What Thierry spoke about.

17

Jun

2026

Speeches FR

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Continued crackdown on civic space and fundamental freedoms in Burkina Faso

Madam President, the debates that this Parliament imposes on us today are at times reminiscent of colonialism. We do not have the quality to judge the past, let alone the present, of Burkina Faso. However, what is the future of Burkina Faso and the Sahel if the European Union contributes, through its resolutions, to further destabilising a power that is now at the forefront in the face of the rise of Islamism and jihadism? Yes, Ouagadougou governs the ‘homeland of honest men’ in an authoritarian way – they are at war. But the main thing for Burkinabés is to be able to count on a government that protects them from chaos and Islamism at the moment, rather than receiving lessons from Brussels. In the end, we are only weakening those on the front lines of the fight against Islamist fundamentalism, and we risk creating the conditions for a new Afghanistan on Europe's doorstep tomorrow. The urgency is to help if this country asks, because if this country collapses, the Sahel risks falling into chaos, and tomorrow we will pay the price here in Europe.

17

Jun

2026

Speeches FR

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Deteriorating situation of political prisoners in Belarus, in particular the case of Aliaksandra Pulinovich

Madam President, every month Parliament takes over the judicial affairs of a sovereign state with the same mechanics. We identify the culprits, we listen to only one version of the facts, that of the NGOs, and we adopt a resolution that often has no follow-up. Today, for Belarus, I hear that it was teenagers who simply made graffiti. When you read the local press, they were building explosives. Who's telling the truth? What I do know is that we do not have the elements to judge. And in any country, if these accusations are true, these acts would be prosecuted with the utmost severity. Relaxation with this country is underway. If we have just received the Sakharov Prize, he said himself, he thanked the United States. Why? Because the United States has renewed trade and diplomatic ties with Minsk. The European Union persists in a hostile attitude. We're at a dead end. She won't do anything. The United States, which I do not support, Mr. Trump, has shown us that there is another way.

15

Jun

2026

Speeches FR

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

15

Jun

2026

Speeches FR

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EU-US trade deal (joint debate)

21

May

2026

Speeches FR

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Decision of the Azerbaijani Parliament on suspending cooperation with the European Parliament (debate)

Madam President, in 1997, Levon Ter-Petrossian, the first president of independent Armenia, the very one who won the Karabakh War, published a founding essay. He asked questions whose answers conditioned the future of the entire region: Should the Karabakh issue be resolved through war or negotiations? Is it possible to maintain the status quo in the long term? And above all, who will be the defeated party if mutual concessions are refused? His answers were unambiguous: war must be excluded; the status quo cannot last, as Armenia's economic capacity will not allow it; and he added that the tendency to want to get the maximum rather than what is possible would lead, I quote, "to the total fall of Karabakh and the worsening of the situation in Armenia". Ter-Petrossian was not just anyone; He had won the war, he knew the balances and the limits of what was possible. He was overthrown, but his prophecy was fulfilled with chilling precision. Azerbaijan has taken over all of the illegally occupied territories militarily, but President Aliyev has had the political intelligence to stop at internationally recognized borders. It is a fact, a painful fact for some, but a fact that cannot be erased by resolutions of the European Parliament. Today we are at a historic moment: President Aliyev's Azerbaijan and Prime Minister Pashinyan's Armenia are negotiating. As when in 1963, General de Gaulle and Chancellor Adenauer signed the Treaty of Friendship. Two nations who had been torn apart for a century, who had fought three wars, sealed their reconciliation. No one believed this to be possible. And yet, this is what is happening today in the Caucasus, if we let these countries work. What is the European Parliament doing? He votes for incriminating resolutions, he stigmatizes and he throws oil on the fire. It must be understood that Azerbaijan, tired of being vilified in institutions with which it seeks to maintain cordial and constructive relations, ends up slamming the door. It is a signal of deep and legitimate exasperation. This attitude of the European Parliament is irresponsible. And if the European Union wants to keep putting itself out of the game at every major geopolitical turn, it is on the right path. Peace in the Caucasus will not come from further interference by our Parliament. It will come from a direct negotiation between the two parties, between the two countries of the region. Our role, if we want one, is to accompany this process and not to make it worse.

