Speeches

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, poverty is not just an economic issue: It is a social scourge that undermines people's dignity and hope. Fighting it is a moral duty and a political responsibility that must engage us all, without exception. There is one aspect that deserves special attention and that too often is overlooked: the situation of people with disabilities, who are among the most exposed to the risk of poverty. The data speak for themselves: 28.8% of people with disabilities in Europe live in poverty and social exclusion. This is unacceptable, especially if we think that we are talking about an already vulnerable category, which must face not only economic difficulties, but also the structural, cultural and social barriers that society imposes. We cannot tolerate that in a Europe that proclaims itself a "paladin of human rights and inclusion", almost a third of people with disabilities live in conditions of economic hardship. Our strength is measured by our ability to include those who are already weaker.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, today we are called upon to reflect on the profound impact that health issues have on millions of European citizens. The pandemic, economic uncertainties and geopolitical tensions have exacerbated the mental challenges that already affected more than one in six citizens in the Union every year. These events have left deep scars, especially on our young people. According to UNICEF, about 11 million citizens and children in the Union suffer from mental disorders, live with them, and we must and must take care of them. The global problem of mental health, especially of children and adolescents, requires determined interventions: increased research, increased knowledge, not only in the social sphere, but above all in the cultural and health spheres. Mental health is often ignored. Why? Because people are ashamed. Yeah, they're ashamed. Think of depression, the black hole of the psyche. Then there is a stigma about it that we can no longer ignore. We need a commitment to educate, to raise awareness, to create workplaces, including school classes, that are attentive to mental well-being, so as to combat the stigma that characterizes these discomforts. Responsibility is needed to guarantee that right of access to aid, as you said, Commissioner.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the emotion I am feeling is the same as that of the 87 million people who, with various forms of disability, have always fought for the recognition of their rights. Finally they will have an extra tool to realize their dreams and aspirations. Tomorrow's vote marks a historic achievement. For this reason I can only rethink the path that has led us to this point and what we have learned from these extraordinary women and men in facing the difficulties of life with strength, but above all with great dignity. My thoughts also go to their extraordinary families, to all the volunteers, to all the associations that fight for the affirmation of an independent life. I think back to all the girls and boys with disabilities and on the autism spectrum who, during this legislature, managed to challenge a thousand problems and unforeseen events, coming from the regions of southern Italy to carry out an internship in my office. Promoting the recognition of their dignity has always been my responsibility, a commitment, a mission that I intend to continue towards all those who are more fragile and vulnerable. I owe it to each of them, no one excluded.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, we need to be increasingly aware of how closely the future of the European Union is linked to the type of education we will be able to provide our young people. Commitment to achieving a quality, fair and inclusive European Education Area is key in this regard. The shared and necessary goal is then to make the teaching profession more attractive, raising salary levels and returning to it that social prestige now lost, as well as a high professional quality necessary to face the many challenges that cross the world of school. Special attention should be paid to support teachers, for whom this general intention must be combined, on the one hand, with the need for increasingly professionalizing and specific enabling pathways on the various disabilities and, on the other, with the urgency of new methods of allocation and temporal continuity, to be subordinated exclusively to the needs of pupils with disabilities. I would remind you that, in the absence of specialised teachers, these pupils, who are already going uphill, find themselves entrusted to alternates, most often lacking the skills to help, thanks to derogations that are perpetuated from year to year. The aim is therefore to have more motivated and prepared support teachers, avoiding the problem - much felt and denounced by many families - of the dramatic teachers' carousel imposed on the most fragile pupils, forced to repeatedly change teachers during the same school cycle. In Italy, for example, according to recent surveys, this problem affects 59% of pupils, with peaks reaching 62% in secondary schools and 75% in kindergartens. I ask the Commission to give dignity to these pupils, guaranteeing them the right to continuity of teaching.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, exposure to inappropriate content, cyberbullying and the dangers of the connection to the violation of privacy, disinformation and the manipulation of consciences are no longer possible, but, as has already been pointed out, they are real risks to which our children are exposed on a daily basis. The new European Internet Strategy, with its three pillars aimed at ensuring greater security in digital experiences, a higher sense of collective responsibility and the active participation of children in the implementation and monitoring of the solutions adopted, certainly goes in the right direction. However, if on the one hand it is necessary to insist, as the strategy indicates, in supporting schools, parents and children in acquiring awareness of the risks and in the ability to use the tools to avoid them, on the other hand it is necessary to increase law enforcement actions against those who manage the content placed on the web and the methods of accessing them. It is not consistent to advocate a healthy and responsible use of the Internet by children without demanding it first of all from us adults. Let's try to be adults, first of all, an example.

