Speeches

Mr President, social media is by far the most significantly and widely used form of mass media in our modern society. Undoubtedly, social media holds immense potential as a unifying force, fostering communities and bringing people together. Despite this, it is often misused to spread fake news and propaganda, and to manipulate and target people towards a particular way of thinking, which is aimed at destabilising modern democratic processes and societies. We increasingly see malicious motives and dishonest rhetoric from powerful, influential people, using social media's ability to circulate and disperse both information and also disinformation. The recent wave of violent riots in the UK after the spread of misinformation online, and Elon Musk's decision not to comply with Brazilian court orders leading to the blocking of X in the country are other examples of how tech giants are increasingly behaving with impunity before governments and before our courts. It is not the first time that lies and hate spread on digital platforms are sparking and fuelling violence, or changing the course of elections in countries around the world, even in Europe. A recent report commissioned by the S&D Group clearly shows that coordinated disinformation networks flooded X before the EU elections in France, in Germany, in Italy. The scale of disinformation networks shows they could – and did – take over an entire debate, changing its narrative completely by flooding X with posts, reposts, comments and likes. Social media companies need to be held more accountable for spreading disinformation. The Digital Services Act represents the EU's first step in protecting ourselves against the spread of misinformation and preserving our democracies from such influence. However, the effectiveness of the DSA hinges on robust enforcement and a firm commitment from the new Commission. We need assurance that the multi-million euro fines under the DSA will be used to rein in social media companies that break the law and exploit our democracies. Last but not least, it's crucial to acknowledge that we cannot combat the issue in isolation. The S&D Group strongly advocates for the EU to strengthen the global roles of the DSA and heed the UN Secretary-General's call for global measures to safeguard our democracies from the digital chaos that social media platforms have unleashed.

Mr President, the media freedom act is a very important one, the first of its kind, which on the contrary just said my colleague, David Casa, is also a piece of legislation that the Maltese Government has also supported at European level and also in the Council, and has implemented a number of reforms in order to ultimately also strengthen media freedom in Malta. At a time when public opinion is increasingly fragmented and exposed to manipulation, particularly on an online basis, this legislation is needed more than ever. This law concerns media freedom, editorial independence, access to quality information and the protection of journalists. Although it is not a perfect law, it is clear that this is a step in the right direction with the aim of leading to more free media, more vibrant media on a European basis, and how we will be doing so: by protecting journalists and the independence of the media, by safeguarding freedom from editorial interference and unlawful surveillance, by guaranteeing media pluralism, by safeguarding the independence of the media and even those of the public service, and by ensuring an economic environment in which independent journalism can continue to flourish. We have improved the Commission’s proposal, and to this end I will support this media freedom act.

Ms President, I would like to make a point of order on the last vote on which we will be voting today - on the extension of Regulation 168 - which ultimately amounts to discrimination against one of the most fundamental principles of this European Parliament; that any member of the European Parliament has the right to speak in the official language of his country. Maltese for twenty years in this European Parliament suffers from this derogation which in one parliamentary term after another is being extended and excludes Maltese from being used by me, by Maltese MPs in our committees. This is discrimination and it makes no sense that the same resolution is saying that all precautions have been taken. What precautions have been taken when we have been away for twenty years to have more Maltese interpreters in this European Parliament and head of a Maltese booth? Even that, this Parliament, did not like to give in twenty years! This is discrimination against Maltese and also against the Irish language which will ultimately be extended again for another legislature.

Mr. President! In 2015, the international community promised to change the world for the better, agreeing on seventeen development goals so that by 2030 the world will reach a state of prosperity, protection and dignity for all so that no one is left behind. It was no coincidence that the tenth objective is to reduce social inequalities. Ten years later we still live in a world of vast inequalities where extreme wealth coexists with extreme poverty, where inequalities and disparities exist between people but also between countries that continue to grow further due to the various shocks suffered by the pandemic, climate change, conflicts, wars and the rise in the cost of living. Today, the world's richest 10% have 76% of total wealth, while the poorest 50% of the global population have only 8% of total wealth. Increasing inequalities have become the issue of our times, boosting social discontent around the world, undermining trust in public institutions, undermining democratic governance, and increasing political polarisation and populist nationalism.

