Speeches

Mr President, Vice—President Šefčovič, colleagues, I’d like to thank the Commission for its strong work on the assistance for Ukraine, the sanctions against Russia and the measures responding to the disruptions in the energy markets. However, this coming winter, in the next year, will be one of the hardest in our memory. Our response must be adapted to the unprecedented circumstances, as my colleague Mr Olbrycht just said, and I fully concur. If I’m honest with you, Commissioner, I’m concerned that what is being proposed falls short of what European citizens expect, specifically in terms of the economic and social response to the crisis. At the initiative of my group, the Conference of Presidents adopted in June a clear set of demands for this work programme. Commissioner, we are left wondering if the President of the Commission even received a copy of such demands. Those demands included the strengthening of the social rights action plan, the urgent organisation of a new social summit, and a comprehensive European anti-poverty strategy adapted to the current situation. They are nowhere to be found in this document before us today. It is not acceptable that on this matter, on the social dimension, we might be satisfied with generic lines on the need to deliver on the Porto social agenda and summit. My group firmly believes that the successes of temporary instruments like SURE and like Next Generation EU should be built upon and converted into a permanent fiscal capacity and common crisis response instruments. We must learn from the lessons that the past brought us. Jumping from one ad hoc temporary instrument to another is simply not good enough. We hope the Commission will accept the need for a full reform of the economic governance review, including the fiscal rules, sooner and not later. We expect the proposals to be delivered rapidly. For the electricity market, it’s exactly the same. The market system ‘does not work any more’, said the President of the Commission in this Parliament four months ago. Two weeks ago, she committed to presenting proposals for the reform of the electricity market by the end of the year. It is disappointing that, in this proposal for the work programme, it is delayed now until the third quarter of next year. We need reforms now, not a year from now. It’s very important that we can deliver now on this matter. With difficult times comes the risk of the rise of the extremists, of the populists, of the anti—democratic. We need to be able to deliver towards the central democratic forces and we cannot be taken hostage by some governments in Europe, particularly those subject to Article 7. Let me remind you that, in the candidacy of President von der Leyen, she committed to and I quote, ‘make use of the clauses in the Treaties that allow proposals on taxation to be adopted by co—decision and decided by qualified majority’. Will the Commission live up to these promises on the matter of qualified majority voting? Commissioner, I will conclude by urging the Commission to turbocharge its ambition on the socio—economic response to this crisis. We must do more, we must do it better, and we must do it now.

Mr President, Commissioners, Council, colleagues, to curb populism in Europe is to help families when they suffer. Families and small and medium-sized enterprises cannot withstand this escalation in energy prices and are talking loudly, as they do today in France, telling us all that they cannot. We need a European response so that no one is left behind, otherwise we will all end up suffering, because we are just one market and only populists will laugh again. Let's learn from what we did wrong in the financial crisis and what we did well in the COVID crisis. We saved Europe with more Europe in the COVID crisis. We will use what we already have and we will build a European response to this crisis and to the future. And let us do so in a cohesive and fair way, building a single energy market, buying and transporting energy together across Europe, stopping speculation in energy markets together and looking for the resources where they are. They are accumulating in the hands of the super rich, they are accumulating in the super profits of many companies. And please don't play with those who are suffering the most. Who would remember at this point asking the ECB to raise interest rates further? Does the EPP not know at all the reality of the lives of Europeans, their suffering? Don't know what it costs to heat homes and buy food these days? Did it really have to ask the ECB to inflict more suffering on families by increasing interest rates, leading to increased house payments? Is the EPP for families and jobs or are we back in time to the EPP moralists who invented austerity as a response to the financial crisis? Quo vadis, EPP?

