Speeches

This debate revolved around the current deadlock in the Council on the agreement for the Platform Workers Directive. The main objective of this directive – which has been defended by socialists for years – is to protect all workers in an increasingly changing and digitalised market. Also, combat unfair competition within the single market. The proposal aims to determine the real employment status of workers, as well as the use that companies make of algorithms and artificial intelligence, in order to monitor and evaluate their employees. If launched, this directive would prevent digital platforms from treating their workers as bogus self-employed, in the event that there really is an employment relationship as an employee. It would also ensure the improvement of occupational health and safety conditions in the sector. The S&D Group will continue to defend the need to respect the European social model, and the fight against job insecurity and abuses. We hope that in March, an agreement can be reached at EPSCO, to resume the approval of a regulatory proposal, necessary for a just and truly sustainable digital transition.

Madam President, Commissioner, the activity rate of women in rural areas is 20 points lower than that of women in urban areas. And it is not for lack of talent, but for lack of opportunities, and this leads many women to seek as an alternative to undertake and often do so in very precarious conditions. For example, in my land, in Andalusia, villages are masculinized, because women – especially the most educated – cannot develop a life project and rural areas are being depopulated, not only because of a lack of job opportunities, but because the Moreno Bonilla government is dismantling public services. Faced with this model of dismantling and privatization of the right, we socialists defend the public. A guarantee that a real entrepreneur of a town has the same rights and opportunities as any entrepreneur in cities and, of course, any man. Because words or statutes are not enough, we need adapted active policies, financial training, social protection and also funds. The S&D Group therefore promotes a rural cohesion fund and a system of credits and public guarantees to eliminate the barriers that today detain rural women. Because when an Andalusian woman starts a business on her land, she is also building a better, fairer and more living Europe.

Mr President, dear colleagues, as rapporteur for the Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee, I wish to underline the importance of sending a strong, ambitious and united message on the next MFF which will, after all, shape not only our parliamentary work in the coming years but also the European Union itself. It is also vital that we remind ourselves of why we do this – what are the principles and goals? For these reasons, I am very grateful to the rapporteurs that have incorporated many of our key proposals in their opinion. Gender equality is not just a right, but a means to nurture a fairer society where everybody can achieve their potential. And I would also like to remind us that it is enshrined in our Treaties. To do this, we must crack down on the scourge of gender‑based violence and fully support sexual and reproductive health and services, not only with kind words, but with resources. We need to have budgets at all levels, from the MFF itself, down to programmes that fully reflect the European Union's values and ambitions, recognising that budget has never been gender neutral and must be drawn up with anti-discrimination in mind from the very beginning and throughout the process. Specific, quantifiable targets are needed, along with comparable robust and gender‑disaggregated data. Finally, we need to fully support rights‑based organisations, including those supporting women's rights.

Madam President, one in five European women suffers sexual assault, including rape, which is a widespread crime. But his complaint is not, because the shame continues to fall on us, he has not changed sides, as requested by Gisèle Pelicot. Society blames us, laws do not protect us and institutions revictimize us. The absence of resistance does not amount to consent, rather to fear, to paralysis. By ignoring this, our European regulations perpetuate the aggressor's impunity and blame the victim. Only yes is yes. In Spain, dear Irene, this principle was led in 2022 and at European level, dear Evin, we tried to put it in the directive on gender-based violence, without success due to the lack of a majority in the Council. Now, Commissioner, we have to finish the job. The European Commission should present a legislative proposal harmonising the definition of violation based solely on the absence of consent. We must send a strong message: sexual violence will not be tolerated. It is time for laws to give us back our autonomy, for aggressors to be held accountable and for women's rights to be guaranteed in all European countries.

Madam President, thank you, colleagues, for your support and commitment. Thank you very much, Commissioner Kos, thank you for your commitment. I hope you support us in front of the Council so that we bring a strong and united position from the European Union, because the European Parliament is not a symbolic participant. We have championed ambitious standards to combat gender-based violence, including sexual violence and now also digital violence as well; eliminate all discrimination and strengthen victims' rights; promote economic independence for women; sexual and reproductive health rights and also access to justice – which today is more important than ever, as we are seeing what is happening with the Epstein files. United States justice and institutions choose not to believe the victims. This is why it is so important that we advance here in Europe in a consent-based definition of rape. We need to believe the victims. And regarding the ones against women's rights and gender equality, I would like to remind you that, contrary to what you have been saying, that equality is an idea coming from abroad: please read, study – it is a healthy practice. I really promise, because these ideas of equality were born here in Europe, are enshrined in our Treaties, are part of our fundamental values. And please, please, please, stop using women's rights, stop instrumentalising gender equality for other ends that are racism and Islamophobia. Please fight for women's rights and for gender equality. And just to finish, I was complaining before when this debate started that there were not many male MEPs, colleagues, here for the debate. However, after listening to you say that women only serve to be mothers, for maternity, that we are not human beings in and of ourselves, after being called hysterical twice, and even being accused of going to New York to take a Prosecco – the college that said that just escaped after talking, probably he's the one taking a Prosecco – please, please, don't instrumentalise our fight. Because it is a very serious fight. So vote in favour of our position, of this resolution. Bring the CSW to Europe and please fight really for human rights.

