What Isabel spoke about.

1

Apr

2025

FR Speech

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Human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter – annual report 2024 (debate)

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 colleag…

1

Apr

2025

FR Speech

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Human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter – annual report 2024 (debate)

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…

22

Jan

2025

FR Speech

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Uniting Europe against actors hostile to the EU: time to strengthen our security and defence (topical debate)

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 interferenc…

21

Jan

2025

FR Speech

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Need for actions to address the continued oppression and fake elections in Belarus (debate)

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 thos…

23

Oct

2024

FR Answer

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Seven years from the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia: lack of progress in restoring the rule of law in Malta (debate)

Sir, it seems to me that there is still a real consensus that the sponsors were certainly not arrested.

23

Oct

2024

FR Speech

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Seven years from the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia: lack of progress in restoring the rule of law in Malta (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, thank you for your commitment to the rule of law over the past five years. It has been seven years, seven years of justice, seven years of impunity for those responsible for the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. His family is fighting a huge battle, and their courage, the example they set, also means that we have no doubt and that we continue to hold people to accoun…

22

Oct

2024

FR Speech

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

Madam President, Commissioner, thank you for your words. Her name was Victoria Rochtchyna, she was 27, she was a journalist, she was Ukrainian. She disappeared on 3 August while in Russia to investigate Russian military strikes against Ukraine. Some 25 Ukrainian journalists are now imprisoned in Russia. Victoria Rochtchyna was also locked up in a Russian prison. And that is where she died. Indepen…

9

Oct

2024

FR Speech

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The case of Bülent Mumay in Türkiye

Madam President, Parliament has chosen to draw attention today to the situation of journalist Bülent Mumay. Bülent is the coordinator of the Turkish editorial board of the Deutsche Welle in Istanbul. It also publishes, among other things, in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. He is known for his commitment to free and independent information. However, he was once again targeted by the Turkish aut…

18

Sep

2024

FR Speech

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The deteriorating situation of women in Afghanistan due to the recent adoption of the law on the “Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice”

Mr President, Commissioner, I stand before you today to denounce in the strongest terms the adoption by the Taliban of the so-called 'Law on the Promotion of Virtue' in Afghanistan. Under the guise of morality, this law is a direct attack on the human rights of women and girls. It imposes draconian restrictions on their freedom of movement, their right to education, to work and even to participate…

18

Sep

2024

FR Speech

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The Hungarian “National Card” scheme and its consequences for Schengen and the area of freedom, security and justice (debate)

Mr President, Hungary, by extending its national card system to nationals of Russia and Belarus, allows them to enter Hungary and thus the Schengen area, without the usual security checks for visas. This undoubtedly poses a security risk to the European Union in the current situation of Russia's war against Ukraine. It is simply not acceptable for a country in the European Union to allow nationals…

17

Sep

2024

FR Speech

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

Madam President, we cannot repeat this enough: This brutal and illegal war was initiated by Russia on Ukrainian territory. The day the Russian aggressor withdraws from Ukraine, this war ends. Our assistance to Ukraine is helping to ensure that it is not wiped off the map. Ukraine has the right – at home, they say the duty – to defend itself. It is about allowing the Ukrainian people to remain free…

10

Apr

2024

FR Speech

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Ongoing hearings under Article 7(1) TEU regarding Hungary to strengthen Rule of Law and its budgetary implications (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, Hungary is once again in Parliament's plenary. Yes, again in Parliament's plenary. Unfortunately, that is the whole problem. The Hungarian government does not accept its breaches of the rule of law, does not accept criticism from the EU and does not want to amend itself. The measures taken are obviously simply to throw powder in the eyes, so they are not effective and d…

28

Feb

2024

FR Speech

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The murder of Alexei Navalny and the need for EU action in support of political prisoners and oppressed civil society in Russia (debate)

Mr President, the death of Alexei Navalny, a crime for which the Russian regime is responsible, has brought back to me a huge cry of anger, a deep revolt. This authoritarian, dictatorial regime of Vladimir Putin’s Russian regime crushes all those who oppose it by eliminating them as if they were pawns, not human beings. Il écrase les opposants politiques, mais aussi tous ceux qui, simples citoyens…

17

Jan

2024

FR Speech

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Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 14-15 December 2023 and preparation of the Special European Council meeting of 1 February 2024 - Situation in Hungary and frozen EU funds (joint debate - European Council meetings)