Madam President, dear Commissioner Nicolas Schmit, colleagues, at the Porto Social Summit, after a good proposal from the European Commission presented by Commissioner Nicolas Schmit, European leaders pledged to reduce the number of people at risk of poverty, to reduce the number of people in poverty by 15 million, including 5 million children. Portugal not only made the Porto Summit, where these objectives were enshrined, but also already made the child guarantee or the network of free crèches. We would like to see the plans of many more countries come off paper, because with the energy crisis caused by Putin's war, we risk seeing poverty increase rather than decrease it. Are we waiting for new initiatives from countries such as Portugal or the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union to move forward with a new social summit to deliver on the promised measures? We don't have that luxury. Winter is at the door. On this International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, in the face of the social emergency, we remind the Commission and the Council of their responsibility. We need to act now.

Madam President, Mr High Representative, Mr Vice-President of the Commission, Minister, colleagues, another month has passed in the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and, as the President of the European Commission said, this has not been a month at all. It was a month of heroic reconquest of territory by Ukrainian forces, but also of a puppet annexation of Ukrainian territories by the Putin regime. The simulated referendum is only revealing of Putin's democratic standards. Voting with a pointed gun is not a vote, it is a robbery, it is an assault on democracy. There is no middle ground on this issue, the annexations of Ukrainian territories are immoral and illegal under international law. No one can support such action. Ukraine has the right to defend itself, and we Europeans have a moral obligation to support it. History will severely judge those who side with Putin, as much of a European extreme right, seeking to break the unity needed to stand up to him, but it will also judge those who ally themselves with this extreme right for pure thirst for power. We must be clear in condemnation and decisive in action. And the action is done first with support for Ukrainians – political, economic and military support – but also with more sanctions that weaken the Russian economy and its war machine, definitively stopping the purchase of energy, confiscating the oligarchs’ assets and putting them at the service of Ukraine’s reconstruction. And let us not forget, it is also happening here in Europe, supporting all, but even all, Europeans who suffer from the consequences of this war, reforming the electricity and gas markets to combat speculation and bring down the accounts already, as this Parliament will vote, calling for the immediate action of the institutions, and maintaining cohesion among Europeans in support of Ukraine, in a truly European, united response and not allowing those who can least suffer to suffer. And, President of the Commission, Commissioner, not only in the RePowerEU, but also in support of European families. What we really need is a European solidarity response so that together we can continue to support those who are waging this war for freedom, this war that we did not seek, but which we will help to win.

Madam President, we are following the situation in Burkina Faso with great concern. It is the second time in a few months that we have a coup d’état that seizes power in Burkina Faso, a country that is already in a very dire situation. So we consider that yes, there should be a debate within this plenary in October I, but it is our understanding that the situation on the ground is changing on a daily basis. The instability will not stop in the next few days, so we do not see it as a priority to have a resolution on this matter either now or in October II. What we want is a clear debate here and a statement by the High Representative this week so that we send a message to the ground, so that we send a message to Burkina Faso. The High Representative already urged the authorities to stabilise the situation and go back to the negotiations from a few months ago. Let us have the possibility to have this kind of clear statement also by the Parliament in this plenary.

Madam President, dear President of the European Commission, dear colleagues, in recent months, in the face of the invasion of Ukraine, our citizens have responded with solidarity. Today, with the war increasingly being felt in Europe, it is our duty to protect Europeans from this social tsunami, so that the wave of European solidarity with Ukraine does not lose strength. President Von der Leyen, the commitment to limit speculative profits for social purposes is positive. It's late, but better late than never. Some countries have moved faster in this area, such as Portugal and Spain, protecting consumers by lowering tariffs. That's good. But not everyone was so hurtful. We now expect determination from the Commission and that it will stop dragging its feet on the side of the Council to lower the energy bills of households and small businesses. A new SURE that comes to stay, to protect us from the effects of unemployment. A future with more equality, without populism and without tyranny. Act now, so that winter does not freeze the hope of Europeans.

