Speeches

Madam President, I would like to thank you for your The most important resource we have is our people. That is why we need to ensure that everyone gets a good education. We are learning for life, and in these uncertain times that we are now living, a good level of education for all is incredibly important - for our crisis resilience, for our democracy and for gender equality, but also for Europe's competitiveness. It is therefore also important that the Commission and the European Parliament can continue to support the Erasmus+ programme and that those who receive vocational training can also take part in Erasmus+. Then there is the question of strengthening Europe's competitiveness. Our companies have a shortage of labour. We need to educate to work, not to unemployment. As a former Finnish Minister of Education, I know that cooperation between companies, between professional trainers and with the regions is extremely important here. And we can do better. We will make sure that everyone feels that they are doing a valuable job also when they are training in vocational education and training.

Mr President, Commissioner, it is quite clear that Europe must take more responsibility for its own defence. The defence industry needs to be strengthened and a well-functioning defence internal market created, and Ukraine, of course, needs to be supported. It is about the future of Ukraine and of Europe as a whole. The global political situation, of course, worries many, but we will be able to do so with decisive action and cooperation between the EU, NATO and our Member States. We are strong. We just need to move forward together and decisively. What is our most important task here in the European Parliament? Right now, the most important task is to stick together. Right now, the most important task is to defend our values: democracy, the rule of law and our human rights. And in this house, in the middle group, we do just that. And that's what we have to do for everyone. We will all work to strengthen Europe's defence.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner Virkkunen! The security situation in the Baltic Sea has deteriorated. On a daily basis, substandard cargo ships belonging to the Russian shadow fleet, with dozens of tons of oil, operate on this important inland sea. These pose a safety risk to the marine environment as well as to the countries around the Baltic Sea and the EU as a whole. The cargo ship Eagle S was caught in the act by the Finnish authorities during the Christmas season in a very successful attack. The ship's anchors had dragged along the seabed prior to the strike, and important underwater infrastructure had been damaged. A coincidence? Hardly. Both NATO and the member states have intensified their surveillance of the Baltic Sea. It is welcome and it is necessary. With determined action and cooperation between the EU, NATO and the member states, we are strong. We need to increase funding for security, defence and preparedness. The Baltic Sea should not be a place of thumb for hybrid operations and sabotage.

Madam President, I would like to thank you for your The most important thing we have is our freedom. Freedom to Vote. Freedom to influence. Freedom to choose our lives. Free and fair elections are also the cornerstone of our European countries. All candidates must be treated equally and we must be sure that external actors do not influence our electoral processes. Social media platforms, such as TikTok, bring both threats and opportunities to our societies. We humans are affected by the information we get to see, read and hear. Platforms must not become a threat to our democracy. Freedom of expression is also not a right for Russia, for example, to create fake accounts to influence our European elections or to manipulate voters. Now it is up to the Commission to investigate the suspicions that exist and to ensure that our rules are complied with. We must not be naive. Our democracy must be defended every day.

Madam President, I would like to thank you for your Every child is unique and every child has the right to a safe and secure upbringing. This is stated in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which now celebrates its 35th anniversary. It is important and we should live with it every day, every minute in all our societies, in all our countries. The voice of the children must be heard and we must also be their means. We are the ones who have the power. We know that many children today feel bad. We know that many are exposed to dangers – online dangers, which may not have existed 35 years ago. We need to better protect our children also in the digital environment. We in the European Parliament have a very special responsibility here. Every child also has the right to go to school. We need an equal school, where every child can be themselves, where you get the support you need and where you can look forward to an education that then gives a job. It's to everyone's advantage. Every child should have the right to a hobby.

