What François-Xavier spoke about.

20 Oct

2021

FR Speech

Preparation of the European Council meeting of 21-22 October 2021 (debate)

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Madam President, at this very moment, thousands of people used as a weapon of a new kind by the Belarusian dictatorship are being thrown against the borders of Poland, Lithuania, in an attempt to fracture entry into the European space. And this is another indication of this major migration challenge that our countries will have to face together in the coming years. It was at this very moment that …

6 Oct

2021

FR 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, ladies and gentlemen, this morning's debate is triggered by rising gas prices, but the truth is that the energy crisis has not yet started: It is very much in front of us. We can already be sure of this for a very simple reason: it is being prepared now by the decisions that are being taken here, in this Chamber and in the European institutions. As we know very well, these decisio…

16 Sep

2021

FR Speech

United States sanctions and the Rule of law (continuation of debate)

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Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the decision taken by the United States is obviously a wake-up call, but it must not make us forget three things that seem essential. The first concerns the persons who are implicated in this decision: there are already judicial procedures, and I think it is essential to reiterate that the necessary means of combating corruption is justice, and that nothing c…

15 Sep

2021

FR Speech

State of the Union (debate)

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Mr President, Madam President, you have drawn up a lucid diagnosis and an ambitious roadmap, but one that will require urgent breaks. You mentioned the dependence of our countries on Asia, highlighted by the health crisis, and you want to ensure better health protection. But the danger would be to prepare for the past crisis. Tomorrow's will come where we don't expect it. As you describe this vuln…

14 Sep

2021

FR Speech

Brexit Adjustment Reserve - Draft amending budget No 1/2021: Brexit Adjustment Reserve (debate)

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Mr President, we have achieved this. Negotiation has been difficult, but I believe that we have been able to significantly improve the European Commission's initial proposal, in particular by improving the distribution of funds between our Member States, but also and above all, I believe this is the most important, to ensure that the sectors most affected – and I am thinking in particular of fishe…

8 Jul

2021

FR Speech

Hong Kong, notably the case of Apple Daily

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Madam President, in Hong Kong, the free press is now being treated as a threat to national security. But accusations of terrorism do not deceive anyone. Press freedom is only a threat to the Chinese Communist Party, which has undertaken to methodically destroy any democratic resistance to its totalitarian project. A few days ago, the last independent daily published its latest edition. After two p…

7 Jul

2021

FR Speech

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

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Madam President, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, double standards, the latest Council conclusions are once again indicative of European biases in international matters. France and Germany offered to reopen a dialogue with Russia. The US President himself has taken an important initiative for this, but the European Council has blocked this proposal, I quote, because of ‘malicious, illegal an…