Mr President, High Representative, dear Josep Borrell, the recent visit of the President of the United States Congress to Taiwan served as a pretext for the People's Republic of China to make a disproportionate display of unprecedented force in the Taiwan Strait, with large-scale military exercises, including the launch of ballistic missiles that flew over Taiwan. On the part of our political family we have a very clear message to convey to the Chinese authorities, which I also believe will be very clear tomorrow in this Parliament's resolution: this attempt at intimidation is unacceptable and deserves our strongest repudiation. Any unilateral attempt to change the status quo, jeopardising stability in the region, would have the most serious consequences. One thing we know: China will play an important role in the world in the coming decades, that's for sure, but what role does China want to play? Do you want to be on the side of cooperation, within the framework of international law, or do you want to be on the side of alignment with those who have been deteriorating peace and world order? That is what we will see in the near future.

Madam President, the adoption of the directive on minimum wages at European level is a major step in the right direction. I would like to congratulate the rapporteurs of the European Parliament, in particular my colleague Agnes Jongerius, and the other colleagues who have worked and agreed on this matter, in order to reach a point which must now be a point of no return, indeed of acceleration. It is true that in many European countries we already have adequate minimum wages, but it is also true that there are steps to be taken in other countries to ensure a decent life for all workers. No one should live in poverty while working. One must have a life of dignity, and this is particularly important in the present moment. This is the time to speed up the implementation of this directive, not to wait for the transposition deadline. The word for Member States now is to work now, at a time when workers are suffering from the current energy price crisis. Also workers who receive the minimum wage must now benefit from the great work done in approving this directive.

Madam President, the tragic deaths of Bishop Phillips and Bruno Pereira are not an isolated, case-by-case episode. They are part of a culture of violence against indigenous peoples, human rights activists, environmentalists, journalists, various minorities, which has grown exponentially with the current Brazilian government. To this has contributed a conflictive and even offensive language of the current president, antagonizing these people and these communities and generating a climate of impunity that favors violence. Instead of promoting the protection of the Amazon and indigenous communities, as is his obligation as president, Bolsonaro is conniving with uncontrolled deforestation and is delivering on his campaign promise to destroy the public entity protecting indigenous peoples. If the criminal responsibility for this murder has to be attributed to its executioners, the political and moral responsibility rests on the repeated attitudes of Bolsonaro and his government.

Mr President, Vice-President Šefčovič, it is not uncommon in this Parliament for us to discuss the situation of countries that infringe international law. What is rare is that this is done by one of the oldest and most respected democracies in the world. The folly of a falling prime minister cannot be a reason to break the important deal that, at so much cost, had been possible to reach. In doing so, Mr Boris Johnson is putting at serious risk not only the Brexit deal, but the relationship between the UK and the European Union. It is jeopardising the UK's own credibility as an international partner. What is more, it is even jeopardising, and this is very serious, the Good Friday agreements, which have brought peace to Northern Ireland. A few more hours or a few days on Downing Street don't justify everything. Boris Johnson has to stop and he has to stop now.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, now absent but very attentive to the distance, the European Council has taken historic decisions concerning the candidacy of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia for the European Union, but has once again frustrated the expectations of the countries of the Western Balkans. Above all, it is slow to act on the social consequences of this war here in Europe. Are we going to wait for the situation to get worse? Are we going to wait for unemployment or winter when many families can't heat their homes? No, no! We need to act from now on! Limit speculative energy prices, support households and companies that suffer most from the price of gas and fuels. Support those who have shown solidarity with the millions of Ukrainian refugees who deserve our support. To the leaders at the European Council, I make a very simple appeal: Don't wait for the West to get your hands on the wheel. The time to act is now.

