What Juan Ignacio spoke about.

21

Nov

2023

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Sustainable use of plant protection products (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, I thought they had learned their lesson. He thought that after a pandemic, after a war and after an unprecedented drought, his positions would have been rethought. But it seems that the left of this Parliament is still ready to put an end to the productive capacity of the European countryside and the Spanish countryside – whoever falls will fall. This proposal for a regulation – as it comes today from the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety – can cause irreparable damage to the future of the European agri-food sector. That is why we will not tolerate the continued imposition of arbitrary restrictions without even an impact assessment. We will not tolerate these restrictions being put in place without farmers having alternatives to protect their crops. Nor will we tolerate that these limitations apply only to European farmers while unrestrictedly grown products from third countries continue to enter our markets. Let us learn the lesson and vote with our heads tomorrow, thinking about the food security of all Europeans.

19

Oct

2023

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Generational renewal in the EU farms of the future (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, the countryside in Europe is becoming empty. Our farmers are aging and our young people do not see agriculture as a viable future for their lives. Rural depopulation therefore adds to the long list of challenges that the agricultural sector must face for its survival and, therefore, for ours. Without farmers, there is no food and, without food, there is no life. Today, only 11% of our farmers are under the age of forty and only in Spain two hundred thousand young people are needed to maintain a sustainable generational renewal. The figures speak for themselves. We cannot allow this to become a chronicle of an announced death. It is therefore urgent to ensure that work in the field remains a profitable activity, which is the basis for all. In addition, we must also ensure that our rural areas offer services and infrastructure comparable to those of cities. It is our responsibility to take matters into our own hands and do so now.

18

Oct

2023

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Islamist terrorist attack on French schools and the need to protect people and promote social cohesion (debate)

Commissioner, Secretary of State, 13 October: A 20-year-old Chechen jihadist slaughters a teacher in Arras – north of France. He had been in the crosshairs of the authorities for several years. His father had been deported for posing a risk to national security. The deportation of the son, however, was still pending. 16 October: Another jihadist, on this occasion of Tunisian nationality, murders two Swedish citizens in the streets of Brussels. He had arrived in Europe by sea in Lampedusa, Italy, where the intelligence services identified him as radicalised. From there he arrives in Sweden, but is expelled because he does not have a residence permit. He is finally seeking asylum in Belgium, where he was residing illegally after applying for asylum, which he was denied after not even appearing at his summons. His deportation was pending. As the national authorities themselves have acknowledged, there are other cases of radicalised extremists residing irregularly in the European Union. That is why this week the governments of France, Belgium and Sweden have called on the European Union to improve border control and a coordinated return policy. Return figures remain alarmingly low. Commissioner Johansson confirmed today that of the 400 000 return orders issued this year, only 65 000 - barely 16% - have been executed. We urgently need new legislation to facilitate these returns and prevent radicals in these circumstances from being able to attack again. Those who continue to block the Pact on Migration and Asylum are incurring a very serious irresponsibility. The adoption of this Pact should be an absolute priority for the Spanish Presidency. I hope we can reach an agreement before the end of the year. There's no time to waste.

18

Oct

2023

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A true geopolitical Europe now (topical debate)

Madam President, Mr Borrell, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, our neighbourhood is on fire again. To the bloody invasion of Ukraine we now add the war in Israel provoked by Hamas terrorists. A conflict that has overwhelmed the Middle East and reached our streets, as we have tragically seen with the jihadist attacks in France and Belgium. Europe, more than ever, must act as a cohesive geopolitical power, inside and outside. But, precisely when the hour is more serious, there are some extremists who are trying to sabotage from within the diplomatic action of the European Union. This is the case of the far-left ministers in Spain, who have not hesitated to show off their rabid anti-Semitism, have aligned themselves with Hamas terrorism and have caused an unprecedented diplomatic conflict. And all this before a president, Sanchez, an accomplice, undeterred; In order to remain clinging to his chair, he is willing to allow any barbarity. These incendiary radicals should be stopped immediately.

