Speeches

Mr President, can we imagine what 0, -10, -20 degrees means without heating, without electricity, without water? Not for a few hours, but day after day. The Russian army can't really advance on the ground, so they're attacking civilians. Russia's ignoble tactics are a modern form of siege. Behind this, destroying the infrastructure that serves the basic needs of a population is a particularly cowardly attitude. The testimony of a Kiev resident after days without electricity particularly touched me: "Seeing bright spots in the city is good, even if you're in the dark." He was happy to see that at least others had electricity again. It is imperative that we maintain and increase our support for Ukraine. Four years. Four years they've been burying their fighters. Ukrainians are mounting incredible resistance and resilience. The minimum we can do is to stay by their side for as long as necessary.

Madam President, we have entered a new era. The world as we have known it no longer exists. Our security was based on respect for international law, but that respect was guaranteed by the protection afforded us by American military power. Today, we face contempt for international law, a neighbor with hegemonic views, and we can no longer count on the unconditional support of the United States. We know that, and Russia knows that. We don't have time anymore. Our only chance is to be united in order to create the proper deterrent conditions that alone can avoid a war after that in Ukraine. These conditions are clear: sufficient military capabilities - material and human - the absolute determination to use military force if necessary and, above all, that the adversary opposite, too, is convinced that we have these capabilities and that we will not hesitate, united, to use them. It's up to us to understand the urgency and act.

Mr President, the people of Iran – I wanted to begin with those words, 'the people of Iran'. They are giving a message to the world. They are admirable, fighting for their freedom, knowing the risks, knowing many will die. They are fighting, putting freedom above their security, above their own lives. We should hear this message. Here, where so many of us take for granted the freedom brave Iranians are fighting for, risking everything. It is a message of hope – they believe. And it is the message that freedom is invaluable. The least the European Union can do is to stand with the Iranian people. We have to put pressure on this government, sanction the regime and designate the IRCG as a terrorist organisation. Dear Iranians, you who are fighting for freedom, we stand with you.

Madam President, the Rohingya crisis remains one of the most dramatic humanitarian emergencies of recent years. And yet, it gradually tends to disappear from the media and political radars. Today, we are talking about a population that has been subjected for years to a repression of unprecedented brutality. The military junta in Myanmar continues to use terror as a method of government: torture, executions, arbitrary detentions, sexual violence, all with almost total impunity. The humanitarian consequences are immense. Beyond Myanmar, this crisis is weighing heavily on the region. This was made clear by the recent mission of our Subcommittee on Human Rights to Bangladesh, in which I participated. The country is hosting more than a million Rohingya refugees in a situation that is becoming increasingly untenable for refugees, but also extremely difficult for the host country. Bangladesh was making a great deal of effort, but the resources at its disposal were clearly limited. In this context, we welcome the humanitarian allocation dedicated by the European Union last March. The international community must also stand in solidarity and intensify its political, diplomatic and humanitarian commitment to protect the Rohingya, support host countries and step up assistance to displaced populations. This crisis, which is affecting the entire region, also requires the continuation and expansion of targeted sanctions against those responsible for the coup and the atrocities committed. We must defend human dignity and fundamental rights here flouted. We therefore express our unwavering solidarity with the people of Myanmar, with their legitimate democratic representatives, as well as with civil society and all those fighting for democracy. We pay tribute to the immense courage of all those who, every day, resist oppression, often at the risk of their lives. Their fight for freedom, dignity and democracy obliges us. It must remain in our news.

Mr President, the Ukrainian people have now been fighting against the Russian aggressor for three and a half years. Ukraine is fighting this fight for its survival, its sovereignty, its independence, but also by its fight it protects us, our democracies. We owe them not only recognition, but also all the help we are capable of. Thousands of Ukrainian men, women and children have lost their lives and experienced trauma that will never allow them to live in peace again. This is because of Russia's hegemonic cravings. It would be unacceptable for peace to be achieved under the terms of the aggressor. We, the European Union, owe it to the Ukrainian people to be united, united in the defence of Ukraine, and we must work together – together – to ensure that with peace the Ukrainians regain their territorial integrity. Also for peace to be made with them and for peace to be a lasting peace. Slava Ukraini!

