What Markéta spoke about.

18

Jun

2025

EN Speech

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Upcoming NATO summit on 24-26 June 2025 (debate)

Madam President, colleagues, High Representative, whether we end up spending 3 % or even 5 % of our GDP on defence, the core principle must remain the same. We have to spend it on what we actually need. It's not just about more money. It's about smart money. Due to high costs, poor coordination and low efficiency, we don't get the military capability we should pay for what we spend. Throwing more …

3

Apr

2025

EN Speech

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110th anniversary of the Armenian genocide

Mr President, dear colleagues, today we remind ourselves of the 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, notably the death of 1.5 million Armenians who were the victims of Turkish radicalisation and unchecked nationalism that led to the genocide. Remembrance of such horrible events should not be just about the past, but about the lessons we carry forward and confronting the injustices of today …

11

Mar

2025

CS Speech

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White paper on the future of European defence (debate)

Mr President, Europe is arming, not out of a desire for war, but because an aggressor in the East is killing our neighbours and friends and a former ally in the West is turning away from us. Yes, the eighty-year-old power system is coming to an end, and in the new one we have to take care of our own security. To grow up. It is a historic moment of European independence and unfortunately we are beh…

11

Feb

2025

CS Speech

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Continuing the unwavering EU support for Ukraine, after three years of Russia’s war of aggression (debate)

Mr President, today marks three years since Russia launched its brutal aggression against Ukraine. Unfortunately, the question has arisen several times today as to whether it makes sense to support Ukraine. So let me ask you something else: What would happen if we didn't? Where would Europe be today if we remained passive, if we did not open our doors to refugees, if we did not show unity? Today, …

21

Jan

2025

CS Answer

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Need to enforce the Digital Services Act to protect democracy on social media platforms including against foreign interference and biased algorithms (debate)

Thank you for the question. In fact, this legislative proposal is already on the table in Europe. It was prepared by our former Czech colleague Věra Jourová. Basically, it's kind of like the American law, just a lot more sensitive, because in laws like this, you have to be very sensitive about whether you're suppressing free speech, but you're really just striving for more transparency. I think th…

21

Jan

2025

EN Speech

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Need to enforce the Digital Services Act to protect democracy on social media platforms including against foreign interference and biased algorithms (debate)

Madam President, dear colleagues, imagine a platform where fake accounts and AI-generated content influence public discourse with precision. A platform owned by a foreign actor in close relation to their state leadership. A platform with algorithms engineered not to inform but to provoke, amplifying the most divisive and negative reactions. A platform that dominates our digital landscape. Now cons…

21

Jan

2025

EN Question

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Need to enforce the Digital Services Act to protect democracy on social media platforms including against foreign interference and biased algorithms (debate)

I feel really strange hearing all of this from especially this side, so you will be the one to take my question about it. I feel like you did not really read the DSA, which we are discussing today, because you talk about censorship. Can you explain how legislation which makes the influence of a few chosen ones on our minds and lives transparent is censoring anyone? The only ones who need to be a l…

17

Dec

2024

CS Question

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Misinformation and disinformation on social media platforms, such as TikTok, and related risks to the integrity of elections in Europe (debate)

I would like to ask you about the comparison you have made. I would like to know: Why do you think that the Constitutional Court in Romania threatens democracy in Romania more than the Chinese spy app? Let me just remind you that it's not Romanian, it's Chinese, which is a third country. Thank you for the explanation.…

17

Dec

2024

EN Answer

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Misinformation and disinformation on social media platforms, such as TikTok, and related risks to the integrity of elections in Europe (debate)

Thank you very much, Lukas. Of course, I will be gladly explaining this, because we have major studies saying that, as I said, these companies want one thing and one thing only, and that is your attention. To keep the attention for as long as possible to target you with the targeted advertisement. They, of course, hired the best psychologists of the world to keep our attention there, with which, h…

17

Dec

2024

CS Answer

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Misinformation and disinformation on social media platforms, such as TikTok, and related risks to the integrity of elections in Europe (debate)

Thank you for the question. No, I don't agree with your basic premise. Because what you obviously call the Internet are social networks. But social networks are digital oligopolies or digital monopolies that have taken over part of that decentralized, anonymised internet for which all the Pirates have always fought, except for you – sorry you were there and we accepted you. Because social networks…

17

Dec

2024

CS Answer

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Misinformation and disinformation on social media platforms, such as TikTok, and related risks to the integrity of elections in Europe (debate)

Thank you so much for the question. I think it's a bit of a pity that you didn't find out anything about me or the Pirate Party, and you're attacking me here, because then you'd find out that we've been the only ones for the last 15 years who have always sounded the alarm for everyone about this. Like the shutdown of the web in the Czech Republic, we were the only ones to criticize it very intense…

17

Dec

2024

EN Speech

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Misinformation and disinformation on social media platforms, such as TikTok, and related risks to the integrity of elections in Europe (debate)

Madam President, dear colleagues, Commissioner, how much benefit of the doubt should we extend towards social media platforms? While this House banned TikTok use internally last mandate, we still pretend that it is just a harmless entertainment app. The United States will ban the distribution of TikTok through app stores in 25 days. Australia has banned all social media for teenagers already. I do…

28

Nov

2024

EN Speech

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Foreign interference and espionage by third country actors in European universities (debate)