Today I would like to ask where is mankind? I am almost ashamed to sit in this same Parliament and listen to EPP and even far-right colleagues speaking in this way in the face of an ongoing genocide. Thirty thousand people, the majority of women and children, who, if not killed by bombs, are killed by hunger. We then listen to our colleagues, here in this Parliament, and attack UNRWA which is the only organisation feeding thousands of people who have been without food for weeks, months without drinks, without the most essential supplies. A genocide that is going on before us, and a majority in this European Parliament wash their hands, their hands with the blood of innocent victims. We are witnessing everyday children being slaughtered, we are seeing refugee camps being attacked, we are seeing hospitals being crushed, we are seeing patients on stretchers outside on pavements. What is it? Is this the humanity we believe in as parliamentarians, as Europeans? I do not want this project, the European Union, to blame itself with the blood of the wars of others, with the blood of those making this genocide. of shame.

Mr President, The role of teachers is one: to inspire, motivate, encourage, educate and shape the future of our children. Teachers are essential in our society. It is a fact that no one can deny it: that we cannot have any progress, no future, without quality education, without motivated teachers. Despite their importance, there are and there are several shortcomings for teachers in their poor working conditions, low wages. There are not enough incentives for them to enter this profession, for this vocation. And this poses a threat to the sustainability of our education systems with direct effects on our young people, our students, our societies, our economies. Priority should therefore be given to quality employment and decent working conditions, decent wages, job security and access to social protection, safe and healthy workplaces. And, most importantly for teachers, a good work-life balance. During the pandemic all teachers faced totally different realities, new digital challenges and new work realities. And so they ultimately ended up changing the way they work without any training and often without technological tools. And so the European Commission must give and provide all help to our Member States to ensure decent working conditions, professional training and protection to all teachers in the European Union.

European citizens will be making their voice heard in the elections next June in order to choose their representatives in this Parliament. And it is no surprise that disinformation and hate speech are on everyone’s radar, especially because they have exploded online, at unprecedented levels both during and after the pandemic. It will not be the first time that foreign and malicious actors have used misleading information as a weapon and, through automated programs such as bots, produce divisive narratives in public discourse. They spread fear, manipulate public opinion and deceive trust in our democratic institutions. Fighting hate speech and disinformation, and the responsibilities of social platforms will be a key challenge for our democratic society and a test for the preparations of the European Union elections. This Parliament has set a new global standard with the Digital Services Act, with specific measures and stricter obligations on companies such as Meta, TikTok and X for the dissemination of misinformation. The Commission's letters and warnings to TikTok and Meta, and the investigation on X make it clear that we have the right tools to solve, to address these serious problems. But for it to work well, however, we need strong and swift enforcement, and immediate sanctions if platforms do not comply. We also need restrictions on algorithms that recommend content that promotes or makes disinformation or hate speech more visible. Finally, large online platforms should put more resources into eliminating bots that spread disinformation, identify malign perpetrators and troll factories, and intensify cooperation with fact-checkers and researchers.

President, Commissioner, I will start with a quote of a great visionary whose work has shaped the European single market and transformed the European Community into a Union of people and nations: "The European dream is not only about economic well-being, but also about social justice and inclusion." In his insidious quote, Jacques Delors emphasizes that the vision of a united Europe extends far beyond the mere economic wealth. Social justice, decent work with living wages, equal opportunities, fair mobility and robust welfare systems are essential elements in the sustainable social market economy of the European Union. Unfortunately, the balance between the social dimension and the market economy has been severely eroding in the last two decades. The aim of the social market economy and the single market must be, first and foremost, people, the creation of quality jobs, the improvement of living and working conditions and the achievement of the Pillar of Social Rights. The solution to the problem of a lack of "quality jobs" will require the restoration of a social contract between workers and the European Union, ensuring better wages for people, better social protection, better health and safety at work and the protection of workers in the new digital economy.

Mr President, it is unacceptable that at last December’s leaders’ summit, our Member States had not reached an agreement on the humanitarian situation in Gaza; although we have also had a number of Member States, including Malta, which have been calling for an immediate ceasefire for a number of weeks now. What do we expect? What we expect in the face of this human tragedy, in the face of this disproportionate attack by the Israeli Government against so many Palestinian civilians. We have now reached more than 23 000 innocent people who have been killed over the past weeks and months in the Gaza Strip. We have a situation where refugee camps have been bombed, hospitals have been bombed. A situation where an entire people is left without basic access to water, electricity and the most basic things such as food. And so it is important that at Council level, we have the courage, our Member States have the courage to call for an immediate ceasefire so that more innocent civilians do not continue to lose their lives.

