Speeches

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, when a citizen today searches for information on search engines, he finds an answer generated by artificial intelligence: I refer, for example, to the "Google Overview", which summarizes content without bringing traffic to those who produced it. This has direct consequences: less resources for information – and therefore risk of dismissal for journalists – and more dependence on platforms. This causes less pluralism. Our democracy is in danger of being wrecked. The Digital Markets Act was created to limit the power of large platforms and ensure fairer markets. But almost four years after its approval, little or nothing has changed. The proceedings initiated have not produced the desired results and today we are faced with a new and more dangerous pitfall: the attack, as I told you, on the world of publishing and journalism. Our democracy is in danger of being wrecked. As the Five Star Movement, we call on the European Commission to apply the Digital Markets Act also to these dangerous new tools that need to be monitored, because the Commission must know that if it is not up to date with artificial intelligence, it risks arriving too late. And, like Europe, we risk that the big platforms will have left nothing but rubble, and we cannot afford that.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Madam Commissioner, talking about education today means which way to go. I am on the side of the public school, which in Italy has been and is the most powerful social elevator. Italy is the place where you start from the same starting point and where every girl and every boy can build their own future without being a prisoner of birth conditions. But this promise must be defended with facts. European funds are needed to bring buildings, gyms, laboratories, canteens and social spaces into line, not to fuel new arms races. The real security of Europe is not guns, it is open classrooms, valued teachers, young people who do not leave school. In southern Italy, in many suburbs of Europe, educational opportunities still depend on where you are born. This is unacceptable. Education is the heart of the welfare state. If we leave it behind, we betray the very idea of Europe. We invest in schools, not wars. Only then will Europe be truly just and free.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, when we talk about online piracy, we are not just talking about sports or big platforms. Let's talk about the future of European culture. Piracy affects everything: films, series, music, books, information and especially affects those who work there. Behind a work there are workers, often invisible, with precarious contracts and too low compensation. Culture needs investment and stability in an already fragile sector. Piracy takes away resources and makes it harder to create new works. And it is also a matter of common sense, because no one would enter a cinema or a museum for free and illegally. Online, on the other hand, this culture has spread that everything must be immediate and without costs and it is wrong. This is why Europe must act in a concrete way, with simple and clear rules. The Digital Services Act It was created to make a simple principle real: What is illegal offline must also be illegal online. Yet, in live piracy cases, EUIPO data from the last two years shows that enforcement is still too slow to be effective. Protecting culture means protecting work, creativity and therefore our democracy.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, a click today is enough to steal a person's identity. With the deepfake, Artificial intelligence can create fake videos and audio to humiliate, blackmail and destroy a life. At the same time, on too many platforms and social networks, pornographic and hateful content spreads quickly. Younger people are the first victims of this aberration of our times, because what happens online does not stay online, but enters their lives, marks them. In Europe we have the rules, but we do not really apply them, they remain only on paper and the platforms continue to pretend to control themselves, while generating profits on the skin of the weakest. Today we are at a crossroads: Either we leave our digital lives in the hands of a technological oligarchy, or we defend citizens and democracy. Because the virtual and the real are not two separate worlds. You have to take care of the words, you have to take care of the digital identity. We must make sure that the social space remains a democratic space, without space for the deepfake, for pornography, for false and provocative content. And this Parliament must give a clear signal. It is necessary and must be taught to the great technological giants what democracy is.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, academic freedom is under attack, not only in authoritarian regimes, but also in countries that call themselves democratic. Just think that in the United States the recent executive orders of the new Trump administration have frozen billions of dollars for research and censored areas of knowledge, such as climate change and gender issues, and all this because we are hostage to an ideology. And today here we denounce a very serious fact: A French researcher, traveling to a conference in Texas, was blocked and expelled from the U.S. after his critical messages to Trump were read at customs control. An act of political repression disguised as national security. TheAcademic Freedom Index It shows a disturbing decline and Italy, unfortunately, is not immune, because we are witnessing political interference and structural precariousness that undermine the autonomy of our universities. We call on the EU not to remain silent and to step up its commitment to academic freedom.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, anyone who is a father or a mother in a Member State must be a father or a mother in any other country of the Union. This principle, which should be the norm in Europe, is not, however, respected in many countries, demonstrating that a Europe of rights has yet to be born. For more than two years, the European Certificate of Parenthood has languished in a Council drawer and has not been approved. This serious obstruction undermines the best interests of the child, who should be the star of any European regulation. Two million children today cannot travel freely in our Union because their identity and parenthood with their parents are not recognised. There is no more time to waste: if there are countries that for ideological reasons oppose their veto, we hope that the rest will proceed by activating the enhanced cooperation mechanism, taking a decision of civility and respect for the fundamental rights of the EU. And Italy, we hope, can be part of this group of countries that looks to the future and does not look to the Middle Ages.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, one in four children in Europe today lives in poverty. Then there are children whose parents are not recognized, such as those of rainbow families and children who, despite being born here in Europe, are not European citizens. Today, the 35th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, must not be a mere circumstance: Our real goal must be to combat all forms of physical, psychological and digital violence, through laws that combat poverty and social exclusion to promote more rights and more integration. For this reason, the 5 Star Movement proposes the Ius scholae, a draft law aimed at promoting the integration of foreign minors through citizenship. In conclusion, I would like to hear from this Parliament a self-criticism: You voted theausterity This leads to cuts in kindergartens and then in words we defend all the rights of children. Let me tell you this: What hypocrisy!

