Speeches

Mr President, thank you very much. The Commission! Dear colleagues, Russia’s war against Ukraine has a very high price. The costs can be measured in many dimensions, in damages and losses for the whole society and individual people, ultimately human lives. There is no one but Russia to pay for the war you have chosen to start when you invade a peaceful neighboring country. Last autumn, we decided to send the proceeds of the frozen Russian assets to Ukraine. Now it is time to take the next step and free up the assets themselves, which in Europe alone amount to around EUR 200 billion. Europe's financial institutions and markets should not be a tool for warlords to secure their assets in the protection of our legal systems. Russia will pay! Slava Ukraini!

We live in a world where we depend on each other. European agriculture also depends on inputs, on fuel, on energy from other parts of the world. It seems that this debate overlooks it. We are dependent on each other and the more we can cooperate and trade with each other, create friendships and collaborations, find forms in which we can all win, the more we get a growing economy and a better world. If we say no to free trade agreements, if we cooperate less, how does it make Europe's farmers stronger? Not in one way, if the truth be told.

I think it is very good that we hear such an example of how lies and disinformation spread from the margins of politics. They are threatening that people will get cancer and that this will basically kill people. These are lies, these are disinformation, and you should be ashamed. Stop spreading lies. Read inside. We are all knowledgeable about what is in this draft agreement. It is clear that Europe benefits from competitiveness. This is what makes all sectors, including the agricultural sector, strong and prosperous. You should understand that, too.

Madam President, I would like to thank you for your For 25 years, the EU has been negotiating with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay – or, as we say, Mercosur – to trade and cooperate more with each other. There is finally a deal on the table. For those of you who want to stop this, I would like to ask: Why? Why do you want to leave walkover to China and Russia in South America? These negotiations began at a time when the world was most concerned about the millennium bug. Do you remember? For those of you who say it's gone too fast, I'd like to ask: Do you think a quarter of a century is too short a time? With free trade, we strengthen the EU's competitiveness, lower prices in stores and reduce vulnerability in the event of crisis and war. We create export opportunities for European industry, agriculture and services. But not just that. We are forging relationships between countries, businesses and people at a time when the United States is threatening the world with a trade war. I look forward to voting in favour of the Mercosur agreement.

Madam President, Donald Trump has been elected as the new president of the United States, not the world. With tariffs and barriers, he promises to make America great and force others to dance to his tune. But what President Trump doesn't say is that the price will be paid by the American consumers. It's absurd that the new president is pushing us into a trade war. Instead, we should be joining forces to face the threats from our common enemies, Russia and China, and stand up for rules‑based trade. The Emperor is naked. Trade wars make us all poorer. To our friends around the world, I want to say we are open for business. To the US, I want to state that we are ready to respond. When the US seeks to divide us, the strength of the EU lies in our European unity.

Madam President, I would like to thank you for your Sweden's worst mass shooting has shocked Europe. My thoughts are in Örebro, with the murdered, with you who are injured and you who are grieving. The most serious crime can have different faces, but regardless, it ruthlessly affects completely innocent people. It kills lives and spreads fear. It threatens the foundations of our open society. Serious organised crime is now spreading in Europe as a root system. The Liberals want the EU to terrorise the criminal network Foxtrot in order to fight and act tougher together. Most – 70% – of serious criminals operate in at least three EU countries at the same time. Links with foreign power are a fact. If we are to overcome the terror of gang crime in Sweden and Europe, a powerful upgrade of the EU's law enforcement cooperation is required. That is why we want a European police force with a mandate to act. Swedish gang criminals should not be able to relax on the Costa del Sol. We need to establish a European criminal record and an intelligence service. We need to protect witnesses in other EU countries and we need special prosecutors to chase criminal profits. Serious organised crime attacks our freedom, security and trust. Dare to use hard pinches for soft values is necessary.

Madam President, I would like to thank you for your The Commission! The Council! Colleagues! Plastic that spreads in the oceans is a pure curse. Thousands of tons of plastic of all sizes are spreading in the environment and harming animals and nature and also us humans. Without breaking it down, it remains there almost forever. Why is it so hard to get the world's countries to just get along and stop this? Yes, because there are strong interests who make money from the plastic, but who do not pay for the rubbish. There are many stakeholders, but of course the oil industry, the oil producers stand out. Negotiations on a global plastics agreement crashed, and now the United States has also left the Paris Agreement. It's easy to get gloomy, but we and the world can do better. I hope that soon enough we will have our own European legislation against the spread of pellets and microplastics. Next week we will meet in trialogue negotiations and I am convinced of a good result. Once again, Europe can lead the way in the field of the environment.