Mr President, the criminal attack on Sigfrido Ranucci, an Italian investigative journalist, is deeply unworthy of us. It is unacceptable that unveiling the truth exposes such dangers. This attack must also raise a collective awareness of the harsh reality faced by so many investigative journalists today. And this even in our democracies. They are under real threat and the rule of law does not always protect them. We are even seeing a rise in bullying, online and offline harassment, and even more so when it comes to women journalists. And despite our efforts to act against abusive legal proceedings, SLAPPs, we are far from having the necessary effectiveness. However, these abusive procedures divert the spirit of our laws and aim to silence those who dare to expose the corruption that plagues societies. Our democracies are thus doubly attacked, since it is also trust in justice and, in turn, trust in democracy that suffer. I would like to stress this again. Journalists' investigations, their struggle to inform, to expose corruption are essential to the preservation of democracy and the rule of law. We must listen to the demands of free press groups and put in place frameworks and supports that allow journalists and the media an independence, including financial independence, that allows them to offer quality and independent information, conditions that are less and less obvious in today's digital reality. But this is what we owe to those who, often at the risk of their lives and those of their loved ones, undertake to expose the truth in broad daylight.

Mr President, Daphne Caruana Galizia: Every year, the same starting point, every year, we must see that a journalist in the European Union has been murdered and that co-leaders at the highest level continue to enjoy impunity. Daphne Caruana Galizia was murdered eight years ago. Eight years! His family is fighting an admirable battle. In the European Parliament, we are multiplying calls for the Maltese government to finally take its responsibilities and ensure that impunity ends. Free press groups too, and they are calling for the necessary legislative reforms to ensure media freedom and the safety of journalists. But the slow pace of the Maltese authorities is almost provocative. It is to be hoped that the public consultation on media reform, initiated by the Maltese Ministry of Justice, is not just another move to delay action to ensure a free press, an investigative press capable of exposing corruption and thus combating it. This is Daphne's fight, the one that cost him his life. We demand that all, I insist, those responsible for the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia be brought to justice.

Madam President, Prime Minister, thank you for insisting on the values that define our European Union. Today, they are particularly at risk, as authoritarian ideologies continue to gain ground. We must not be mistaken: Where illiberalism takes hold, democracy retreats. Once in power, the illiberals destroy the rule of law. They pass laws designed to prevent political alternation and weaken the independence of the judiciary. It is arbitrariness that reigns. More than ever, we must be united against the existential threats that surround us. Thus, we urgently need common rules in the face of the drifts of social media and opaque and polarizing algorithms. The internet cannot be a place that endoctrines. It is used by unscrupulous people, criminals and foreign powers who want to destroy our democracies and freedoms. We can't let this happen. The European Union is working on this, but we need to be faster and more efficient. Finally, I would like to mention the direct military threat that Russia poses to us. We no longer have the right to naivety or disunity. I will simply recall that, in the days leading up to the massive attack on Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Russia mocked us and the United States, claiming that it had no intention of advancing with its troops in Ukraine. For our own security, we must continue to help Ukraine, continue to invest heavily in our defence and, above all, build a common European defence. Prime Minister, today more than ever the European Union needs to be united. Luxembourg, by its geography and its history, aims to play a role of cement between the countries of the Union. I trust you to build the bridges we so desperately need.