17

Oct

2023

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Urgent need for a coordinated European response and legislative framework on intrusive spyware, based on the PEGA inquiry committee recommendations (debate)

Mr President, Madam Vice-President, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, I would like to begin by thanking you for your presence here today, Vice-President, but you have a long way to go to the Commission to address the recommendations contained in the PEGA Committee of Inquiry report. So my recommendation is: Get down to business. Despite the circumstances that are happening this week, I would like to highlight the issue of the jihadist attacks that have just hit Europe. After the cold-blooded murder of a professor in France, yesterday two Swedish citizens were shot by another Islamic terrorist in Brussels. This return of a threat that some seemed to have forgotten reminds us once again of the need for our police and security forces to have the resources and technological tools that are necessary to deal with them. In an era of express radicalization of lone wolves who commit attacks without being in contact with other terrorists, it is more important than ever to be able to access information on their devices. Tools of spyware Like Pegasus, they are indispensable to be able to anticipate the attacks and to stop radicalization processes at the root. But democratic countries, countries governed by the rule of law, countries where there is effective judicial oversight, as is the case – with some exceptions, such as Poland or Hungary – of the European Union, must be able to tackle terrorism with all their capabilities. I conclude by saying that we must continue to work on strengthening the rule of law where it risks fracturing, of course, but not by depriving our police forces of the resources needed to continue to ensure freedom and security for all.

13

Sep

2023

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Reviewing the protection status of wolves and other large carnivores in the EU (topical debate)

Madam President, Commissioner McGuinness, the growing threat from wolf packs has spread to rural communities across Europe, to the point where the President of the European Commission herself has suffered it firsthand. And the situation is so dramatic that the European Commission is urging all Member States to take the necessary measures to address it. But, in Spain, instead of allowing effective hunting management of the wolf, Sanchez's government has done just the opposite, extremeizing its level of protection without any scientific backing. A decision resulting from the ideological blindness that is triggering the presence of wolf packs in the northernmost regions of Spain. Therefore, it is time for the Government of Spain to pay attention to the demands and requirements of the European Union. Time for it to be transparent and publish the data at its disposal. Time for dialogue with the regions concerned and for the much-needed compensation funds to be made available to farmers.

12

Jul

2023

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Delivering on the Green Deal: risk of compromising the EU path to the green transition and its international commitments (debate)

Madam President, Mr Timmermans, yesterday hundreds of farmers from all over Europe were demonstrating outside this Parliament. They didn't ask for aid, they didn't ask for funding, they didn't even ask for laws favorable to the field. No, they simply asked that we not impose more restrictions on them and let them do what they know how to do: producing quality food at reasonable prices for all Europeans. In just three years they have had to face a pandemic, a war, skyrocketing inflation and one of the most serious droughts of recent decades. But there are still some who believe that we should add more burdens to them, that we should ask them for more effort. Some like the socialist MEPs, who have decided to ignore them and support the law of restoration of nature. While the farmers and ranchers, outside, feared for their future and feared for their economic subsistence, the socialist deputies, inside, applauded and shouted for joy. If what they want is to distance the field from the European institutions and give air and wings to populism, they are certainly on the right track. Mr. Timmermans, I'm done. You are turning the Green Deal into a black pact for the primary sector and the rural world. We must continue to be committed to the fight against climate change and to defending environmental sustainability. Of course I do. But we can't do it at anyone's expense. We need a consensus environmental policy that provides an opportunity for growth for all Europeans. Also for rural Europe. (He refused to have Petros Kokkalis ask him a question under the ‘blue card’ procedure.)

