Speeches

Madam President! History repeats itself. This is always my first thought when following the development of destructive propaganda rhetoric, which is increasingly being used by extremists. The purpose is clear: separation, destabilisation of a democratic society. This same hostile ideology with the same ideas and the same way of communicating was once pushed to the extreme after painful lessons. But now they have successfully sneaked back from the edge to the center, where, in addition to using artificial intelligence to spread their ideology, they discredit at the same time as disinformation everyone who does not think like them. It is a coordinated, well-funded, transnational propaganda campaign to expand and assert authoritarianism, if not worse, in Europe. At the time of the rise of Nazism, they did this by taking over radios, today they do it through social networks. And they're right. The choice is really ours. So do you really want this to become a mainstream rhetoric and normal again? I don't.

Mr President. Health - unfortunately for most of us taken for granted until it is no longer there. If the decline of the physical is still observed, the decline of the mental is too often not detected or even ignored. It's a big mistake. We politicians and society as a whole, because we have still not provided adequate awareness and education, because our public health systems still do not provide mental health services accessible to all, because we have still not provided sufficient funding for mental health activities. The stigma remains. At the same time, there is still a lack of qualified staff and a frighteningly high number of suicides, rising, especially among young people. I sincerely wish all of us that today's debate will not be just a symbolic celebration of World Mental Health Day, but will indeed lead to a comprehensive European strategy covering all these areas. It's okay if you're not okay. But it's not okay to fight in silence because you don't get the help you need. It's not okay.

Mr President! No matter how many times we have heard in this Chamber that we want a progressive and competitive European Union in which prosperity prevails. Absolutely! But how will we ensure this as long as it is difficult, if at all, for our citizens to afford a roof over their heads? It is unacceptable that the European rules currently in place only protect the profits made in the housing market instead of protecting people. Of course, I am pleased that we are going to have a Commissioner for Housing and Energy, but I am really concerned about the poorly designed mission letter, which focuses only on the energy renovation of buildings. Of course, this is important, but it will not solve the housing shortage. First of all, we need a strategy to encourage public and private investment, a plan to provide social housing and affordable housing. This and more will be needed to transform housing from luxury back to the basic fundamental right of everyone.

Mr President! Recent floods in Central Europe. Fires in Portugal, Greece, drought in southern Italy, Spain. The whole of Europe, the whole world, in fact, is facing climate change or its terrible consequences. And we have to remember that every year it will only get worse. I'm sorry. Over the past term, we have done a lot to be more responsive to crises. I am not saying, we have improved the mechanism, purchased joint fire-fighting planes, included several countries in the European mechanisms. Solidarity is the foundation of the European Union, and it is precisely these disasters that really show this. But repairing the consequences is too slow and it is more difficult to repair the damage than to prepare for natural disasters so that they are not so devastating. We need to look the truth in the eye. Climate change is the truth. Natural disasters as a result are the truth, and the solution is not to water down the famous "Green Deal", as some argue, but to increase the European Union's dedicated funds and invest in countries adapting their infrastructure to reduce the threat and consequences at local level for those most affected by these disasters, of course.

Madam President! Do you know what I'm holding in my hands, colleagues? Fourteen pages of dead, murdered babies. I didn't even come to those children who had at least their first birthday, let alone adults. Because – all pages are 649. And this is data only until the end of August. And only for those who have been able to identify them. And that's 34,344 dead, 11,355 children. In fact, there are thousands more dead. And where are those still alive, but with dire consequences. And those who are dying because of the collapse of the health system, and those who are unable to get food. And us? Most of you are still pretending to regret what is happening, while at the same time claiming that the Israeli Government has that right. When I hear this in this house, I am ashamed to be a part of it, although in reality it should be ashamed of all those who do not want to see genocide. I am ashamed of you, but I will not be silent until I can bring with me a list of sanctions against the State of Israel instead of a list of children who have died when I address this institution. At least that.