Mr President, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I will also speak in Portuguese. I was listening in Portuguese, but I will also speak in Portuguese so that our fellow citizens, also there in my country, can hear us. We face a huge risk of an economic and social crisis in Europe. Many European households and businesses will need solidarity to secure affordable energy supplies, to buy fuels to heat their homes. It is high time to act. We expect, Commissioner, timely proposals from the Commission in the summer to prepare properly for winter in the European Union. Let us take the example of Bulgaria: a family of three spends on average a quarter of their income on energy. Forecasts are of a 30% increase in the cost of energy to heat their homes next winter. However, this will be the case in most Member States: prices of food, transport, housing, fuel. The risks of business shutdowns due to gas supply restrictions are also very real. A coordinated response between the European institutions and the social partners must therefore be on the table. We therefore call for a social summit to be convened in the coming months. We need to temporarily control energy prices, as we have already done in the Iberian Peninsula, because prices no longer reflect normal market conditions and make citizens and the economy suffer. We need to support European households at risk of poverty due to these energy prices. We need to support the millions of Ukrainian refugees in Europe. They are not here because they want to, they flee a war, and they deserve to be adequately supported. We need to keep the SURE mechanism active, due to temporary unemployment risks throughout this crisis. And we need, in order to finance all this effort, to apply in a coordinated way, at European level, a tax on the absurdly high profits of many companies, including energy companies, in the context of this crisis. This will enable us to fund all these European initiatives. There is no way to pretend or delay. Now we need to build the answers. This is yet another great test of the European Union that lies ahead of us. Let us live up to it, because citizens expect our support just before winter.

Madam President, Mr Micheál Martin, Taoiseach of Ireland, on behalf of the Socialists and Democrats and my leader, Iratxe García Pérez, I would like to welcome you to the House of European Democracy. This Parliament is very much concerned about the position of the UK Government on the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol and its impact on the Republic of Ireland, on Northern Ireland and on the UK and globally on the Good Friday Agreement. So I would like to ask you, can you elaborate further on your views on this matter? And let me take the opportunity of having you here to address also a very different but also complex topic: tax competition. It endangers the so critical collection of resources that you referred to, Taoiseach. Let me say clearly, we welcome resoundingly the fact that the Republic of Ireland joined the OECD tax agreement on minimum corporate taxation. Nevertheless, as we all know, many other practices may still be used to decrease real taxation. Taoiseach, do you agree that the EU and the Member States should cooperate more to level the playing field on these matters? Thank you so much for the opportunity. Welcome to the European Parliament.

Mr President, Mr Vice—President, dear David, Nathalie, other rapporteurs and colleagues, following the Russian war of aggression, the EU has rapidly adapted its foreign, security and defence policy to support Ukraine and press Russia to end its invasion. But EU policy needs to reflect a new reality for the future, for its strategic and long—term policies. With the adoption of this report, the Parliament makes important recommendations to the HR/VP, to the Council, on the future of the foreign, security and defence policy after the war. Our Group was able to influence the report, we think, in a holistic approach. Our vision for the foreign, security and defence policy is multi-dimensional, with human rights, human security and respect for international law at its heart. But we did not shy away from the defence dimension. As the Russian invasion of Ukraine shows, we need to be prepared for what we do not desire or deserve. The recommendations built on the recent developments, including the adoption of the strategic compass, calling for its swift implementation as a starting point for implementing a common EU defence. We call for the introduction of qualified majority, as Nathalie mentioned, for certain foreign policy areas to increase the effectiveness of our EU foreign policy. And we value the cooperation with like—minded partners around the globe, especially NATO allies, to maintain the strongest possible unity in defence of the rules—based international order to promote and to defend peace, democratic principles and the respect for human rights. We do not forget the importance of the neighbouring policy in the promotion of democracy, stability, peace, economic development and the respect for human rights. We hope this recommendation to be heard by the European Council, even if the Council is no longer represented in this debate. And we certainly hope this recommendation to also reach the NATO summit soon to be held.

President, Commissioner, in recent years, the Sahel region has seen insecurity, political instability and violence worsen, threatening regional and international stability. The main victims are the people. They suffer violence and human rights violations from organisations such as Boko Haram or Al-Qaeda, but also from mercenary groups such as the Wagner Group. The Wagner Group's growing presence is not accidental. It corresponds to a deliberate strategy that the Kremlin has been developing for several years to destabilise the various neighbourhoods of the European Union, which also includes the Sahel. The European Union cannot continue to watch this passively, not only because of the aggression in Ukraine, but because of everything that is happening in our neighbourhood. We need an assertive neighbourhood policy aimed at the pacification, stabilisation and development of these countries, these regions. It is about our safety, that of our neighbours and that of millions of people who suffer well here on our borders.