Ms President, first of all, I would like to congratulate Ms Emily O’Reilly on her remarkable work and commitments to continue her efforts to ensure that the European Union delivers on the highest standards of administration, transparency and ethics of the institutions, bodies, officials and agencies of the European Union, as well as guaranteeing the accessibility and quality of the services that the European Union provides to all citizens. I would also like to thank Ms O’Reilly for her excellent work and collaboration with the European Parliament and especially the Committee on Petitions, as well as with the other institutions of the European Union. It is important to highlight the improvement of the Ombudsman’s Office in its efficiency rate, for the duration of the case inquiry closed in 2022, covering several areas of the administration of the European Union with limited resources. We must continue to improve the way in which the European Union’s administration works in order to make it fully transparent, accountable, open, more accessible to all, including people with disabilities. This is the only way to bring European citizens closer to the core of the decision-making process and to fully integrate their concerns into the work of the European Ombudsman and all European institutions. Last but not least, I would like to thank the rapporteur for the work on this draft report which he has prepared, which despite some differences of opinion, was adopted unanimously in the Committee on Petitions, and I hope to achieve a large majority in the plenary vote tomorrow.

Mr. President! Every time we go to a shop, a supermarket, we see many logos, a lot of advertising, which tell us that products are green products, recyclable products, products that are sustainable. Greenwashing is a real problem. A plastic water bottle can never be made of 100% recyclable material. We have a situation today, for example, where Ryanair is telling us, forcing our consumers to pay a euro, because they are telling us that this is part of the environmental damage they are doing to reduce pollution. Major companies such as Coca—Cola, Danone, Nestlé, are also advertising in a confusing way - which is also misleading - many claims that they are similar. These companies are nowadays taking advantage of a situation where we have legal gaps that are leading us to completely mislead our consumers with many of this type of labels. Having a situation that makes our products longer is also an important part of the sustainability we want to create. Biljana's work and negotiations will help our consumers to make decisions that are sustainable in order to truly deliver on our environmental transition; Help our customers to make the best choices.

Mr President, it is very important for Europe to be an excellent place to live, work, raise your children, take care of your loved ones, and even retire and age. A Europe that delivers the European Pillar of Social Rights on the ground. A Europe that truly supports workers and trade unions and is one based on fair pay, quality work, security and respect for the fundamental rights of our workers. EU rules on money and public procurement are crucial so that we can achieve all this. Public money must support quality job creation and support collective bargaining. Public money must go to economic operators who respect workers and trade union rights, who negotiate with trade unions, and their workers (including workers of their subcontractors) who should also be covered by collective agreements. To this end, we must review European public procurement rules and introduce strong social conditionality linked to all forms of state aid, public funding, investments, and support for our businesses. Public procurement rules need to guarantee that tenders support quality job creation and promote collective bargaining, improved working conditions, and quality training. Strong social conditionalities should feature in all financial rules governing the use of European Union funds, both from the European Union budget and those generated from outside the budget. Public money should no longer create a race to the bottom but instead be used to deliver on the European Pillar of Social Rights.

Mr President, before I started I wanted to convey a message that asked me to deliver Father Dijonsius Mintoff, the founder of the Malta Peace Laboratory. Peace is possible. How can this Parliament, in the face of an ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip, remain silent? Eighteen thousand people, within a few weeks, were slaughtered, killed. How can this Parliament remain silent, when you have 70% of those slaughtered, those killed, when refugee camps were bombed, when hospitals were bombed, 70% of them innocent women and children? They are not Hamas. How can this Parliament remain silent, when in West Bank, when the excuse of Hamas does not exist, we had hundreds of Palestinian civilians who were even killed there too? And so this Parliament should be bold and today before tomorrow it calls for an immediate ceasefire. We cannot work for peace, unless we are ultimately brave and pray for this ceasefire as soon as possible.

