What Konstantinos spoke about.

27

Nov

2024

EL Speech

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Recent legislation targeting LGBTQI persons and the need for protecting the rule of law and a discrimination-free Union (debate)

Madam President, there is something in the Union called the 'acquis' which is the minimum basis for understanding and coexistence. We've got to get things back to square one. Let's let some people know that this is not the United States of America and Mr. Trump, this is Europe. Let them know. Our acquis in the field of civil and social rights is clear. Discrimination is not only unfair and theoret…

26

Nov

2024

EL Speech

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Continued escalation in the Middle East: the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank, UNRWA’s essential role in the region, the need to release all hostages and the recent ICC arrest warrants (debate)

23

Oct

2024

EL Speech

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Seven years from the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia: lack of progress in restoring the rule of law in Malta (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, thank you very much for your cooperation. As an ex-journalist, I have something to note: I don't look at the political group that is in government to be strict, whether they are socialists or whether they are conservative right-wingers. The Maltese issue is very serious. We went to Malta. We found that there is a serious issue, as there was a very serious issue both …

23

Oct

2024

EL Speech

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Managing migration in an effective and holistic way through fostering returns (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I have heard the argument that we should prevent arrivals. Should we disentangle ourselves from the causes of the problem? For five years we have been stressing that this new pact that you have brought us will be the end of the right to asylum, it will be the tombstone of European solidarity. We used to say that. We insisted and insisted that we have to look …

9

Oct

2024

EL Speech

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Presentation of the programme of activities of the Hungarian Presidency (debate)

Madam President, Mr. Orban. Your slogan is ‘Make Europe Great Again’. The problem is how you perceive the greatness of Europe, Mr President, when your political narrative is inspired by ideological narratives of Trump and Putin against the Europe of the French Revolution, against the Europe of Spinelli, against the Europe of the anti-fascist struggle. And, Bella Ciao, Mrs. Metsola, is not from Cas…

18

Sep

2024

EL Speech

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The devastating floods in Central and Eastern Europe, the loss of lives and the EU’s preparedness to act on such disasters exacerbated by climate change (debate)

Madam President, we express our sincere condolences, from the left, to those affected and to the families of the people who lost their lives, as well as our sympathy for our fellow citizens in the European Union who have been put to the test. The natural disasters caused by climate change – like last year’s and last year’s disaster in Evros or Thessaly – I think it is a big bell, a loud bell, that…

10

Apr

2024

EL Speech

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Screening of third country nationals at the external borders - European Criminal Records Information System - Third Country Nationals - Common procedure for international protection in the Union - Establishing a return border procedure, and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1148 - Asylum and migration management - Addressing situations of crisis and force majeure - Establishment of 'Eurodac' for the comparison of fingerprints for the effective application of Regulation (EU) No 604/2013, for identifying an illegally staying third-country national or stateless person and on requests for the comparison with Eurodac data by Member States' law enforcement authorities and Europol for law enforcement purposes (recast) - Union Resettlement Framework - Standards for the qualification of third-country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection - Standards for the reception of applicants for international protection (recast) (joint debate - Migration and Asylum package)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, and in particular Mr Lenaers and his colleagues in the Renew Group, I wanted to say that this game with both extremes is very dangerous, with the history of both extremes. My group is called ‘the Left in the European Parliament’; It is not far left. This day is a black day... (Intervention outside the microphone by Jeroen Lenaers) Please, mr. LenaersI didn't …

13

Mar

2024

EL Speech

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Rising anti-LGBTIQ rhetoric and violence: recent attacks in Thessaloniki (debate)

Mr President, anyone who has no eyes to see will find them to cry on, but then it will be too late for tears. Because six years ago, as my colleagues said, a young man, Jacques Kostopoulos, was breathing his last breath before our eyes, before our screens. One could say it was an isolated incident, but it wasn't. Because the events of Thessaloniki pointed out to us that they were not, as we learne…

13

Mar

2024

EL Speech

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The immediate risk of mass starvation in Gaza and the attacks on humanitarian aid deliveries

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, a little while ago a bomb hit a food warehouse in Gaza. We have dead and wounded. That was the goal. Israel, of course, has a right. Does the Palestinian people have any right to exist? Five months of genocidal violence, 35,000 deaths, dead children, 160 children a day, 45 journalists. And yesterday we saw footage of the torture of doctors by Israeli forces. Wha…

12

Mar

2024

EL Speech

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A single application procedure for a single permit for third-country nationals to reside and work in the territory of a Member State and on a common set of rights for third-country workers legally residing in a Member State (recast) (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, in closing this term of office, I must confess that this dossier is an achievement for us, for the Left, too, because we participated, we did our part and I feel good about it at the end of the term of office. I sincerely want to thank the rapporteurs, and especially Javier, and wish him always well, to be healthy, to be strong, to fight for people. On my birthday - …

7

Feb

2024

EL Speech

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Implementation report on the EU LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025 (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, José, thank you very much for the very nice work and all of you, because from Tehran let us come back here to Europe, slowly. The recognition of equal rights and the fight against discrimination is not, in our opinion, a novelty. It is simply the self-evident EU international acquis. So it is not a happy time to chase the obvious in 2024. Because that means that broa…

17

Jan

2024

EL Speech

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Rule of Law and media freedom in Greece (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, I have one minute to say the following: The Karaivaz case. A few days before the elections, the authorities announce the arrest of two suspects for the murder of the journalist and from then until today nothing new from the front. Second, Greek Watergate, Predatorgate. 15,500 people are under surveillance, including frontline politicians and MEPs. One of them is here…

