Speeches

Mr President, Commissioner, Radio Free Europe, for millions of Europeans, it is the voice of the West, the voice that has brought down authoritarian regimes and brought down the Iron Curtain. On 15 March, by a simple email, Trump ended seventy-five years of US defence of press freedom and freedom of information in countries where these freedoms are under threat. The announcement was severely criticised, and rightly so, as the court suspended the decision to cut funding. But this is just a few months’ respite. It is up to the European Union to take over. We have the necessary legal framework, with the European Media Freedom Regulation and the Directive against SLAPPs. We have the right framework, with some of the most independent public and private media services in the world. What we lack is a genuine will. We must indeed consider that this time of democratic crises, interference and wars needs a real European budget for the protection of journalists and the promotion of free and independent information.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, ‘freedom is the freedom to say that two and two are four. When this is granted, the rest follows. This quote from Georges Orwell has a particular resonance today in Donald Trump’s America. The search for truth, science based on facts: all this is swept on the altar of Trumpist ideology. For two months, for American universities, it is only frozen funds, layoffs, intimidation. And Trumpists go further into dystopia. Pollution, woman, victim, disability, racism, equality, climate change, mental health: Here are a few words out of the hundred that have been censored by the Trump administration. So many words that scientists can no longer use in their research projects. The United States, hitherto the eldorado of researchers from all over the world, has become a pushback. Of course, the European Union has a role to play in this reconfiguration. It must become a beacon for academic freedom, a new magnet for international scientists. This must translate into an ambitious plan and long-term investments for our universities.

Madam President, Commissioner, promoting our culture also means defending and imposing ourselves. Our cultural compass is our compass of sovereignty. As attacks on our European model multiply, let us not give in to American threats. Abandoning our digital regulation and not defending tooth and nail the recognition of copyright in the face of artificial intelligence would be historic mistakes, the coup de grace for the cultural sector and, beyond that, for our civilization. So let's be uncompromising! On the other hand, Commissioner - I know your commitment - let us give a vision! Consultations are good, but let's give a vision! Promoting multilingualism for the circulation of works, giving a protective status to artists, strengthening co-productions in all arts – from audiovisual to theatre –, empowering cities and local authorities to create together and as close as possible to citizens, and to enhance their local heritage and culture. There will be no Europe tomorrow without European culture.

Mr President, Madam Vice-President, ladies and gentlemen, the Union of Skills is a real step forward for the European Union. Finally, we implement the Draghi report's recommendations for our competitiveness – because, yes, behind our economies there are mostly women and men who make it work and who need to be trained throughout life. The initiatives announced are progress, and I particularly remember those for the European recognition of diplomas and the creation of a European diploma for apprentices, but also the scholarships to attract high-potential researchers, the observatory to anticipate future skills needs or your commitment to strengthen the Erasmus+ programme. The Union of Skills is a giant step forward for Education Europe, and because it is a national or even regional competence, it is the responsibility of our Member States to coordinate their education policies, raise the level and allow all our talents to compete with the world.

Madam President, Commissioner, to honour the memory of Ján Kuciak and Martina Kušnírová, seven years after their assassination, is to reiterate the vital importance of the media in our democracies. Their deaths highlight the risk faced by those who seek the truth in Slovakia and wherever press freedom is threatened. I would therefore remind you: the European Union now has a regulation on media freedom and, I would also point out, the far right did not vote for this text. With this text, we strengthen the independence of the press and ensure that journalists can carry out their work without the risk of reprisals. The European regulation on media freedom is also the assurance of reliable media, while we have entered, with X and Meta, an era of post-truth, where we talk about freedom of expression when it comes to pure disinformation and where fact-checking has become an act of subversion. As a tribute to Ján Kuciak and Martina Kušnírová, let us remember that the fight for freedom of the press continues, here in Europe and especially in the European Parliament.