Mr President, colleagues, the theme of the 70th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women this year is 'ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls'. This could not be more urgent, nor more fundamental. Access to justice is not an abstract principle. It is the difference between protection and impunity; between equality on paper and equality in reality; between rights promised and rights delivered. Around the world, millions of women and girls still face discriminatory laws, structural barriers and institutional practices that deny them equal protection under the law. Legal systems often fail survivors of gender-based violence, including sexual violence. We are seeing this now with the Epstein papers that are showing things that happened and were reported almost four decades ago. So, in addition, economic inequality limits women's ability to seek justice. Harmful social norms silence victims before they even enter the courtroom. If we are serious about equality, we must be serious about justice. The European Union has long positioned itself as a global leader in gender equality and human rights. Our credibility on the international stage depends on the strength, coherence and ambition of the position we bring to the CSW. That is why the European Parliament – and in particular the Gender Equality and Women's Rights Committee, the FEMM Committee that I chair – must be closely and meaningfully involved in shaping the European Union's position for this next session. In fact, the FEMM Committee participates in the CSW every year. We bring legislative expertise and democratic legitimacy. And we bring into the international arena the voices of European citizens, especially women and girls, but also men that are committed – though today there are not many MEPs here. Shameful. But never mind. That's normal in our debates. Early involvement of Parliament in the formulation of the European Union position is not a procedural step – it is a democratic necessity. Enhanced and sustained interinstitutional cooperation between the Parliament, the Presidency and the Commission is essential to ensuring a strong, unified European Union position. An inclusive approach strengthens policy coherence across institutions and legitimacy, and increases the effectiveness of our engagement at international level. When we speak with one voice, a voice shaped through today's democratic debate, that voice carries greater weight. Access to justice must be inclusive. It must reach migrant women, women with disabilities, women in rural areas, LGBTQI persons, and those facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination that is normally the case. Justice cannot be selective. Equality cannot be partial. Our draft recommendation from the Parliament urges the Council to, first, increase the European Union aid to compensate US aid cuts and ensure sustained funding for United Nations Women and gender equality, including sexual and reproductive health and rights. We must stop the backlash. Second, to tackle violence offline and online, including the non-consensual sharing of images, deepfakes, cyber-harassment and hate crimes, and push for stronger European Union and global action. Third, to promote women's leadership, participation and representation in the judiciary. Fourth, to advocate for a consent-based definition of rape, as a universal standard worldwide. Five, strongly condemned rape and sexual violence as weapons of war, and call for international prosecution and accountability. Six, to call for recognising gender apartheid as a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute, using the United Nations definition. As we adopt our recommendation today and prepare for the 70th CSW session, we must send a clear message. The European Union stands firmly for an inclusive and equitable legal system. We stand for the elimination of discriminatory laws, policies, and practices. We stand for dismantling structural barriers that prevent women and girls from fully exercising their rights. And we stand against the gender backlash. I hope that this House will support the FEMM Committee recommendation.

Madam President, Madam Vice-President, thank you to the rapporteur for his excellent work, but I now want to focus on one reality: poverty in Europe has a woman's face. The data for 2025 is very clear: more than 65 million women are at risk of poverty or social exclusion. And this is not a coincidence, but the result of structural inequality. Not only are women less incorporated into the labour market and have lower wages, but we also have the burden of care, which greatly limits our autonomy and well-being. And so it comes to retirement, to pensions, where there is a gap of more than 25% on average. Eradicating female poverty, therefore, is not only a question of social justice, it is not only an economic question, it is also a question of the future because of how close it is to child poverty. My call, therefore, is to immediate action. We need economic policies that allow for better distribution, fiscal policies that allow for better distribution, real reconciliation policies, effective wage equality, universal public services and a universal child guarantee, because a fair, prosperous and also competitive Europe is impossible if we leave more than half of the population behind and the children who depend on it.