15

Jun

2023

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The water crisis in Europe (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, summer after summer, Europe suffers from more severe water shortages than before. And this summer it is possible that we live the drought that fills the glass. In Spain, last April was the driest month since we kept the records. We have not even started the summer and Spanish water reserves are already below 50%, compared to 70% just ten years ago. And, in addition, it is not a localized drought, which affects only the south or the driest areas. No, the lack of rain already affects more than 80% of the entire Spanish countryside. Drought is an increasingly frequent and severe phenomenon throughout Europe. The combination of insufficient rainfall and extreme temperatures is jeopardizing our food security and the livelihoods of thousands of farmers. That is why it is our duty to act and offer quick and effective responses to this. In the short term, we must activate the financial support mechanisms available to the European Union to support those affected. Mechanisms such as the crisis reserve, which we have already used to help wheat producers in countries bordering Ukraine and which are now urgently needed by Mediterranean farmers. And, in the long term, we must invest in climate change adaptation, in technology and efficient irrigation systems, and in the modernisation and expansion of our water infrastructure. The survival of farmers tomorrow will depend on the investments we make today, and the future of our food security will depend on that. Therefore, for us and for the future sustainability of the whole of Europe, it is time for us to act and invest against drought.

14

Jun

2023

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Investigation of the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware - Investigation of the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware (draft recommendation) (debate)

Mr. President, if we have learned anything during this year, it is that spyware like Pegasus is an enormously powerful tool, a tool that our law enforcement agencies must be able to use to deal with threats such as terrorism, drug trafficking, organized crime or attempts to subvert the constitutional order. But they are also tools that must always be used respecting the precepts of the rule of law. This is unfortunately not the case in countries such as Poland and Hungary, where we have witnessed abuses against journalists, lawyers and members of the opposition, who have been spied on for partisan reasons. On the contrary, we have seen the great efforts that have been made by the Greek Government to strengthen its legal framework and prevent similar cases from happening in the future. In the Spanish section, we have dismantled the Catalan secessionist story and its propaganda campaign against Spanish institutions. The report acknowledges that, far from pro-independence hoaxes, Spain meets all European standards and adequate judicial controls, and has a strong rule of law. We have also pointed out the links between secessionism and Putin's environment, united in his attempt to weaken European unity. Finally, we have demanded that the Government of Sanchez give explanations about the hack of his mobile phone and the espionage to his ministers. European citizens still do not know what they took from the President of the Government's mobile phone, who did it and why. And today, from the European Parliament, we officially demand that you clarify what happened and answer these questions. (He refused to allow Diana Riba I Giner to speak under the "blue card" procedure)

10

May

2023

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Externalising asylum applications and making funding to third countries conditional on the implementation of return agreements (topical debate)

Madam President, autocrats have turned migration into a weapon, mafias have turned it into a business, terrorists into an opportunity and populists on both sides into an instrument of political pressure. In the face of all of them, in the face of those who intend to use the tragedies of others for their own benefit, Europe must respond with determination. Because we have an obligation to give guarantees to those in need of international protection, but we must also protect our borders from external threats that endanger the security of our citizens. That is why we need an effective, coherent and comprehensive migration policy. And for this the European Union must use all the instruments at its disposal, not only internal policy, but also development cooperation or trade policy, conditioning agreements with our neighbours and partners on their collaboration for the return of irregular migrants and the fight against mafias. It is time for Europeans to put our resources and influence at the service of a more effective migration policy.

10

May

2023

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The role of farmers as enablers of the green transition and a resilient agricultural sector (continuation of debate)

Mr President, Commissioner McGuinness, I would like to clarify to Mrs García Pérez, President of the Socialist Group, that the legalisation of the illegal wells in Doñana was done by the President of the Government, Mr Sánchez, granting 13 authorisations last year. Study, Mrs García Pérez, the administrative competences in Spain. And for false promises those of Mr. Sanchez, who has not executed the water infrastructure he promised five years ago. Ladies and gentlemen, I am afraid that the environmental policy being pursued by the Socialist Vice-President, Mr Timmermans, and Mr Sinkevičius is the chronicle of an announced disaster. When they produced a report detailing the huge loss of agricultural production and the increased costs of the Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy, we thought they would back down. We were wrong. When war broke out on Europe's doorstep, we went through an energy crisis and our food security was at risk, we thought they would back down. But we were wrong again. And now that inflation is breaking historical records, now that the shopping basket is more expensive than ever and now that the protests of the countryside are happening throughout Europe, now they tell us again that they will not back down. I fear that ideological blindness prevents them from seeing the reality in front of their noses. Mr Timmermans, Mr Socialists, it is enough to impose more unaffordable demands on farmers. Farmworkers across Europe are taking to the streets to ask for some sanity and should listen to them. It is not possible to make environmental policy fall whoever falls, without listening to those affected themselves. If they intend to continue, they will face the Popular Party, which will be as always on the side of the farmers, on the side of the rural world, on the side of the environment and on the side of wisdom.

