What Leszek spoke about.

5

Oct

2022

PL Speech

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The accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area (debate)

Mr President, thank you very much. The absence of borders in Europe has united our continent. It is a symbol of European values and the European way of life. Bulgaria and Romania, which joined the EU in 2007, 15 years ago, are still outside Schengen. Croatia has been waiting for six years, and yet it is only the entry into Schengen that completes the integration process understood as rights, but a…

4

Oct

2022

PL Speech

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AccessibleEU Centre in support of accessibility policies in the EU internal market (debate)

Madam President, I'm sorry. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Friends and colleagues! Approximately 100 million European Union citizens have a disability. Despite the existence of laws that seek to ensure equal rights for these people in all areas of life, they often face barriers to their full participation in society. Our priority is to create an environment that enables people with disabilities to have …

9

Jun

2022

PL Speech

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The call for a Convention for the revision of the Treaties (debate)

Mr President, thank you very much. The conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe, concluded in May, send a clear signal that the people of our Union expect change. Of course, one may feel unsatisfied that the debate was not as broad as we assumed, but this does not cancel out the meaning of the voice of thousands of citizens. This is why our Parliament, guided by the opinions expressed…

5

May

2022

PL Speech

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The impact of the war against Ukraine on women (debate)

Madam President, I'm sorry. Friends and colleagues! Crimes against Ukrainian girls and women must be prosecuted and punished. Many persecuted women fled to Poland. These are women who not only face war trauma, but because of tragic events have become the only breadwinners of families. One of the biggest challenges, in addition to providing them with security, is to build a system of professional a…

9

Mar

2022

PL Speech

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A new EU strategic framework on health and safety at work post 2020 (continuation of debate)

Mr President, thank you very much. The pandemic has shown shortcomings in European legislation on health and safety at work. We need to learn from this difficult situation and prepare for potential future health crises. Particular attention should be paid to the rules for frontline workers who have been at the forefront of the fight against the pandemic. The possibility to work from home, forced b…

16

Feb

2022

PL Speech

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EU-Russia relations, European security and Russia’s military threat against Ukraine (debate)

Madam President, I'm sorry. Friends and colleagues! Yesterday in Moscow, Chancellor Scholz said that the war in Europe was unthinkable for his generation. It is also unthinkable for my generation, and therefore everything must be done to prevent scenarios that end in war. The Presidents of the European Council and the Commission said today that diplomatic efforts to date have led to a certain de-e…

19

Jan

2022

PL Speech

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Digital Services Act (continuation of debate)

Mr President, thank you very much. Friends and colleagues! The Digital Services Act under discussion today is undoubtedly one of the most important regulations adopted by the European Parliament. This regulation shapes the fast-growing digital economy and is an important step in building the security of the online environment. The new rules have not only a European but also a global dimension, as …

16

Dec

2021

PL Speech

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An EU ban on the use of wild animals in circuses (debate)

Mr President, thank you very much. Friends and colleagues! While a total or partial ban on the use of animals in circuses has already been introduced in 23 Member States, we should aim for a full ban across the Union. Wild animals in circuses are forced to behave in ways we don't see in their environment. Their well-being is also seriously threatened. The exploitation of endangered species also un…

15

Dec

2021

PL Speech

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Plans to undermine further fundamental rights in Poland, in particular regarding the standards of the European Convention of Human Rights and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (debate)

(beginning of speech outside the microphone)... in the European Parliament for several years now. Today's debate should be really alarming, because the Polish government uses state institutions to limit human rights, including such important rights as depriving women of the opportunity to decide whether, when and how much they want to give birth to children. This is what the everyday life of Europ…

14

Dec

2021

PL Speech

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European framework for employees' participation rights and the revision of the European Works Council Directive (debate)

Mr President, thank you very much. Listening to today's debate, we can certainly conclude that for both the left and the right, represented here in the European Parliament, human work is not only a special good, but also plays an important social role. The European Union should strongly support Member States' efforts to ensure that workers are informed about and can participate in decision-making …

14

Dec

2021

PL Speech

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Situation at the Ukrainian border and in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine (debate)

Madam President, I'm sorry. The European Union stands by its common position (and it is unquestionable) that national sovereignty, the inviolability of borders and the lack of consent to change borders by force is the foundation of security in Europe and in the world. Therefore, a clear position on the sovereignty of Ukraine and its territory. We note with real concern the increase in tensions in …

21

Oct

2021

PL Speech

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Insurance of motor vehicles (debate)

Mr President, thank you very much. The implementation of this Directive aims to harmonise national rules on the civil liability of drivers and the rules for its enforcement. It will allow citizens to travel across the EU without having to buy additional insurance based on a single premium. The Directive facilitates the functioning of the single market, but will also make an important contribution …

19

Oct

2021

PL Speech

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The Rule of law crisis in Poland and the primacy of EU law (debate)

Madam President, I'm sorry. Mr President, thank you very much. Mr. Prime Minister, I'm sorry. We are hosting the Polish Prime Minister today, but several former Polish Prime Ministers are members of our Parliament. There is Jerzy Buzek, who started negotiations with the European Union. I am the one who concluded these negotiations. My government held an accession referendum in which 77% of Poles s…

18

Oct

2021

PL Speech

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Protecting workers from asbestos (debate)

Mr President, thank you very much. Although the production and placing on the market of asbestos has been banned in the Union since 2005, the existing surveillance tools do not ensure that products containing asbestos do not enter the European market. It is also still present in many of the buildings around us, putting the health of millions of European citizens at serious risk. Nearly 50,000 peop…

6

Oct

2021

PL Speech

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The state of play on the submitted RRF recovery plans awaiting approval (debate)

Madam President, I'm sorry. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Like most of my compatriots, I believe that Poland should receive money from the National Recovery Plan as soon as possible. Although the head of the National Bank of Poland announced that EU funds are not needed for Poland, because it is experiencing an economic miracle, these words cannot be taken seriously. Like most MEPs, I believe that …

15

Sep

2021

PL Speech

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Media freedom and further deterioration of the Rule of law in Poland (debate)

Madam President, I'm sorry. Once again, we have heard many words from the EU authorities about the observance of the rule of law in Poland. I would like to confront them with a concrete example. On 13 July this year in Brussels, the Polish Prime Minister met with Mrs von der Leyen. After the meeting at the press conference, the Prime Minister informed the public that the issue of compliance with t…

5

Jul

2021

PL Speech

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Old continent growing older - possibilities and challenges related to ageing policy post 2020 (debate)

Madam President, I'm sorry. We are dealing with a report which, as Mrs Szydło rightly said, raises the fundamental problem of Europe's ageing population. The report adopted by the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs correctly identified the problems and pointed out that ensuring fair social security systems, enabling women and men to reconcile work and family life, effective healthcare and …