Madam President, I would like to thank you for your The Baltic Sea is a sensitive inland sea in many ways, including from a security policy point of view. On the seabed there are undersea cables that constitute extremely vulnerable infrastructure. It's not okay to sabotage them. Hybrid attacks are unacceptable. Recent events must be taken seriously. The freedom to navigate the sea does not imply a right to destroy critical infrastructure on the seabed. If there is a gap in the law of the sea, it must be closed. There must be solutions for intervening also in international waters or within the so-called economic zone in order to be able to stop reasonably suspicious vessels. What can the EU do? Yes, we must act decisively to protect our critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea and we must act together. The Commission has a very important task here, and President Niinistö's report contains many good proposals. Let's take care of them.

Mr President, we Finns know that it is worth blowing together when there is a crisis. This is what we're used to. That is the spirit that we in the European Parliament must also bring about. We are in the same boat and therefore we have to do things together. Therefore, we also have to strengthen the EU's resilience and we can do it together – I believe that. I am absolutely sure that we can do this. We need everyone to understand that we are also important players when it comes to resilience and overall preparedness. Thank you for this excellent question.

Madam President, I would like to thank you for your Many thanks to President Niinistö for a valuable report. We are living in a critical time and it is necessary to be prepared for all possible scenarios, including those considered improbable. President Niinistö's report may now serve as a wake-up call for the EU. The report shows that we in Europe have much we can do to strengthen our societies' ability to respond to different types of crises, and we need to act now. We need to strengthen the EU's preparedness. When we talk about preparedness on a broad front, we also talk about the importance of all actors, from the individual, companies, local and civil actors to the armed forces. Relevant information must be shared more quickly between the Member States and the EU, and the concept of total defence is important. As we say in Finnish: (speech in Finnish) "It is wise to be prepared also for the improbable." And we shall be in the EU. Thank you to President Niinistö.

Madam President, I would like to thank you for your Thank you for the report, best Enrico Letta! We have every opportunity to succeed in creating a sustainable future and strengthening the welfare of all European citizens. But now we have to do the right things. We need to make the green transition happen. We need to harness the full potential of digitalisation, and we need to strengthen the European defence industry. For all this, we need a strong internal market that promotes our competitiveness, a skilled workforce, investment in research and innovation, world-class education. And we need fair rules for state aid. A functioning capital market is key. We need to direct our resources to cutting-edge technologies such as AI and quantum computing. Obstacles to growth must be removed. Both smaller and larger companies should be spurred on and not stuck in the bureaucratic jungle. It is now a question of finding a common will. I hope we have it.

Mr President, I would like to thank you. A prosperous population is in the interest of the EU as a whole, but the reality is different for many. Almost half of all Europeans have experience with mental health problems. If you break your leg, your injury is clear and you get help right away, but with mental illness it is different – it is often very difficult to get care. Low-threshold receptions would now be needed for everyone. Well-being also affects our competitiveness. Better health leads to higher productivity. A young person who has been knocked out costs society around EUR 1 million, we have calculated in Finland. Not to mention personal suffering. I am particularly concerned about our children and young people. They face high demands and a harsh climate on social media, with bullying and harassment. There we need zero tolerance both online and offline. In Finland, the government has just signed up for a therapy guarantee for young people. Why not also a joint EU initiative on rapid access to therapy for our children and young people?

Now, of course, it is about finding solutions that can actively counter hybrid influences, and I will work to ensure that, in general, we in this House also find a solution to that. For it is not to anyone's advantage that Russia can continue to act as it does. That is something we must take very seriously. It is in everyone's interest.

Madam President, I would like to thank you for your We need peace and stability in Europe. In parallel with its brutal war of aggression against Ukraine, Russia is engaging in various types of hybrid influence on several fronts. My home country, Finland, has a 1,300-kilometre border with Russia and it is also the EU's external border. It has been closed since 2023, in December. Why? Well, because Putin deliberately allowed migrants to come to the border with the intention of exerting external pressure on our country. Using people as tools against another country is unacceptable. Nor do we want Russia to succeed in infiltrating people with evil intentions into our European societies. That is why we need concrete actions and European legislation that also respond to these hybrid threats to the security of the Member States and the Union, while safeguarding fundamental human rights. We need to strengthen the EU's external borders.