Madam President, Madam Vice-President, Commissioner and Minister, ladies and gentlemen, there will be no sovereign Europe without a Europe of competences. That is what the Draghi report on competitiveness says. Major industrial challenges, disruptive innovations like AI are profoundly transforming the world of work and our skills needs, especially in the field of vocational training and lifelong learning. Yes, we must urgently decide on a sovereignty fund to finance the sectors of the future, but we must invest in people. Our delay is significant. The Member States must go beyond their national logic to advance the level of education, to coordinate more strategic training at European level, to finalise the recognition of all diplomas and particularly professional diplomas. I am warning about Erasmus: it has been a new talent provider since the programme opened up to the long-term mobility of apprentices. However, this programme seems to be threatened by the draft budgets that are circulating. Commissioner, Madam Vice-President, I tell you here that we will fight for Erasmus, just as we will fight for the word 'education' to reappear in the name of your portfolio.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, there is a blind spot in the fight against foreign interference: These are our universities and our higher education. That is why I have asked for this debate to be held with my Renew Group. Universities are at the heart of the battle for our European research and competitiveness. While we must of course continue to welcome foreign students and defend academic freedom, let us not be naive. Foreign powers, governments and corporations alike, are trying to capture our scientific discoveries. They also implement aggressive influence strategies through their students to convey positive messages about their diets. Among them, China, Turkey, Russia or the Gulf countries. Some European countries are very complacent towards them; I am thinking, as always, of Viktor Orban's Hungary. So let's assume to defend our academic security and get out of national logics. If we want to ensure our scientific and technological sovereignty in an uncertain world, let us adopt a coherent European approach in the reception of foreign students and our partnerships with companies and strengthen European intelligence.

Madam President, Commissioner, neo-Nazi propaganda has recently become cool. It’s called ‘pop fascism’, it’s flourishing on social media, it’s ready-to-think for young people. A few weeks ago, I was deeply shocked to discover a video clip and a video game on the subject of remigration created by the youth wing of the AfD, a German far-right party of which 14 Members sit here in this Parliament. That is why I have asked for this debate. The images, created by artificial intelligence, use all the codes of Nazi propaganda. We see white, blond, Aryan people dancing to techno music by driving racialized people back into planes. The chorus? "We're sending them all back!" It's intolerable. If racist works invade the internet, I note an escalation here, because this video clip and this video game were created by a political party – the AfD. It is certainly possible to hide behind legislation. Yes, we have the Digital Services Act to make platforms responsible for the content they host – including TikTok, when it comes to young people. Yes, we must make these platforms responsible, but, to my knowledge, this video is still circulating on X. While in France, for example, one in five young people do not know what the Holocaust is, we must go further and effectively condemn all racist content, starting with punishing the enemies of democracy who are already among us.

Madam President, Commissioner, there are clearly still shortcomings in the allocation of Erasmus grants. After the Femyso linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, we are told of a Turkish university receiving European funding and whose rector is said to have publicly supported the Hamas terrorist organization. This is unacceptable. The European Commission must do its job more scrupulously in examining cases. I reiterated this during the mid-term review of the Erasmus programme; I must say that I had been quite alone in this Parliament in invoking the necessary respect for our European values of tolerance, freedom and anti-discrimination. I have experienced the complacency of the extreme left, the ambiguity of the left and the selective indignation of the extreme right, because yes, there are drifts and desires for entryism in religions other than Islam. For me and for the Renew Group, things are clear: No European money without respect for European values. Once again and solemnly, the European Commission has an immense responsibility not to allow education to be used as a tool. Recall that this month, we commemorate the death of two professors, Samuel Paty and Dominique Bernard, murdered by Islamist terrorists.