(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, the development of digital publishing and e-books are important factors for further democratisation in the European book sector, especially if we think of the greater accessibility afforded to readers with disabilities. It is therefore necessary to support publishers in experimenting with new ways of accessing and using the book. Let us not forget, however, that at this stage it is necessary to scientifically monitor the real learning effects with the digital book to understand what are the effects that arise, especially in young people, and continue, at the same time, to ensure adequate space for the traditional paper book as a training and learning tool with proven and consolidated effects. Finally, the phenomenon of self-publishing, which is also growing, deserves a final mention. The risk with respect to this trend is that, by overcoming the consolidated editorial mediation, as well as the historical value of professionalism and respect for the book, it can weaken the traditional way of proposing and passing on the knowledge that has always distinguished the European book sector.

Madam President, Commissioner, the European Year of Youth has finally enabled us to give voice and attention to the expectations and needs of the new generations and it has certainly been the perfect time to move forward with confidence and hope in a post-pandemic perspective. Today, however, I would like to pause for a moment on the condition of NEETs, of those young people who no longer have hope and cannot be intercepted by the world of training first and then of work, but who have just stopped looking for new opportunities. According to the most recent Eurostat data, the European regions most affected by this phenomenon are, unfortunately, in Italy and in particular in the Mezzogiorno, from which I come and which I have the honour to represent today. The statistics speak for themselves: If we do not intervene immediately on the new generations, we seriously risk leaving many children definitively behind. I ask you: What policies, concrete and specific actions towards NEETs do you intend to promote in order to relocate and involve all our young people? We do not deny these children their future and above all we do not allow our children to tell us: We are afraid of our future.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, once again we are in this Chamber debating one of the most unpleasant forms of discrimination in existence: the gender pay gap for equal work and work of equal value. It is necessary to insist on strengthening the application of the principle of fair distribution, through pay transparency and enforcement mechanisms. But it is also important to point out that, if European companies with more than 100 employees are required to disclose information on wages to expose existing gender pay gaps, this will not happen for those up to 100 workers, who will have no obligation and therefore no additional administrative or economic burden. The realities of Italian small and medium-sized enterprises, the fundamental fabric of our economy, must not be penalized in any way. This is the path to take to eradicate once and for all a cancer that has been poisoning the world of work for too long.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, promoting the internal and external dimension of cultural policies is not only one of the cornerstones for the creation of a European Education Area, as well as strengthening European identity and providing citizens, especially young people, with the means to act independently and responsibly in society is not enough if we fail to transmit a real inclusive social dimension. It is therefore necessary to implement coherent, comprehensive and inclusive policies that deeply involve workers in the sector, who are still struggling with the consequences of the pandemic and for whom a targeted strategy for their recovery is needed. I believe, then, that by promoting the active and passive participation of people and cultural and artistic activities we will be able to trigger a positive driver, useful to identify and remove at the root the obstacles for marginalized, disadvantaged and vulnerable groups. Education, culture and youth policies play a central role in building a resilient, competitive and inclusive Europe for the future. With strength and conviction, it is up to us to carry them forward.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, a few quick remarks at the end of this European Year of Youth. I have toured many schools, I have opened European workshops, places of encounter and confrontation where to build an active and responsible participation, I have listened to many young people and I have felt in them the ever stronger need to know their emotional self. If politics really wants to affect the growth of our young people, it is necessary to promote a school that knows how to adopt a formative evaluation attentive to faces and emotions rather than to cognitive products and processes. It is necessary to re-establish an authentic dialogue with young people and to do so we must sit among them, because they are tired of being told "you must be more competent, you must be responsible, you must be able to plan for yourself, you must be resilient". I tried to sit among them and confront them, I understood many things, but one of them: They are young people who would like a school based on deep emotions and authentic relationships and not just on mere knowledge or sterile grades, which have little to do with their emotional self. I promised them that this school is possible, with patience and courage we will continue to build it together.