Mr President, Minister, dear Vice-President of the European Commission, the barbaric war in Ukraine, from Russia to Ukraine, calls for all our solidarity with Ukrainians, now and in the future. We have therefore adopted several packages of sanctions that have weakened the Russian regime and economy, reducing its ability to feed the war machine, but also have an impact on Europe and our citizens. In any case, it is a price that we Europeans are prepared to bear in the name of peace and freedom and, dear Vice-President of the European Commission, I would like to congratulate the Commission on the new package of sanctions that you are now going to adopt, which is in line with proposals from this European Parliament. We would like us to move faster, but we recognise that the oil embargo significantly affects the Russian economy and Putin's regime. But we also have a clear message to send to the Commission and the other institutions and the Council: is that our ability to stand together in response to the Russian aggression also depends on our ability to manage the economic and social consequences here in Europe and, as we increase sanctions on Russia, we also know that counter-sanctions and the effect of energy prices in Europe affect our economy, affect our citizens and we want to maintain de facto European unity, because it has been a great value in the response to the Russian aggression and, for that, we really have to support European citizens and businesses. Many good ideas have already been put forward here today, others less good, in relation to this European response. We must indeed continue to move strongly towards renewable energy, we must support our companies that are being affected by energy prices, but not the multinationals in the energy sector, which are making obscene profits that must be taxed, and we must certainly support the citizens who are suffering from energy poverty, the effect of energy poverty, and all those who are supporting the refugees who have come to meet us. This solidarity here in Europe means defending Europe, defending Ukrainians, also defending the peoples of Europe.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the cruel and unjustified invasion of Ukraine is causing a real humanitarian disaster: 10 million people have been displaced, many of them to the European Union. Solidarity with those we receive must be matched in the means we mobilize to receive and integrate them. The response to the war is not just about sanctions or military support for Ukraine. It must also be given with the means to support refugees here in Europe and to face the social consequences of this war. It is the most disadvantaged people who suffer the most from the impact of soaring prices, energy or food. We cannot allow increased poverty, including energy poverty, to be the price to pay for this war. We were able to create the Next Generation EU to respond to the COVID crisis. Let us now also know how to innovate, let us know how to live up to this struggle, which is also our struggle for freedom and democracy.

Mr President, Commissioner, thank you for your words and thank you in particular to the Members who have spoken. I would like to say that perhaps the most important thing is the very broad unity that we demonstrate in priorities that go beyond the equally important simplification of the system of taxation and withholding taxes. We demand, we demand, we consensualize measures that have exactly to do with this common system of taxation at source at European level and that prevent the exit of profits, such gigantic profits, from the European Union towards tax havens, as the examples brought here by the FISC Chair, Paul Tang. Now that we have a global agreement on corporate taxation, we also need to move in a coordinated way in this direction. Commissioner, as I say, in addition to simplification, we demand and ask for courage from the Commission in the proposals that are coming and we will certainly demand from the members of the Council that they be consistent at this time when we are going to need resources for a fair response to the crisis that lies ahead.

