ten years old that changed my life forever. I remember how my single mom grabbed me and ran. I remember how she tried to protect my body with her little body thinking she could make me live in case the bombs hit us. I also remember the little Syrian boy Alan, whose body was washed up on the Greek beaches. He fled the war in Syria but never managed to get to safety. I also remember the little, lifeless, 18-month-old boy Kirill from Mariupol, his lifeless body and the desperate attempts of his parents and doctors to save his life. Couldn't be saved. What we are seeing today is a great tragedy, but we must not allow this tragedy to deprive us of action. We must do everything possible to give our support to the Ukrainian people, and we can do this in two ways: One is to immediately establish humanitarian corridors to protect Ukrainian civilian refugees, and the EU must give all the support we can to protect them. The second thing is that we have to put a lot of pressure on Putin. Russian oil smells like Ukrainian blood. As we continue to buy Russian oil, we also continue to give money to this war. This is probably the Union's biggest test in many decades. Let us continue to stand united for the people of Ukraine. Slava Ukraini.

Madam President, thank you very much. Dear Members, Commissioner, If we have ever hesitated in the face of the warnings that our liberal democracy is under attack, as well as our institutions, our political system, our European way of life, then Putin's war against Ukraine has shown its true face with full force. However, Putin's war is not only going on against Ukraine, but it is also going on against the liberal democratic world order. These are hybrid wars and cyber-attacks against our institutions and the deliberate dissemination of false information and manipulation of messages to create division and distrust. However, these regimes, the authoritarian regimes, have not stopped there. They have also established close contacts with parties present in this house. Italian Lega Nord, French National Assembly, Austrian FPÖ have all concluded cooperation agreements with Putin's party. German AfD and Hungarian Fidesz were used as election observers in the elections in Russian-controlled Donetsk and Luhansk. In Sweden, the leader of the Sweden Democrats Jimmie Åkesson could not choose between Joe Biden or Vladimir Putin. The EU has shown itself to be united against the war. Now is also the time to show that we are united against the war against Europe. It is not only peace that we must defend, but also our fundamental freedom.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to thank you, Anna Donáth, for this important work. Even before the pandemic struck, we knew that some governments in our Union spent a great deal of time creating a narrative about civil society organisations that ultimately led to the dismantling of their activities. Right-wing populist governments, such as in Hungary and Slovenia, continue to restrict, defame and, at worst, criminalise the activities of associations. Often, these governments start by attacking organisations that defend women’s rights, refugees’ rights, LGBTIQ rights, Europeans with disabilities’ rights, in other words organisations that reflect the essence of what we call the European Union, our European Union – values, our common values, which right-wing populists hate most of all, which right-wing populists want to dismantle, dismantle with all their might. As long as associations are silenced, threatened, the foundations of our liberal democracy are also threatened. During the pandemic, some governments went pretty hard, pushing ahead, and banning the activities of organisations. Now that our societies are restarting, when we come back, all our rights and freedoms must be reclaimed. That is why I would like to see in the Commission's next report on the rule of law a specific chapter dedicated to the pre-conditions for civil society organisations. There is still time to reverse the trend. There is still time to win back our free union.