19

May

2026

Speeches FR

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EU–Uzbekistan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (joint debate)

Mr President, this agreement with Uzbekistan is a good thing: a good thing for the European Union, a good thing for Uzbekistan. Central Asia is a booming economic region, a trade route and a strategic lock in globalisation where Europe and our businesses need to strengthen their presence. This country, Uzbekistan, has changed profoundly with the arrival of President Mirziyoyev in 2016. On the other hand, unfortunately, Parliament is accompanying this agreement with a resolution which, once again, gives lessons in democracy to a sovereign country. Uzbekistan has its own history, culture and geopolitical interests. Its economic and political ties with Russia are not the result of an ideological choice, but the product of historical interdependence that everyone can understand by making the effort to look at a map. Unfortunately, this Parliament is still unable to sign an agreement without attaching a catalogue of conditions and remonstrances. In my opinion, this is not the right way to build lasting and sincere partnerships, where China and Russia are present. Respect the Uzbeks. They have known the domination of sixteen empires. Today, they are independent and I do not think that it is in front of Brussels that they will abdicate their sovereignty.

19

May

2026

Speeches FR

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Presentation of the Fertilisers Action Plan (debate)

Madam President, the only action plan for fertilisers that the Commission should implement is to bring down prices and not to add bureaucracy to the bureaucracy. Because since 2021, the European Union has been accumulating strategic mistakes on fertilisers by imposing sanctions against Russia and Belarus. These countries account for 20% of the world’s supply of nitrogen and 40% of potash. This is not the same as taking sanctions on gas or oil, where, indeed, these countries can be circumvented. Sanctions against Belarus started well before the war in Ukraine in 2021, resulting in the explosion of prices, ever more efficient circumvention circuits and, on exit, profits for these countries which, in reality, increased as they simply redeployed their circuits with higher prices. At the same time, the Americans have never, ever sanctioned Russian fertilisers and lifted all their sanctions against Belarusian potash in 2025, fertilisers that they now resell to us at gold prices. So these choices penalize us much more than all the problems that have been mentioned elsewhere. And today, it is not only our European farmers who pay the exorbitant price for these choices and are no longer able to cope, but also the poorest countries that are threatened by shortages and famine. Lifting all these absurd sanctions that have not even penalised these two countries on these products, if you want to lower prices, that is a clear measure. Tomorrow's crops and famines depend on it.

29

Apr

2026

Speeches FR

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Situation in Lebanon: implementation of the ceasefire, support peace efforts and humanitarian access (debate)

Mr President, yesterday, Tuesday, France paid tribute to its third French soldier who died in Lebanon. Let's have a thought for Master Corporal Girardin, he was 31 years old and had a child. French soldiers are in Lebanon for peace. They help to maintain a fragile balance in this country in the face of the war-like upheaval of all the actors in the region. No one can today hide the reality of the figures of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Since the Hamas terror attack on October 7, when nearly 1,200 Israelis were murdered, Lebanon has seen more than 4,000 dead and 16,000 wounded, according to its health ministry. More than 1,200,000 Lebanese have been forced to flee their homes; That's almost one in five people in this country. Civilians are being bombed and the country's vital infrastructure is being destroyed. Added to the war is the problem of almost 700,000 Syrian refugees who have still not returned to their country, while the new Syrian President al-Charaa has been in office for more than a year. On all these facts, the European Union continues to turn a blind eye. What is the European Union waiting for to act and demand an immediate ceasefire in this conflict that is taking place at the gates of Europe? Since 7 October, the European Union has lost some of its credibility with this permanent double standard. Every civilian killed deserves the same indignation, the same attention, whether Israeli, Palestinian or Lebanese. The urgency now is to support the efforts of Israel and Lebanon; To restore peace, to sign a peace treaty in this region, is the best solution to guarantee both the security of Israel and the security of Lebanon.

