What Pedro spoke about.

9

Mar

2022

PT Speech

Watch

European Withholding Tax framewor (debate)

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 d…

9

Mar

2022

EN Speech

Watch

European Withholding Tax framewor (debate)

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 progre…

9

Mar

2022

PT Speech

Watch

Debate with the Prime Minister of Estonia, Kaja Kallas - The EU's role in a changing world and the security situation of Europe following the Russian aggression and invasion of Ukraine (debate)

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 sol…

9

Mar

2022

EN Speech

Watch

European Semester for economic policy coordination: annual sustainable growth survey 2022 – European Semester for economic policy coordination: employment and social aspects in the annual sustainable growth strategy survey 2022 (debate)

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, essentia…

1

Mar

2022

PT Speech

Watch

Russian aggression against Ukraine (debate)

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 olig…

16

Feb

2022

PT Speech

Watch

EU-Russia relations, European security and Russia’s military threat against Ukraine (debate)

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 mi…

14

Feb

2022

PT Speech

Watch

European Central Bank – annual report 2021 (continuation of debate)

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…

15

Dec

2021

PT Speech

Watch

Preparation of the European Council meeting of 16-17 December 2021 - The EU's response to the global resurgence of Covid-19 and the new emerging Covid variants (debate)

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 is…

14

Dec

2021

EN Speech

Watch

Situation at the Ukrainian border and in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine (debate)

Mr President, just a few years ago, Russia illegally annexed Crimea and backed violent separatists that control parts of eastern Ukraine. These were concrete actions against an independent country, a partner, violating its sovereignty and international law. Once again, now, Russia is sending strong signals that it may commit yet another violation with a largescale military build-up along the borde…

23

Nov

2021

EN Speech

Watch

Situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina (debate)

Madam President, Minister, Commissioner, colleagues, 25 years after the civil war in which over 100 000 people lost their lives, Bosnia and Herzegovina is on the brink of collapse yet again. The Bosnian Serb leader Dodik is threatening to withdraw Republika Srpska from Bosnia and Herzegovina’s institutions. This could mark a return to the violence of the ‘90s, a scenario which we don’t even want t…

10

Nov

2021

EN Speech

Watch

The escalating humanitarian crisis on the EU-Belarusian border, in particular in Poland (debate)

Madam President, the Lukashenko regime stepped over every line of human decency. It was not enough for Lukashenko to violate the democratic values and the human rights of his own people, he also had go to find third-country nationals to violate their rights as well. With the sole purpose of serving the deplorable objectives of his corrupt regime, Lukashenko does not hesitate in using human beings …

21

Oct

2021

EN Speech

Watch

The outcome of the Western Balkans summit (debate)

Mr President, the Western Balkans Summit was an opportunity to reaffirm the region’s European perspective. The timing was good: the relevance was enormous. However, the conclusions were, we have to say, disappointing. When it was time to give a clear signal to those countries that are on a positive path to entering the European Union, the Council failed on giving them that sign. Albania and North …

20

Oct

2021

EN Speech

Watch

Pushbacks at the EU's external border (debate)

Madam President, democracy, human rights and the rule of law are the foundations of the European Union. The ambitious project that has ensured peace and prosperity since World War Two. Yet again, some Member States are going back to policies from back then. Closed borders to refugees played a part in the millions of lives lost in those dreadful times. That is why, having again push-backs in the ex…

6

Oct

2021

EN Speech

Watch

Banking Union - annual report 2020 (debate)

Madam President, first, I would like to congratulate Danuta. We have had this endeavour together already in this mandate. It’s again an excellent report, a drive from this Parliament to push for the completion of the banking union. I’d like to go back to Marek Belka’s intervention. Yes, indeed, we have to say that we came to this crisis with the banking sector better prepared for the turmoil of th…

6

Oct

2021

EN Speech

Watch

Reforming the EU policy on harmful tax practices (including the reform of the Code of Conduct Group) (debate)

Mr President, the Pandora Papers bring an additional layer of responsibility when we vote on this paramount Lalucq report. Our workers, families and small businesses are tired of carrying the burden left behind by those who do not pay their fair share of taxes. Instead of working together to improve conditions for all, we insist on the tax race to the bottom. To fix this, it is paramount to swiftl…

