What Giorgos spoke about.

6

May

2025

EL Speech

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2023 and 2024 reports on Türkiye (debate)

Mr President, I would like to begin by thanking Mr Amor, the rapporteur for the report on the Turkey-European Union accession negotiations, for his effort to give us a balanced text, under the circumstances. A text that has many fair and correct references to the Bizonal Bicommunal Federation as the basis for a solution to the Cyprus problem, the rejection of the two-state solution, the surrender …

6

May

2025

EL Speech

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The European Water Resilience Strategy (debate)

Madam President, I would like to begin by thanking Mr Bajada for his effort to present us with a balanced text. Without water there is no life, and already many states began to thirst. Among them is Cyprus, my country, which is at the heart of this crisis. The effects of climate change, water scarcity, reckless waste of water and the negligence of governments, which did not take measures to safegu…

2

Apr

2025

EL Speech

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Progress in the UN-led efforts for the resumption of negotiations towards a solution to the Cyprus problem

Madam President, 51 years after the illegal Turkish invasion, Cyprus, a member of the European Union, remains a divided country, with Turkey occupying 37% of its territory and violating basic principles of international law. Eight years after the failure in Crans-Montana, the informal five-party meeting was recently held in Geneva. As AKEL and as the European Left we supported this process as an a…

1

Apr

2025

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Dramatic situation in Gaza and the need for an immediate return to the full implementation of the ceasefire and hostage release agreement (debate)

Madam President, Mrs Kallas, I wonder why you are still debating. To keep up appearances? But there's nothing left. Schools, health centers, infrastructure became ruins. 50 000 Palestinians have been murdered and so many more are missing. The majority of them are children, women and the elderly. How can you sleep at night? Honestly, I'm asking. Now the havoc is over – says Gideon Levy, a columnist…

1

Apr

2025

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Crackdown on democracy in Türkiye and the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, the fact that you did not go to Ankara does not matter much. Let's admit it: Erdoğan has you in hand. There's no other explanation. He jails mayors, arrests thousands of Turkish citizens, exterminates his political opponents. Mr von der Leyen and Mr Kallas and the majority of European leaders appeased him. We are absent, bent and fatal. You pretend you don't see his …

11

Mar

2025

EL Speech

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White paper on the future of European defence (debate)

Mr. President, you're finally gonna do it, aren't you? Through a war frenzy, you will spend 800 billion, which you do not have, on the so-called common defense. But for there to be a common defence, there must also be a common foreign policy. There are too many reluctants here. You are committing illegal, anti-institutional misconduct and proclaiming Turkey the guarantor of European security. It's…

12

Feb

2025

EL Speech

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Recent dismissals and arrests of mayors in Türkiye

Mr President, Commissioner, we are again here for Turkey, a country with the highest prison rates of all the member states of the Council of Europe. A country that, while saying that it is negotiating with Öcalan for a peaceful settlement with the Kurds, at the same time represses the opposition, jails and removes democratically elected Kurdish mayors from their positions. Here, obviously, somethi…

10

Feb

2025

EL Speech

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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: the need for the European Union to contribute to resolving the humanitarian crisis of persons missing in wars and conflicts (debate)

Mr President, it strikes me that some people only see missing persons in Ukraine. They also talk about Gaza, but they don't tell us that there are only Palestinians missing in Gaza. Nor do they tell us about the tens of thousands of missing persons that emerged from fascist dictatorial regimes in Europe. There are, of course, the missing persons in Cyprus. Unfortunately, for many decades the issue…

20

Jan

2025

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Heat record year 2024 - the need for climate action to fight global warming (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, the planet is literally burning. It is affected by droughts, storms and heatwaves that cause loss of life and property, irreparably damage the natural environment and lead to water scarcity. This is called climate change. Oh, that's wrong. Let's call it a crisis and let Trump and his like in here mock it as a silly story. I'm going to believe, of course, that Europe is …

17

Dec

2024

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Toppling of the Syrian regime, its geopolitical implications and the humanitarian situation in the region (debate)

Mr President, Mrs Kallas, Assad, the dictator, has fallen and the festivities, like those for Iraq and Libya, have begun. We saw, of course, what spring it brought for its peoples. And now who's here? The terrorists until yesterday, outlawed jihadists, bloodthirsty murderers, who now you, too, baptize them as liberators and honorable interlocutors. What a hypocrisy! For years, Syria's territorial …

16

Dec

2024

EL Speech

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Right to clean drinking water in the EU (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, climate change, desertification, the reckless use of pesticides and the destruction of the environment threaten water in Europe. Lack of access to water is a major obstacle to development, to poverty eradication, to building a peaceful future. Nowadays, you know, there are wars over water, not just oil. The problem is particularly acute and evident in the Mediterrane…

25

Nov

2024

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Condemning the illegal unilateral declaration of independence of the secessionist entity in Cyprus and all efforts to legitimise it and reaffirming the need for European solidarity - 41 years after (debate)

Mr President, as is well known, on 15 November 1983 the Turkish Cypriot leadership led by Rauf Denktash declared the pseudo-state in Cyprus to be the culmination of Turkey's dichotomous policy. This is an action that continues to this day to violate every principle of international law. In Cyprus there are neither two states nor two peoples. There are Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in Cyprus …