Mr President, Council, Commission, colleagues, the United States has a new president. Exactly what that means for us remains an open question. The strong link across the Atlantic is as important today as it was the day before yesterday. But President Trump is putting our relationship at risk. Today, Europe must stand united behind our commitments to the climate as the US once again withdraws from the Paris Agreement. Today, Europe must stand with Ukraine as the US falters. This is the best investment we can make for our common security. Regardless of what President Trump does we will fight for free trade, for growing economies. Donald Trump is the new President of America, not of the world!

Mr President, I would like to thank you. Now at the end of the year, we can conclude that 2024 is the warmest year ever recorded. It will be the first time that a calendar year's average temperature is over one and a half degrees warmer than in pre-industrial times. Almost 20 years ago, the so-called Stern Report came out, which concluded that the benefits of taking action now outweigh the economic costs of waiting. Today we see how it turned out – the climate crisis has a price. An ambitious European climate policy with a level playing field for a functioning market and reduced emissions is the way forward for growth and prosperity. Dismantling climate policy – it only makes us all poorer.

Madam President, I would like to thank you for your Alien power threatens critical infrastructure at the bottom of the Baltic Sea. Protecting and protecting our sea is a concern for the whole EU at a time when Russia is escalating the war against Ukraine. We need to work more together to protect marine infrastructure. It can be to jointly patrol the sea and, together with the defence industry, develop technology and innovative solutions to be able to monitor in real time. The EU must work with and within NATO to also better protect the sea. We need to use the law to act, not to let it limit our efforts. Guilty people must be judged and punished. It is time to take back control of the Baltic Sea.

Madam President, Commission, colleagues, last week, we marked day 1000 of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Despite our common efforts, our military aid to Ukraine is far from sufficient and it comes too late. And our economic pressure on Russia works, but it is not enough. Putin seizes every sign of weakness from Europe as an invitation to escalate, and the Ukrainians pay for it with their lives. Let me be clear: it is time for us to speak the only language that Putin understands, it is time to step up and make use of our power as a Union for defence. Ukraine has the right to defend itself, and we must stand with them for as long as it takes. Slava Ukraini!

Madam President, I would like to thank you for your On the Baltic Sea there is wind in the sails of Putin's shadow fleet. Shady shipowners without insurance make good money shipping sanctioned oil and gas. They are making sure that the Russian war chest is replenished and funding the missiles falling over Ukraine. The Shadow Fleet is a ticking environmental bomb, and the Navy warns of spy boats. Now the EU must put an end to trade in Russian oil and gas and impose sanctions on all shadow ships, against those who finance, repair, broker them. Without insurance, you should not even be allowed to move around the Baltic Sea. The Liberals called for the EU to stop Putin's shadow fleet. Now we're hooking arms with the United States and our allies and getting it done.

Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues, thank you for this important debate. Listening to you and my colleagues in this Chamber, I am proud that the support for Ukraine remains so strong also after the European elections. I want the vote later today to be the first of many votes we take in this mandate to support Ukraine, because our support will remain firm until Ukraine's victory, until the last Russian soldiers have left Ukrainian territory. But I hear dangerous arguments from the extreme right willing to surrender to our enemy in the name of peace. But let me be clear. There will be no peace in Europe as long as Putin attacks Ukraine, as long as Putin occupies Ukraine, as long as Putin still tries to steal a country and steal its future. There will be no peace in such a situation. Instead of being worried about the legal base of this proposal, you should save your worries for Putin's next step. Since the first day of Putin's war, it has been clear one day Russia will have to pay. One day Russia must pay for its destruction of the Ukrainian society and the rebuilding of a future Ukraine, a Ukraine in the European family. Already today, we, the European Parliament, can make this happen. We can make Russia pay.