16

Mar

2023

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Lack of actions taken by the Commission in the context of the duty of sincere and loyal cooperation (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner McGuinness, the abuse of our citizens is undoubtedly a serious violation of their basic rights and a worrying security problem. However, the legal and legitimate possession and use of , not its abuse, is a resource that responds to national security needs. It is therefore the sole responsibility of the Member States, according to Article 4 of the Treaty on European Union. However, it is a very serious irresponsibility to use the argument of national security to cover up actions that go against the principles of freedom and democracy on which the European Union itself is founded. This is what the governments of Member States such as Poland and Hungary have tried to do, as we have seen. on-site. This may explain your refusal to answer the Commission's questions and to cooperate with our investigation. Other Member States, on the other hand, have cooperated with the Commission and have even sent ministers and senior officials to answer our interrogations – as is the case in Greece – and have done so even after having to hear furious accusations without any supporting evidence. We hope that, from now on, the other Member States will also work together in a more committed way.

16

Mar

2023

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European Citizens’ Initiative "Save bees and farmers! Towards a bee-friendly agriculture for a healthy environment" (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner McGuinness, every time we speak in this Parliament on agriculture, in this case in the framework of the citizens' initiative 'Save bees and farmers: towards a bee-friendly agriculture for a healthy environment", it seems that some have just discovered agriculture or want to make tabula rasa of all the achievements we have achieved in recent decades. A clear example is pesticides. Over the last 50 years our farmers have reduced their use by 95%. They have done so without tax reduction targets, simply by applying an increasingly innovative and precise technology. And why did this happen? Because farmers want to spend less money on plant protection products, they want to give the best treatment to their crop and they want to protect biodiversity, which is so important for their subsistence. We in the European People's Party share these ambitions and want to further improve the quality of products and agri-food practices in Europe. But we also need enough to feed the 450 million Europeans, and as many outside Europe, and to do so at an affordable price. Therefore, before making any decisions that harm our food security, we need realistic and affordable alternatives. We need the right time periods for farmers to adapt. And we need studies on socio-economic impact to support any legislative changes. Let us trust our farmers, as we have done for decades, and let us be for them a support and not a hindrance.

14

Mar

2023

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Deterioration of democracy in Israel and consequences on the occupied territories (debate)

Mr President, Mr High Representative, it is very curious to see how those who raise their voices today when talking about judicial independence are precisely those who for years have already handed down sentences against Israel. As on so many other occasions, we are having a preventive debate. Even before the reform has completed its process of debate within Israeli society, some members of this House have already drawn their conclusions. Like various sectors of Israel's society, we too share your concern about the risk of tension in Israel's constitutional balances. But we are also aware that most Israelis believe that judicial reform is necessary. The real challenge now is to choose, with the greatest possible consensus, which reform is right for Israel. But regardless of how this legislative process proceeds, talking about a deterioration of democracy, or even illiberalism, is exaggerated and remote when we are still talking about a project. The rule of law, judicial independence and democratic quality in Israel so far are beyond doubt, and this is demonstrated by numerous international bodies. Let us therefore respect democratic times and procedures. Let us wait for the final version of the reform and stop discrediting, without definitive facts, the institutional health of a partner as strategic as Israel.