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, the deaths in the Mediterranean Sea, the walls on the Hungarian border and the inhumane treatment of refugees on the border between Belarus and Poland are black pages of European history that have sent the wrong message to the whole world. Europe is not the one that turns its back on the next. Europe welcomes almost 24 million citizens born in third countries and gives them hope for a better future. But now we have to face the fierce competition from Britain, the United States, Australia, but also from other emerging countries that are taking many young talents away from Europe. This must be fought because it removes oxygen from our ability to grow in areas that are fundamental to our future. Just to name a few: IT, science, health and tourism. So, if we want to be truly competitive and attractive, we need to reform the Single Permit Directive so that we can welcome deserving young people without constraints. Less bureaucracy, fewer barriers, more work, more rights. Only in this way will our Europe become a hub opportunities. Are we ambitious? Yes, we want to be, we can be.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the pandemic and the changes in the world of work require the European Union to strengthen the tools for retraining in order to be able to seize the best opportunities offered by the ecological and digital transition. Micro-credentials can contribute to the process of up-skilling e re-skilling staff with a view to digital and green skills, as well as can contribute to the reskilling of workers, provided that there is a clear definition that ensures their quality, portability and transparency. However, it should be stressed that micro-credentials should only be a complementary tool and cannot replace traditional VET pathways. Formal education must remain a public good. We therefore advocate a holistic approach to education to enable students to acquire social and civic skills and not just knowledge relevant to the short-term needs of the labour market.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, two weeks later we were again called upon to agree on changes to introduce more flexibility in the use of European funds for the emergency that the Member States are experiencing as a result of the conflict. Clearly I will support this request, but I would like us to question the adequacy of the European budget and its rules to deal with these emergencies. We are clearly facing a conflict that we were not prepared to face. It is therefore desirable for the European Union to have a rapid and efficient response system, including for future emergencies. We must be able to create a mandatory and automatic system of relocation for refugees, inspired by the principles of solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility, and able to come to the aid of frontline countries. We need immediate measures to integrate refugees into the education and health systems of the Member States but, at the same time, we need to be able to deal effectively with the economic and energy repercussions on European citizens. For this reason we cannot waste time, hard work awaits us so that we do not find ourselves again unprepared to face the evolution of other conflicts.

Mr President, Commissioner, rapporteur, ladies and gentlemen, the key question in this debate is: What does it mean to be an active citizen today? Does it mean turning our backs on the children, women and elderly fleeing the war in Ukraine? No. Does it mean wasting the resources of our planet? No. Does it mean promoting referendums against minorities, such as the LGBT community, or not protecting the weakest people in our society, such as the disabled? Absolutely not. President, since the Five Star Movement was born in 2009, it has always aimed at a yes-policy. We are a community of citizens born from the guarantee of values such as active citizenship, which are those of participation, direct democracy, peace and the defense of human rights. We will never betray these values and we would also like the European Union to do so by investing more in the first educational agencies: family and school. Today, more than ever, it is important to strengthen respect for human dignity, social justice and cultural diversity in our society. Let's do it for our children. Let's do it now.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, since the beginning of the war, in less than a month, one in two Ukrainian children has left their homes and is now displaced. The European Union is today, and perhaps will be in the coming months, their only home, the place where these children can live safely, sheltered from bombs. We therefore have a great responsibility because it is up to us to save families, the elderly and children who die of hunger and cold in the besieged cities. Because it is up to us to help the Ukrainian people who are defending freedom and democracy from Putin's murderous violence. Because it will be up to us to help rebuild Kiev and the other Ukrainian cities destroyed by Russian bombs. Every frame of this war hurts our gaze and annihilates our feeling of humanity. But we have to be different. We Europeans must bear witness to the importance of the individual's sense of responsibility for social, cultural and political life. "I care" said Don Milani, for whom he was the beacon of life, the only light in the darkness of inhumanity. Europe demands, indeed demands from Russia, the opening of real humanitarian corridors, because it is the duty of all to keep civilians out of this conflict. First the refugees are safe and then the ceasefire and peace. The path of diplomacy is the only one that can avert an escalation of violence with unimaginable consequences. We need to act fast. We are asked by the millions of children who ask us: "why?".