Madam President. We are ahead of the vote on the regulation on European statistics, on population and housing, which did not receive much political attention in the negotiation process with the Council. Totally unjustified. Brexit has happened, we have faced a pandemic, we are addressing climate change and migration trends. We have started to prepare for the digital transformation. We are living at a time when, unfortunately, we are facing new crises every year and we need timely, more frequent and more detailed data – statistics – to address them properly and design appropriate measures. And with this regulation, we will establish a common European legislative framework that will, for the first time, lead to a unified definition of the population in all Member States. We will gain real comparability of the data collected, which is crucial for designing and making informed decisions on evidence-based legislative proposals and action plans. Better data will create better quality policies for the benefit of all citizens. The population database starts with inclusive data collection. Every person counts, so we have to count everyone. That is why we have included in the text the requirement to include vulnerable and hard-to-reach groups, which are often, too often, overlooked. We also include an important aspect of collecting data on the energy performance of buildings and the possibility of disaggregating by disability. In Parliament’s data collection mandate, we are clearly putting the use of administrative resources and records for data collection at the forefront, while also encouraging the development and progress in the development of new data collection methods. Both financial and technical support from the Union will be made available to national statistical institutes. Despite all our really great efforts during the negotiations, due to the lack of flexibility and the non-adaptation of the Member States with the Council, we have not been able to reach a compromise. I'm sorry. It is therefore of the utmost importance that we confirm this strong position of Parliament today, which will allow us to monitor high-quality statistics in the continuation of the negotiations and thus their central role in the Union's policy-making.

Dear President! Thank you! This time I will not show you the horrific photos from Gaza. Not because I'm afraid I'll be interrupted. In this case, I am not at all moved by the rules of this house. But only because this time I will describe to you with numbers a reality from which you can not hide even those who, even with my photos, closed their eyes at the time. Those who do not acknowledge the abnormal brutality of the genocide committed by Israel in Palestine. The numbers, then. More than 34,000 dead Palestinians, more than 120 dead journalists, more than 220 dead humanitarians. This is reality. It's getting worse. Unjustified bombings are not uncontrolled. Israel is targeting its attacks very targeted at hospitals and humanitarian operating areas. It also targets journalists in the form of fatal and definitive censorship. Because, what if the actions of the Israeli government are not reported, there are none? Shame on those who make it possible. And you should be ashamed, because you can so calmly accompany the breakdown of humanity. I won't be silent.

Mr President. This is Yazan. And that's for those of you who deceive yourself. Yazan became the face of famine in Gaza. Remember him, those of you who will again be against an immediate ceasefire. Those of you who are still (the President interrupts the speaker) are always against the sanctions of Israel. We have accused Hamas countless times, of course we are, still Mrs. We have also called on Israel countless times to exercise the right to self-defence in accordance with international law. And? And tens of thousands of Palestinians are dead, and Yazan is not the only child to have died of starvation. Unfortunately, it's not the last. I am not saying that, as a Union, we do nothing, but I am saying that we do far too little. Where is the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, where are the sanctions against Netanyahu. It's not all that complicated, but you know. But most of you don't want to. It is easier to say to Ursula von der Leyen that they need an immediate humanitarian pause in Gaza that will lead to a ceasefire. What kind of break? Breaking the fire - now! Stop fooling yourself. No child in this world should look up at the sky and wonder what will fall. Death or dinner. Stop it.

Madam President. The horror, that was my first thought when reading the report published yesterday by the European Environment Agency, because the reality of the current situation and the predicted future are, to put it mildly, scary. According to all scientifically proven information about the deterioration of the situation in Europe, which according to indicators is the continent with the fastest warming, it is unwise, unwise and irresponsible to continue with environmental degradation. A major warning was already mentioned last year's natural disasters of catastrophic proportions, which devastated many European countries. Sometimes in the form of extreme heat, drought and fires, elsewhere extensive precipitation and flooding. The latter also devastated my country, Slovenia. We will continue to deal with its consequences for quite some time, but we will pay back for many years. This is not ideology, this is reality, these are facts. And if we really want to ensure a sustainable future, based on ensuring health, food and energy security, social and financial stability, we must address the problem at its source. We have started, but the key will be perseverance, perseverance and perseverance.

Mr President. Without freedom of the media, there is no democracy. Media freedom is under threat in many places, including in Europe. In the most horrific form, we have seen this in the murders of journalists Jan Kuciak or Daphne Caruana Galizia. This is because it is about the abuse of power in silencing journalists, subjugating or politically taking over the media for the purpose of manipulating the public. With the Media Freedom Act, we are finally getting a Union-wide law. Interference of owners in editorial decisions - prohibited. Policy Interference - Prohibited. Transparency - 100%. In media ownership, in state media financing. All of this will have to be disclosed to the public. The hidden political financing of the media is over. There will be an end to the subordination of public media to populists such as Orban, now Fico, once Janša. This law is truly ground-breaking in protecting the freedom of the media, but it must, of course, also come to life in practice in the way it is conceived. We know a lot of current infringement cases, and I really hope that the Commission will be politically brave and will immediately bring proceedings before the courts. Many should have been a long time ago.