1

Feb

2023

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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)

Mr President, in 2022, more than 300 000 people illegally crossed the borders of the European Union. Currently, 600 000 asylum applications are still pending. 79% of return decisions from the previous year have not yet been executed. About 270 000 people who should have been returned to their countries of origin have not been returned. People like the one responsible for the murder of a sacristan last week in Algeciras, Spain. A dramatic event that we must avoid repeating anywhere in Europe. To prevent this, Europe must step up the protection of its external borders, provide our security forces with adequate legal and material resources, reform our migration and asylum policy, and improve return mechanisms. To achieve this, Europe must act together. Migration management is not only the responsibility of a few border states. Finally, we must not forget the necessary balance between solidarity and responsibility.

18

Jan

2023

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Protecting the Rule of Law against impunity in Spain (topical debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, as a magistrate, I am deeply saddened that, from the European Union, my country is being singled out for attacks on the rule of law. We are used to the fact that, with some frequency from the Socialist Group's bench, they want to give us lessons in patriotism. And, here, lessons of patriotism, the Group of the People's Party need not receive any. I also believe that it is no lesson in patriotism to proffer free verbal aggression to the head of the Spanish delegation of the Group of the People's Party. I am pleased, Commissioner, that you will continue to assess compliance with the recommendations suggested by the European Union. Unfortunately, the PSOE's attempt to interfere in judicial independence comes as no surprise. And I explain: They did so in 1985, during an absolute majority, when they changed the Organic Law of the Judiciary to change the system of election of the members of the General Council of the Judiciary. So, they started out there, went on to another stage with another president and are culminating now: the Minister of Justice, the other day in the European Parliament, acknowledged to us that the Constitutional Court was a political court and that the Government had nothing to do with the renewal of the General Council of the Judiciary, when it turns out that the one who negotiates on behalf of the Socialist Party is the Minister of the Presidency, Mr Bolaños. Therefore, we are reaching an unprecedented level of brazenness and interference that is leaving, of course, at a low level that claim of Alfonso Guerra when he boasted that Montesquieu had died. Therefore, here we defend that Spain is one of the most advanced democracies in Europe. But the President of the Government, Mr. Sánchez, has endeavored to degrade it and is molding all institutions in his image and likeness. It is what it is doing with the Criminal Code, changed up to six times in 2022, something that had never happened, to reverse the judicial sentences for pure partisan interests and their government partners. Stop looking for pretexts and change and return to the original text, which coincides with the recommendations of the European Commission.

13

Dec

2022

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Prospects for the two-State solution for Israel and Palestine (debate)

Mr President, I shall begin my speech with a basic reflection on international relations: A change of government that occurs through the ballot box should never be a reason to sever relations with a country. Much less when it comes to such a fundamental ally for Europeans as Israel. It is a strategic partner in energy and commercial security and intelligence, and in many other areas. It would not only be a diplomatic clumsiness, but also a profoundly undemocratic gesture, unfit for the European Union. And we'd go upstream: While the Arab world and our transatlantic partners support the Abraham Accords, strengthen their ties with Israel and intensify cooperation, some in this House want Europe to do the opposite. We already know that the radical left is always willing to polarize, is willing to blow up the bridges that unite us to Israel. But if they succeed, they will not only be blowing up a strategic relationship, but also any future for the two-state solution and for peace in the Middle East. That is why, in the face of incendiary radicals, in the face of those who veiledly justify terrorist acts, in the face of those who question Israel's sovereignty, Israelis and Palestinians will always find the outstretched hand of all Europeans who defend their right to exist, to exist in peace, and the need to count on them as allies.

23

Nov

2022

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Protection of livestock farming and large carnivores in Europe (debate)

Mr President, the wolf situation in Europe is very serious. The exponential growth of this predator has increased attacks on livestock and even humans. And in Spain the situation is even worse. A purely ideological and radical decision of the Government of Sanchez has restricted the hunting management of the species north of the Douro River. The wolf population has soared that, in Galicia alone, which represents barely 5% of the Spanish surface, there are three times more wolves than in all of France. The disaster is threefold: economic, because every sheep killed by a wolf is a loss added to the increasingly depleted income of farmers; social, because more and more farmers are abandoning grazing and, with it, increasing rural depopulation; and environmental, because depopulation is leading to the abandonment of thousands of hectares of forest, which has triggered the risk of fire. If we want to preserve the future of the rural world, we must put an end to the ecological ideological blindness in Spain and Europe and ensure a balanced and consensual coexistence.