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, during this parliamentary term we have voted eight texts to respond to the scourge of violence against women and gender. Finally, we come to this House with a directive containing clear and uniform rules to combat this phenomenon, which unfortunately is still too widespread in our society. One agreement, however, is not worth the other. The wall erected by some Eastern European countries against the inclusion of the crime of rape among European crimes is unacceptable. There is also no reference to sexual harassment in the world of work and women deserve more. If the amendment we co-signed to include the definition of rape in the scope of the directive is not adopted, the Five Star Movement will not support this text. I therefore appeal to all my colleagues: Be courageous, do not turn this opportunity into yet another wasted opportunity to help women to fight against the mortifications that too often they are forced to suffer.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I dream of a Europe in which instead of budgetary constraints there are social constraints, and instead of criteria to be respected there is respect for people. For years Brussels has imposed cuts and manoeuvres, tears and blood, massacring the middle class and fuelling social injustices. We want to put an end to all this and we dream of a Europe that imposes a minimum wage, in which every citizen receives an income to get to the end of the month. A Europe where wages keep pace with inflation and mortgages are accessible to all. A Europe where riders have a real contract, with paid holidays and health coverage. A just Europe, in which the reform of the Stability Pact is not written to satisfy the financial markets, but to increase investment and new jobs. Is it asking too much? No, an alternative is possible and we will prove it in the next European elections.

(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, there is an emergency that Europe must face today in the most resolute way and that is psychological and sexual violence in the workplace. The latest figures are alarming: more than one in five people report harassment and the most vulnerable groups are those affected – women, migrants, the LGBTI community, people with disabilities. Ratification of the International Labour Organisation Convention must therefore be a top priority. This treaty contains the first definition of violence in the world of work and is a step forward in favor of all those victims who, every day, are silently abused because they are afraid of losing their jobs. Not predicting rape among European crimes was a defeat for the whole of Europe. I therefore appeal to the Member States: Have more courage, do not go wrong a second time and ratify this convention as soon as possible! We want a society of free and strong people. Enough violence, now and forever!

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, High Representative Borrell, in Italy the students took to the streets to call for a halt to the war in Gaza and were beaten by the police. Strongly suppressing those who call for peace is unacceptable and we would have expected condemnation from the European Commission. Because, I remember, Europe was born to unite in the name of peace. Batons can't be the solution. Europe is now at a crossroads and risks losing its credibility if all attacks do not stop. Netanyahu is also ignoring the directives of the International Court of Justice to prevent any acts of genocide. It is up to us, therefore, to make ourselves heard, putting on the table even the instrument of sanctions, if Israel does not immediately stop all hostilities. The world is already witnessing the massacre of the Palestinian people, a massacre that is revenge and has nothing to do, as far as I am concerned, with justice.

