What Manon spoke about.

14

Jun

2023

FR Speech

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Lessons learnt from the Pandora Papers and other revelations (debate)

Madam President, the Pandora Papers were almost two years ago. For an eternity, you will tell me, at the pace of tax evasion scandals. But still, $11,300 billion hidden. And then we will be told by the way that the crates are empty and that we will make the pockets of the citizens? And it’s not just anyone involved: 35 former and current Heads of State and 300 public officials, some of whom are st…

13

Jun

2023

FR Speech

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Competition policy - annual report 2022 (A9-0183/2023 - René Repasi)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I had a small suggestion for you: Try to close your eyes for a few seconds and imagine two images: on the one hand, thousands of trucks on the roads and their procession of noise and pollution; on the other, freight trains, each carrying as many as 50 heavy goods vehicles. No doubt: I imagine that you prefer the second image, but what is obvious, unfortunatel…

13

Jun

2023

FR Speech

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Establishment of the EU Ethics Body (debate)

Commissioner Jourová, frankly, your proposal for a European ethical authority, the one you are proposing, which is meaningless, is an insult against democracy and a masquerade. Six months after the Qatargate corruption scandal and its suitcases of tickets to buy European democracy, how dare you present such an empty shell with a ridiculous budget, without investigative powers or sanctions? Ultimat…

12

Jun

2023

FR Speech

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Madam President, I obviously wanted to join the initiative of all my colleagues in favour of paternity and maternity leave. And since it is a question of democracy, ladies and gentlemen, I wanted here, from the European Parliament, to issue a solemn warning about the state of democracy in France. Last week, the government simply prevented the National Assembly from voting on the repeal of the pens…

31

May

2023

FR Question

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Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence (debate)

Mr Štefanec, I listened to you carefully, and you say that companies cannot have a responsibility throughout their supply chain. But I have a fairly simple question: Do you agree that companies know their supply chain, and when it comes to raising profits, they have no problem finding the factory where the labour is the cheapest? So why can they turn profits upside down, but never accountability w…

31

May

2023

FR Speech

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Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, it is with great emotion that I speak to you today of a huge victory against the impunity of multinationals. A victory for human rights and the environment, which very large companies can no longer undermine without being held accountable before the courts. A victory for the 100,000 peasants expropriated by Total in Uganda, the families of the 6,500 workers who …

31

May

2023

FR Speech

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10 year anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh (statement by the President)

Mr President, 1 135. There were 1,135 women and men, some almost children, who died crushed under the rubble of the Rana Plaza plant in Bangladesh. 1,135 bodies in the middle of Carrefour, Auchan, Primark, H&M and Benetton labels. 1,135 workers died because they were forced to work while the factory walls cracked. Dead because they were forced to keep up the pace to ensure the unlimited profits of…

10

May

2023

FR Speech

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Update of the anti-corruption legislative framework (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I must say that I had a false hope. When the Commission announced the introduction of anti-corruption rules, I said to myself: “finally”. Finally rules against those who monetize their vote against suitcases of tickets. Finally, a profound reform of the European institutions, after Qatargate, after the hidden texts between President von der Leye…

9

May

2023

FR Speech

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Revision of the Stability and Growth Pact (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, your record has been scratched. In the name of debt and deficit, how many civil servants do you want to lay off? Up to what age will it be necessary to work? How many hospital beds do you still want to close? In truth, no sacrifice will ever be enough to satisfy your debt obsession. Your disc is scratched. You yourself acknowledged this by suspending your fiscal rules a…

19

Apr

2023

FR Speech

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

Madam President, Mr Bettel, I have a riddle for you. What do Tiger Woods, Brad Pitt, the Hermes family, Shakira, the Prince of Saudi Arabia, Bernard Arnault, the Italian Mafia and the Russian underworld have in common? They all have an amazing passion for your country, Luxembourg. We meet beautiful people in your house, you tell me. Finally, the reality is that they are not really there. Because t…

18

Apr

2023

FR Speech

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The need for a coherent strategy for EU-China Relations (debate)

Mr President, Madam President, ladies and gentlemen of the Council, the controversy following the visit of Emmanuel Macron and Ursula von der Leyen to China raises a fundamental question here in our Chamber: What place for Europe in the global geopolitical balance? To begin with, let me tell you that the President of the French Republic has committed two mistakes. The first: appear to be turning b…

30

Mar

2023

FR Speech

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Resumption of the sitting

Madam President, this is a reminder to the Rules of Procedure on the basis of Rule 10 on the conduct of our debates: yesterday Mr Verhofstadt specifically questioned me. Apart from the fact that he has... (Chahut in the Chamber) Colleagues! Colleagues! Can I speak in this Chamber? This is your vision of democracy: We cannot speak in this Chamber! (The President calls for calm in the Chamber) Thank…