Mr President, Commission, colleagues, since the first day of Putin's war, it has been clear: one day Russia must pay for the destruction of Ukrainian society and the rebuilding of future Ukraine. But already today, the European Parliament can make it happen – by using the windfall profits from frozen Russian assets, we can send EUR 45 billion to Ukraine and let Russia pay. The brave Ukrainian people are not only defending their country and territory; what we see is an existential defence of values – for freedom, democracy and for Europe. The price the Ukrainian people pay for this war cannot be measured in euros or in dollars. Nevertheless, we cannot escape the financial dimension of this war. Ukraine's economy is under huge pressure, and after years of Russian attacks on infrastructure, power plants, cities and villages, schools and hospitals, on houses and homes, we need financial support. The need for financial support is urgent. Our assistance is a question of moral duty and responsibility. Today's decision here in the European Parliament marks a historic moment. It takes place at a decisive moment for Europe, for Ukraine and for the free world. The EU and the G7 countries, including the US, are now moving forward together with a completely new model of support for Ukraine. This means borrowing funds to a value of EUR 45 billion, in which the EU undertakes to cover up to EUR 35 billion. The repayment of the loan will be financed by the returns from frozen Russian assets in Europe. This is the first time this strategy is being applied in a structured manner and on such a large scale by lenders across the EU and G7. Not long ago, some said it wouldn't be possible, but today we will show they were wrong. We want to – and we will – make Russia pay and hold them accountable for their aggression and horrendous crimes. Despite the rapid time frame, we have done our democratic duty in Parliament to scrutinise and vote on this proposal. I want now to take the opportunity to thank my colleagues in the Committee on International Trade, the Committee on Budgets and the Committee on Foreign Affairs for their excellent cooperation in this simplified procedure, in this very urgent situation. What is happening in Ukraine right now, while we are sitting here, will soon be our common European history. Today, we, the European Parliament, will make Russia pay.

Madam President, I would like to thank you for your Commission, colleagues, listeners! The gang's worst enemy, it's the EU. This morning, the news came that Europol, in cooperation with Swedish and other police authorities, managed to crack another forum where criminals could have planned murders and drug deals completely undisturbed. In the words of Catherine De Bolle, Head of Europol: We have shown that when we work together, the criminals cannot hide anywhere. Cooperation is good, but the Liberals, we want to go further. We have been at the forefront of the idea that the EU should have a common police force, a police force that can conduct preliminary investigations and investigate serious crimes across national borders. We would like to see a European police office in Sweden. Europol's revelation today is an important victory in the fight against organised crime across the EU. We Liberals want this legislature to be the starting point for a common European police force, because together we are breaking the gangs and defending freedom and security in Europe.

Madam President, thank you very much. The EU has done a lot to reduce climate emissions in recent years, but most of the work is ahead of us. To reach the goal of a carbon-neutral Europe by 2050, we need to decide on reducing emissions by 95% by 2040. Without an investment in European nuclear power, we will not get there. Climate change affects all life on Earth. The science is clear. Today, we are debating the first EU climate risk report that contains dizzying conclusions: Heat and drought, torrential rains and floods, extreme weather will affect everyone – urban and rural, inland and coastal. A warmer climate presents us with new health problems. The elections to the European Parliament on June 9 are a climate election. Don't let the right get the power to tear down climate policy.

Madam President, thank you very much. We must never forget what Russia's war against Ukraine is all about. Putin does not accept that Ukraine has repeatedly chosen the European path. They have deposed a president, carried out a revolution and fought a war for almost ten years to become part of the European family. Ukraine is not only fighting for its own existence; They fight for us too. It defends its dream of becoming part of the European democratic family at a very, very high price. Now it is our duty to welcome Ukraine into the EU. The same is true of Moldova, which we cannot turn our backs on and let them fall into Russia's clutches. EU membership means requirements that must be met. But it also requires us to shape a European cooperation that is suitable for more people. This is how we build peace for the Europe of the future.

Mr President, thank you very much. It's hard to be a free-trader today. Although more than ever we need to work together and trade with more people, we have only achieved two free trade agreements – with New Zealand and with Vietnam – during this mandate. That's not enough. Prosperity for billions of people is lost and we are missing out on important collaborations on climate and environment, technology development and investment. It's such a pity. In the run-up to the WTO ministerial conference later in February, the EU's message must be clear. Open rules-based trade is the main guarantor of growth and prosperity and we need a functioning WTO that stands up for these principles. That is why the WTO must also be reformed in order to function. Disputes must be resolved and the trade organisation must be at the forefront so that we can also tackle climate emissions through trade policy. This requires sustainable trade, not green protectionism. Trade must also operate in a digital environment. Through trade policy, we can work to eliminate harmful subsidies that are bad for the climate and deplete our biodiversity and our oceans. But at the end of the day, this is about the multilateral system, about standing up for multilateralism as in a time when peace and freedom must be defended.

