Speeches

Madam President, the mental health pandemic is an increasingly prevalent problem. In particular, uncertain times have contributed to it, both in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the geopolitical challenges we are facing. This is also associated with an increase in mental health problems in the work environment. The rapid advent of technology and the pandemic have accelerated ... (Chair interrupted the speaker) ... transition to teleworking. However, this has not only advantages in the form of flexibility, but also disadvantages. The main disadvantage is the longer hours spent working, the blurring of the boundaries between work and private life, and in particular the constant connectivity to online tools and the reachability of the worker. It is therefore no wonder that 46% of European citizens experience emotional or psychosomatic problems that we need to tackle effectively. Of course, in addition to the questions concerning the future instruments that the European Commission is planning in this regard, I am interested in one more question. Ensuring a better work-life balance is one of the keys to managing mental health problems associated with the working environment. However, in many Member States this does not apply to families where parents work on different shifts, for example on a continuous basis or on different days of the week, and as a family they are sometimes unable to meet for the whole week. Therefore, I would like to ask whether the Commission intends to support efforts towards synchronised leisure, which is demonstrably beneficial to families and promotes a work-life balance.

Madam President, this is how, a year ago, I was involved in the project of reporting anti-Semitic content on Facebook and Twitter. The results were shocking. Within 24 hours, only 2% of the reported defective content was downloaded. Today, one year after this project and with an effective Digital Services Act, it seems that the situation has not yet improved much. This is particularly alarming in the context of the current geopolitical challenges and the spread of hate speech on terrorist or violent content. I appreciate that the Commissioner has already approached several platforms and asked them to comment on information on compliance with the Digital Services Act. These online platforms, which among other things use the algorithms of the so-called attention economy to increase profits, simply cannot turn a blind eye to their responsibilities and legal obligations. I therefore support the Commission in taking steps that I believe will be taken and effectively followed up on the Digital Services Act.

Madam President, I welcome and support the establishment of the Strategic Technologies Platform. This is the right step towards more investment in our strategic technologies. In doing so, we are also pursuing the objective of greater competitiveness and less dependence on third countries, especially when it comes to undemocratic regimes such as China. I regret that, in the end, the proposal was not as ambitious as expected. It does not provide a package of money for strategic projects. For the time being, however, it will act as a guarantee that projects supported by existing EU funds are progressing towards meeting the objectives of our strategic autonomy in critical technologies. As rapporteur for the Critical Raw Materials Act, I also appreciate the fact that the European Parliament has linked these two pieces of legislation and their objectives.

Madam President, I welcome today’s vote on the Ukraine facility, and I would like to thank the rapporteur, Michael Gahler, for his work. Europe must continue to support Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. At the same time, our support for Ukraine needs to be predictable and strategic. Furthermore, we need to ensure that our support to Ukraine focuses on immediate needs, but has in view the future reconstruction of Ukraine and its European aspiration. Finally, we need to ensure adequate checks and mechanisms are in place to safeguard the accountability of our funds.

Mr President, I welcome the adoption today by my colleagues of the report on the European Media Freedom Act by such a large majority. This act introduces many provisions that will help journalists and media pluralism and independence in general. At the same time, it ensures transparency from ownership and sufficient information for users. This is particularly important in a context where attacks on independent media are multiplying, misinformation is spreading and many journalists who properly carry out their investigative work are in danger. In Slovakia, this resulted in the murder of journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová. The media is a pillar of democracy. It is therefore our duty to create an environment where journalists can bring balanced and objective information, where they will be protected as journalistic sources. It must be safe not only for them, but also for their families.

Mr President, I particularly welcome today's vote in favour of the adoption of uniform rules on trade and economic defence, which I have been advocating for a long time, including as shadow rapporteur. They are our other important tool against the political-trade coercion that China is constantly exerting not only against its neighbours, but also against third countries, and also against the European Union, as has been shown in the case of Lithuania. I am convinced that only our united and persevering action can prevent the unprecedented continuation of China's divide-and-rule policy. This is also extremely important for Slovakia given our secondary dependence on China, for example through our automotive industry, which creates a risk to economic security.

Madam President, what we are seeing today is the ethnic cleansing of the Christian Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh by the Azerbaijani regime. Almost the entire population has fled. They left behind a home and all their possessions. This is a huge humanitarian disaster and the EU must help. However, it is unacceptable that the EU still considers Azerbaijan as a strategic partner given the current unprecedented situation. I therefore repeat my call for a review of our relations with the dictatorial regime in Azerbaijan and for support for Armenian democracy and Armenia's overall efforts to achieve peace and security. In my opinion, if the EU were a real leader and made full use of its strategic position in the region, we could have avoided this great human misfortune and suffering.

