What Assita spoke about.

7 Oct

2021

EN Speech

Human rights situation in Myanmar, including the situation of religious and ethnic groups

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Mr President, Myanmar has a long story of democratic struggles and military suppression. It was like reading a horror story when reading the most recent report from the UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar. Family members, including even innocent children, sometimes only 20 weeks old, of critics are systematically kidnapped in order to force them to surrender. We could all read this in The Guardian th…

6 Oct

2021

EN Speech

European solutions to the rise of energy prices for businesses and consumers: the role of energy efficiency and renewable energy and the need to tackle energy poverty (debate)

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Madam President, imagine a child with her siblings laying down in a remote area of one of the poorest countries in the world around a petrol lamp studying until the light dies. That child was me. Many kids do not have access to education because of energy issues. As a business employee, I saw African businesses struggle, struggling to share crucial documents because of unreliable energy sources. T…

5 Oct

2021

EN Speech

State of EU cyber defence capabilities (debate)

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Madam President, ‘now that everything is connected, everything can be hacked’, said President von der Leyen in this Hemicycle just three weeks ago. We all know she’s right. We all know how vulnerable we are today and have been recently. Smart, active, fast, creative: sadly, this is not how we can define our way of fighting cyber-criminality. Those words are describing the entities behind the cyber…

5 Oct

2021

EN Speech

The future of EU-US relations (debate)

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Mr President, ‘the United States are back’, said President Biden after his election. I dream of the day when the EU can say, ‘the EU is back’. I am still dreaming. Some thought that the EU would fall back romantically into America’s arms after Trump’s defeat, but they were so wrong. I would rather describe it as a terrible, terrible one-night stand. The times of multilateralism, the Obama era, see…

15 Sep

2021

EN Speech

The Pegasus spyware scandal (debate)

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Madam President, we are finally discussing this case in this Parliament now, the Pegasus scandal. What would be the difference, when a spyware can activate the camera and microphone on your phone and make new recordings, if someone just entered your house and watched what you do and say during your private time? What would be the difference if someone entered your office and attended all your conf…

14 Sep

2021

EN Speech

EU Blue Card Directive (debate)

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Mr President, I would like to thank the rapporteur, Mr Moreno Sánchez, and all the colleagues from the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) who have worked on this file for the constructive collaboration, because it has not been an easy file. It has cost some kind of blood, sweat and tears but, finally, we are going to vote for this tomorrow, and I am very proud of all of …

14 Sep

2021

NL Speech

A new EU-China strategy (debate)

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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…

14 Sep

2021

EN Speech

Situation in Afghanistan (debate)

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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 par…

8 Jul

2021

EN Speech

Hong Kong, notably the case of Apple Daily

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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 …

8 Jul

2021

NL Speech

The case of Ahmadreza Djalali in Iran

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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. …

7 Jul

2021

EN Speech

Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 24-25 June 2021 (debate)

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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…

5 Jul

2021

NL Speech

Use of technologies for the processing of data for the purpose of combating online child sexual abuse (temporary derogation from Directive 2002/58/EC) (debate)

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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 t…