Mr President, Commissioner, rapporteur, ladies and gentlemen, the tragic days we are going through, with a violent military attack just a stone's throw from the heart of Europe, show how real the fear of the different is still. Those who do not align must be incorporated and normalized at all costs. Race hatreds that lead to the spread of thoughts of violence have their roots in countries where too often information management takes place only if it is complacent towards the dictator on duty. At a time when structural racism has become one of the main challenges on which the future of the Union depends, culture, education, sport and the media must be the lintel on which to build the future of Europe. Planting these seeds in European soil is the only way to one day enjoy the fruits and allow the new generations to grow in the certainty that only mutual respect allows society to progress. But this is a long path, full of obstacles, where a step forward can correspond to two backwards and where it is not allowed to surrender if not running the risk of sweeping away with a sponge a heritage of different histories and cultures but intertwined for centuries.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, unfortunately we are facing a very complex situation. In addition to the late approval of the financial framework and its programmes, the pandemic situation has further slowed down the approval process of the Partnership Agreements. We are seriously risking under-execution and decommitment of resources at a time when we absolutely cannot afford it. The European Commission can do nothing and must do nothing, but it must immediately put in place instruments to prevent the disengagement clauses from rendering unusable the funds that our countries absolutely need, now more than ever. The Recovery Instrument cannot function without the support of cohesion instruments. The European Commission must help Member States not only economically but also with practical and effective support, so that the funds can really help economic recovery and cohesion. The discrepancies in economic development that still exist within the European Union are no longer acceptable. All the relaunch ambitions would not be credible with a cohesion policy already crippled at the outset.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, 2022 is the European Year of Youth. Yet this recognition I believe only happens on paper. This is demonstrated, for example, by the fact that more than half of traineeships are unpaid. Half of young Europeans who start a career do not receive a salary and this is called exploitation. And then we write a new page in European history, we create a mandatory legal basis for all Member States, ensuring fair compensation for apprenticeships, interns and all young people. We bring rights to all places where there is a young man. Each of us is called to do our part. For this reason I am carrying out on my territory a project for the creation of a series of real European workshops. The European workshops are places of meeting and discussion where to build active participation, venues where to promote opportunities, workshops and exchanges of good practices. The European Union needs its young people, but young people also need a new Europe.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Madam rapporteur, Madam Commissioner, cancer generates suffering, it tears families apart, it kills. Cancer is the disease of this century and the European Union must challenge it with all its might, as it did with the Coronavirus. We need concrete measures, more investment in research and no more inequalities in treatment. Everyone must have the same opportunities for care, and I am thinking in particular of children. The 10 flagship initiatives and the 32 support actions provided for in the European Parliament's report address the causes, such as smog and misfeeding, but we must avoid the easy slogans. Responsible wine consumption is very different from alcohol abuse. Let's focus on promoting new, healthy and balanced lifestyles, prevention, early diagnosis and quality of life for patients. 6 000 minors, 6 000 children, die every year in Europe of cancer. Today we dedicate to them this day, we dedicate to them our commitment as European legislators. Together we can defeat this terrible evil.