Madam President! The integration and enlargement of the European Union should, of course, take place at the same time, but not on the basis of one another. We've been talking a lot about this lately, and rightly so. But unfortunately there is a huge gap between what we are talking about here and the positions of the Member States, which actually have scissors and canvas exclusively in their hands. How does that famous Jean Monnet phrase go: Will the Union be shaped by crises? Well, I would have liked this not to happen only during crises, under the weight of mere urgency. We have done a lot in this mandate, but our ambitions must not be reduced. More should be done on enlargement. However, we are looking at blockades of certain countries, usually completely unjustified. This wastes a lot of credibility in the countries of the Western Balkans. Of course, they need to do more in reform in the region, but with empty promises, we share part of this responsibility or are responsible, even more so, because the other thing is the reforms of the Union itself, because we should finally change our fundamental treaties, including allowing more flexibility to address common challenges and the crucial democratisation of the functioning of the European Union.

Mr. President! Of all the crises that have marked this mandate, the one that will certainly have the longest lasting impact is the one that spreads silently and which – to my mind incomprehensibly – is not even recognised as a crisis. Growing inequality. We talk too little about it in this house, but it really reveals many other things to us. Inequality in the world, for example, is a key cause of the theme that some people use for cheap political points without solutions: migration. But inequality is not only a problem outside the Union, it is also growing exponentially in our country. On the one hand, high prices and low incomes of people, on the other hand, abnormal enrichment of the rich and an even more abnormal increase in poverty. Colleagues, inequality is a political choice, it depends on our policies. And I'm saying all this because lately we're constantly hearing about the rise of the populist right, and we're just pointing out the threat of their dominance, instead of directing the criticism to ourselves and honestly saying that the situation isn't good. It all starts with inequality and should end with effective action and its implementation.

Madam President! Yes, anti-Semitism is on the rise, and yes, anti-Islamism or anti-Muslim hatred is on the rise. Let's be honest and say both. Let's also be honest about why. The escalation of the situation in Gaza. Because of the war in Gaza. Because of the genocide that Israel has been perpetrating for four months – the least – against the Palestinian people. But even if it is triggered as a aftershock tsunami, it is in fact a deep-rooted structural racism based on hatred. I'm sorry. Hatred is like a virus and spreads like an epidemic, but it also brings violence, hate crimes, revenge on the grounds of religion or ethnic origin into our society. Their manifestation is further accelerated by social networks, which enable online attacks, the spread of conspiracy theories and disinformation. All of this has no place in modern society. And I am saddened that it is precisely on the basis of such horrific actions that radically right-wing political parties thrive and grow, even though it is precisely we politicians who must lead by example, teach and guide people's value and moral views. A patriot is not the one who proves this with hatred of others.

Madam President! Many of us, who are now here in this Chamber, have been striving to make sure that the really good, historical legislation of the rules online has come into being. And it is. But in practice, things are not so optimistic right now. Online platforms have still not adapted. I hope, however, that by spring, when this legislation becomes fully operational, this will change. But how is it in practice now? It seems that online platforms are still removing content that should remain, while those that should really be removed remain. Another problem is that discrimination between the official languages of the European Union persists. The only language where content moderation works as much as possible is English. For my Slovene, for example, there are shortcomings in the supervision, processing of requests and compliance with this legislation. Here, too, I really ask the Commission not to allow such discrimination against online platforms. The consequences of the impact of online platforms are increasingly evident. Intrusions into privacy through targeted advertising, depression among young people, the spread of hatred and disinformation – none of this stops, at most worse. I'm sorry. On the Internet, ideological bubbles have been created, polarization is increasing. Social networks seem to have become antisocial. Instead of dealing with these problems, however, liability platforms prefer to avoid. At a time when the internet is – we want to, we don’t want to – an ever-increasing part of our world, we have to ask ourselves what kind of world we want. I don't want one where people are depressed and manipulated, all for the profits from advertising web giants.

Madam President! First of all, let me underline that we must take reporting on the espionage of one of the Members of the European Parliament extremely seriously. I hope that the investigation will clarify the matter and that concrete steps will follow. In any case, we cannot pretend that foreign countries are not interfering in our democratic processes. It is. And the methods for this are becoming more sophisticated. Today's debate is due to information about the impact of the Russian secret services on one of our colleagues, but the problem is much bigger. Let us remember the affair of Ibiza, when they secretly filmed the then leader of the Austrian freelancers. Let us remember the Russian loan to the French National Front Marine Le Pen or the report of US intelligence that Russia spent at least $ 300 million on financing political parties around the world. All this is still happening, and it does not just come from Russia. And it is not surprising that nationalist far-right parties are the most susceptible to these practices, which – ironically – are willing to act against their national interests for little money and a better election result. This is the current state of the right. I'm sorry. Let's start here, too, and set some minimum standards.