Thank you, Commissioner, for being with us. I have two questions. The first question is, after our ban of combustion engines by 2035, Chinese electric vehicles have flooded our markets and you have already answered to a couple of colleagues what measures the EU is taking in order to protect our interests. But my question is, is the Commission ready to review this ban? Should this be the only way how to protect our economic interests? Second, Beijing has quashed Hong Kong’s freedoms and autonomy, which also has a major impact on its standing as a financial and trade hub. There is even strong evidence that Hong Kong is being used by Russia to circumvent our sanctions. Isn’t it time to finally review Hong Kong’s autonomy, as was requested by this House on multiple occasions, including the agreement on customs matters, the status of Hong Kong’s office in Brussels or its membership in the World Trade Organisation.

. – Commissioner, ensuring access to critical raw materials is crucial for European industry, especially in the context of the current geopolitical challenges. Ultimately, it is about people's livelihoods. Without materials like lithium or cobalt, for example, our automotive industry has no future. Critical raw materials, and thus the Regulation on access to them, are also essential for the success of the green or digital transition. I was surprised that, in this situation, the President of the European Commission spoke again today about plans to amend the European Treaties. Here I want to make it clear that already today the European institutions have sufficient competences to address the economic and geopolitical challenges we face. Unfortunately, we have not dealt with the situation for too long and have neglected it. Today, it is absolutely crucial to reduce our dependence on countries such as China, which pose a security threat to the Union. Opening up the European Treaties will not solve anything in this situation. Instead, we should focus on working with our allies, building new strategic partnerships and ensuring adequate funding for strategic projects.

Madam President, dear colleagues, Palina Panasiuk is a mother of two children. She has been severely beaten, refused medical help, put regularly into a punishment cell. Her family are denied contact with her. She is among the 1 500 political prisoners. The list of political prisoners grows. Places of worship are either shut or destroyed, democratic opposition parties banned, thousands of the brightest minds forced to leave: such is the scale of the Lukashenko regime’s oppression. That’s why we need to make sure that the recommendations of this report translate into concrete actions. In particular, we need ambitious and predictable support for the Belarusian democratic opposition and for those who fled the oppression. Furthermore, we must do our utmost to help political prisoners and their families by continuing to raise our voices, but also by being more creative in our assistance. Finally, Lukashenko and his regime must be held accountable for their oppression of the Belarusian people, relinquishing Belarus sovereignty and supporting Russian aggression against Ukraine. Thank you. Zhivye Belarus.

Madam President, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us the negative effects that unilateral action by Member States can have on free movement. This has affected not only the movement of goods and services, but especially the movement of workers. As shadow rapporteur for the Employment Committee, I have primarily advocated for the protection of such workers. Many of us travel for work, some cross borders even daily. And it is for them that we need to have solutions ready for future crises. What I regret, however, is that the final text of the European Parliament did not include calls for a solution to the so-called home offici from abroad, which we advocated in the committee. Many people can work from home. However, since their employer is in one state and their family lives in another European state, they have the right to home office does not allow. Let us also look for solutions for these people, so that it no longer happens that during the crisis such workers will be separated from their families for months. This may not be the case with a little bit of political will.

Mr President, colleagues, the state of freedom of religion and belief in a society is an important litmus test of the state of other fundamental freedoms. Therefore, while Indian officials often like to boast that the country is the world’s largest democracy, intolerance and violence against religious minorities paint a different picture. In the state of Manipur at least 100 people are dead, tens of thousands displaced, hundreds of houses belonging to Christians destroyed, along with 250 churches, theological institutions, schools and hospitals, as well as several temples. These attacks against Christians are not isolated incidents. They are organised, leaving behind destruction and shattered lives. The EU cannot close its eyes to these crimes. That is why I call on our Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion and the EEAS to communicate clearly to the Indian authorities the need to stop this violence and to provide necessary support to the victims immediately.

Madam President, dear colleagues, across the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, official Palestinian Authority textbooks teach hatred and violence, and demonise both Israel and the Jewish people. A peaceful resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is both a moral and strategic imperative. However, this can only be achieved through educating societies and above all, young generations to live in peace and with cultural tolerance towards one another. The recent spiral of violence only re—emphasises the importance of this. This is why the EU, as the biggest donor to the Palestinian Authority and to UNRWA, must ensure that our taxpayers’ money is not misused and perpetuating the conflict. We need to strengthen oversight, transparency and accountability of how our taxpayers’ money is spent, and that supported programmes are implemented in accordance with our values.