(IT) Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the harmonisation of driving licences at European level is a welcome commitment, which will help us to achieve the objective of zero road fatalities across the EU by 2050. Indeed, in 2022, more than 20 000 citizens lost their lives in a road accident in Europe. These are unacceptable numbers, which we must reduce with stricter rules and greater prevention. For this reason we support the proposal to strengthen safety education, teaching new drivers also resuscitation techniques, which can be useful in cases of more serious accidents. In addition, a zero-tolerance policy for inexperienced drivers, drink-driving or under the influence of drugs will help us reduce accidents among young people. Driving alcohol is, in Italy and Europe, the leading cause of death for young people aged between 16 and 25. The safety of our roads must therefore be our priority.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, yesterday the Milan Court of Appeal annulled the transcription of the recognitions of the children of three couples of women because in Italy there is no law that provides for this. This is called discrimination and has dramatic consequences on the lives of families, people and children. The prohibition of discrimination is a principle enshrined in the founding treaties of the European Union and therefore we must do more to defend these victims. For example, we immediately approve the horizontal anti-discrimination directive, which has been blocked in the Council since 2008, i.e. for 14 years. And then we have to approve the certificate of parenthood, which guarantees the same rights to parents, regardless of their sexual preferences. It's time to get serious, to ensure equality for LGBTQ+ people. I therefore call on the Commission to do its part, because we must reverse the course of what is happening in Italy and in the European Union. Personally, I say no to a Europe of second-class and second-class citizens.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I have heard so many fine words in this House today about women's rights and gender equality, words which, however, clash with deeds. Just yesterday, an agreement was reached at the trilogue on the directive on gender-based violence, and I wonder with what business card we are presenting ourselves at the United Nations to talk about the status of women in the world, if Europe itself does not have the courage to insist and to include rape among the European crimes. The Five Star Movement cannot support this hypocrisy. Laws are also needed in the European Union to protect women who have to look after their children without penalising their careers. New rules are also needed to combat the gender pay and pension gap. Thanks to the minimum wage and minimum income, we will be able to ensure a safety net for all women, especially those most at risk of poverty and social exclusion. We are for a just Europe. Who's in it?

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the increase in the cost of living is affecting all families, but in particular it is affecting single-parent families, of which 80% are women who suffer the most from the risk of energy poverty, as well as older women who have lower pensions than men. In 2021, even before the energy crisis, more than 20 million more women than men lived below the poverty line across the EU. This is frightening, because in this sense Europe is 60 years behind the achievement of gender equality. This is also the consequence of cuts in public budgets and austerity policies that, at the local level, weigh mainly on women, such as the reduction of street lighting or public transport. But the wage inequality that still persists in modern society undoubtedly exacerbates women's precarious conditions in dealing with high bills and a minimum wage and adequate minimum income must therefore be guaranteed to put an end to wage inequality and to effectively promote gender equality, income security and women's economic independence.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, as the Five Star Movement, we support the resolution on strengthening guarantee systems for vulnerable children. This is a topic dear to us and in fact I would like to bring to the attention of Europe the case of 207 Italian families who have been waiting for years to adopt Belarusian children. These are orphans who live in institutions but who are hosted by Italian families in the so-called rehabilitation stays after the Chernobyl disaster. Over the years, indissoluble bonds have been created that have prompted many families to initiate adoption practices. But due to a bureaucratic problem, this process has stopped since 2020. Without a letter of guarantee on the well-being of minors, these children cannot embrace their new family members. I hope that the European Commission will take action to unblock the situation: Reason of State cannot erase the happiness of children.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, what you see is the agenda of the last European Council, but on none of these points have European leaders reached an agreement and postponed decisions to the next Council in December. What does that mean? That on the asylum and migration pact there is a veto by Hungary of Orbán and the sovereignists; on the reform of the Stability Pact there is a wall on the part of the austerity hawks; There is too much shyness about foreign policy, because it is not boldly said "no to war, yes to diplomatic solutions", in Ukraine and in the Middle East. On all these fronts Europe stutters, because instead national sovereignty growls. Citizens, on the other hand, expect much more from us, they expect a stronger, more united and more courageous Europe; a Europe that promotes investment and supports the people most in need. The citizens want a Europe of peace, because without peace there is no well-being, without peace there is no future and in this, as Europe, we are guilty of delay.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, in recent times we have been witnessing a progressive deterioration of the middle class, not only in terms of purchasing power but also in terms of savings and investments. The crisis of the middle class is mainly due to globalization. We are witnessing the progressive polarization between those who work but are at risk of marginalization and a small group of individuals who have experienced spectacular growth in their income from labour and capital. Now is the time to ask ourselves what form of development we want to go to. Our policies for the future have the objective of an ecological and digital transformation and this must be achieved precisely thanks to the adaptability of the middle class. Defending the EU’s values involves actively supporting its middle class. We must put in place innovative public policies linked to training, support, sustainable development, capable of reducing inequalities and insecurity with growth and protection policies, in a context of economy and society that must remain interdependent.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, this is a delicate historical moment: we are called upon to choose between a development model based on the big giants or to effectively support a European development model that focuses on man and respect for the environment. SMEs are at the heart of this development model, which is why we need to support them, first and foremost by simplifying existing legislation; Excessive bureaucracy and complex regulations are a significant obstacle for small businesses. Secondly, we must also promote innovation and digitalisation in SMEs; It is our task to provide financial incentives to support SMEs to adopt digital technologies and improve their productivity and competitiveness. In addition, we should encourage SMEs to work together to form so-called business networks; Indeed, business-to-business collaboration can foster resource sharing, access to new markets and the creation of positive synergies. Another crucial aspect is to ensure easier access to credit for SMEs; Smaller companies often find it difficult to obtain financing from traditional banks and access funds made available from the European budget. Finally, we should strengthen entrepreneurial and vocational training. These are our goals, this is the development model we want.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Europe has been stagnating in innovation-related investment for years. The need to improve energy efficiency continues to play the role of a key driver. However, the banking system must support European companies and we must simplify the rules for our companies, first and foremost for SMEs, which are the beating heart of our economy. We must also protect European excellence from the infiltration of third-country investors who risk devalorising our markets. asset. Then develop aid plans for companies in key sectors and we must also ensure protection for our workers. A coordinated approach is needed to incentivise our companies to invest so that Europe can then maintain and increase its global role in environmental policy and above all to build a leading level in the technological sector, in the excellence of its industrial and even artisanal products.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the agreement reached with the Council indicates the right way forward and I am happy to support it. It has been estimated that in 2027 European countries could cover 100% of the demand for lithium batteries for electric vehicles with local factories. For this, however, we need one more step: ensure that European industry becomes self-sufficient in battery production and is in first place for the reuse and recycling of materials. The project European Battery Innovation This is a first step in making us independent of the current Asian dominance and it is particularly urgent and important for us to better and swiftly define a new industrial policy accompanied by incentives and financing for companies. We need to support technological innovation and building a battery value chain within the EU. The European potential is enormous and it is our task to strengthen the European supply chains linked to the battery market.