Madam President, Madam Vice-President, our democracy dies every day from disinformation. Yes, there are interferences, there are troll factories, but their fuel is the algorithms that accelerate the dissemination of false content because they are sensational, and the sensation makes money. We have put large platforms face to face with their responsibilities with the DSA and the DMA, but we still have to regain control with the transparency of algorithms and the labeling of content generated by artificial intelligence. Above all, we must guarantee European citizens free, pluralistic and independent information. This is the prerequisite for the great law on media freedom. This objective is also the priority mission of the public media, which must be given the means to exist and to inform. It is no coincidence that they are attacked everywhere by the extreme right, by Marine Le Pen and the RN, who want to privatize them, but also by the AfD in Germany and the FPÖ in Austria, who want to destabilize them. What our Parliament expects is the democratic shield promised by the President of the European Commission, but also a genuine media support strategy that can benefit France TV, Arte, Radio France, France Médias Monde, their European counterparts and, ultimately, democracy.

Madam President, on 7 January 2015 the Charlie Hebdo shooting took place. Twelve people massacred for a drawing, for a caricature that invoked religion. Among the survivors, a cartoonist, Coco, who lives under police protection. This cartoonist published Monday in the newspaper Libération, a caricature that denounces the horror of the famine situation in Gaza and evokes once again religion. Since this release, Coco has been the subject of a flurry of hatred, anti-Semitic comments on social networks and calls for violence. Worse still, this targeting is relayed by a political party represented in this hemicycle, France Insoumise. You will not have our hatred, but you deserve it, that is what a French member of this party said. On this day when we are voting on the Media Freedom Act, I would like this Parliament to strongly condemn the attacks on Coco. I would like that through this text, which enshrines the freedom of journalists, we also recognize that of cartoonists and cartoonists. Solidarity with Coco and let's stay Charlie.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the place of the child must be central in our society. We are well aware of this here in the European Parliament. We created the European Child Guarantee in 2021 to fund projects supporting children’s access to all essential services: health, education and good nutrition. But so much remains to be done for children, who are the first victims of poverty and domestic violence. We need to act in the fight against sexual abuse, against incest, for the protection of children online, for digital education. Yes, a capital would be a good initiative, but we must first and foremost make progress on the regulatory and social fronts. I support this idea, but I call for European policies for children to have a real place, beyond the new initiatives, which are struggling to exist. We already have the European Capitals for Youth, but without European funding they cannot develop. Instead, let us give these youth capitals real financial and logistical resources, and then create the European Capitals of the Child.