Madam President, I have carefully read the report for Slovakia, which also contained constructive recommendations. Many times, however, it seems that some countries in particular are heavily criticised, while in others obvious rule of law problems are solved with one sentence. I would like to point out that, for example, the recommendations for Belgium last year referred to the case of a Slovak citizen, Jozef Chovanec, who died after police intervention at Charleroi airport, with an ongoing investigation. This year, the report stated even more succinctly that the Commission would carry out further evaluations of the investigation. Five years after the case happened, and it's still not finished. How is it possible that the unacceptable behaviour of police officers and the contradictory actions of the courts deserve only one sentence in the report for Belgium? I believe that more efforts are needed on the part of the EU to ensure a fair investigation of this case, not only with regard to the family of Jozef Chovanec, but also with regard to citizens' trust in the protection of the fundamental values of the European Union.

Madam President, dear colleagues, Jimmy Lai faces a life in prison based on trumped up charges. His case is a strong example of how Beijing and the Hong Kong authorities are using the so-called national security law to undermine the rule of law and fundamental rights and freedoms in the city. What are they afraid of ? The answer is simple. They are afraid of freedom loving people like Jimmy Lai because they are the biggest threat to the lies and oppression of the CCP. The European Union must stand with Jimmy Lai and it must stand with Hong Kong. After all, the deterioration of the freedoms and rule of law in Hong Kong also implies us as the growing evidence of sanction evasion through the city continues to show. That’s why our response must be principled and clear. We must strengthen the EU office to intensify trial observation. The EU must finally impose targeted sanctions against John Lee and all other Hong Kong and PRC officials responsible for the ongoing human rights crackdown in the city. And finally, it is time for the EU to review Hong Kong’s international status, seen since the loss of its autonomy is in a clear breach of international law. It is only as a result of the autonomy laws that the growing repression and deterioration of the rule of law takes place.

Madam President, a child is not a commodity, I think we all agree on this. The dignity of every person must be protected. This is also a widely accepted and supported fact. Why then do we have the problem of condemning something that makes children a commodity and exploits women's poverty, especially those from developing countries, and makes them a subject of commercial relations? Surogatory or so-called surrogacy violates the internationally recognised rights of women and children and interferes with their dignity, immediately and several times. It ignores the natural relationship between mother and child. It exposes women and children to the mercy of the ordering parties, because there are no rules for cases where a child, for example, due to being born with a disability, is rejected. And even though this Parliament has repeatedly condemned the practice of surrogate motherhood, we cannot openly say that it is a phenomenon that always brings negative consequences for someone. Women, most often due to their vulnerable situation, gave legally very questionable consent to the agreement. Children who were put in storage during the pandemic or their future is absolutely questionable because their customers did not want or could not pick them up. Ultimately, this also applies to all of us, because we are abandoning the fundamental values on which our free democratic society is built and we are not protecting the most vulnerable.

I would like to echo many colleagues who said that very little has been done in order to help to settle this conflict. And not enough has been done in order to provide security and human humanitarian aid to the 120 000 people and 30 000 children in Nagorno-Karabakh. We have been for too long closing our eyes to the human rights breaches in Azerbaijan and done by the Azeri regime. As Ms Loiseau already mentioned, we have leverage because Azerbaijan is our partner. This is pursued by bilateral agreements. This is pursued by the energy partnership. We have increased the import of energy and this gives us a stronger position to leverage and exert pressure on Azerbaijan in order to improve the humanitarian situation, in order to improve human rights. We have been many times saying that economic cooperation is a way to change and improve human rights in third countries. We have to use this leverage.

Mr President, dear colleagues, Viktar Babaryka is one of the nearly 1 500 political prisoners in Belarus whose only crime is the desire for a sovereign, democratic and prosperous Belarus. Brave men and women, their families, all suffering under the terror of Lukashenko’s regime. This is why the EU must do all in its power to put pressure on the regime, including the strengthening of our sanctions. Not only Lukashenko and his closest allies, but also his henchmen in the judiciary and in the security forces, must face consequences for their role in the terror and persecution. Viktar Babaryka, Mikola Statkevich, Pavel Seviarynets and all the political prisoners need our continued attention. The EU must not waver in its support for the people of Belarus. Zhyve Belarus!