Madam President, three and a half years. Three and a half years that the Ukrainians are awakened, night after night, by the sirens. Three and a half years that they bury their dead, fallen under the blows of the Russian army. A war waged against Ukraine in a completely unjustified manner, without any provocation. We will never forget the horrors of Bucha. We continue to call for the release of civilian prisoners and for the return of deported children to Ukraine. We have decided to support the Ukrainians for as long as it takes, and that is the minimum we can do, not only because we owe this help to our neighbours, who have decided that they want to live free and in democracy, like us, but also because they are our bulwark against an authoritarian regime that makes military threats against us and wages a very real and dangerous hybrid war against our democracies. We must therefore give all possible military support to Ukraine, intensify sanctions against Russia and also accompany Ukraine's efforts to welcome it, as we promised, into the European Union.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, our union is based on fundamental values. It is based on human rights, on the rule of law. What characterizes us with the rule of law is that we have this absence of arbitrariness. The rule of law is the foundation of our democracy. Today we have problems in our Union. We must not hide it. We must confront it and do our best to remedy it. The importance of this report, and our Commissioner has just mentioned it, is absolutely central. This report has been called for by Parliament many times, and we have also called for not only an inventory to be made, but also for countries to be told what to do. And it was done. The report has been improved over the years. It can still be, but it is already a strong tool at our disposal. We must also make an absolute difference between systemic problems in some countries and one-off problems. This must be made clear in the report. I do not accept that countries like Hungary, for example, put forward criticisms against other countries that have absolutely no systemic problems. It is essential that the difference is made.

Madam President, thousands and millions of images of child pornography videos are available online, in real time or on a delayed basis. Raw or synthetic images. All are based on the very real abuse of children. Artificial intelligence creations are developed from hundreds of thousands of very real images. We cannot trivialize, accept or remain silent. And then justice must punish. There can be no statute of limitations for these crimes against children. We cannot accept the free circulation of textbooks telling pedocriminals how to gain the trust of children, how to abuse babies without leaving traces. And we cannot in any way consider that there was consent on the part of the child. Never. There is no consent from a child. It is inconceivable that there can be impunity for pedocriminals and all those who assist them in the execution of their crimes. This is why it will be necessary to ensure that, afterwards, this important legislation is rapidly implemented in all the countries of the Union.

Madam President, the Ukrainians have shown, with their bombing of Russian military airports, that they are perfectly capable of breaking deep into Russian territory and causing significant damage, by choice of military damage. In response to the reported reaction of the Kremlin leader that he would have to retaliate against these attacks, my first thought was: How to retaliate? By killing civilians again? First, it is difficult to characterize any Russian attack on Ukraine as a response. It is the Russian army that is occupying Ukraine, attacking it relentlessly. And then what is happening before my eyes is the systematic attack on civilians by the Kremlin. The objective of the Russian bombings is, in a repetitive way, daily Ukrainian cities, and the men, women and children who live there. We often talk about deported children, but never enough. It has to be done over and over again. And we must also denounce, without getting tired, the fact that the Russian authorities are detaining civilians imprisoned for no other reason than that they are Ukrainians. Impunity cannot win. We must denounce it and ensure that those responsible are one day tried and punished.

Mr President, I look forward to the day when I stand before you to rejoice that Hungary is once again embarking on the path of democracy. Unfortunately, this is not yet for today. On the contrary, with the draft law on the transparency of public life, the Hungarian government has crossed a new red line. By targeting independent media and organisations, under the pretext of foreign funding, the Hungarian government is using the pattern of Russian repression. Even financial support from the European Union would be suspect under this law. It's just ridiculous. Such a law is fundamentally incompatible with the values and principles of European law. It allows censorship. It gags freedom of expression, independent journalism. Recent polls show that Tisza's opposition far outpaces Fidesz. Only fear of the opposition, fear of independent media, fear of NGOs can explain such a bill. If adopted, it would further weaken democracy by further blocking access to free and diverse information. It would go hand in hand with perpetuating, without any justification, the state of emergency in the country. These are all desperate attempts to avoid a stinging defeat, stifling any dissenting voice. The upcoming elections must be held in a climate of freedom and fairness. That's what we stand for, that's what we fight for.

Madam President, among all the horrors that the Russian aggressor is inflicting on Ukrainians, a particularly unbearable crime is unfolding before our eyes: the mass deportation of Ukrainian children, orchestrated by the Russian authorities. This is not just a human drama, but a real war strategy. To take away one's children is to try to wipe out a people. Russian aggression is not limited to tanks and missiles. It also uses propaganda and ultimately aims to deny Ukrainian identity, to methodically dissolve it. According to figures put forward by the Russian authorities themselves, several hundred thousand children have been torn from their land since the beginning of the Russian invasion. Behind every number there is a face, a story. Behind every number, there is a child deprived of his language, culture and identity, when it is not from his family. The fate of these thousands of deported children cannot leave indifferent. Under no circumstances can it be absent from future negotiations with Russia. No lasting peace without justice, no justice without truth; These children have the right to truth, justice, dignity and a future in Ukraine. Slava Ukraini!