Madam President! Greece, the cradle of democracy, which today, unfortunately, presents itself in a completely different light. Media freedom is strongly influenced by deep-rooted systemic barriers stemming from the lack of media pluralism and the oligarchic ownership structure of media outlets dictating their editorial policy, not to mention the political and economic pressure on journalists and the resulting problem of self-censorship. The murder of journalist George Karaivaz remains unsolved. Journalists face many – unfounded – court cases to silence them. And all this prevents the conditions for independent or critical reporting. And while at European level, with the Media Freedom Act, we are setting standards to address this situation in Greece too, the Greek government is proposing a law that would increase prison sentences for journalists. That's why we shouldn't be silent. We must monitor the introduction of European media legislation in Greece and we must fight to ensure that this cradle of democracy does not also become its cemetery.

Mr. President! It has been one year since some colleagues received suitcases of money from third countries to influence Union policy. The affair has seriously damaged the credibility of this Union. People have lost trust. Justified. In fact, I also wonder how much corruption is still undisclosed, especially after the last posts in Politico. What is the impact of illegal lobbying or partial interests of parliamentarians? How can many in this house still receive high amounts for sitting on various company supervisory boards? Unfortunately, not much has changed in a year. The ethical world, which is already a toothless tiger, is still not working. Transparency is essential, but it is not enough. We need a serious body with powers to investigate all conflicts of interest and to punish all illegalities. These are basic standards, a prerequisite for democracy. If they don't, we all seem to be the same. We are not, but with vague measures, political forces are being strengthened with the sole aim of self-exploitation. Qatargate will remain a stain of the European Union. Take decisive action to kill corruption, take responsibility and put corrupt politicians, where they belong, behind bars.

Mr President. How many of you here have ever made fun of young people, such as 30-year-olds and -year-olds, who still live with their parents? Or have you heard those jokes about the "Mom Hotel"? Probably a lot of people. Such remarks are sad to me. The circumstances facing young generations today can only be ridiculous in satire, which is not the real situation. Lack of real estate, record inflation rates, high credit interest rates on the one hand, and a lack of quality, stable and adequately paid jobs on the other. All this puts young people in an unenviable position, which, incidentally, threatens not only their independence, but also their mental health. Numerous studies have shown this. Quality job creation initiatives exist at Union level and aim at youth-friendly labour market regulation. However, we do not have incentives for affordable housing, such as encouraging the construction of new housing, introducing subsidies for young people buying housing, facilitating favourable credit conditions or initiatives to fill empty housing by focusing on young people. There are many measures that will be able to improve conditions for young people through strategies. Let's make them happen!

Madam President. The Green Deal. Achieving climate neutrality and committing to a sustainable and, in particular, just transition. All this follows the realization of a single goal, ensuring a long and carefree future for the next generations. We have adopted a number of pieces of legislation to preserve the environment. But we also need to preserve jobs, protect them and create them. There is great potential in the green transition, but we also need coordinated support for all workers to seize the opportunities of a just transition, through adequate education, training and the acquisition of new skills. Above all, we must not forget the regions that are based on heavy industry and will be hit hardest during the transition, which brings uncertainty to many Europeans. I would therefore like to say to the people here that, with this report, we are laying the groundwork for replacing the existing situation with better working conditions, a clean environment and, last but not least, a better life.

Madam President. We are talking again about the violation of the rule of law in Hungary. After all the resolutions that have been passed, the debates that have already taken place, we are here again. There was speculation about some agreement by the Commission with the Hungarian government to partially release the blocked funds to them. The suspension of Hungary's voting rights under Article 7, a very minimal measure, does not move anywhere in the Council. In the meantime, the Hungarian authorities are continuing their actions, which are in very clear breach of the acquis and the fundamental treaties of the European Union. The media subordinate, the justice subordinate, the regulators subordinate, all for the absolute and eternal Orban. This is absurd with regard to a possible agreement by the Commission with the Hungarian Government, and I expect the Commission, as well as the Council, to firmly reject these speculations. Not only has nothing improved in Hungary during this time, it has deteriorated. A new office has recently been proposed to protect the ‘sovereignty of the state’. In reality, however, this would be another mechanism to silence the critical voices of civil society and the media. The ones who still dare. I understand that we also have other problems in the Union, but the rule of law should never be neglected. If the Union cannot gather the political will to take more concrete action, it should at least prevent corruption with the funds of European taxpayers.

