Speeches

Mr President, Commissioner, I also strongly believe that we need a much stronger determination to combat illegal logging in Europe. I come from a country that has been exposed to illegal deforestation that is hard to understand and explain, because the mafia has no color when it attacks forests. But what I want to say as honestly as possible is that in recent years the legislation in Romania has been heavily modified, much improved. If until recently cutting five cubic meters of wood meant contravention, today it is a crime. Many go to prison precisely because they touch forests and believe that Romania can and is obliged to improve its tools to combat illegal deforestation and that is what we will continue to do.

Madam President, Commissioner, the Georgian people are a people with a European vocation. Obviously, the slippages regarding the restriction of the freedom of expression are unacceptable and they must be condemned and combated. But who wants Georgia to be weakened? Who wants Georgia to distance itself from the European Union? Who wants Georgia to have no prospect of European integration? Putin, of course. That is why I believe that our response must be more enlargement, consistent support for Georgia and, obviously, the politicians there must understand that the European Union does not mean a double-track project, it means values, it means freedoms that they are obliged to respect and to insert in the set of values of the Georgian nation, which deserves to be integrated into the European Union. That is why I support the status of candidate country for Georgia.

Madam President, Vice-President of the Commission, ladies and gentlemen, ever since the European Union was created, the response to all crises has been more integration and even enlargement. I think that even today, in the face of the challenges that the Russian Federation has thrown at us, the answer is still enlargement, more and more integration. And I say this because in the Republic of Moldova, Vice-President Dombrovskis, the majority of citizens over 50% decided in last year's elections to support a single party, created by the current President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, and thus there is a majority of over 60% with a clearly pro-European agenda. The answer of the European Union must be the prospect of the Republic of Moldova joining the European Union, because what the Commission needs to know, 50% of the population of the Republic of Moldova already holds the citizenship of the European Union and we need to respond to this expectation.

Madam President, Commissioner, I congratulate the rapporteurs. I think it is a visionary document that outlines some precise objectives that the European Union must have in our relationship with Ukraine, at least at this stage. Ukrainian citizens have decided since the moment they signed the Association Agreement that they want a rapprochement with the European Union. Russia's response was the annexation of Crimea. Now that Ukrainian citizens have decided that they want a real rapprochement with the European Union and NATO, Putin has sanctioned us and invaded. For the Kremlin there has never been any respect for this country. That is why the European Union's response to the expectations of the citizens of Ukraine must be to integrate as quickly as possible. We cannot find solutions in the medium and long term. They need answers now, because this country is being invaded today.

Mr President, Vice-President Timmermans, reducing carbon emissions has become an obligation for us, and I believe that whoever does not understand what the planet is exposed to, means that they are not advocating for the objectives that the Commission has set itself, nor do they understand them. That is why I believe it is essential to speed up the Commission on this line that it has taken, so that citizens, on the one hand, understand the challenges of new transformations, because technology helps us to adapt our economies to new realities that do not pollute. On the other hand, it is essential to understand that the security risks to which we are exposed no longer allow us to remain in this trap that Putin has set for all of Europe. That is why I insist that we need firmness in action so that we can achieve all our goals.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, let us imagine the following situations: - first: A small house in the countryside, home to a large family with four children. The only source of heat is wood. The income is also not enough to cover even the basic needs of the family, especially the provision of the necessary stock of firewood. Therefore, they survive in the cold. - other situation: a two-room apartment in Bucharest, the European capital. Both spouses work day in and day out, but the money they earn isn't enough to cover the bills that have risen three to four times overnight. The only solution: Keep the temperature in the house to a minimum. We would think that these are isolated situations, but no, it is the reality that millions of people live. Energy poverty is a real problem. Most Romanians in rural areas heat up in the cold season only with wood. In urban areas, at least 5 million Romanians have experienced real drama every month, because they couldn't afford to pay the bills. What will they do in winter? These are the things that we have to worry about every day. Let's think about them.

Mr President, Commissioner, I also congratulate colleague McAllister that this is a very good report. I'm just insisting on an extremely important matter. The United States must have a partner as important as the European Union is in this region, and we must be there as soon as possible, with all our strength. We have a strategic objective to achieve, which is to guarantee to our partners that we are able to develop a partnership based on cooperation in the interest of both parties. The war in our region has brought us new challenges, which is why we need to be one step ahead and get more and more involved in this region.

Mr President, Commissioner, I would have liked this report to have highlighted things that concern the positive parts of the relationship between the European Union and Turkey, but it seems that there is a growing lack of issues that bring us closer to Turkey. That is why I believe it is essential to put the necessary pressure on Ankara, so as not to move further away from the European Union. I think it is absolutely fundamental that in this context Ankara should no longer block the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO. It is essential in the current security context, generated by Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, to do everything in our power to keep Turkey on our side, because an even more vulnerable Turkey than it is today, which unfortunately tramples on democracy, which despises human rights, does not help us. That is why I believe that the Commission must insist on this line, to keep it as close as possible.