Mr President, Commissioner Schmit, digital tools have created an ever-connected, always-on culture that intensifies work and normal working hours. We all know the constant pressure to check work-related emails and messages during our free time, worrying that our employer will demand our immediate attention and that we will not meet the expectations of always being available. Less than two weeks ago, Eurofound published a study providing further evidence that the existing legislation is not fit to address the risks posed by the always-on culture in our workplace. Workers who use digital tools work longer hours with insufficient rest periods, unpaid overtime and health issues linked directly to work-related stress, exhaustion, burnout, isolation, fatigue and depression. Where the right to disconnect has been implemented, the data clearly shows a positive effect on work-life balance and the health and well-being of our people. In January 2021, this House voted overwhelmingly for my report on the right to disconnect, where we demanded the legislative proposals on both the right to disconnect and also on teleworking. While recognising the social partners’ essential role, the report invited social partners to implement measures and adopt an agreement within a three-year time frame. The three years are long over now, and not only is there no agreement, but after more than a year of negotiations, the employers organisations failed to take responsibility for improving workers’ conditions and pulled the plug on the draft agreement with ETUC. Commissioner Schmit, you said back in 2021, when we voted on my report, that as a European, it is difficult for you to accept the right to disconnect is accessible to some workers and some countries, but not to all Europeans. I agree with you on this. This is not the European social model. Therefore, in line with the political commitment made by Commission President von der Leyen in her political guidelines, and the Commission’s letter sent in response to my report, I call on you immediately before the end of this mandate to bring forward legislation on the right to disconnect and telework. All working people should have adequate protection in these new digital realities.

Mr President, the pandemic and the war in Ukraine disrupted global supply chains, caused a shortage of raw materials and forced Europe to realise that strategic raw materials are critical in order to achieve environmental and climate objectives as well as our digital transition. Unfortunately, in the last few decades, we have become too dependent, rather overly dependent on third countries for the extraction of critical materials needed to deliver on the green and digital transitions. In the current geopolitical context, this constitutes an unacceptable strategic vulnerability. We urgently need to address the increased demand for critical raw materials by supporting resilient and diversified supply chains to meet current and future demand for European Union industrial sectors, avoiding supply chain disruptions, reducing dependency, and maintaining high social and environmental standards. We also need to support the promotion of the development and use of raw materials and alternative measures in order to ensure the European Union's access to a secure supply, to a sustainable supply of critical raw materials.

Mrs President, mental health problems were always with us. However, after the outbreak of the pandemic it can be said that the second pandemic we are facing with great strength not only in Europe, but it has become an international problem. However, mental health problems are also a reality in our workplaces. And so in a world where the field of work is becoming more digital, the line between family time, rest time and working time is increasingly blurred, we need to take action today before tomorrow. And this Parliament was very clear on this. As a European Parliament, three years ago we voted in favour of a ‘Right to Disconnect’ directive. A very important directive that is already being implemented in a number of Member States but our aim - and this is also a priority of the Socialists and Democrats Group - is that every worker across the European Union benefits from this fundamental right. This right that, ultimately, when a worker can be given more dignity, more rest time - both rest time between his working days, and rest time which should be a bit longer weekly - these workers can be more productive in their workplaces and, ultimately, their mental health is stronger. And, in addition, we will be able to focus more on preventing mental health problems in workplaces. So my appeal to the European Commission: today before tomorrow, let's have a strong proposed legislation from the European Commission on the basis of the European Parliament's proposal to truly - not in parole but in fact - safeguard the health of our workers.

Mr President, at the advent of the tragic events in Israel and Gaza, social media was overshadowed by messages and videos full of disinformation or spreading hatred, or even encouraging the perpetration of terrorist acts. I welcome the Commission’s warning to TikTok and Meta as well as X’s investigation to suppress this type of content. Disinformation is undermining not only the democratic principles around which the European Union is built, but is also being used by large actors as a tool in malicious campaigns to spread fear for the purpose of manipulating public opinion and undermining trust in democratic institutions. With the Digital Services Act, we have created a world-class standard to empower the use of online platforms. Companies such as Meta and X should be subject to more rigorous obligations in controlling the spread of disinformation. However, we should also have a number of enforcement tools and sanctions to take action if platforms fail to do so. In addition, we should also place restrictions on the use of algorithms that lead to the prominence of disinformation or hate-spreading messages so as to encourage a genuine exchange of opinion. Large platforms should intensify their cooperation with fact-checkers and researchers, and invest in more resources to remove bots, troll factories and actors who infiltrate platforms to spread disinformation.

