Speeches

Mr President, first of all I would like to thank the rapporteur, Mrs Vautmans, for her work. This is a very important file. I agree with the broad outlines and critical undertone of this report on an EU strategy towards China, which takes into account the multifaceted nature of the EU's relations with China. It is therefore necessary for this strategy to propose means of action to respond to China’s different roles: cooperation and negotiation partner, economic competitor and systemic rival. Cooperation must not exclude critical remarks about the situation of human rights in China, human rights in Hong Kong, the treatment of our companies, Chinese cyberattacks and attempts at cultural repression and the modern colonisation of Africa. I think and I am actually afraid that we will be very strict here again with words, but not active enough with what we have to do afterwards. We have to be careful with that.

Madam President, I’m glad that this debate is chaired by a woman standing proudly. This is not something that currently is happening in Afghanistan, where women have to stay home, hide their bodies, and I’ve seen photos of women and men in a university separated by a curtain, and besides, women have to leave the class much earlier so that they don’t see or meet men, which means they are losing part of their education. I am very worried, just like all of us in here about what is happening in Afghanistan and the EU and its Member States must provide, of course, adequate humanitarian support and focus on women and girls. But at the same time, we must be careful not to legitimise this provisional government, full of macho men, who don’t know that women have a potential that the country could use. However, I’m also hearing that a deal is in the works with Iran on hosting Afghan refugees. So I’m asking you, who in this room is feeling comfortable about sending a woman or a girl who is running away from the Taliban straight to the place where the ayatollahs are sitting? This will not be with my support because it’s bringing someone from hell to hell, and we cannot be complicit in that.

Mr President, abusive legal procedures or abuse online, financial pressure, cyberespionage, physical violence and murder, or intimidation by states like in Malta where Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated; in Hong Kong, where the press is intimidated and the press room invaded in the name of a stupid law; and by drug criminals like in the Netherlands where journalist Peter R. de Vries has been shot this week and is still fighting for his life. Many remain under threat in Hong Kong, but also here in Europe. As a kid, I wanted to become a journalist because this is how you inform citizens and protect democracy. It was journalists who informed the little girl I was in a remote African village about the world. There are still many little girls out there who need to be informed. As politicians today, we must fight crime and do all we can to give the press the opportunity to do their job and play their part of the democracy partition. As citizens, we need to do something too: to pay for news. As long as we want all news for free, we forget that we build financial vulnerability for many journalists and newsrooms. We have a choice to make here, now and every day: there is no democracy without a free press.

Mr. President, can you imagine this? Locked up in a small cell, completely in solitary confinement. Day in, day out, waiting. Every time that cell door opens, your heartbeat stops and you think your last day has arrived. That is the current terrible situation of Dr Djalali, a European citizen. This is torture. I am truly shocked by the cruel mistreatment of Dr. Djalali by the Iranian authorities. The EU should do more than just make statements expressing its concerns or deep concern. The days of diplomatic language are over. He's been locked up for five years, far from his family. And during these five years, the EU has achieved nothing. The clock is ticking and every day can be his last. The EU must act now, otherwise it will very quickly lose one of its citizens. But this would also spread the message: “We are the EU and we cannot protect you.” Saying something like that to our citizens is not possible!

Madam President, I would like to ask the President of the European Council, how is your back? I’m asking because EU relations with Turkey look like self-flagellation, and that must leave painful marks, does it not? This not only hurts you, but teaches others like Lukashenko how to treat us all as the EU: with no respect. Then you may end up calling more people to remind them again that you are the President and that the EU is united. Then we are powerless – because having power is like being a gentleman: one is or one is not. If you have to say that you are, we all know what that means, don’t we? It’s actions that must speak. Unfortunately, the Turkey chapter in the European Council conclusions mostly appears to be a carbon copy of the previous European Council conclusions, while Erdoğan’s actions are changing. This needs to change. Let’s accept that this Turkey cannot become a member of the EU and use the third Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III) to support Turkey’s civil society instead of funding the accession assistance. Let’s repair our asylum immigration system and let’s continue supporting Syrian refugees, but give the funds directly to them.

Mr President, Commissioner, the protection of children must not slip through the loopholes of EU law. I am therefore very pleased that an agreement has been concluded that guarantees both the safety of our children and our privacy. Protecting our children must be a priority not only for the EU but also for the rest of society. Online child abuse is one of the many challenges that the EU needs to tackle without delay. According to a report by the Council of Europe, 10.4 million unique images and 3.7 million unique videos of child sexual abuse were reported by a US monitoring system in 2020. This is also happening in Europe, which means that the EU cannot stand by. I am pleased that technology companies can continue to voluntarily monitor online child abuse, including grooming, provided they provide additional safeguards to protect our privacy. In my opinion, this strikes a good balance between the protection of children and the protection of our privacy and data. However, we must remain vigilant and monitor the situation so that we can improve it if necessary.