Mr President, after the Second World War the founding fathers created the Coal and Steel Community because that is how they saw the solution of most of the problems facing Europe at the time. Regardless of the challenges that existed during the Cold War, the European Union responded with integration and enlargement. Today when we have a new security crisis on the European continent, I think it is essential to understand that we can no longer remain in this trap that Putin set when he basically turned Gazprom into a weapon that he uses against Europe. That is why we need energy autonomy and I believe that the time has come to stop the waste of money that we are making, with which we are basically financing the war machine. Every day one billion euros go to Russia from European countries. That is why I think we need to focus on this energy autonomy.

Mr President, for too long, hundreds of multinational companies operating in the world and in the European Union have continued to avoid their tax obligations, through various legal tricks and by shifting profits made at the expense of European citizens to tax havens. All this while SMEs, the engine of the European economy, are suffocated by taxes, the pandemic, inflation and struggling for survival. However, for the first time in history, we have a global agreement that no longer allows tax avoidance and that introduces a minimum tax rate of 15% for large companies. More than 130 countries, representing more than 90% of the global economy, are part of this agreement, and the European Union must ensure that it is implemented correctly and as quickly as possible. That is precisely why I voted "in favour" and I believe that the European Parliament must support this Commission proposal on this agreement. Europe must remain an attractive market for multinationals, but only if they respect the rules that are made for all.

Mr President, Belarus, unfortunately, is another state captured today and ruled by a tyrant who only responds to Putin's orders. We see how he has aligned himself in this war situation and supports Russia's atrocities in Ukraine. Even more serious is that retaliation against its own citizens continues, in flagrant violation of human rights, and the institutionalisation of terror in Belarus is a wake-up call because the death penalty against anyone, any political opponent is an extremely serious matter, and here we need to act much more forcefully to stop this attempt to put this state in complete parenthesis and torture people just because they have a different opinion than this tyrant called Lukashenko.

Mr President, Commissioner, Yana Stepanenko, an 11-year-old child, was left, on 8 April, after the attack on the Kramatorsk railway station, without both legs. Her mother, 43-year-old Natalia Stepanenko, was left without her left leg. For all these crimes against civilian citizens there is a responsible. He has a face and a name. The main culprit for all tragedies in Ukraine bears only one name, is Putin. And we have a political obligation to do everything in our power to bring this murderer to court. Otherwise, we will not be able to defend further the values on which the European Union is based.

Madam President, today I had the honour of hearing the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, in the plenary of Parliament. I am glad because I know very well the situation in the Republic of Moldova, personally Mrs. President, but I want to bring up another topic related to the Republic of Moldova, namely the illegal presence of the Russian Federation troops, for over 30 years, in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova. There for over three decades, children, people of all ages have been subjected to a diabolical process of denationalization and restricted their rights. There are people who fight every day for their dignity and I am glad that, in Tiraspol, the only institution with teaching in Romanian is resisting, and recently its director, who served her for almost three decades, Ion Iovcev, has also released a book, ‘Host in his own country’, in which he accurately describes what is happening there. We need to do more for Transnistria and the Republic of Moldova.

Mr President, Commissioner, I have visited Albania very many times and obviously progress is being seen from one year to the next. But we must not sanction a European nation, with a European vocation, which aspires to reach the European Union, just because the administration sometimes does not do its homework. That is why I think it is essential to emphasize, in the negotiations with Tirana, the values on which the European Union is built, because democracy, freedom of expression, human rights are not values to be negotiated with someone, especially with a state that wants to become a member of the European Union. Obviously, it is a country with a lot of turmoil, with a lot of internal difficulties in understanding and implementing a series of reforms, but our assistance is essential, because it is in the strategic interest of the European Union that Albania becomes a member of the EU as soon as possible.

Mr President. Commissioner, I think that the debate is very appropriate in this context, but there will always be pretexts for being more lenient towards certain states. That is why I believe that we must never put an equal sign between the administration and the people. Obviously, the citizens of North Macedonia are Europeans, they want to be members of the European Union, but we should not deviate from the rules. And I very much want all disputes that exist for cultural, linguistic and historical reasons to be handled with a lot of caution, with a lot of efficiency, so that the things that separated us in the past will remain there, in history, and the future will be built on new coordinates that have made us strong, because this is what the European Union means: peace, protection, innovation and obviously a much safer future for our citizens. So North Macedonia must be a strategic part of the European Union.

Madam President, Commissioner, the rule of law together with democracy and fundamental rights are at the heart of the European Union and, in the current geopolitical reality, we see how these values are what distinguish us Europeans from other states and make us stronger together, especially in such challenging circumstances. They are not optional. Respect for the rule of law is binding on all Member States of the European Union. Therefore, we must all follow the same rules of the game, and those who deviate from them must be seriously punished because the European project must withstand any challenges. If we Europeans cannot fully respect the rule of law at home, how can we expect to be credible in external contexts? That is why I think it is essential to think about the consequences that deviations from the rules can produce and it is essential to put the necessary pressure on those who trample on the values that are the foundation of the European Union, because those governments produce only conflict, suffering, isolation and silence.

