What Miriam spoke about.

18

May

2022

EN Speech

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Prosecution of the opposition and the detention of trade union leaders in Belarus (debate)

Madam President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, the illegitimate regime of Aleksander Lukashenko continues to terrorise and oppress the Belarusian people. Today, there are over 1 200 political prisoners in Belarus and 275 civil society and human rights organisations and numerous media outlets have been closed down. I want to especially mention the case of my brave friend, Pavel Seviarynets, w…

18

May

2022

EN Speech

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The killing of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Aqla and the violent incidents at her funeral (debate)

Mr President, dear colleagues, the loss of any innocent life is a tragedy, and so is the death of Shireen Abu Aqla. I am equally disturbed by the violence seen at her funeral, but the rush to any judgement before the conclusion of a credible investigation is irresponsible. Shireen Abu Aqla was killed during the Israeli anti-terror operation following the murder of 19 Israelis in a spate of terror …

4

May

2022

EN Speech

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Reports of continued organ harvesting in China

Madam President, the totalitarian apparatus of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) continues to suppress and destroy human freedom and dignity. In the case of organ harvesting, as with forced labour, they even profit from their crimes against humanity. Let me thank the Independent Tribunal Into Forced Organ Harvesting for their important work. It is thanks to their efforts that the evidence and trut…

3

May

2022

EN Speech

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The follow up of the Conference on the Future of Europe (debate)

Madam President, the Conference on the Future of Europe is an important opportunity to work together to find creative solutions to make Europe deliver for our citizens. With the social, economic and geopolitical consequences of the pandemic, of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and of the growing assertiveness of the Chinese Communist Party, we must ensure that Europe is capable of facing the m…

2

May

2022

EN Speech

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Mr President, dear colleagues, more than half a million people have now been forcibly deported from Ukraine to Russia, including over 120 000 children. Moreover, from Russia-occupied territories, some 2 300 children have been kidnapped in order to be adopted by Russian families. These forced deportations and moving of people to transitory camps, where they are vulnerable and live in appalling cond…

2

May

2022

EN Speech

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EU strategy to promote education for children in the world (short presentation)

Mr President, dear colleagues, education is fundamental for future global development, and also for the strengthening of human dignity itself. That is why it is crucial that in our development aid, the EU and its Member States redouble efforts to support education around the world. At the same time, we must ensure that the standards are in line with our values and carefully monitor any attempts to…

2

May

2022

EN Speech

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Persecution of minorities on the grounds of belief or religion (short presentation)

Mr President, from Nigeria to China, the state of religious freedom continues to deteriorate. From genocide to legal restrictions, hundreds of millions of believers – be they Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, or other groups – are facing terrible suffering every day. While I welcome the EP’s report on the persecution of religious freedom, I cannot help but express my dismay at the way this report ha…

6

Apr

2022

EN Speech

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Increasing repression in Russia, including the case of Alexey Navalny

Mr President, as the Kremlin continues to engage in aggression and war crimes in Ukraine, it is also turning increasingly repressive at home. Nearly 16 000 people have now been detained for peacefully protesting against Putin’s aggression – like the brave Yelena Osipova, survivor of the siege of Leningrad, whose only crime was carrying a placard saying ‘peaceful and honest Russia for all’. We cann…

5

Apr

2022

EN Speech

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Outcome of the EU-China Summit (1 April 2022) (debate)

Mr President, more than three decades since the end of the Cold War, the free world once again faces a struggle: a struggle between freedom and democracy on the one hand and oppression and authoritarianism on the other. As I stated multiple times in this Chamber, it is time to stop closing our eyes and falsely believe that dialogue and economic interdependence will help us to transform non—democra…

4

Apr

2022

EN Speech

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Mr President, after horrifying images from Mariupol, Bucha, Irpin and other areas, we see more and more crimes committed every day. Bombing of civilian areas, killing of innocent people, rape, torture, looting, forced deportation of people to Russia. This is the true nature of Putin’s special operation, not a liberation, as Kremlin propaganda lies day after day, but a scene of brutal war crimes. A…

23

Mar

2022

SK Speech

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Madam President, Putin's aggression against Ukraine has been causing horrors and suffering for almost a month. Millions of people, mainly mothers, children and the elderly, have been forced to seek refuge in EU Member States. Evacuations are becoming more and more difficult, all the more so when it comes to vulnerable groups. Nearly 3 million people with disabilities live in Ukraine, of whom more …

9

Mar

2022

SK Speech

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A new EU strategic framework on health and safety at work post 2020 (continuation of debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, first of all, I would like to emphasise the importance of the new strategic framework for health and safety at work. This framework represents an important milestone in the protection of workers, which is more than necessary due to major changes in the labour market due to digitalisation, demographic changes, but also due to the pandemic. Faced with new conditions, we a…

8

Mar

2022

SK Speech

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The deterioration of the situation of refugees as a consequence of the Russian aggression against Ukraine (debate)