22

Nov

2022

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EU-China relations (debate)

Madam President, Mr High Representative, the European Union External Action Service has defined China as a strategic partner, a systemic rival and an economic competitor. Cooperation on strategic issues is indeed a shared responsibility, but to make progress we have to ensure reciprocity in the rules of the game. We need to continue to break down the unilateral trade barriers that China maintains for our products, but also, as Beijing does, we need to be very careful about investments in critical sectors (such as the most advanced technologies, artificial intelligence, semiconductors or the defense industry), which are the basis of our strategic autonomy. If we have learned anything after the invasion of Ukraine, it is that dependencies, both energy and technology, can become our Achilles' heel. So, Mr Borrell, do you think that China's increasing investments in infrastructure and technology companies pose a geopolitical risk to the European Union? Or, in other words, are the port of Hamburg and similar investments a new Nord Stream 2?

6

Oct

2022

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The urgent need for an EU strategy on fertilisers to ensure food security in Europe (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, after the invasion of Ukraine, the price of gas in Europe has increased by 800 % compared to March last year. This increase has led many European fertiliser production plants to close, reducing production by 70%. This, coupled with reduced imports from Russia and Ukraine, has virtually eliminated the supply of fertilisers on the European market. With a food security crisis looming, it is essential to safeguard our production and, for this, we need affordable and accessible fertilizers. If measures are not taken in time, the lack of availability of fertilisers will have very negative consequences in the agricultural sector and throughout the value chain. That is why we need to take measures to lower the costs of fertiliser production, as requested by the United Nations. We need to reduce the tax burden on farmers so that they can cover their costs and remain competitive on the international market. And finally, we need to facilitate the import of active materials in all their forms, and thus prevent our production from being placed at a disadvantage vis-à-vis third countries.

12

Sep

2022

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Surveillance and predator spyware systems in Greece (debate)

Mr President, we are witnessing today a deliberate, coordinated and utterly disproportionate attack on the Greek Government, and it seems that everything goes to attack, even muddying Greece's reputation in Europe with lies: I have come to hear these days that Greece is a second-class democracy or even an autocratic country. Quite the contrary, the action of the Greek government after the revelations of espionage is being much more determined than that of the other Member States: it has been found that these are legal eavesdropping, carried out with judicial supervision, respecting the rule of law and, even so, measures have been taken to clarify responsibilities and prevent the repetition of inappropriate eavesdropping from a political point of view, such as the resignation of the technical and political leaders of the eavesdropping, the creation of a special committee in the national Parliament or the reform of the legal framework or that of the supervisory system of the Greek intelligence services. I wish the rest of the European countries pointed out by espionage scandals much more serious than the Greek followed their example of responsibility.

6

Jul

2022

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Facilitating export of Ukrainian agricultural products: key for Ukrainian economy and global food security (debate)

Madam President, 'Our greatest hope is famine'. With these words, Margarita Simonyan, Putin's chief propagandist, summed up the enormous dependence of Africa and the Middle East on Russian and Ukrainian grain. After threatening to cut off gas to European countries and start a global nuclear war, Russia's latest deadly threat is the blockade of food exports. To avoid this Russian blackmail, we must first seek logistical alternatives to the Black Sea ports urgently. Secondly, we must increase the productivity of our crops in Europe in order to supply Ukrainian supplies and control food price inflation, as the United Nations is calling for. Objectives precisely contrary to Mr Timmermans' Farm to Fork Strategy, which will reduce productivity by up to 15% and make food more expensive by 10%. Continuing to develop this strategy is not only a wrong choice for European farmers and consumers alike. It is also an irresponsibility that can accelerate the serious global famine that is coming.