I am, the most incomprehensible thing is when it comes to such a sensitive debate and we are not prepared with the facts. You have just made an allegation that the Maltese Government does not cooperate with the Commission, the authorities - as if nothing had happened. I cannot understand how one speaker behind the EPP - and so I would like to ask you a bit - is saying that nothing has been done to bring justice, when you have a judicial process that is underway, when you have a situation where you have a number of people facing justice in connection with this murder and, ultimately, when you also have the Commission that tells us that there is cooperation between the Maltese Government and the European Commission. Why did I make these allegations?

Ms President, I do not believe that it was by chance that the European Parliament train, last Monday, ended up at Disneyland station. This is the result of the fact that the People's Group is making this Parliament a comedy. Comedy like this sad resolution that we are seeing today in front of us. If the resolution had stopped by recalling the journalist's murder and the protection of journalists on a European basis, I would have been the first to give my support. However, once again using the same resolution to unfairly portray a picture full of half-truths and unconscious attacks on Malta would lead me once again to confirm the fact that the intention of the EPP is not to protect journalistic freedom but only to attack a Maltese Government for no other reason than to be a left-wing government. It is a lie that some form of impunity exists in Malta. All allegations of corruption are being investigated and brought before the courts of law, including people who have been associated with the present government. It is a lie that the reforms requested by the Venice Commission are not being carried out. It is so much a lie, that the same European Commission has repeatedly spoken of the work carried out by the Labour Government to strengthen courts and institutions. It is a lie that there was no proper commitment to complete justice after the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, and the judicial trial of the persons accused of the assassination is ongoing. If the European Parliament really believes in the rule of law, we should never try to influence the judicial process with such resolutions.

Madam President, first of all I would like to thank the Executive Vice President, Šefčovič for presenting the work programme for our plenary this afternoon. The main priority for the remaining months of this legislature will be to deliver on the outstanding legislation on the table and reach an agreement with the co-legislators. The S&D Group stands ready to play its part and fully engage on all files and negotiate in a constructive and energetic manner. We are very pleased that the commitment made during the recent hearing for a minimum target of at least 90% on net greenhouse gas reductions by 2040 will be proposed in early 2024. We would also like to specifically ask about the timeline on the action to accelerate the phase-out of fossil fuels, on the revision of the REACH Regulation to tackle harmful chemicals, and on the animal welfare package. We know the proposal for a more limited proposal on the protection of animals during transport, but it is less clear about a wider animal welfare package. We are still concerned at the EPP-inspired backsliding, which has been happening on the Green Deal, and we are concerned that despite your best efforts, this is a coordinated effort to push to water down or even abandon some key elements of the non-climate-related Green Deal measures. On the economic front, my group will continue to insist on our long-running battles concerning the need for a permanent eurozone fiscal capacity, based on the success of SURE and RRF, and at the very least, we would have liked to see a communication on the permanent fiscal capacity still during this term, and the regulation on a permanent SURE mechanism. Europe has to move on from temporary ad-hoc instruments towards permanent structures for efficient management of any future crisis. While we recognise that much has been achieved on social policy, in particular at the Porto Summit and the action plan, there still remains a lot to be done and we are still missing proposals on a comprehensive European anti-poverty strategy, legislation on minimum income schemes and directives on artificial intelligence in workplaces, traineeships, and also on the right to disconnect. We need resilient citizens along a resilient economy and a healthy planet. We also reiterate our call for a comprehensive, permanent and evidence-based EU-wide mechanism for the protection of democracy, the rule of law, and fundamental rights. We also expect the Commission to continue to play a leading role in promoting and preparing accession candidates to become countries in the EU, the Union’s enlargement policy in general and the necessary internal reforms to make the Union prepared for future enlargement. Finally, we encourage the Commission to continue its efforts aimed at exploring solutions that would make the confiscation of frozen Russian public assets possible for the reconstruction of Ukraine.