Mr President, in these difficult times we are facing, in which, as the Commissioner was just referring to in the previous debate, we will need significant amounts of resources to face the challenges in front of us because of this war. I am pleased that in this report we managed to achieve a broad majority supporting fairer and simpler taxation in the field of withholding taxes, guaranteeing progress in different issues within our discussions. There was a positive environment of discussion between those more actively participating in the negotiations, and even at this late hour in the evening many of the shadow rapporteurs are here with us – I see as Isabel, Billy, I see Ernest, some of our colleagues that were our shadows and probably others are at home, but they were certainly intensely involved in the debate. I want to thank them and want to thank the secretariat, obviously, of the FISC Subcommittee, but also our Group's team and my own team that helped with all this work and endeavour we did together. The final result, I think, mirrors this positive environment and constructive debate we had. We want to increase the effectiveness of our tax systems, reducing avoidance and fraud risks. We want to improve cross-border investments and lower the administrative burden. These efforts should go and in hand, and this is the tone of this report on the European Withholding Tax framework. After the many recent scandals regarding tax abuse, the European Parliament has the responsibility to address the shortcomings that still allow profit-shifting and aggressive tax planning to continue. The report starts by welcoming the OECD Inclusive Framework Agreement, including the global minimum effective corporate tax for multinational corporations. This is an historic moment, and we call on the Council to ensure the agreement comes into effect already in 2023. In light of this positive momentum created, we expect the Commission to present a legislative proposal for an EU-wide withholding tax in order to ensure that payments generated within the Union are taxed at least once before leaving it. This is particularly important in the current environment we are living in. We cannot allow financial resources to leave the Union without being subject to taxation while facing inflationary pressure due to the severe shocks in the supply of energy, of essential goods, all the consequences of what we are facing at these moments. The report calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that all payments, including dividends, royalties and interest generated in the EU are taxed at an effective rate. These payments should cease to be a means of profit-shifting. The review of the IRD and PSD directives should be on the table and then in light of the ‘Cum-ex’ and Cum—cum’ scandals, it is clear that further cooperation and assistance between tax authorities is needed. This fraud was responsible for EUR 140 billion lost in revenues in just 11 Member States. Therefore we must act swiftly and decisively. Therefore we call on the Commission to extend the mandatory exchange of information to dividend arbitrage schemes and capital gains, including granting refunds, but also to assess the extension of reporting requirements to cross-border arrangements. The final chapter of the report is focused on simpler taxation and removing barriers to investments in the single market, building on the commitment to complete the Capital Markets Union, which is also something very important for the completion of our monetary union. Repayments of withholding taxes remain predominantly a paper-driven process: slow, burdensome and more prone to fraud. In the past, the Commission issued recommendations about simplification, but the results, unfortunately, are not totally convincing. With this in mind, we welcome the intention of the Commission to pursue legislative harmonisation for a common and standardised system of withholding taxes. There is more than one way to go in this direction, as it was exposed in the impact assessment. For the moment, pursuing legal harmonisation of procedures is the most sensible and feasible path. This can be complemented with the use of digital technologies, making the resulting system more efficient in the countries, but also to facilitate seamless procedures between different national systems. A full relief-at-source system should only be considered at a later stage and cannot be in any way detrimental to the fight against tax abuse. Colleagues I think the negotiation team managed to find a very positive and balanced text that delivers a win-win approach. Again, I thank you for your support in those negotiations, and I certainly call on your support in the vote tomorrow on this important report about fairer and simpler taxation in the EU.

Madam President, Madam Prime Minister, dear High Representative, colleagues, the war that shocks us for the atrocities committed is now infiltrating our lives through the economy. It's the fuel cost of our cars, the meat at our table, the bread. But let us not allow the economic consequences to dictate any compromise in the face of barbaric aggression, for it would be a failure of humanism and solidarity that we would never forgive ourselves for. Let us bear the cost of defending freedom. Today it's the Ukrainians', tomorrow it could be ours. As in the pandemic, it is crucial for the EU to act quickly before the war results in a deep crisis. A major economic plan in response to the war crisis is therefore indispensable. It will not be the redirection of NextGenerationEU, whose funds are needed for the structural investment gap of the European Union. We need a new plan with new common resources, a NextGenerationEU 2.0. The success we have had when we did not lack ambition to respond to the COVID-19 crisis should guide us now to respond to this further challenge, which challenges the Union itself.

Madam President, after two years of the pandemic Europe was on the right track. The vaccines then the RRF. These moments of solidarity and unity honour the legacy of the EU. We found ourselves in the position to deliver economic growth and sustainable reforms again. Unfortunately, reality betrayed our best hopes. With Putin’s war on Ukraine, we face now a new, humongous challenge. Energy, essential goods and supply chains are suffering a severe shock that deserves our full attention. This is certainly not the time to reinstate old fiscal rules and budget cuts, but rather to work together, invest towards our energy independence and to relieve the European people from the negative impacts of this war. We need a true European response to the economic and social consequences of Putin’s aggression.