Mr President, High Representative, from the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality, which I chair, I would like to say that we condemn the increase in human rights violations around the world and, especially, the unprecedented crackdown on the rights of women, girls and the LGBTI community. The year 2026 continues with the systematic regression of our rights – those of women – in Iraq and Afghanistan, of course, and we have to condemn and act on them. But not only this, because we also condemn the instrumentalization of women's rights to encourage hate speech, as is done here with migration. So let's be consistent. Sexual and reproductive rights are fundamental human rights. Denying access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care, including abortion, is a form of gender-based violence. We also demand that Europe ensure the proper deployment of artificial intelligence and digital technologies, their democratic oversight and the assessment of their impact on human rights, especially with regard to what is happening to women and girls.

Madam President, Commissioner, the current state of the world shows how interdependent and vulnerable we are with regard to cybersecurity. That is why we very much appreciate this initiative, Commissioner. In the previous term of office, I had the honour of being rapporteur for the Cyber Solidarity Act, which was a key initiative to respond to an urgent need to strengthen the European Union’s capacity to detect, prevent and react to cybersecurity threats and incidents. That is why we welcome today's revision of the Cybersecurity Act, which aims to modernise the European framework in the face of a rapidly evolving threat landscape and an increasingly complex regulatory environment. That is why we need more digital sovereignty, more Europe, strengthening the resilience of the supply chain, harmonising rules to avoid market fragmentation, putting more emphasis on the protection of public services, critical infrastructure and SMEs, and also focusing on training and research and development. We know that cyber threats know no borders and grow exponentially. That is why we need to update our tools, strengthen cooperation and certainly join efforts to become more resilient.

Madam President, first I would like to send my condolences to all the victims of the fateful train accident that has occurred on my land, in Andalusia. We are in mourning, and I thank the Commissioner, the European Union and also this Parliament for having remembered us. As Chair of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality, which has issued an opinion for this report, I would first of all like to thank the rapporteur, my colleague Leire Pajín, for introducing all the issues and aspects that have to do especially with women and gender equality, because in this context of polycrisis, women suffer greater vulnerability, linked to the increase in poverty, displacement, insecurity and limited access to food, education, employment, health and also sexual and reproductive health. And most especially, we suffer increased violence and sexual violence. And all this, moreover, is being intensified by cuts to aid by the United States. Europe must therefore be there, and we must do more than ever because women all over the world need it.

Mr President, Commissioner, we socialists have always been - and continue to be - on the side of women and their rights, respecting and accompanying the victims. Can you say the same, ladies and gentlemen of the PP and Vox? Mrs Montserrat, you are not interested in fighting sexual harassment, you just want to instrumentalise a problem that is very serious. Because, if they were interested, they would have supported this debate having a European dimension, firstly because we are in the European Parliament and, secondly, because one in three European women has been the victim of sexual harassment, and half of them at work. If you were interested, when the MeToo happened - and I would like you to let me speak - in this Parliament, you would have voted in favour of external audit as proposed by the Socialists. Instead you voted against it. I, too, could enter the 'and you more', Mrs Montserrat. All these are lists of cases, from the famous case of Nevenka to the one we have learned today from an adviser to the mayor of Algeciras, Landaluce, who is a leader of the PP of Malaga and who was pressuring a former councilor of the City of Algeciras to say that he suffered from mental disorder in order to defend the mayor from the accusation of harassment. But we must not enter the "and you more", because the victims do not need that, what they need is that we support them, they need protocols. When the windows are opened, as we have done, you see things that you may not like and the house is ventilated. The PSOE does not protect, cover up or cover up sexist behaviors or crimes. We make mistakes, yes, but we make them because we have protocols that you don't have. The harassment and the denunciation have no acronym, but the counterattack does have them, and they are the acronym of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party.

Mr President, research and innovation are essential pillars for Europe's security and autonomy. In an environment of growing threats, we must prioritise critical technologies such as quantum technology, artificial intelligence or cybersecurity, which will not only strengthen our defence, but also boost European competitiveness. Europe cannot afford to delay the uptake of disruptive technologies or finance this investment. That is why this agreement calls for greater safeguards against foreign interference and hybrid threats in the digital sphere, key to protecting our technological sovereignty, and strengthens cross-border collaboration and innovation in SMEs and start-ups. I would like to stress that this agreement is an exceptional response justified by the present moment and makes it clear that it does not undermine the civil approach of the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. I urge you to harness the potential of the Rearm Europe Plan to build a secure, autonomous, innovative, united and, above all, peaceful Europe.