26

Mar

2026

Speeches FR

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Global Gateway – past impacts and future orientation (debate)

Madam President, (some inaudible words) The Global Gateway, the €306 billion communication operation, embodies the European Union's development aid policy. Even this report, which is very consensual, acknowledges this. The methodology of the program is completely opaque. Project selection criteria, incomprehensible. Evaluations are non-existent, with a board of directors that met, to manage 306 billion, only twice in four years. Twice in four years to manage 306 billion, Europeans need to realize how it works. Moreover, these figures of 306 billion are only a scam of the Commission, which allocates the sums of the national agencies, mixes them with already existing European programmes and private or public loans from other partners. In addition, non-European companies have captured markets financed by the European taxpayer. In short, we walk on the head. Added to this is a huge mistake: countries refuse to take back their nationals in an irregular situation and yet we subsidize them. In short, it's unacceptable. We will therefore vote against this report.

11

Mar

2026

Speeches FR

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Case of Elene Khoshtaria and political prisoners under the Georgian Dream regime

9

Mar

2026

Speeches FR

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

21

Jan

2026

Speeches FR

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Preparations for the EU-India summit (debate)

Madam Speaker, for the past twelve years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consolidated the foundations of Indian democracy and made his country the greatest emerging power of the 21st century. A country of 1.4 billion people, where growth is driven by phenomenal domestic consumption, massive public investment, robust services and a huge industrial and technological market. For Europe, weakened on all sides by its dependencies and by the compromise of its elites, India is an obvious partner, but also a political example. Concluding a trade agreement with New Delhi therefore meets a dual economic and strategic need. This agreement will provide key opportunities for our industry, strengthen the diversification of our supply chains and contribute to our economic sovereignty. And unlike Mercosur, it seems to preserve our agricultural sector – we will be particularly vigilant on this issue. However, the Commission decides to play a somewhat strange game, making the conclusion of this agreement conditional on India’s political alignment with the European position on Russia and the conflict in Ukraine. This blackmail is unacceptable and ridiculous: What if India asked Europe to break off its relations with Pakistan because of a territorial conflict between them? By treating India as a political colony, the Commission is making a moral mistake and can jeopardise the future of French companies. Europe needs too much to trade with India, and a sustainable, balanced partnership is mutually beneficial for both our countries.

17

Dec

2025

Speeches FR

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Arbitrary arrest and sentencing of academics Bahruz Samadov and Igbal Abilov in Azerbaijan

Madam President, while Azerbaijan and Armenia have been in conflict since 1994, these two countries have been conducting peace negotiations for the past five years, which are about to be concluded. This is evidenced by the signing of a joint peace declaration in Washington on 8 August by Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Aliev. This historic diplomatic effort is made possible by Donald Trump's mediation and yields concrete results: for the first time since 1991, these two States are each within their internationally recognized borders and, for the first time since 1991, the fighting has ceased. Armenia will receive its first delivery of Azerbaijani oil in more than 30 years in the coming days. Georgia is also looking with great interest at the normalisation of relations between its two neighbours, and has even stated that it will authorise the transit of this cargo on its territory free of charge. Finally, Yerevan and Baku have just concluded the creation of a new economic corridor, with transport deliveries that will profoundly redefine connectivity across Eurasia. In the run-up to important elections in June 2026 for Armenia, these prospects for appeasement and economic recovery are good for Armenians and for the entire population of the region. A region where Armenians and Azerbaijanis can definitively close a chapter on a territorial conflict that has lasted too long. However, instead of accompanying this peace effort, the European Parliament is voting on a fourteenth resolution on Azerbaijan: a step backwards in history, which will discredit the word of the European Parliament a little more, because at the moment, in this moment of peace, I think that Armenians and Azerbaijanis are waiting instead for support, for support for the courageous efforts of President Aliev and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who have decided to turn the page, not to ask for revenge and to try to develop their region in the Caucasus. That, in my opinion, is what we should be working on in this Parliament.