Madam President. In the next minute, I will criticise the State of Israel for the most part, and I will not allow anyone to equate what has been said with anti-Semitism. I will allow even less to be assimilated to support for Hamas. I condemn everything these terrorists do. I condemn all killings of innocent people. I condemn the violation of international law. I condemn our eternal concern and our eternal double standards. Where is the strong pressure? Where are the concrete actions? Of course, Israel has the right to defend itself, but this right is not a blank bill to kill Palestinians and Palestinians, children, it is not the right to bomb everywhere. Do you know what would count? I would count unconditional support only for innocent victims. Just advocating an immediate ceasefire and, in the event of failure to implement the latter, sanctions, for example, the start of a ban on trade and cooperation with illegal Israeli settlements, which, incidentally, have been going on well beyond the current war. When, if not now? Ten thousand more dead, one hundred, one million? That would count. Now.

Mr. President! Among the greatest victims of any war are innocent people and truth. Proverb, cliché. Call it what you want, but we all know that this sentence is accurate – especially in these times. We all know the unprecedented speed at which videos, photos, comments go online – especially in these times. Does everyone, as a society, know how many manipulations there are up there? Is he lying? It's intentional. For the interests of some people, some government, some geopolitics, some aggressor, some terrorists, some occupier. Disinformation, manipulation and fake news deepen divisions, increase hatred – towards others. The Digital Services Act is good. It must also be implemented correctly. The boundaries are clear. Positive acquisitions of the web to preserve, harmful content to limit, illegal to remove. The European Union should ensure that social networks also comply fully with the law – especially in these times. People need to know all the pitfalls of the web, but in the end it is always up to them who they will believe. But it is the truth that needs defenders – especially in these times.

Madam President! There are 700,000 homeless people on the streets of Europe. We have set ourselves the goal of eliminating this problem by 2030, but the homelessness rate has increased over the last ten years, rising by 70 percent. Meanwhile, millions of employed young people cannot afford their own housing at all. Emphasis is placed on employed young people. On top of that, all the crises of recent years – health, economic, energy – have led to a marked deterioration in the situation. Unfortunately, the problem does not end with the purchase of real estate, because even those who manage to do so, who get their own apartment, who buy it, then have difficulty maintaining their home. 34 million Europeans are unable to afford sufficient heating. These are all facts. I'm sorry. And action is urgent. We have already started moving in this direction. That's true, but it's going too slow. Targeted action by Member States, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable, will be crucial. Home should be a basic right to a decent life for each of us, regardless of social or economic status.

Madam President. The defence of the rule of law in the European Union has always left the media behind, although we know that their independence is a key condition for the functioning of our democracy. In some Member States, we have well-functioning media systems and, unfortunately, in many cases, their complete subordination. There, they became the main tool for manipulating people to maintain the power of certain political structures: Hungary, Poland. But the risk remains throughout the European Union. No country is immune to this. Many have been spied on by journalists. There have been murders of journalists on European soil. There are non-transparent acquisitions of media companies for their own interests. Public media, the pillar of credible information for people, are in many places – fortunately no longer in Slovenia – the least exposed to attempts at subordination. It was high time to create additional legal safeguards at European Union level. Data on ownership and state funding will be public. An impact test on editorial independence will be required prior to acquisitions. The damaging actions of states, as well as the pressure of ownership, can be challenged. The legal basis and thus the protection will be established. That's the best we can do with the law. It is up to the states, the media and the owners to do so in practice. There is no magic wand - unfortunately - to solve all the accumulated problems. But the European Media Freedom Act is currently the most decisive step towards ensuring exactly that – media freedom. No one should be afraid of him, except those who undermine this freedom.

Dear Sir/Madam, The books. Without them, we would not know history, without them there would be no social progress, revolutions, research, innovation. Ironically, without them, there would be no technological development and digitalisation, today two major threats to the book sector, not only from the point of view of the existence of new book formats, which may completely replace printed books in the future - I hope not - but above all from the point of view of the constant availability of video content, which has recently been suppressing the reading culture, especially of young people. Therefore, we need to make it more attractive for them to read, to shift their attention from screens back to books. The fact is that the danger is greater than the economic and technological threats to the book sector, the decline of readers, because without readers, any help and ensuring the sustainable development of the sector will, unfortunately, be pointless. Thank you.