Mr President, Commissioner, Turkey is a candidate country for accession to the European Union. Turkey has chosen to be a candidate. So it is as such that we address her. Our first concern is therefore the values on which the European Union is founded: democracy, the rule of law. However, the situation of democracy in Turkey is more than worrying. When the independence of the judiciary is flouted, when the main opponent of the current government and mayor of Istanbul is put in prison, we legitimately ask ourselves questions about the space left for democracy, and I have only mentioned the most emblematic example. We must also consider all other local elected officials who have been dismissed by the government. Beyond politicians, it is also civil society that is restricted in its action. And then there is the situation of journalists. Independence and freedom of the press are indispensable to any democratic society. However, journalists cannot freely exercise their profession in Turkey and, above all, many of them are arrested – an alarming situation. These limitations of the democratic space run counter to the aspirations of a large part of the Turkish population to join the European Union. We remain sensitive to this attachment. We are aware of this desire for Europe, but recent developments are still going in the opposite direction to what is necessary to resume accession negotiations. We also recognize the essential role played by Turkey in the region, a NATO member Turkey. Due to its geographical position and diplomatic weight, it can make a major contribution to regional stability and we also welcome its cooperation efforts in the field of migration. However, as a candidate country for the European Union, we also expect Turkey to behave in a manner consistent with the principles that this implies: solidarity among allies, respect for international law, support for independence and respect for the sovereignty of states. We're a long way from that. Subsists a simple message: the door is not closed, but re-engaging in the accession process requires respect for the principles on which our Union is built.

Mr President, our world today needs more light than ever against obscurantism and information against propaganda. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty provides reliable and relevant information where authoritarianism is rife, where people want to be kept in the dark. In democracy, we defend not only that journalists have the right to inform, but also that citizens have the right to information. Authoritarian regimes replace truth with false propaganda. It is therefore of the utmost importance for the defence of democracy that information and the truth of the facts can make their way to the citizens. Thus, we cannot let go of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Its disappearance, moreover, would not at all amount to the creation of a vacuum: it would be tantamount to giving free rein to propaganda, the enemy of democracy. To accept this would be to play into the hands of our adversaries in the hybrid war they are waging against us. Let's find ways to support Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. It carries information where it is imperative to do so. If false propaganda is a weapon, so is the truth. This war, we must win it!

Mr President, Vice-President and High Representative Kaja Kallas, thank you very much for your words and for all the work you are doing to defend our democracy and human rights. I would also like to thank the shadow rapporteurs, who worked very constructively. We managed to work in consensus, and I hope that the report will be able to find a large majority tomorrow, when it is voted on. To colleagues in this Chamber who have spoken about the countries of the European Union, I would like to remind you that this report is a report by the Committee on Foreign Affairs. It therefore concerns countries outside the European Union. You are often quick to talk about subsidiarity. However, here we have a committee dealing with what is happening in the countries of the European Union: LIBE Committee. And I am sure that, when there are gaps, this committee, of which I am a member, does its job well. I would also like to say that the interventions by colleagues show that this world is entering a new era, an era in which international law, democracy, the rule of law and human rights are fundamentally challenged. The European Union must stay the course and reaffirm its values, which build a world of justice and respect for the human person. If we want our voice to be heard on the global stage, we need to be united. Only together will we be strong enough to be heard.