17

Dec

2025

Speeches FR

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The deepening democratic crisis in Georgia (debate)

Mr President, Georgia has been under unprecedented media pressure from the European institutions for months. These attacks call into question the legitimacy of Tbilisi's institutions, its judicial system and the sovereign choices of Georgian voters. This is interference by foreign NGOs and political networks, which the European Parliament relays and voices zealously. Commissioner, as I understand it, you have told us that, in recent months, 24 million have been donated to support these organisations. And it is true that, here, you dream of overthrowing a Georgian government that does not obey the European Commission’s orders. Indeed, this country is wrong to want to protect its constitutional order and to fight against all attempts at destabilisation, whether they come from Moscow or from Europe. Finally, if we are looking for someone who wants a real worsening of the democratic crisis, let’s look at Brussels, let’s look at what happened in Romania – where a presidential election was cancelled on questionable grounds – let’s look at what is happening in France, where the favourite of the presidential election may be prevented from running.

16

Dec

2025

Speeches FR

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Phasing out Russian natural gas imports and improving monitoring of potential energy dependencies (debate)

15

Dec

2025

Speeches FR

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Order of business

Madam President, on the basis of Rule 209: in February 2025, this Parliament adopted a resolution on the dramatic situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In accordance with Rule 209 of our Rules of Procedure, this text has been published, recorded and transmitted to all the European institutions, and in particular to the Commission. This resolution was clear: it called for sanctions against Rwanda and the immediate suspension of the agreement on critical raw materials between Rwanda and the European Union. Ten months later, no sanctions were taken against the real Rwandan officials, no suspension of the raw materials agreement. Worse still, Rwanda continues to support the M23 offensives in eastern DRC, despite the peace agreement signed in Washington on 4 December. I would remind you that our resolutions voted in plenary are not decorative statements: They engage us politically. So when are we finally going to sanction Rwanda in order to respect the wishes of this Parliament?

26

Nov

2025

Speeches FR

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Rule of law and human rights situation in Tunisia, particularly the case of Sonia Dahmani

25

Nov

2025

Speeches FR

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Escalation of the war and the humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan (continuation of debate)

Madam President, Sudan is now experiencing one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world. The war between the Sudanese armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces has already displaced millions of people and plunged entire regions into famine and horror. Sudan is collapsing and the international community is watching this humanitarian crisis worsen from week to week. This country is already emerging from 30 years of a hard Islamist regime, then from a failed transition in 2021, when the two military factions that clash today overthrew civilian power. Since 2023, they have been fighting for control of the country, sabotaging any prospect of peace and totally disqualifying their claim to lead Sudan's future. Worse, extremists and the Muslim Brotherhood are profiting from the chaos, recruiting, establishing themselves and influencing political appointments in Khartoum, posing a serious threat to Sudan from the return of Islamists to power. In this context, the European Union must clearly identify those responsible, namely the Muslim Brotherhood and those who support them. At the same time, we must support the only credible peace initiative: the Quad led by the United States, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. It is now the only diplomatic framework that is really moving forward, the only one that can impose a humanitarian truce and relaunch a civilian transition independent of militias and extremist networks. Europe must act quickly before Sudan becomes the next hotbed of international terrorism.

24

Nov

2025

Speeches FR

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

24

Nov

2025

Speeches FR

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Order of business

8

Oct

2025

Speeches FR

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United response to recent Russian violations of the EU Member States’ airspace and critical infrastructure (debate)

Madam President, when airspace violations are clearly identified, they are inadmissible. But the courage also lies in applying this indignation to all violations, not just those that suit you. Between July and December 2024, 900 airspace violations and 45 maritime space violations were committed by Turkey against Cyprus. In 2025, Greece has already suffered more than 150 violations of its airspace and more than 1,800 violations of its maritime space by Turkish planes and boats. However, there is no debate on this issue; Everyone seems to find this normal and keeps silent. We must defend our sovereignty, all our sovereignty, not just that which would justify a new holy war against Russia, because this war is not ours. I expect the same indignation when Turkey also violates the airspace of European states.