29

Mar

2023

FR Speech

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Order of business

Madam President, a protester with her thumb ripped off by an LBD shot. A railroader blinded by a grenade of desencirclement. A protester who was raped during a police search. Two environmental activists in a coma, between life and death. Hundreds of arbitrary arrests of young people. A student victim of racist insults to whom a police officer says: “You, I would have pissed your legs.” A protester…

15

Mar

2023

FR Speech

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International Women's Day

When will you stop considering us women as the adjustment variables of your policies? Women work in underpaid and under-regarded occupations – housekeepers, carers, cashiers, home helpers, childminders, secretaries. Women are already suffering from part-time work and chopped careers. But more and more effort is needed from them. The debate on pension reform in France shows how we are just adjustme…

13

Mar

2023

FR Speech

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Order of business

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, since December almost no week has passed without a new case of corruption within the European institutions. This time, we learn that the Commission's Director-General for Transport has accepted no less than nine business class trips offered by Qatar Airways. A generous gift, while Mr Hololei was negotiating the free air trade agreement between the European Un…

14

Feb

2023

FR Speech

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Establishment of an independent EU Ethics Body (debate)

Mr President, it took the worst scandal in the history of corruption in the European Parliament for this Chamber to remember the urgent need to create an independent ethical authority. However, we raised the alarm at the beginning of this mandate three years ago, by denouncing the multiple conflicts of interest of several candidate European Commissioners and by getting several of them removed. So,…

13

Feb

2023

FR Speech

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Following up on measures requested by Parliament to strengthen the integrity of European institutions (debate)

Madam President, corrupt people are like vampires: They hate the light. So what I propose to you, ladies and gentlemen, is to shine a spotlight on the widespread culture of opacity that is doing so much harm to the European Parliament and has led to this corruption scandal that we all know. If only for the last two months, since the scandal broke, it is clear how some political groups are quietly …

13

Feb

2023

FR Speech

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EU funding allocated to NGOs incriminated in the recent corruption revelations and the protection of EU financial interests (debate)

Madam President, when the wise man shows the moon, the idiot looks at his finger. In the aftermath of the worst corruption scandal in the history of the European Parliament, I must say that the right is honouring the saying by accusing NGOs of all evils. Police seize suitcases of banknotes from MPs? It is the NGOs' fault! Morocco and Qatar send their ambassadors to corrupt our institutions? It is,…

13

Feb

2023

FR Speech

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Order of business

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, two months ago the worst corruption scandal in the history of the European Parliament broke out, with four Members and former Members being prosecuted for corruption by Morocco and Qatar. It has been two months since European citizens discovered the culture of opacity and impunity that prevails in our institutions, the hundreds of undeclared gifts, all-expens…

1

Feb

2023

FR Speech

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Preparation of the Special European Council meeting of February, in particular the need to develop sustainable solutions in the area of asylum and migration (debate)

Madam President, prices are skyrocketing, wages are stagnating, life is getting harder and harder, Europe is facing an unprecedented social crisis, and austerity is returning at the worst moment, with brutal attacks on our social protection system, as in my country, France, where nearly three million citizens demonstrated yesterday against the pension cuts. But we will not talk about all this toda…

1

Feb

2023

FR Speech

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Order of business

Madam President, thank you. What a sense of democracy, ladies and gentlemen: I did not even speak that you are already booing me! Dear EPP colleagues, I can see the intransigence you have with NGOs – which I share – but I will then invite you to show the same intransigence with regard to corrupt practices in our European Parliament and to ensure that all political lessons are drawn from this ‘Qata…

17

Jan

2023

FR Speech

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New developments in allegations of corruption and foreign interference, including those related to Morocco, and the need to increase transparency, integrity and accountability in the European institutions (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, at our last plenary session, the Qatar Gate was already an unprecedented shockwave, but in reality it was only the tip of the iceberg. We have since learned that the network of corruption used by Qatar is much larger. We discover a sprawling system that would have been set up initially by Morocco. Morocco. I repeat that word because I am surprised that none o…

17

Jan

2023

FR Speech

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Presentation of the programme of activities of the Swedish Presidency (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the start of the Swedish presidency illustrates a fundamental political trend that must alert us all. A few weeks ago, it was said, the right and the local Liberals decided to form a government. But this government has the support of the extreme right, an alliance tolerated by the right-wing groups, EPP and Renew, which translates concretely into a total prog…

16

Jan

2023

FR Speech

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Order of business

Madam President, there was a fairly simple way, indeed, to agree on a title to be put on the agenda of our plenary session, it was to agree on this point in the Conference of Presidents. I would like to say here, to all the Members present in this Chamber, that last Thursday a Conference of Presidents took place at which our Group on the Left proposed a debate and proposed that we agree on this de…

14

Dec

2022

FR Speech

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Tackle the cost of living crisis: increase pay, tax profits, stop speculation (topical debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure today to introduce, on behalf of our Left Group in the European Parliament, our initiative for a debate on inflation and its impact in Europe on the most precarious. This choice has indeed a political meaning for us. In this Parliament, we talk a lot about things that are quite theoretical, but in the end we talk quite rarely a…