Madam President, the European Union is founded on core values: respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights. These principles are not only enshrined in our Treaties, but they are also the foundation of our cohesion and identity as a Union. This Parliament, the house of European democracy, wants to give a voice to those who have been silenced, to those whose lives are threatened simply because they are defending what is right. Human rights are universal and indivisible, and it is the responsibility of this Parliament to strongly condemn all their violations. Today, it is more urgent than ever to recall this fundamental principle. Unfortunately, these violations, which reflect a general regression of human rights, are becoming increasingly noticeable around the world. The rules-based multilateral order is under threat from increasingly authoritarian regimes. This is not just a theoretical concern, it is a daily reality, and this threat is accompanied by an equally worrying phenomenon: Hybrid wars, which destabilise societies through disinformation and manipulate public opinion, thus stoking tensions and weakening our democracies. In this context, the fight for human rights, democracy, freedom and justice is more than ever a priority. These principles are by no means to be taken for granted. Democracy and freedom must never, ever, be taken for granted. Moreover, global developments show that, unfortunately, it is increasingly the law of the strongest, and not that of international laws, that seeks to impose itself. We will never accept it. The report we are presenting today is also a collective response to this urgency. It carries our values, our struggles and our convictions. It is the result of negotiations and also reflects the common will to defend, beyond many political divisions, the universality of human rights and democracy. It aims to underline the importance of the European Union as a leading global actor and the need for consensus in the management of human rights and democracy crises. One of the major challenges I would like to highlight is the growing crisis of accountability, that of widespread impunity for human rights violations around the world. Those responsible for these violations must be held accountable. It is crucial that the European Union actively advocates for justice and an end to impunity. In this regard, I welcome the fact that, in the report, we reaffirm our unwavering support for the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, which are the essential pillars of impartial and independent international justice. Secondly, as we know, in our time when the accessibility and speed of the internet and the proliferation of social networks overwhelm us with incessant information flows, it is becoming increasingly difficult to sort through this avalanche of data. The report therefore pays particular attention to the protection of human rights in the age of digital technologies. It condemns threats in the digital sphere, such as online mass surveillance and internet shutdowns. The report also stresses the need for monitoring, strict transparency and appropriate safeguards. It also refers to the deterioration of press freedom worldwide and condemns the censorship of journalists and human rights defenders, including through laws against so-called ‘foreign agents’. Independent journalists are at the forefront of the fight against disinformation, which undermines democracies. It is our duty to protect them, because protecting them means ensuring access to fair information for citizens. In conclusion, we must be clear and determined. The fight for human rights, democracy and justice must remain at the heart of our priorities. This report, as an expression of our collective commitment, is a call to action, a tool to affirm our values and an opportunity to strengthen our role as a global actor in the defence of human rights and democracy. Together, we have a responsibility to never give in to the forces that seek to weaken those rights that put human dignity at the centre.

Madam President, as Donald Tusk said this morning on behalf of the Polish Presidency, it is time to act. Our security and defence are at the centre of all priorities. The EU’s strategic autonomy is more necessary than ever, to protect us and to combat military or hybrid threats, cyber-attacks, the instrumentalisation of migrants and disinformation, among others. Hybrid wars and foreign interference are attempts to destabilize our democracies, which we must fight with determination. It is our duty to protect ourselves. Our security is in our hands and not in the hands of external actors, be they allies or enemies. And this requires very substantial investments in our defence capabilities, in our armed forces, in our cybersecurity infrastructure, in the development of new technologies. Without funds, all this will be empty words. We need to give ourselves the financial means to have our destiny in our hands. It is up to us to have the courage and determination to be united and to keep in mind the weight of the stakes: our security, democracy, freedom.

Mr President, Commissioner, it has been more than four years since Aleksandr Lukashenko stole the elections from the Belarusian people. By crushing and imprisoning those who opposed him, he managed to remain in power, in the purest tradition of authoritarian regimes: lack of rule of law, lack of freedoms and absolute prevalence of force. The situation has not changed. He continues to imprison those who still have the courage to oppose him, on the eve of new or purported ‘elections’. We must not stop denouncing him, just as we must remember that Lukashenko is a dictator who, as a faithful ally of Russia, second Vladimir Putin in his unworthy war against Ukraine. For the Belarusian people, but also for ourselves, we must denounce the ongoing human rights violations in Belarus and actively fight the hybrid war waged by Minsk – and, through it, by Moscow – against the European Union, whose most despicable form is undoubtedly the use of human beings, migrants brought to our borders with the aim of destabilising our Union. Let’s stand united, defend democracy inside and outside our Union, wholeheartedly with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and all democratic forces in Belarus!