President, President of the Commission, High Representative, President Zelenskyy, Ukrainians, a barbaric aggression against a free state and a Europe that unites against the return of the world to the Cold War. A war that is no longer just a mirage. There is a people that suffers and a world that changes. Yes, we are arming Ukraine. Yes, we have imposed unparalleled sanctions on Putin and the oligarchs. We isolate Putin's Russia from the free world. We call for the endless courage of Ukrainians and the example of the thousands Putin has arrested for shouting for an end to the war. If we are less free today because of this war, we will fight harder for the ambition of the European dream of freedom. We will support Ukraine, we will tackle the energy crisis. We will finally stand in solidarity with all refugees and affirm Europe's autonomy in the world without further delay. We will come out stronger and more united from the crisis that wanted to divide us. And we dream, we dream of a return to peace for our children, for the children of the brave Ukraine. Slava Ukraini!

Mr President, the threat of invasion of Ukraine has reminded us of the dark days of the Cold War, with people on both sides living in fear of a permanent threat. These are times no one wants to go back to. Well, actually, hardly anyone. Mr Putin and some of his comrades have shown us how much they miss that time. By deploying a huge army on the border with Ukraine to conduct the world's largest military exercises in more than 40 years, the Russian government wanted to convey a message of intimidation and threat to Ukraine, Europe and the world. On the part of the European Union and our transatlantic partners, the message has been understood. We were able to come together and respond to the circumstances. Our language is not that of war, but we let Mr. Putin know that war would not go unpunished. Our message is not that of the threat, but it has become clear that we are not intimidated by Russian action. Our language is that of dialogue, that of international law. It is the language of diplomacy, with which tensions are resolved, conflicts are avoided and compromises and solutions are found. It is this path that, in a cohesive way, this Parliament and the European Union itself present to Russia to resolve the situation, with realism, common sense and transparency and in full respect of Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity. The choice is now up to Mr. Putin. I want to believe that you will be able to make the right choice for the sake of Ukraine, Europe and Russia itself.

Madam President, President Lagarde, Commissioner Gentiloni, twenty years after the creation of the euro, one of the most remarkable instruments of European integration, as has been well remembered today, let us finally be able to complete this single monetary area with a European stability budget, on the path of NextGenEU, as has also been mentioned today. Let the lessons of the COVID crisis allow us not to go back to the times of the absence of monetary policy and to pro-cyclical and recessive fiscal policy in times of crises. The latest data show that inflation in the euro area is mainly caused by temporary factors: energy prices and failures in production chains, as the ECB has abundantly pointed out. We do not have structural inflation in the United States of America, as the ECB has also shown us. Therefore, in the face of the return of fiscal rules that causes and will cause significant uncertainty for a few months, Europe needs a responsible monetary policy that supports price stability, but also credit, investment and economic recovery across Europe.

Mr President, Mr Vice-President, Minister, at a time of so many concerns this Parliament must come together and send a clear message from here to the Council. We must unite against external aggressions, such as Vladimir Putin's or Lukashenko's, but we must also unite in the fight against what is the real world war of the COVID crisis. Joining together to tell European citizens that, despite the isolated voices that have come here to speak, vaccines really work and I bring here the example of my country, the leading country at European level in vaccination has not been immune to this new wave of COVID. We have the same number of cases we had a year ago, but a quarter of the critical cases, a quarter of the deaths we had a year ago in the same period. Yes, vaccines work, so Europe needs to come together and the Council should launch a debate and share best practices among Member States on the vaccination response. But also join in helping the global response, the crisis, bringing more vaccines around the world, exporting more vaccines to developing countries. It is our security, it is everyone's security that is at stake, but it is also our moral duty.