22

Oct

2024

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Situation in Azerbaijan, violation of human rights and international law and relations with Armenia (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, Azerbaijan is the place where the European Union's alleged concern for human rights and international law meets natural gas. Does it look unbelievable? In 2022, however, Ursula von der Leyen stated that Azerbaijan is a reliable supplier and signed agreements to double Azerbaijan’s annual gas exports to the European Union. No human rights violations saw nor illegal arres…

22

Oct

2024

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Protection of European journalists reporting on Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, many journalists are being unfairly killed on the battlefields in Ukraine and Gaza, for which I have not heard a word of course. We honor them today. But did you hear what Mrs. Metsola told us yesterday? Let's not talk about the situation in Gaza, because in recent days nothing dramatic has happened there. It's a shame. Can't anyone hear the cry of the children kille…

8

Oct

2024

EL Speech

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Outcome of the Summit of the Future: transforming global governance for building peace, promoting human rights and achieving the sustainable development goals (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, I too had the honour of taking part in the UN Summit on the Future, a meeting which took place at a particularly difficult international juncture. Wars, climate crisis, poverty. Today, humanity faces an existential threat. What was agreed in the Pact for the Future, for peace and security, sustainable development and its financing, digital cooperation, youth and huma…

8

Oct

2024

EL Speech

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Escalation of violence in the Middle East and the situation in Lebanon (debate)

(non-microphone principle of intervention) ...and we grieve for the Israeli victims of Hamas on the seventh of October. Does Israel have the right to self-defense? Clearly. What is happening is not self-defense. It is an ongoing ethnic cleansing and genocide. It dissolves Gaza, it bombs Iraq, Syria, Yemen, it invades Lebanon which is going to become a new Gaza, as you said, it takes Iran's turn an…

19

Sep

2024

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Droughts and extreme weather events as a threat to local communities and EU agriculture in times of climate change (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, Europe and – in particular – the Mediterranean countries are facing the problem of water scarcity as a consequence of climate change. In my country, Cyprus, the repercussions are particularly dramatic, with huge damage to crops. That is why, as a left-wing group, we called for the plenary to commit to a resolution calling on the European Union to actively support its me…

18

Sep

2024

EL Speech

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The case of José Daniel Ferrer García in Cuba

Madam President, Commissioner, respect for human rights and the rule of law are non-negotiable values for all and – of course – also for Cuba. But this supposed sensitivity of the anti-Cuban lobby that we have heard here tonight about democracy and freedoms in Cuba is hypocritical. Is there a greater violation of human rights than the illegal imposition of the barbaric US embargo against the Cuban…

17

Sep

2024

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War in the Gaza Strip and the situation in the Middle-East (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, history is well known. Listen to her. When the Germans went to Paris, a Nazi officer visited Picasso in his laboratory. Seeing Guernica, the painting of this small Spanish town flattened by Franco with his fascist allies, he asked him: Did you do that? "No," he said, "you." Gaza is the new Guernica these days. When questioned in the future by another Picasso, he will…

17

Sep

2024

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Continued financial and military support to Ukraine by EU Member States (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, let us speak frankly. In Ukraine, it is not only Zelenskyy who is fighting against Putin. In Ukraine, NATO and the European Union are fighting against Russia. And don't tell us we're pro-Putin now to get it over with, because we're not. That's the truth. We defend peace. But you also have to tell your own truth. That you don't care at all about the thousands of young…

17

Jul

2024

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Statement by the President

Madam President, thank you for mentioning this sad anniversary. Fifty years is a long time. Fifty years since the double crime against the Cypriot people. A coup d'état was carried out after it was first organized by NATO. It was carried out by the junta of Athens and the fascist EOKA B in our country. This was followed, unfortunately, by the barbaric Turkish invasion five days later, with tragic …

27

Feb

2024

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Recent revelations of spying on Members of the European Parliament and the lack of follow up on the PEGA committee recommendations (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, Members of the European Parliament are being monitored again with illegal software. This story must finally end. The PEGA Committee worked very hard and gave you everything: Facts, "sinful" companies, names and addresses, guilty states. We also made recommendations. What don't you understand? Aren't you tired of hiding behind inexpensive rhetoric? And here you are, verb…

13

Dec

2023

EL Speech

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EU strategy to assist young people facing the housing and cost of living crisis (topical debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, all of Europe, but also my country, Cyprus, is facing a housing crisis. Rising energy prices, high inflation, austerity policies and stagnant wages make home ownership an elusive dream. One million European citizens are homeless, 40 million people are over-indebted. Poor and middle-class households spend 40% of their income on rent. Single-parent families are mercile…

22

Nov

2023

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The lack of legislative follow-up by the Commission to the PEGA resolution (debate)

Mr President, Mr Reynders, when you say that we should do and have things, who do you say them to? To us? And what's your job, then? The PEGA Committee worked very hard for fifteen months. We gave you everything: Facts, sinful corporations, names and addresses, guilty states. We also made recommendations, because the problem is very serious. No one was touched. Neither did the government of Cyprus…

22

Nov

2023

EL Speech

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30 years of Copenhagen criteria - giving further impetus to EU enlargement policy (debate)

Mr President, last June, Mrs von der Leyen said that Ukrainians are ready to sacrifice themselves for the European perspective. Previously, with the outbreak of the war, they were arbitrarily and emotionally granted the status of acceding country. I wonder if these are considered criteria for enlargement. Madam Vice-President, you said that criteria must be respected. Recently, the European Court …