Mr President, Commissioner, rapporteur, ladies and gentlemen, the pandemic has had a devastating impact, especially on children and adolescents. The lockdown, the forced closure of schools and the suspension of educational services aimed at vulnerable young people have greatly multiplied their discomfort. The effects will unfortunately be found at all levels, from psychophysical well-being to the risk of having serious problems in learning and relational skills. For these reasons, we must work to ensure the success of 2022, the European Year of Youth, as an act for the future of our children. We will have to make sure that, from the first moment, they are the real protagonists, especially in the definition of the priorities to be achieved. For the initiative to be truly inclusive, it will not be enough to speak for young people, but we will have to speak with young people. And so, dear young people, do not be spectators, but protagonists of the story that you live today. Dirty hands, bite life, do not adapt, do not give up your goals, load yourself on the shoulders of those who do not make it. You are not the future, you are our present.

Mr President, Commissioner, rapporteur, ladies and gentlemen, the European Education Area must be established as a strategic tool for promoting inclusiveness and accessibility for all. In addition, it must be an opportunity to clearly recognise vocational training, as well as all other training pathways. These days I have been confronted with a training center of Apulian excellence, an example of good practice, able to contribute concretely to the construction of space, First and foremost making student and teacher mobility a reality; then enhancing the teaching profession in terms of initial education and professional development; and promoting digital skills as an integral part of future-oriented training. These, in my view, are some of the most effective measures to achieve a European Education Area that really wants to be accessible and inclusive.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, rapporteur, we need art more than ever. We need artists so as not to fall into despair. The arts are an extraordinary opportunity for encounter and dialogue, beyond cultural, social and ideological differences, because in the face of art man discovers himself similar to other men, sharing emotions, ideas, dreams. Unfortunately, the pandemic has exacerbated the already critical situation of the artists' sector, bringing to its knees a fragile system that needs to be reformed as soon as possible. There is an urgent call for the creation of a social status for artists, which is still lacking in many Member States, capable of protecting their professional dignity and adequately regulating their contractual situation. We can't afford to abandon artists. Today more than ever they are asked to give voice, images, sounds to our hopes and dreams, to be protagonists of our lives and our history.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, I regret to say that there will be no real protection of fundamental rights for persons with disabilities until their status is mutually recognised between the Member States of the European Union and until there is a cultural revolution in favour of difference. Without this fundamental step, all our efforts to ensure that countries correctly apply the relevant Community provisions will be in vain. For this reason, the European Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030 calls for the full implementation of the European Disability Charter by the end of 2023. We must immediately expand and make this pilot project mandatory, together with the European parking card for people with disabilities. Only in this way will we have at our disposal a strategic tool to help people with disabilities to exercise their right to free movement, in a Europe without barriers, in a Europe without exclusions.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, by creating a reserve fund to mitigate the consequences of Brexit, the European Union has tried to react quickly and in solidarity. In the difficult negotiations, we ensured that the measures adopted were sufficient and appropriate, including by including precise environmental protection criteria in the final text. Our aim, at this particularly sensitive stage, will be to ensure that European companies can withstand the economic shock, even in the long term, by constantly monitoring the transition and acting swiftly through any future adjustments. Finally, our priority will be to continue to support companies facing the new ways of exporting to the UK and all European citizens who have decided to return to their countries of origin.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the floods and the scorching heat that hit Europe this summer are yet another proof of the devastating consequences of the ongoing climate change. What seems to be an exceptional phenomenon today risks, alas, becoming a permanent reality if we do not reverse course. In Italy alone, more than 500 fires have flared up, with huge costs for the extinguishing operations to be followed by those to rebuild flora, fauna and agricultural activities, in addition to the remediation operations of the affected areas. That is why the European Union must rise to the challenge, using all the instruments at its disposal to respond to the emergency, refinancing the solidarity fund and developing regional strategies for adapting to climate change. It is absolutely essential that these extraordinary expenditures are decoupled from the Stability Pact, so that they do not weigh on the budgets of the Member States.