Mr President, Commissioner, I congratulate the rapporteur, Mr Tudorache has done a very good job, but I want to emphasise a matter relating to the political decision that the European Union must take. Let's not forget one very important thing: The Republic of Moldova is a victim of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, it is a former Soviet republic, which, like the Baltic countries, was a victim of criminal agreements. That is why today, through the speech delivered by President Maia Sandu, she highlighted an extremely important issue, namely that the people of the Republic of Moldova are European. Romanians in the Republic of Moldova speak an official language of the European Union. A large part of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova are already citizens of the European Union and that is why it is essential to accelerate this process and to do the justice that the citizens of the Republic of Moldova deserve.

Mr President, Mr President Ciolos, you said that the Republic of Moldova is facing an extremely dangerous economic crisis and the European Union must act immediately. You've given a few examples. I kindly ask you to detail these examples, because they are essential and they must also reach the Republic of Moldova.

Mr President, Commissioner, I am very pleased that this debate exists today in the European Parliament. In 2000, when Putin first arrived in the Kremlin, in the Republic of Moldova only 5% of its citizens wanted a European perspective. Russia was extremely involved and had a total influence on Moldovan society. I was directly involved in the process of removing the Republic of Moldova from Russia's influence, right on the front line. In response, the Russian Federation declared me persona non grata. But today, Commissioner, we have another reality beyond the Prut, in the Republic of Moldova, because over 50% of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova are citizens of the European Union and we must give them a clear European perspective, because the citizens of the Republic of Moldova have demonstrated by voting, by democratic means, that their place is here, together with us, and we must give this perspective.

Madam President, Commissioner, Member, you mentioned that you are dissatisfied with your time. Exactly, what do you propose? Because it seems to me that this is an extremely important topic that you have touched on.

Mr President, Commissioner, over EUR 52 billion left the European Union from 1 January 2022 to 1 May this year. I think this figure says it all, because we take oil, gas and coal from Russia and, in exchange for these trade facilities, we support a country that no longer abides by any rules. That is why I welcome the new sanctions announced today by President Ursula von der Leyen, but I think that is not enough. We need to do more to weaken Russia, to convince Putin to give up this useless, pointless war. I think it is important to stop importing oil, but even more important is to find solutions to completely stop importing gas and to support states so that they can withstand any challenges in the future. Moreover, more than five million citizens of Ukraine have left their homes and are now in the European Union. I hope that at the next plenary, Ursula von der Leyen will let us know that a refugee fund has been created. There are five million citizens waiting for concrete support from the European Union. The Member States have done their best in this crisis situation, but from now on we need to act institutionally, to support the people, to integrate them into our societies, until we are able to go there, to Ukraine, to rebuild it, after this absurd war is over. They need their homes, they need a European perspective and only together can we build it, through concrete actions, implemented immediately.

Mr President, we are only talking about the acute crises facing humanity, but no one is talking about a silent crisis that tacitly destroys the stability and prosperity of states in the medium and long term: the global education crisis. One in three children in the world still does not have access to the internet. Too many children do not have access to education, live in poverty or attend school that does not lead to learning. 617 million children fail to acquire minimal skills in reading and mathematics, even though two-thirds of them go to school. The European Union, as the largest donor of development assistance, has a responsibility to advance and finance a strategy that promotes education in partner countries. We cannot continue to endanger the future of entire generations of children. I supported this report.

Mr President, we need to eat better and healthier. Our quality of life is indisputably dependent on environmental protection and consumer-focused agriculture. So we need organic farming. However, we are currently at risk of a global food crisis caused by Putin's Russia-led war, which has massively disrupted food production and further increased prices in Europe. First of all, we need to talk today about food security in Europe. Increasing agricultural productivity in Europe, providing more direct subsidies to farmers, reducing VAT on indispensable food and ambitious measures to encourage sustainable production are essential. I supported this report.

Mr President, the European elections are the democratic basis of the European Union. The constitution of the European Parliament represents and should continue to represent the will of European citizens that gives full legitimacy to the European project. This means that young people must be encouraged to express themselves politically on matters that interest them, to be able to vote even from the age of 16. This means that the principles of electoral equality and equal opportunities, especially between women and men, must be strengthened. This also implies that the success of the European project should take shape at the national level, at the level of each citizen, which is why I voted against it.

Mr President, Commissioner, I have been to Ukraine for the last two months at least four times. I was there to be with people who are going through extremely difficult times. I've seen people who are scared of war, I've seen people who have left their homes forever that no longer exist. But it is essential to understand that, in addition to this war triggered by a criminal who is temporarily in the Kremlin, because it is not eternal and our life will return to normality, we must do what is necessary to help the European economies heavily affected. One of the most vulnerable segments at this time, because in addition to this crisis generated by war, we also have the energy crisis, is tourism. From this point of view, I believe that it is essential to create the necessary resources, the necessary support and policies that need to be implemented immediately, so as to help this vital segment for Europe.