13

Dec

2023

EL Speech

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Planned dissolution of key anti-corruption structures in Slovakia and its implications on the Rule of Law (continuation of debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, Minister, many times in the LIBE Committee we have a problem: Governments think we are attacking the country. We are not attacking the country. We highlight serious rule of law issues. I do not want to enter the debate at all, whether it is a government that is friendly to us or a government that is negatively disposed to us. Last week, nine of my Slovak colleagues c…

12

Dec

2023

EL Speech

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European Health Data Space (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, we have before us a very good text, which has been greatly improved on the draft we have received, and I would like to thank the rapporteurs, the shadow rapporteurs and the staff for this long hard work. But let's not stick to the obvious that we agree on; the earth is turning, so let's move on. I would like to make four or five points that are of value to me and to …

22

Nov

2023

EL Speech

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The lack of legislative follow-up by the Commission to the PEGA resolution (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, when a leftist completely agrees with Mr Lenaers, who is from the EPP, do you not understand that there is a truth somewhere? That here the committee, the members of the PEGA committee, have worked very importantly and seriously, all the colleagues of the democratic arc, and are they dissatisfied with your work? And here, in my own country, I would like to tell you that…

18

Oct

2023

EL Speech

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Rule of Law in Malta: 6 years after the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia and the need to protect journalists (debate)

Mr President, six years have passed since the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. I have seen the EPP rapporteur's passion for this case in Malta. I hope he has the same passion for other cases, such as the case of Giorgos Karaivaz. Because I cannot tolerate as a journalist the game and the battle of two political groups depending on who governs the country. It's a mistake. We need to focus on the s…

14

Sep

2023

EL Speech

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Improving firefighters’ working conditions (debate)

Madam President, I feel that they are heroes at the time of battle, disposable tools afterwards. This is the reality, and I have listened carefully and listened to speakers from the major factions. Tell your governments to do it. I am following the thinking of our rapporteur, I think it is in the right direction, and I say this: At a time when Europe is burning and sinking, the number of paid fire…

12

Sep

2023

EL Speech

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Combating the normalisation of far-right and far-left discourses including antisemitism (debate)

Madam President, first of all, good evening to all of you and to the Commissioner. I have listened carefully, I have listened carefully and I have listened carefully to the rigour and the books of the Palestinian Authority. I will just put a footnote on whether Israel respects Palestinians' right to exist. This is a special case, but I want to say that violence is a general principle that in itsel…

12

Jul

2023

EL Speech

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The need for EU action on search and rescue in the Mediterranean (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, we are talking about crime and I think we all agree, regardless of what point of view we see it from. A crime, because we knew it, as we all know very well that it will happen again, so let's prepare the speeches for the next crime. I'm sure the majority here are sad. The question is whether the sadness is limited to the finding or whether we sh…

14

Jun

2023

EL Speech

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Lessons learnt from the Pandora Papers and other revelations (debate)

Madam President, a small breakthrough, today is a very difficult day for Europe and for my country. Out of the question, we have dozens of dead people out there, in Greek and European waters. They are immigrants. I'm going back to the subject. From the Lagarde list, to the Panama Papers, to the Paradise Papers, now to the Pandora papers, to the extraordinary role of investigative journalism and th…

14

Jun

2023

EL Speech

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The electoral law, the investigative committee and the rule of law in Poland (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, we welcome your quick reflexes and moves on the latest developments in Poland. The creation of the special commission to investigate Russian "influence" and the revision of electoral rules a few months before the elections leave in no way questions about the Polish government's goal. And this is none other than trying to control ideas and opposing political opinions. Un…

10

May

2023

EL Speech

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Update of the anti-corruption legislative framework (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, thank you very much for your contribution, but there is a simple question: Do we have states that do their job and a European Union that does not, or vice versa, or both? Are we losing money or are we losing our souls to corruption? What is defined as corruption? I think we'll define it today: ‘the abuse of delegated power for the individual’s or the system’s own ben…

15

Mar

2023

EL Speech

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Deaths at sea: a common EU response to save lives and action to ensure safe and legal pathways (debate)

Mr President, Mrs Johansson, I could not disagree with what you have said, under any circumstances. But here you and everyone see that we have two Europes: a Europe that sees and a Europe that does not understand. We are talking about Italy, about the shipwreck, but here, in plenary, two meetings ago, weren't we talking about Kythera? Did I not tell you about the great shipwreck in Kythera, where …

14

Mar

2023

EL Speech

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European Semester for economic policy coordination 2023 - European Semester for economic policy coordination: Employment and social priorities for 2023 (debate)

Madam President, I think Mr Schmit's recommendation is in the right direction, I just want to add two or three things. I think we are again living in a repeat of the same nightmare, especially for countries that have gone bankrupt: social inequalities are increasing, a new dynamic of impoverishment of the middle and small and medium-sized strata emerges, for citizens who are already in the sphere …

15

Feb

2023

EL Speech

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The erosion of the rule of law in Greece: the wiretapping scandal and media freedom (topical debate)

Madam President, breaches of the rule of law can be observed in all Member States. What separates the cases is whether each government is trying to heal the wound or whether it is the wound itself. In the case of Greece, here, the wound is Kyriakos Mitsotakis himself, who perceives the state as his property. From the arrests of parents and children in cinemas for watching the film Joker to the fun…