Mr President, how we respond today to Putin's aggression against Ukraine and its people will define what kind of world we will live in. Today, Ukraine is fighting for our shared values, freedom and democracy, and we must do everything we can to end this aggression and the heartbreaking human tragedy. Hundreds of thousands of women and children are fleeing the threat of war. Hundreds of thousands o…

8

Mar

2022

EN Speech

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Foreign interference in all democratic processes in the EU (debate)

Madam President, for the first time in decades, Europe is facing a wide—scale war. This is also highlighting the failure to remain consistent with our values. For too long, we were naive, falsely believing that by engaging with authoritarian and totalitarian regimes, we can change them. Today, we see the consequences of this naivety. Instead, these regimes have been seeking to corrupt our democrat…

16

Feb

2022

SK Speech

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One youth, one Europe (topical debate)

Madam President, the situation of young people has deteriorated significantly during the pandemic. Many of them were hit by the measures at the time they were looking for their first job. Others have lost the opportunity to study or intern abroad. This was compounded by social distancing, the impossibility of sports or culture, and the long months spent behind computers. Education has been moved o…

20

Jan

2022

SK Speech

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Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the European Union (continuation of debate)

Madam President. We have here the first plenary session of this year, when the election of the new leadership of the European Parliament is the dominant agenda. Congratulations to Roberta! I wish you strong decisions, strength in values and wisdom in decisions. Therefore, there is less space for an ordinary agenda. And all the more incomprehensible is the fact that the topic of so-called sexual an…

19

Jan

2022

EN Speech

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Violations of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong

Mr President, let me begin by thanking my colleagues from across this House on excellent cooperation in drafting this resolution on the worsening human rights situation in Hong Kong. Our cooperation is a testimony to the strong cross-party consensus on standing with the people of Hong Kong. The latest worrying developments show how the PRC is stifling the life and the soul of the freedom-loving pe…

19

Jan

2022

SK Speech

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Digital Services Act (continuation of debate)

Mr President. I am very pleased that today we are discussing this legislative milestone towards a safer and more ethical digital environment with clear rules that protect the user. Because the Digital Services Act is clearly such a step. From many sources and evidence, we can see that the online world, if it does not have clear rules, can be very toxic for all of us, but especially for our young g…

16

Dec

2021

EN Speech

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Forced labour in the Linglong factory and environmental protests in Serbia

Mr President, the Linglong tyre factory construction is emblematic of the current growing impact of China’s economic footprint in Serbia and across the Western Balkans. We observe the potentially devastating impact of these projects on the wider environment and on human rights, as well as the surrounding population, all covered under a veil of non-transparency. This extremely sad situation highlig…

16

Dec

2021

EN Speech

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Continuous crackdown on civil society and human rights defenders in Russia: the case of human rights organisation Memorial

Madam President, let me begin by thanking my colleagues on this important and timely resolution. The crimes of communism continue to reverberate and haunt Europe. For many of us whose countries were subject to communist rule and whose families have suffered persecution for our belief in freedom and human dignity, the memory of this brutal regime is not only something in the past. It is something w…

14

Dec

2021

EN Speech

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Situation at the Ukrainian border and in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine (debate)

Madam President, the escalation at the Ukrainian border and in Russian—occupied territories of Ukraine is but the latest of a series of actions undertaken by the Kremlin which seriously undermine peace and democracy in Europe. It is indeed the biggest challenge to European security since the end of the Cold War. Dear colleagues, we can no longer afford to stand by and watch this crisis unfold. In …

23

Nov

2021

EN Speech

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Situation in Belarus and at its border with the EU and the security and humanitarian consequences (debate)

Madam President, colleagues, Europe is facing a crisis. This is not a migrant crisis as we witnessed before, it is a major challenge to European peace and security orchestrated by autocratic regimes. Moreover, it is not an isolated act. We are facing disinformation, cyber attacks, blackmail through energy supplies and military build-ups at our borders. We must do our utmost to ensure that the curr…

10

Nov

2021

SK Speech

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The European Education Area: a shared holistic approach (debate)

Mr President. As shadow rapporteur for the EMPL opinion, I appreciate that the report reflects our priorities for education while preserving the principle of subsidiarity. I would also like to thank my colleague Šojdrová for this balance. Education should not be geared solely towards employment. Education should primarily serve the personal development of a person and be adapted to his individual …

19

Oct

2021

EN Speech

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EU-Taiwan political relations and cooperation (debate)

Mr President, let me begin by thanking colleagues across this House on working together to produce a report that sends a strong message to support our Taiwanese friends. Taiwan is a democratic ally facing unprecedented pressure from the totalitarian Chinese Communist Party. As a result, Taiwan’s democracy, economic achievements and regional and perhaps global security are all at stake. We must sta…

5

Oct

2021

EN Speech

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The situation in Belarus after one year of protests and their violent repression (continuation of debate)

Mr President, for over a year now, the people of Belarus have been suffering under a worsening regime. Today, there are over 700 political prisoners, including my good friend and co-Chair of the Belarusian Christian Democrats, Paval Sieviaryniec, who has now spent 10 years in and out of Lukashenko’s horrific prisons. Paval’s father has died of Covid in a hospital last week and Paval was not given …