Madam President, Madam Vice-President, today we reaffirm our commitment to a fairer, more equal Europe, where women's rights are a tangible reality, and we do so by demanding that the Commission make progress not only in implementing the wonderful legislation we passed in the previous legislature, but also with new legislative proposals. In the historical context of regression and attack on women's rights and gender equality that we are experiencing, also within this Parliament, simply implementing what has already been approved is not enough, because to the challenges that we already had of gender-based violence, including digital violence, wage gaps, income gaps and poverty, we must add new challenges or some of those that we are now more aware of, such as negligence regarding our health, our limited participation in the digital revolution or in the security agenda and especially the attacks on feminism and women within the enormous democratic setback that we are experiencing. Socialists have it clear, very clear: We are pushing this strategy forward because as women move forward, Europe moves forward, and we expect the Commission to listen to us and I am sure it will.

Madam President, Commissioner, Europe's Beating Cancer Plan stresses the importance of screening and preventive health in a disease where early diagnosis saves lives. And that's what the Andalusian women have been robbed of: save their lives free of cancer and metastasis, save their breasts, their bodies, their lives. More than 2,000 women have suffered delays of up to two years in breast cancer diagnosis. Moreno Bonilla's government has abandoned women and subsequently blamed them for undermining the prestige of the Andalusian health system. And, Mr. Moreno Bonilla, is it more important to appear and retain votes than the lives of women? Because we still don't know what happened today. They have given several versions, changed diagnoses, deleted the names of radiologists in the records. There is a lack of information, transparency and respect for victims and their families. That is why we demand responsibilities from the Government of Moreno Bonilla. Stop lying, clearly explain what has happened, listen to the associations of those affected, act with an effective plan. And I say this as a socialist MEP, as president of the Committee on Women's Rights in this Parliament and as an Andalusian who is in the screening system, who had a mammogram last year and who still does not have the results. That's anxiety, Mr. Moreno Bonilla. No government can violate the fundamental rights to health and information. What do they have to hide? What private interests are above health? Because privatizations in healthcare cost lives. Yours too, Mr. Moreno Bonilla.

Madam President, gender mainstreaming and gender budgeting are not a luxury, but an essential tool in the Union's arsenal to show our political priorities. A way for us to make our money go further. We have made progress in gender budgeting over the last few years, but we still need to effectively monitor the application to ensure the budget works for all. I am pleased that the importance of items such as the European Social Fund Plus or the Daphne Programme are recognised and have their budget increased to some extent at least. Let me remind you that gender-based violence has an estimated economic cost of billions per year. This is why the FEMM Committee has repeatedly called for Daphne to become an autonomous programme with its own separate budget line. Finally, I would like to highlight the importance and valuable role the European Institute for Gender Equality plays in helping the Union achieve its objectives. Yes, EIGE has had its budget increase, but it still needs more resources and staff to deal with its increased tasks, especially now that there is orchestrated attacks against the gender-equality agenda.

Mr President, Commissioner, today the President of the European Commission said that the European Union must remain free and independent, but this trade agreement with the United States does not seem to facilitate it. Socialists are well aware of the importance of avoiding a trade war and we will certainly work to improve this agreement, but we are not sure that accepting asymmetric conditions prevents it, nor does it guarantee stability or security, as was demonstrated only a few days later, when tariffs were raised on 407 European items. In addition, this agreement can bring about an economic contraction that can provoke a reactionary political wave, destabilizing Europe's liberal democracies and the European Union itself, which, perhaps, is what Trumpism wants. That is why its implementation cannot weaken the European legislation that is key to our autonomy. The European Union must preserve unity while defending itself against excessive coercion and protecting key sectors such as security, industry, energy, technology or agriculture. We have the resources to do so, we have economic weight, regulatory influence and commercial tools to use: Let us do so and continue to defend the rules-based multilateral system, our sovereignty, our jobs and strengthen trade agreements with our partners.

Madam President, Commissioner, the identification of the extreme right of immigration with violence against women and girls is simply false. It is not based on any evidence and there are many studies that deny it. Think only of Pelicot and his colleagues, whether or not they came in a boat. But of course, ignorance is the basis of racism. Your speech generates disinformation and is nauseating hate speech, inciting fear of violence against women that you yourself deny. You deny that there is structural violence against women, you cover up your own sexist violence. You have been very skilled in attracting a part of the male electorate, but, of course, the female one resists them and hence they try to conquer us with these things. They need to scare us with the foreigner, because they need us to achieve their racist plan, their xenophobic plan, to stir up the "great replacement" fable, their authoritarian socio-economic engineering plan that just wants to control our bodies and our lives. Stop using us for other purposes and join us in achieving women's rights on an equal basis.