Mr President, Madam Vice-President, the Media Freedom Act now enshrines the right of European citizens to have free and pluralistic information. This is a major step forward for our democracy. It is also a weapon against disinformation. First, by allowing a quick reaction against foreign propaganda media that threaten our security, such as the Kremlin pharmacies Russia Today or Sputnik News. Then, by making all the transparency on capital structures and concentrations, which are the weapon of illiberal leaders to control the media, and therefore opinion. Finally, by ensuring that genuine news media are better protected against the abusive removal of Facebook, X and other platforms. I am also pleased that this text contains two measures that I was carrying out: a ban on AI-generated content without journalists' control and better consideration of regional media, which are so important for the good information of our fellow citizens.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, for a sovereign, innovative and inspired Europe, enlightened children are needed. The role of teachers is obviously crucial, and we must better recognize them, work better for them and with them. This is a serious time. We are going through a vocations crisis, and there are shortages of teachers everywhere, in all European countries. To remedy this, teachers must be trained, supported, and properly paid. If education policies are a matter for the Member States, we can work on them at European level. For the past four years, we have been talking about the European Education Area for common standards in education. Let's do it! We want to digitize all schools, everywhere, in all the most remote areas. Let's do it! We also need to work at European level on guidelines to create new opportunities for teachers – I am thinking in particular of the Tear Academies under Erasmus+ – to share the best in our different countries, to be inspired by each other. Finally, priority must be given to education. This is not an option, but an obligation.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, according to Commission data, labour shortages in sectors essential for the green transition doubled between 2015 and 2021. Several factors are involved: unsuitable curricula, a poorly mobile workforce, unattractive training, poor orientation of young people. In France, it is one in two young people who change career paths once they have obtained their professional degree, particularly in the fields of industry. This is proof that there is a lack of alignment between the curricula, the aspirations of young people and the reality of the world of work. I believe that the Erasmus+ programme has a key role to play through alliances of European universities, long mobility of apprentices, but also centres of excellence for learning. In the report on the implementation of the Erasmus+ programme, which we largely adopted yesterday, we call on the Commission to present a clear vision of the future of centres of excellence for learning and alliances of European universities. They must, in my opinion, become the catalysts for the talents of tomorrow and a real tool for long-term skills management.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, a month ago I visited India and my political group was the most represented on this official mission. The reason is that we believe that cooperation with India is strategic, and even geostrategic, vis-à-vis China. So, I particularly welcome this balanced report, which highlights the opportunities for stronger relations between India and the European Union, without hiding anything of the progress to be made for the climate and more particularly for human rights. However, one topic I would like to focus on is India’s investment in education. India has 1 400 000 000 inhabitants, 40% of whom are under 25 years of age. It has lifted 400 million people out of poverty in 15 years. And it is now a country of engineers that irrigates the largest US tech companies. Let's take an example and above all strengthen our academic partnerships. Beyond trade, we need exchanges of skills and know-how to innovate in Europe. India is a designated partner and interlocutor.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, imagine: you are 21 years old, you find your first job in a remote city, and you have to leave your parents' home. Unfortunately for you, they are not able to help you financially, and housing is rare and expensive. It is a trivial story, too trivial: 80% of 18-24-year-olds and almost 40% of 25-29-year-olds have to stay with their parents, even though access to independence depends mainly on leaving family housing. Not to mention these young people who have to live in unsanitary housing, too small, poorly isolated, for lack of a family solution. That is why, together with my political group, we are making youth housing a priority. In our Renew Pact for Youth, we call for the use of part of the ESF+ for the creation of a housing support programme for young people, in order to cope with overly high bonds and the demand for strong guarantors. Another aspect of the housing crisis that strikes me is that, in recent years, some cities have been calling on students not to come and study at home in Erasmus, as there are no more student housing available. How did we get there? Within the framework of European regional funds, a specific initiative should be set up to support the construction and renovation of affordable student housing in university cities. While the precariousness of young people has increased sharply with the health crisis and inflation, we need to enable young people to start their adult lives in the best possible conditions. Having a place to live, a roof over your head, is the first of these conditions.

Mr President, Commissioner, in June 2022, our Parliament called for the opening of a convention to reform our European Treaties. Today, we are taking a crucial step with the vote on our proposals. "More Europe" and "better Europe" is what we want. This is above all what citizens asked us at the Conference for the Future of Europe. This is the end of unanimity in the Council, it is a stronger Europe, it is a more reactive Europe. Because there are many challenges ahead for Europe: enlargement, European defence, protection of our democratic values, role of the EU in the world. This strong Europe will not happen without united and enlightened citizens. We must give every means to understand our history and our institutions, and to resist nationalist disinformation, from an early age. How can we be Europeans without knowing it? To achieve this, every citizen must have access to a minimum of European civic education in each Member State and this calls for more shared competences in this area. This is a big step we are taking here, with this request, and this is what I have always been committed to.

Madam President, Madam Vice-President, ladies and gentlemen, 13 is the minimum age for registering on the main social networks used by young people. And yet, for example in France, 63% of young French people under the age of thirteen are present on social networks and 80% of parents say they do not know what their children are doing on these social networks. In Europe, 23% of European children have experienced online harassment. These children are not aware of their visibility or vulnerability online. From their room, on Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, they navigate unattended in a world whose codes they do not have and whose reach they do not measure. While digital tools are of course an opportunity for them, it is also a very large risk factor: exposure to violent, pornographic, cyber-harassment or risk of child pornography. I therefore welcome the European Commission’s commitment to establish a European standard for online age verification by 2024. This is a complex issue on which France has already started working under its Digital Majority Act of last July. A European framework will therefore be more than welcome. Yes, our children must be able to benefit from digital tools. Depriving them of it would be counterproductive, but the Internet for children must have rules and surveillance measures.