8

Oct

2025

Questions FR

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United response to recent Russian violations of the EU Member States’ airspace and critical infrastructure (debate)

I would just like to point out to our colleague that France Info, which is not an extreme right-wing radio station, has made it clear in its review that: The True of Falsehood that no one in Russia had said that sentence which the General, Chief of Staff, repeated. If you have the source of this imaginary sentence, I invite you to communicate it to the journalist of the national radio station who, however, does not share our ideas.

7

Oct

2025

Speeches FR

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New Strategic EU-India Agenda (debate)

Mr President, in the new architecture of the world, India has become, under the leadership of Narendra Modi – elected in 2014, re-elected in 2019 and 2024 – a pole of stability and a power of balance. In the face of Chinese and American giants, India offers Europe a path to independence and cooperation. For too long, however, the European Union has neglected the Indian partnership. Only 2.4% of our foreign trade is with this country, far behind the United States and China. This is a strategic mistake, because by ignoring the emerging powers, by turning its back on the BRICS, Europe is condemning itself to diplomatic and economic isolation and, even worse, to American tutelage. Today, the Commission is proposing a roadmap to speed up the conclusion of an agreement, which is a step in the right direction. But Europe does not want a front partnership. It needs not only a concrete and balanced agreement that strengthens our economic, technological and energy ties, but also firm cooperation to fight terrorism and Islamism, in order to open the doors to the world's fourth largest economy. This agreement will also have to protect our workers and our industrialists. There is no question of opening up our markets unconditionally in the face of considerable social disparities or transferring our technologies without fair compensation. Our continent can maintain itself in the concert of nations, provided we reach out a friendly hand to Prime Minister Modi and his country, without arrogance, without paternalism and treating them as equals. This is the only valid strategy for a Europe that seeks to regain its power.

10

Sep

2025

Speeches FR

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Case of Victoire Ingabire in Rwanda

Mr President, day after day, the ideal façade of the Rwandan regime is cracking and Mr Kagame finally appears for what he is: a bloodthirsty and authoritarian dictator. Sponsor of the massacres, the persecution of civilians and the looting of mineral resources in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the President of Rwanda has for a very long time remained the protector and favorite of Brussels. No one had found anything wrong with his fourth re-election, with a Soviet score of 99.18%. Things seem to be changing with this new Commission. But this past complacency towards Kigali is intolerable, as it contradicts all the moral principles that the European Union imposes on the rest of the world. The case of the opponent Victoire Ingabire is a symbol. Faced with the executioners of the Great Lakes region, this courageous woman represents the democratic hope of her country, a hope that Kagame has been trying to stifle ever since he issued his arbitrary arrest and imprisonment. Today, indeed, the European Union has a duty to resurrect this hope and to secure the release ofme Ingabire by immediately cancelling all forms of financial and commercial cooperation with Rwanda so that Europe finally ceases to be Kigali's accomplice.

10

Sep

2025

Speeches FR

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Rule of law and EU funds management in Slovakia (debate)

Madam President, respect for the rule of law is great, frankly, because it allows, as soon as there is a problem with a government that displeases the European Union, to interfere in its affairs. This has been the case for Poland, this has been the case for Hungary, and it is now Slovakia's turn to be Brussels' pain sufferer. In reality, the Commission is harassing this country, because you do not like this government. According to all logic, in order to benefit from European rights passes, the Slovaks would have to do something like the Poles who, since the arrival of the liberals in power, happily divert, as we learn in the newspaper PoliticoEuropean funds devoted to the post-Covid recovery to buy yachts, luxury cars and even a swinger club, without any remark from Brussels at the moment. What about this parliament that has itself been splattered by the Qatargate corruption scandal? What's the status of the investigation? Where are the convictions? Not to displease the European Union, the Social Democrat Robert Fico is a democratically elected Prime Minister. His party won the elections in 2023 and he conducts a sovereignist policy in his country. Let Brussels put its own excesses in order before giving lessons to the states.