Mr President, Commissioner, from the S&D Group we support the renewal of the mandate of the Internet Governance Forum, which is key to multilateral and multisectoral dialogue on the sustainability, stability and development of the Internet. We also call for it to become a permanent mandate to ensure the continuity of its work, and that the internet should be free, open and secure: must be a global public good. This forum is of particular relevance to ensure the strength of our democracies and facilitate innovation. The European Parliament has demonstrated its support and commitment by participating in its annual conferences - in which I have had the honour to participate since 2019 - and we now urge the Member States and the Commission to step up their efforts to achieve a favourable resolution regarding the future of this forum, because the future of our democracies is primarily at stake on that internet that we need to be free and a global public good.

Madam President, Commissioner, at a time when, on the one hand, Europe needs to improve its competitiveness, but, on the other, academic freedom and science are also being challenged in other parts of the world, the Choose Europe for Science initiative is more important than ever. Europe must position itself as a refuge for researchers who seek to develop their ideas in an environment of freedom and respect for diversity, for the critical thinking that inspires the scientific method itself, and Choose Europe for Science is a step in the right direction, but it must be a truly European project to avoid creating inequalities. We cannot allow this measure to benefit only some territories: That is not the Europe we want. We want Europe to be a place where they can freely research and address global challenges, where they can collaborate with experts from around the world and where funding opportunities can be well seized. And for that we must guarantee, mainly, two things: firstly, a strong budget, and secondly, an autonomous European science and innovation programme. Fortunately, the President of the Commission the other day announced that this would be the case. We have to convince ourselves that, without science, there is no competitiveness, no democracy, no European project.

Mr President, as rapporteur for the opinion of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality, I would like to thank the rapporteurs for including the concerns of the FEMM Committee in the resolution. A gender equality perspective should be integrated into and ensured across all policy areas. Gender budgeting should be implemented at all stages of the budgetary process, in order that we could continue the Union's commitment to gender mainstreaming, to continue the efforts made and the need to further focus on combating violence against women and girls in the European Union, because it is indispensable. For instance, the funding of the Daphne programme – it is crucial. But combating violence against women will not be successful if we do not eradicate structural gender‑based inequality. That is why we expressly approved of the high success rate of the European Institute for Gender Equality in developing actions and communication campaigns to gender equality and the continuous high level of budget execution, despite the persisting understaffing of the agency. So that's why we strongly support the assessment to grant the director of the EIGE the discharge and the explicit recommendation in our resolution to allocate more staff to the institute.

Madam President, Commissioner, academic freedom has been diminishing for years thanks to illiberal proposals and also to the commodification of knowledge. But now, in addition, with the arrival of the Trump Administration, censorship, the anti-scientific narrative and the cancellation of funding for many research projects and academic programs have put the scientific community in a position to the United States in a context of lack of freedom, especially in areas of knowledge such as the environment or gender studies, which are being dismantled. In this context, the United States' source of competitiveness, which has always been its ability to attract talent, may disappear. So Europe must activate and equip the programme proposed by Manuel Heitor, known as "Choose Europe", to recover and attract talent through better funding, facilitating visas and strengthening international collaborations. But not only: the defence of democracy, equality and welfare states can and should be the plus that brings Europe to our bid to attract the best talent as a source of competitiveness and wealth in the broadest sense of the term.

Madam President, Madam Vice-President, the wealth of nations or territories throughout history has not always drank from the same sources, but there is one that is very important, especially now: have a well-formed population. That is why we Socialists welcome the Union of Competences and all the initiatives it contains; also the strategic plan for training in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, with a particular focus on girls and women. Thank you very much, Vice President. But we also have to form, break stereotypes and break segregation between men and women. And, for that, we also have to pay attention to boys and men and include them in feminized professions, because only an adequate use of resources will be the key to our competitiveness. This must also include not only the right to move, but also that "right to stay" of which Enrico Letta speaks and that "choose Europe" of which Manuel Heitor speaks. I assure you that, as a woman and as an Andalusian, I know what I am talking about. Thank you very much and good luck.

Mr President, Vice-President, we really welcome this roadmap on women's rights and gender equality. So thank you very much, Vice-President. Thank you also to Commissioner Lahbib to show a clear commitment to gender equality. In a moment, we are facing a backlash on gender equality and women's rights. So especially also for including sexual and reproductive health rights. It is very important and we really appreciate that this is finally in. However, this is not the end of this journey. True equality means more than what we have achieved so far. It is about creating a world where every woman in every corner has the freedom and the material preconditions to choose her own path and the power to shape her future, and to participate in an equal path in our common future. Because we have to design also this common future. So let's do that. This roadmap will be really the origin of the new strategy and work together on this.