Madam President, Madam Vice-President, ladies and gentlemen, this Media Freedom Regulation is a major step forward in affirming our European values, for the freedom to inform and for the protection of journalists at EU level. Madam Vice-President, we can be particularly proud of this, because it is the victory of our Renew political group. It is at our initiative that European legislation now includes a right for all Europeans to have free, independent and pluralistic information. It is also through our action that we will now be able to investigate media concentrations more effectively and question them, when it comes to the seizure of illiberal powers or private groups seeking dubious influence. I am also particularly pleased that my amendment to ban AI-generated content without human editorial control is now included in this text. This is crucial for the fight against disinformation and the future of quality journalism.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, a kiss on the mouth without consent is not a mutual and consensual act. No, Mr Rubiales, this is an intolerable attack. Fortunately, this gesture by the former president of the Spanish Football Federation on Jenni Hermoso was filmed, which earned the international player the support of public opinion. Without it, he would never have resigned, protected by his federation and a sense of impunity that was too entrenched. But how many more silent attacks, how many sportsmen and sportswomen victims of coaches, doctors, abusive supervisors, how many pains stifled by sports federations? However, sexual assault is reprehensible throughout the European Union. It is the omerta that still reigns in sport up to the top of the federations and destroys women and men. The law exists and is not respected. It is up to us parliamentarians to enforce it, to put pressure on major sports organisations such as FIFA, to bring the voices of victims to bear, to promote the feminisation of sports supervision, to promote consent education from an early age, and to harmonise our judicial instruments ever more closely. Because never again must a man smear the victory of women.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, this report on parliamentarism and European citizenship is crucial. On the eve of the European elections, he recalled that this Parliament was the heart of European democracy. He reminded that we MEPs represent citizens directly. But do the citizens know this? How do we empower them to resist nationalist disinformation, the rhetoric that attacks the European Union, yet so protective through every crisis? The solution is in this report: This is European civic education. This is a necessity. How can you know that you are a European citizen if you do not know the functioning of the European Union and its fundamental values? Citizens asked us directly about European Civic Education at the Conference for the Future of Europe. But for everyone to have access to a minimum of European civic education in each Member State, this calls for more shared competences in education, and this is again an objective of this report: go further with institutional reform, including the reopening of the Treaties for an even more effective Europe for our fellow citizens.

This upstream phase, during which all our cultural heritage is accessible, is a big topic. It is questionable what feeds the basics. And then perhaps, because I am not in favour of reopening copyrights, if it is an implicit question, but perhaps for compensation, why not in the form of a tax, which could feed creation and finance real artists for their works in the future?

Mr President, Madam Vice-President, ladies and gentlemen, yes, there is a need for global convergence on generative artificial intelligence, and I welcome the fact that the European Union is taking the lead. The AI act we initiated a few weeks ago will undoubtedly serve as the basis for a global standard. Nevertheless, generative AI poses sectoral challenges, as in the world of culture and creation. How to distinguish a work produced by artificial intelligence from a real work created by an artist with the help of AI? What legal status should be given to these works? How can we ensure that our European creators are compensated for the works that are sucked into the training bases of these models? It is up to us Europeans to weigh in the global debate to reconcile intellectual property, innovation and democratisation. It is up to us Europeans to make culture a leading factor in the global regulation of AI. (The speaker agreed to answer a blue card question)

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, being able to do a traineeship is a real stepping stone for the future. Yet, too often, young people have to give up internships because they are not paid or not paid enough. All the young people I met, especially during the European Year of Youth and now in this European Year of Skills, make paid traineeships a priority. We heard them. With this report, we therefore call for post-study traineeships in Europe to be remunerated and for traineeships during studies to be compensated for. This is fair, consistent and legitimate. I am therefore very surprised by the amendments tabled by the right-wing Members of our Chamber, and more particularly by the amendments tabled by ID and the French of the Rassemblement National, who nevertheless pride themselves on listening to the social concerns of citizens. Their amendments simply aim to remove this demand for fair remuneration for traineeships. It is appalling, and I sincerely hope that these amendments will be rejected in the vote tomorrow.