Mr President, dear colleagues, the European Union is one of the world's top destinations for university students. We have some of the oldest and best universities in the world, and we produce valuable research and technology that hostile states want. Our geostrategic enemies are going to great lengths to catch up with us and outpace us on key emerging technologies. So I very much welcome the Counc…

26

Nov

2024

EN Speech

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Reinforcing EU’s unwavering support to Ukraine against Russia’s war of aggression and the increasing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia (debate)

Madam President, dear colleagues, this is what we call an escalation. Up to 10 000 soldiers from North Korea now support Russian forces. Russia has been amassing Iranian ballistic missiles. Putin revised his nuclear doctrine to lower the threshold for nuclear weapon use, and immediately followed it up with deploying a hypersonic missile. This escalation has a clear goal: to tire us, to frustrate u…

14

Nov

2024

EN Speech

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UN Climate Change Conference 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan (COP29) (B10-0156/2024) (vote)

Madam President, I really do not want to repeat again Mr Sieper's words. However, I counted: we have 25 RCVs ahead of us. If we do this for each and every one of them, the 10-minute break for the IT department will be shorter than the 25 RCVs.…

14

Nov

2024

EN Speech

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Enhancing Europe’s civilian and defence preparedness and readiness (debate)

Madam President, dear colleagues, every couple of years we get a new report that tells us basically the same point: spend more on being prepared for disasters. This year's report is no different, but the circumstances are very different. We cannot rely on the US anymore, we cannot rely on Russia and China remaining cooperative players anymore, and thus we cannot continue to pretend that 27 Member …

13

Nov

2024

EN Speech

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Fight against money laundering and terrorist financing: listing Russia as a high-risk third country in the EU (debate)

Mr President, dear colleagues, dear Commissioner, I urge this House and the Commission to recognise the glaring security risk: Russia's exploitation of financial loopholes right here in the European Union. Despite overwhelming evidence of corruption, state‑backed organised crime and financial entanglements with other high‑risk regions, Russia remains off the EU's high‑risk list for money launderin…

13

Nov

2024

EN Speech

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Georgia's worsening democratic crisis following the recent parliamentary elections and alleged electoral fraud (debate)

Mr President, dear colleagues, I have witnessed Georgian elections in 2021 and I have not witnessed any direct manipulation. Already then, however, we were cautious not to call them fair due to suspicions of voter buying or imbalance in financing of coercive electoral campaign. Almost three weeks ago, I have personally witnessed direct manipulation in various parts of the country. Shocking instanc…

22

Oct

2024

EN Speech

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Establishing the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism and providing exceptional macro-financial assistance to Ukraine (debate)

Mr President, honourable Members, we stand here today not just to discuss a financial transaction, but to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the people of Ukraine. This is not a traditional MFA package; it is an extraordinary initiative. It is not just an act of solidarity; it is an urgent necessity. Without this assistance, Ukraine's fiscal stability – and therefore its ability to resist Russi…

8

Oct

2024

EN Answer

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The democratic backsliding and threats to political pluralism in Georgia (debate)

(Start of speech off mic) ... not an option, I assume? So I will answer in English because I understood my Czech colleague, of course, very well. Well, the difference is that the Georgian law of foreign agents is actually drafted based on how the Russian law is, and not how the US or the potential European laws. They are completely different. These laws need to be very sensitive in how they are dr…

8

Oct

2024

EN Speech

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The democratic backsliding and threats to political pluralism in Georgia (debate)

Mr President, colleagues, Commissioner, I've always had a special place in my heart for Georgia, and I had high hopes for its European path. The Georgian Government, however, had different plans. A series of actions and laws proposed and adopted prove that the current government has no interest in the European future. It is shifting its policies to be tighter with Russia and even changing its laws…

18

Sep

2024

EN Speech

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The severe situation of political prisoners in Belarus

Madam President, colleagues, since 2020, the authorities in Belarus have carried out more than 40 000 politically motivated arrests. More than 1 300 people are still imprisoned in horrendous conditions and six political prisoners lost their lives due to deprivation of adequate food, water, medical assistance and due to constant beating, overcrowding, unheated cells and sleep deprivation. So, what …

17

Sep

2024

EN Speech

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Global measures towards social media platforms - Strengthening the role of DSA and protecting democracy and freedom in the online sphere (debate)

Mr President, dear colleagues, every European with an internet connection is exposed to the unregulated, commercial, surveillance-based social media. These trillion-dollar companies destroy our attention span, our democratic institutions and trust, and our mental health for a little profit. The DSA – as ambitious as it was in the beginning – has not shown its enforceable teeth yet. Our current leg…

17

Sep

2024

CS Speech

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Continued financial and military support to Ukraine by EU Member States (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I am really glad that our colleague Andrius Kubilius from Lithuania has become Commissioner for Defence, because other countries have certainly never taken such a responsible approach to our common defence. While Germany has consistently negotiated one air defense system at a time, it has uncompromisingly reduced its financial support to Ukraine. France and o…

24

Apr

2024

EN Speech

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Azerbaijan, notably the repression of civil society and the cases of Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu and Ilhamiz Guliyev

Mr President, it is a sad honour that I dedicate my last speech in this room, under this mandate, to human rights and to civil society in Azerbaijan. I have met today with Zhala Bayramova, the daughter of Dr Ibadoghlu, listening to her father’s hardship. After negotiations with other Members of Parliament, I have no doubt we realise how catastrophic the situation has become since last autumn for j…