Madam President, Chancellor Scholz, as the Five Star Movement we have a very clear idea of the Europe of the future: greener, more supportive and above all free from wars. On these issues, your country does its homework, we think of the minimum wage and the one trillion euro plan for renewables, but in Brussels it has a very different attitude that prevents all the other states from making the same progress made in Germany. I am thinking of the reform of the Stability Pact. The position of his government, expressed several times by his Minister of Finance, is a dive into the past that takes us back to the dark years of austerity, when the decimals of GDP were more important than people's lives. Without new resources, Member States could never meet the European objectives of the New Green Deal and the sustainable transition. Green investments should therefore be excluded from the recalculation of the pact. Finally, a reflection. Today we are all gathered here to talk about the future of Europe, but there can be no future without a peaceful present. We urgently need European diplomatic action to end the war in Ukraine. Peace is built through dialogue and not through arms, which, moreover, should not be financed by European funds.

Madam President, Commissioners, ladies and gentlemen, on the current energy crisis, as a Five Star Movement we would have preferred more courage and more ambition on the part of this Union. The cap on the price of gas is difficult to achieve and the necessary investments to replace gas with a mix of policies based on renewables and energy savings are lacking. It is not enough to replace Russian gas with that of Qatar or Algeria, regimes that are not fully democratic. This is to say that everything is fine, because instead of the first crisis will be the citizens and businesses to pay the bill. President, Next Generation EU has been a success, we recognise it, we recognise it, in a difficult period such as the pandemic, we have ensured social cohesion and relaunched investment in key sectors such as the green transition and technological innovation. It is clear that the reform of state aid is not enough, we need a new recoveryThis was also proposed by our President Giuseppe Conte. One recovery based and built on energy. Only in this way will our companies not be victims of this price increase and will be more competitive, among other things, when they compete with American and Asian companies. At the next European Council we are thinking about building the Europe of the future, stronger, greener, fairer.