Mr President, online bullying is a problem that is taking on huge proportions. According to the latest surveys, almost a quarter of children between the ages of 9 and 17 have experienced online bullying. At the same time, one-third of those victims have not yet spoken to anyone about it. The most vulnerable population group, children, is alarmingly often confronted with this phenomenon, which harms their psychological health, well-being and can have far-reaching consequences. It is therefore our duty to intervene. Let's focus on raising awareness among children, parents and teachers. Let's help them communicate and respond appropriately to the situation. At the same time, Member States should be encouraged as far as possible to have sufficient resources and an effective legal framework to combat online bullying. It's about our children's mental health.

Madam President, the order of consumers at the moment is clear. They want to have enough verified information to make a responsible decision. However, the line between sufficient information and literally flooding with various claims, from which it is difficult to choose, has so far been unclear. I therefore welcome the proposed amendments to the Unfair Commercial Practices and Consumer Rights Directives, as they clearly define what claims can be used by traders and which are already misleading or misleading. At the same time, I appreciate the proposal to include activities aimed at premature obsolescence of goods among unfair commercial practices. I've been pointing out this necessity for a long time. The installation of such so-called cassettes is not only unfavourable to consumers' finances, but also to the environment.

Madam President, today, on the occasion of the launch of the European Year of Skills, I would like to call for the opportunities that this year will bring to really reach everyone. It is crucial that skills opportunities are also available to vulnerable groups, people from disadvantaged backgrounds and people with disabilities. At the same time, I would like to point out that it is important that skills are not just those that are geared towards employment and economic growth and benefit. Attention must also be paid to so-called soft or transversal skills, which are equally important for our personal and professional lives and include, for example, critical thinking, creativity, language skills or digital or media literacy. Last but not least, we need to think about the follow-up after we have acquired the skills. This includes their official recognition. In this context, I would like to highlight in particular the need to recognise skills acquired in an informal way, in particular through volunteering, which is an invaluable experience not only for young people but also for older age groups.

Madam President, let me start by thanking Vladimír Bilčík and the shadow rapporteurs for the very balanced and comprehensive text. In particular, I would like to highlight the strong emphasis on countering the malign influence and hybrid threats from non—democratic regimes, particularly including the Chinese Communist Party. The negative impact of Chinese influence is increasingly felt in different sectors. Chinese—made surveillance equipment undermines national security and people’s freedom. Chinese corrosive capital continues to cause environmental damages, undermines good governance, and even the EU acquis passed down through the enlargement process. The growing influence of these regimes continues to negatively impact the future development of Serbia and its neighbours. It is absolutely crucial for the European Union to combine a sustainable alternative to Chinese investment with the necessary political commitment to Serbia’s – and the region’s – democracy and EU membership.

Madam President, dear colleagues, I am extremely saddened and abhorred by the sentencing of Vladimir Kara—Murza, whom I know as a brave and principled man. His crimes? Exposing the Kremlin’s kleptocracy, speaking out against a cruel war and fighting for a free Russia. It is no coincidence that the same regime that wages aggression against its neighbours and steals from its people also jails those who speak out against these crimes. That’s why we must continue to speak out for Vladimir and other political prisoners and hold those responsible to account. One day Vladimir will be free, Russia will be free. In Vladimir’s own words ‘I also know that the day will come when the darkness over our country will evaporate. When black will be called black and white will be called white.’ Thank you, Vladimir, for bringing light to darkness. We stand by you.

Mr President, dear colleagues, nearly 20 000 children have been forcefully deported from Ukraine to Russia, and hundreds killed, wounded as a result of Russia’s war aggression. These forced deportations and crimes against humanity committed by the aggressor smack of the worst Stalinist excesses. I welcome the recent initiative of the Commission and the Polish Government to ensure the return of these children. We must do all in our power for these children to be returned to their loved ones; that these crimes are thoroughly documented, investigated, and then Putin, Russia’s so-called Human Rights commissioner, and all responsible are one day brought to justice. It is our moral duty.

Madam President, the Covid-19 pandemic has shown the need for faster digitalisation of public services. Digitalisation, when implemented effectively, can significantly reduce bureaucratic barriers for citizens and businesses, speed up many actions or reduce costs. I welcome the principle of only growing, which means that citizens do not have to report facts or document documents to the authorities more than once. Accessibility of these services for persons with disabilities is also a matter of course. However, in order for the digitalisation of public services to be successful, we must not forget the key precondition for its functioning: Fast and stable internet connection. This must be accessible to all, including people living in rural or sparsely populated areas, such as vulnerable households. Last but not least, we need to prepare citizens for digitalisation and raise their awareness and digital skills. Only then will we be able to realise the full potential of this process.