Mr President, the rule of law is still not guaranteed in Hungary. New laws, contrary to the fundamental values of the European Union, continue to be passed. Therefore, the fact that the Commission is releasing funds for Hungary poses a danger to the defence of EU rights and the safeguarding of EU funds. While it is important to ensure that the institutions are not blocked – and Viktor Orban does n…

18

Oct

2023

FR Speech

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Rule of Law in Malta: 6 years after the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia and the need to protect journalists (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, six years have passed since the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Two days ago, we marked this sad anniversary, for a Maltese journalist, who had made the defense of the truth her struggle, at the cost of her life. In a letter we received from his family yesterday, we learn that the public inquiry that was conducted comes to the conclusion that the state bears respon…

12

Sep

2023

FR Speech

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Iran: one year after the murder of Jina Mahsa Amini (debate)

Mr President, Mr High Representative, the death of Mahsa Amini remains in our memories as a thorn, a thorn that will never come out of it again. A year later, we do not forget. We do not forget this tragedy, which was the spark of a movement, unprecedented in its scale and duration, against power in Iran. One year to condemn the murder of Mahsa Amini, this young woman of just 22 years. One year to…

11

Jul

2023

FR Speech

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Protection of journalists around the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter (A9-0206/2023 - Isabel Wiseler-Lima) (vote)

– Mr President, the scale and severity of attacks on journalists have increased considerably and this goes hand in hand with a decline in democracy worldwide. Journalists’ investigations, their fight to inform, are essential for the preservation of the rule of law and democracy. But in doing so, journalists expose themselves to the repression of authoritarian states, criminal networks and all thos…

10

Jul

2023

FR Speech

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Protection of journalists and human rights defenders from manifestly unfounded or abusive court proceedings (debate)

Mr President, when the safety of journalists is not guaranteed, citizens can no longer rely on free and fair information. As we know, investigative journalism is an indispensable part of democracies. Journalists must be able to work serenely and without self-censorship. This freedom is not given in totalitarian countries, but it is not given in our countries either. When journalists face abusive l…

31

May

2023

FR Speech

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Breaches of the Rule of law and fundamental rights in Hungary and frozen EU funds (debate)

Mr President, in 2017, the European Parliament launched the Article 7 procedure against Hungary. Since then, the rule of law in Hungary has steadily deteriorated. The government of Viktor Orbán now allows itself to legislate by decree and pass laws at night, without Parliament having a say. We have a different conception of democracy. We are tabling a resolution in plenary for the umpteenth time c…

10

May

2023

FR Speech

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Fighting cyberbullying of young people across the EU (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, there are times when we miss words. In front of a mother whose child committed suicide because of the harassment inflicted on her, we feel completely helpless. Yet the courage of this mother also makes us want to fight. Jackie Fox turned her grief into strength, and acted to prevent other young people from the fate of her daughter. His struggle in Ireland led to the pas…

19

Apr

2023

FR Speech

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This is Europe - Debate with the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel (debate)

Madam President, Prime Minister, the European Union, and within it Luxembourg, continues to be a haven that attracts and welcomes. Our strength today lies in this. But the European Union is also at a crossroads. We need more Europe to face a world that has become much more hostile to democracies and has seen the return of war on the European continent, due to an autocratic and hegemonic Russia tha…

15

Mar

2023

FR Speech

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The EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, dear rapporteur, in a world where authoritarian regimes are developing in a worrying way, human rights defenders play an absolutely essential role in promoting human rights, democracy and the rule of law. In this sense, they are true allies of the European Union. We have a responsibility to protect and support them in their activities in defence of democracy. It is d…

14

Feb

2023

FR Speech

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Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence: EU accession (continuation of debate)

Madam President, the Istanbul Convention is a flagship tool to combat violence against women and girls, and domestic violence. It is first and foremost a question of preventing such violence, but also of eliminating impunity, which all too often reinforces the aggressors. There is a huge amount of work to be done to ensure that there is awareness on the part of the people who are able to help. The…

17

Jan

2023

FR Speech

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Human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter - annual report 2022 (debate)

Madam President, first of all, I would like to thank you for the debate that has taken place. But given some statements, I would really like to reiterate that I am proud to be the rapporteur for a text that, here in Parliament, reaffirms the dignity of every human being, the right to be who you are, to love who you love and to believe or not believe. I would really like to thank my colleagues for …

17

Jan

2023

FR Speech

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Human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter - annual report 2022 (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, when presenting the European Parliament’s annual report on the state of democracy and human rights in the world, let me start with a few positive notes, thinking of all those women and men around the world who stand up for democracy and for human rights. Their dedication and self-sacrifice inspire and give courage. The risk to their lives to obtain…