Ms President, one in three people who use the Internet are a child, and every day, thousands of children enter online for the first time. Children are spending more and more time on the Internet - using social media, playing online games and using apps on their smartphones. And despite all the opportunities the Internet offers, the online world is not yet a safe place for our children. Children can easily be exposed to inappropriate content, misconduct, bullying, sexual harassment, pornography or violence. Children’s psychological needs, vulnerabilities and wishes are easily exploited through addictive designs and targeted advertising practices that do not respect the privacy and security of our children. Not to mention now also the complication of the chatGBT which is presenting a new dilemma for policymakers, parents and the safety of our children. I hope that the new European strategy will be able to protect children from the dangers of the digital world, safeguard the information trail of their online activities, as well as increase their access to quality, secure online content. We also need regulatory instruments and industry standards on safety by designing services, designing digital products directly targeted at children.

Mrs President, the property crisis is felt by everyone. There is no longer one European city where the rising cost of housing has not become one of the biggest headaches for people. Every day it has become a challenge for our citizens to pay their rents. Every day it has become a problem so that our young people can borrow from banks to buy their first property. Every day it has become a problem for those women, for those men who due to life circumstances, in old age end up homeless and crumbly to buy or rent a decent property. More than eighty million people in Europe do not have decent housing, and more than nine hundred thousand people do not even have a roof over their heads. If we want the European project to remain relevant, we need to rebuild a European Union with a more social heart; A Europe that acts on the biggest crises that are breaking the most vulnerable in our society. Adequate housing must be safe as a fundamental right and guaranteed to every European citizen. Therefore, we should prioritise European funds in order to go directly into more investment, more help to strengthen the stock and quality of social housing at European level.

Mr President, yesterday we marked the tenth anniversary of the Lampedusa tragedy. Ten years later we continued to see a tragedy in the Mediterranean waters. And I ask: what did we learn from all this? None. Many lucky words, many statements, many promises that have never been kept, many rhetoric from the Extreme Right that better instead of being lost in this rhetoric go to convince their heads of government to get unblocked. And meanwhile, hundreds of people have died every day in our seas, hundreds of children, hundreds of young people, hundreds of babies, hundreds of women, hundreds of men. We have been setting aside for years for a solidarity mechanism between Member States, especially border states. Solidarity that each Member State should have signed up to when joining the same European Union. We only use and abuse solidarity when we want it and where it agrees with us. From the parables we have to turn to the facts. The European Pact on Migration and Asylum must be adopted in this legislature. And we must do this in order to save people's lives, to protect border countries from a disproportionate burden. We must also do so in order to send a message to our citizens that the European Union is not only a talking shop but an institution capable of taking action and having a positive effect.

The media freedom act is a very important piece of legislation especially in the times we are living today where we are witnessing various practices around the world that are ultimately worrying when it comes to freedom of expression, even within the European Union. Media freedom guarantees people, our citizens, unrestrained access to information and is ultimately also a prerequisite for them to make free choices; free, informed democratic choices when it comes to electing those who should represent us in power. And for this reason we need strong provisions at European level in order to safeguard a number of points. First, we protect the independence of the media, safeguard freedom from editorial interference and unlawful surveillance especially on an online basis, guarantee media pluralism, also safeguard the independence of public service media, and also ensure that there is an economic environment in which independent journalism can continue to flourish. And therefore editorial independence and transparency in the media sector are crucial in times of disinformation, misinformation, also coming from third countries. We need full transparency to know who really is speaking from behind the media. These are the main priorities that we must defend in tomorrow's vote. The European Parliament elections are behind the door, so we need strong regulations to guarantee free elections next year.

Ms President, last Tuesday we had a very interesting discussion on the need to continue investing even after a number of heatwaves that we had on a European basis directly caused by climate change. And Civil Protection workers play a very important role also in this fact, especially in order to be at the forefront of saving the lives of people directly affected by these phenomena. And these phenomena have become more and more frequent. But on the other hand, in turn, firefighters are increasingly declining on a European basis from, to say, almost all Member States. This reduction affects the ability of the Bodies to respond quickly to an increasing number of these phenomena. Workers of Civil Protection bodies are continuously exposed to certain very difficult conditions, which are very dangerous, including working closely with a number of toxic substances, many of which are also carcinogenic. The least we can do in the face of all this is to ensure that the resources of Firefighting Bodies have more resources, more workers, more equipment, so that they can ultimately fulfil their duty, but also so that we can give them something small back - that of protecting their health.