4

Jul

2022

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Loss of life, violence and inhumane treatment against people seeking international protection at the Spanish-Moroccan border (debate)

Madam President, what happened at the Moroccan border on the 24th, as you described, Commissioner, is an unmitigated tragedy. The death of dozens of people cannot be described in any case as a well-resolved matter, as Pedro Sánchez, the president of the Government of Spain, did. Far from being well-resolved, his Government's management of the complex situation on the southern border was a cluster of mistakes. It is not well resolved the erratic migration policy and bands, which has gone from the so-called effect of the Aquarius and the withdrawal of the concertinas to the present complacency in the face of the humanitarian disaster. The internal affairs policy that leaves the Spanish security forces and forces at the border unprotected, without adequate technical means, deterrent material or anti-intrusion measures, is not well resolved. And the international policy that has altered the delicate balance of the Maghreb and has managed to enmity Spain at the same time with two of its great strategic partners, such as Morocco and Algeria, is not well resolved either. Everything is well settled in the parallel world of Sanchez's propaganda, but practically nothing in the real world. That's why we need a change. We need a government that regains the credibility of Spain and Europe in North Africa, and we need a transparent and reliable government that re-engages and responds effectively to migratory pressure to prevent similar tragedies from recurring.

4

May

2022

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Use of the Pegasus Software by EU Member States against individuals including MEPs and the violation of fundamental rights (topical debate)

Mr President, technology is never essentially good or essentially bad. It all depends on the purpose of its use and who uses it. Nuclear technology, with a missile, can be used to cause the greatest destruction that humanity has ever conceived, but also to eliminate cancers and save lives thanks to nuclear medicine. The same goes for Pegasus. Cyber-surveillance tools are critical to protecting our security forces and enabling them to protect us. Thanks to this type of software, jihadist attacks have been thwarted, mafia networks have been dismantled and drug trafficking has been curbed in many European countries. But when governments depart from the legitimate use of this technology, violate the rule of law and employ it outside the law, they deserve our utmost revulsion. Nothing to do with what some have just said here today that happens in Spain. Spain remains fully committed to the rule of law. Therefore, the use of technologies is carried out strictly in accordance with the law and with judicial supervision. We Spaniards have every reason to be proud of our democracy and the work of our law enforcement agencies, as well as our intelligence services. That is why no one should be surprised that some listening has been done to people convicted of sedition crimes, to people who have repeated on numerous occasions that they would commit these crimes again and to people who have even gone so far as to claim that achieving hypothetical independence is worth human lives. But, despite this, today the Catalan secessionists intend to mount their usual media and propaganda theater. A theatre with which they want Europe to forget about its attacks on the rule of law and seek, in short, to hide that support for Catalonia's independence has fallen to historic lows. They intend to hide it, but fortunately, their theaters no longer deceive anyone.

6

Apr

2022

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Cooperation and similarities between the Putin regime and extreme right and separatist movements in Europe (topical debate)

Madam President, Putin's worst nightmare is a strong European Union and cohesive Member States. That is why for years the Russian president tried to sow discord within the European Union by supporting disintegrating projects such as Brexit or financing extremist parties, but also by encouraging secession within many European states by supporting separatist movements such as the Catalan one. Some Catalan secessionists, led by those who are absconding from justice, did not hesitate to meet with oligarchs, with deputies of Putin's party and with representatives of his security services; They went on a trip to Moscow believing that they were secret agents, but they were nothing more than, as Lenin said in his day, "the useful fools of the Kremlin". Here we are not going to receive lessons in democracy from any of those who have not been held accountable before the Spanish Justice: in states of law such as Spain, you have to comply with the law and, of course, you have to comply with the judgments of the courts. Some secessionists wanted Putin as an ally, they were willing to agree even with the devil to achieve their goals: That is why those who met with Putin's regime by displaying the yellow ribbon will never be able to wear this blue and yellow ribbon of Ukraine. In the face of Putin and the extremists and separatists, it is time more than ever for the unity of the whole of Europe.