6

Oct

2021

PT Speech

Watch

Pandora Papers: implications on the efforts to combat money laundering, tax evasion and avoidance (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, Council representative, colleagues, what the Pandora Papers reveal is very clear: A reality that embarrasses us, where some choose the rules they abide by and the taxes they pay. Unfortunately, it's nothing new. The succession of scandals and the number of tax havens that multiply like mushrooms show that the progress of recent years, which have existed, is not enoug…

5

Oct

2021

EN Speech

Watch

The situation in Belarus after one year of protests and their violent repression (debate)

Mr President, in less than a month, we’ll be celebrating the fall of the Berlin Wall. However, regrettable as it may be, new walls have been built to impede freedom to enter some countries. Sometimes they are not built with bricks and concrete: they are made out of repression and violation of fundamental freedoms. Every one of the thousands of protesters’ detentions, every violation of human right…

5

Oct

2021

EN Speech

Watch

The future of EU-US relations (debate)

Mr President, let me first state that I fully concur with the High Representative: there can be no doubt that the US remains the closest and most important strategic partner of the EU. We see several of President Biden’s steps as very positive: from the commitment to multilateralism to the rejoining of the Paris Agreement and the World Health Organization, to the global agreement on corporate tax …

15

Sep

2021

EN Speech

Watch

State of the Union (debate)

Mr President, dear colleagues, Madam President of the Commission, the Porto Social Summit was not a beauty contest. That means that, from now on, we must take every chance to implement the social pillar objectives in Europe. We need the reduction of poverty to be at the forefront of European policies. Unfortunately, I have to say I didn’t see it high up in the Commission President’s priorities tod…

14

Sep

2021

PT Speech

Watch

A new EU-China strategy (debate)

Madam President, China is, or can be, at the same time, a trading and negotiating partner, but also an economic rival and systemic competitor on the global level. The European Union's relationship with China must therefore consider all this, but respect for human rights must be at its heart. It is within this framework that, when we see China's systemic confrontation with Europe, namely with a pro…

14

Sep

2021

EN Speech

Watch

Situation in Lebanon (debate)

Madam President, Mr High Representative, colleagues, but also to the Lebanese people we spoke to on the ground and want to listen to the voice of this European Parliament. Lebanon faces one of the three worst economic and social crisis of the last century in the whole world. Shortage of water, electricity, fuel, decent and affordable food. Three out of four people fell into poverty in one year. Th…

14

Sep

2021

EN Speech

Watch

Situation in Afghanistan (debate)

Madam President, 20 years after September 11 we eloped from Afghanistan, committing yet another set of mistakes like we did throughout these years. The US changed the situation on the ground in terms of security for two decades, but now everything has fallen apart. We can only hope that the terrorists don’t find safe haven in Afghanistan yet again. But nobody is truly certain of that, because stat…

7

Jul

2021

PT Speech

Watch

Review of the macroeconomic legislative framework (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, I shall begin by joining the many who have congratulated the rapporteur and the shadow rapporteurs who have indeed done a good job. European fiscal rules, which have been suspended because of this crisis, are now old rules, outdated rules. After the crisis has passed, we cannot go back to the past, at a rate of debt reduction that would condemn us to 20 years of stag…

7

Jul

2021

EN Speech

Watch

Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 24-25 June 2021 (debate)

Madam President, much was said here today regarding respect for the rule of law. There can be no doubt: we are seeing time and time again clear breaches of human rights and the rule of law from the Hungarian Government. These breaches should have led already to full procedures from the institutions, particularly from the Council, through Article 7, and now also through the conditionality mechanism…

6

Jul

2021

PT Speech

Watch

Situation in Nicaragua (debate)

Madam President, Mr High Representative, the severe economic, social and public health crisis that the people of Nicaragua are suffering is compounded by a serious human rights crisis. Over the last three years, successive violations of the basic rights of citizens have increasingly deteriorated the situation in Nicaragua with the violent repression of peaceful demonstrations, the intimidation of …