Mr President, Commission, colleagues. Three and a half years ago, the people of Belarus took to the streets demanding democracy and human dignity. They displayed immense courage, standing up against the regime. Thousands of Belarusians paid for their bravery with their freedom. On 23 January this year, at least 200 citizens were arrested by Lukashenka’s security forces, most of them family members of already imprisoned opposition figures. That is happening now, and it’s no coincidence. At the end of February, Belarus is organising the spectacle that the regime refers to as ‘an election’. But it’s certainly not an election. It’s an act of abuse and as such it must be scrutinised. We must still support free Belarus and all the political prisoners have to be released.

Mr President, thank you very much. It is time for a European police force that can also conduct preliminary investigations in EU countries. In fact, 70% of serious criminal networks operate in three EU countries – at least three EU countries – at the same time. Crime and terrorism have never stopped at national borders. But the EU's work to combat crime is extremely neglected, because there are forces that oppose deeper European cooperation when it really comes to a head. Had we had a European police force in place now – as the Liberals have been demanding for decades – we would have been much better equipped to stop gang crime both in Sweden and in Europe. The decision we are about to take is very important and very welcome. This is a step forward for police cooperation in the EU, but it is not enough.

Mr President, thank you very much. The Commission, colleagues and listeners! The threat of climate change must be taken seriously. Using the market and consumer power is one of the strongest drivers of change. As a consumer, you have to be able to make informed choices. Many of us want to take responsibility for climate change, but it's not always that easy. One thing that may be good from a climate point of view may be less good in another way. As a consumer, you must be able to trust the information you receive about the products, and it is not okay to mislead or danger with false claims. A sustainability stamp must deliver on its promises. welcomes the fact that the EU is now empowering consumers and using the market for the green transition; That's what we have to do for the sake of the climate, and that's how we get results.

Mr President, thank you very much. Since 1970, the year I was born, temperatures have increased faster than ever in the last 2,000 years. It depends on us humans. This is due to our use of fossil fuels – coal, gas and oil – and it has made us richer and given us the growth we have today. But COP28 was a great success, with an agreement finally reached on the elimination of fossil fuels. The fossil era must be over. We also need to look at the details and that there are small openings that fossil fuels – read gas – could be a transitional solution. No, fossil fuels are never a solution or a transitional solution. Today, we will be proud of the EU's efforts for COP28. The EU has shown once again that it is the strongest, most powerful, most important and most ambitious environmental organisation in the world.

Mr President, thank you very much. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is not only a humanitarian disaster; Putin is also guilty of a complete environmental catastrophe that will affect generations to come. Russia shows total contempt for all living things. The Kakhovka dam was blown up, groundwater and sewage systems collapse, dangerous toxins spread, valuable nature is wiped out, ecosystems collapse. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is about to collapse due to Russian attacks. At the same time, the Russian armed forces are evicting huge amounts of climate emissions. It is a mockery of all of us who are trying to fight to reduce emissions. Russia must not only be held accountable for the damage and environmental crimes; ecocide, which it is guilty of, the Russian state must also bear and take full financial responsibility for restoring its damage. Russia and Putin are a threat to Europe's security, but also to our common environment. Now is the time to tighten sanctions and use all frozen assets to rebuild Ukraine.

Mr President, thank you very much. The EU and Taiwan have a lot in common. Together we believe in liberal democracy, the importance of free and rules-based trade and respect for human rights. Similarly, Taiwan is an important ally in the fight against Russia and in support of Ukraine. In a troubled world where more and more countries are turning their backs on democracy and liberal values, Europe needs allies. We need friends to build strong partnerships with for peace, freedom and prosperity. An agreement on trade, investment, secure supply chains – no matter what they call such an agreement – is needed between the EU and Taiwan. Not only does it bring economic benefits to both parties, but it also sends a strong signal to the outside world and to Beijing not to dictate with whom the EU should act or cooperate. With this, I would like to say that I am calling on the Commission, Commissioner Dombrovskis, to say that it is time to let Taiwan into the heat and start negotiations on cooperation for an agreement.

Mr President, thank you very much. In Europe, we consume about a quarter of the world's raw materials, but produce only 3%. We are therefore largely dependent on imports, especially from China. Trade creates wealth, but if we are naive, it can cost us dearly. Now we are changing the climate, but electrification requires critical metals and minerals in huge quantities. Large deposits are found in Sweden and in the rest of Europe, but we do not take advantage of them today as we should. Replacing Russia's gas cranes with China as the main supplier of raw materials is a really lousy idea. The green transition must be sustainable – sustainable all the way. It must not be at the expense of nature or the economy or traditions of indigenous peoples. When we vote on a plan to increase the extraction and recycling of critical raw materials in the EU, we will show that sustainability requirements are high and can be reconciled.