Speeches

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 we must continue to remember and remind the future generations, so that such crimes are not repeated again. My own members of the family were killed, sent to forced labour camps and prosecuted by the communists. It is in this context that the work of Memorial has been so important in documenting the crimes of one of the most murderous regimes in history – the crimes it has committed against people in the Soviet Union and beyond. Dear colleagues, Memorial was established in 1989 by Andrei Sakharov and others – that was still in the days of the Soviet Union. It is ironic that an organisation that was able to exist even in the last years of the Soviet Union, still under the grip of the Communist Party, is being labelled and forced to close down by today’s regime in the Kremlin. The regime of Vladimir Putin is not only trying to whitewash the history of the Soviet Union, but also we can see attempts to rehabilitate Stalin, one of the most brutal murderers in history. These steps tell us a lot about the kind of regime we are dealing with in the Kremlin today: corrupt, oppressive and willing to abuse and manipulate history for its own ends. This tragic history is our shared history. And if we don’t stop these attempts, it might have serious consequences for us all.

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 doing so, we may sleepwalk into a potential conflict over which we will have no control. I welcome the current resolution of this House, and its consistent position. But what we need now is unity among the EU leaders as a cornerstone of any meaningful response. It is time for EU leaders to use the upcoming Council meeting to set aside narrow interests and work, united with our allies, to address the current crisis. Because united we have the leverage and the right tools to deter the Kremlin from any further deterioration and destabilisation. Dear colleagues, the current crisis is serious, but it is still not beyond our control. Only united and resolute will we be able to send a clear message to the Kremlin that we will use all our means to protect peace and security, and that we reject a return to spheres of influence and any attempts to undermine our democracies.

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 current crisis does not escalate. We need to send a strong message to the autocrats in Minsk and Moscow, who are oppressing their own people at home, profiteering from the misfortune of others, and undermining peace and security in Europe. We must reject appeasement, which will only serve those who are encouraging those seeking to divide and weaken us. We must adopt the fifth package of sanctions as soon as possible and show that such destabilising acts will have consequences. In this, I welcome ongoing coordination with our transatlantic allies. And, finally, we must continue to uphold security and defence spending commitments and thus ensure that we are able to deter those seeking to undermine peace and security in Europe.

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 needs. Whether in the context of inclusiveness for persons with disabilities, retraining for job loss or wishing to further develop in older age. That is why, in addition to focusing on professional specialisations, we should also focus on so-called transversal skills, such as media literacy, critical thinking, intercultural and interreligious competences. I see this concept of the European Education Area as an opportunity to abandon the established view of education. Let us open up the possibility of developing for all, regardless of age, special needs or socio-economic conditions, because only in this way can we create a society that is resilient to change and provides equal opportunities.

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 stand with Taiwan, but we must also develop and strengthen our relations. First, in a world where totalitarian regimes are becoming increasingly assertive, defending democracy is no longer enough. We must take democracy on the offensive. Where there remains instinctive desire for freedom and self-determination is suffering. And secondly we must strengthen our economic cooperation. Today, Taiwan is an important investor in many of our countries, and there is huge potential for cooperation in areas such as manufacturing of semiconductors or the development of 5G networks. It is high time to start negotiating an EU—Taiwan bilateral investment agreement.

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 the chance to see him. The only crime that Paval and others like him have committed, is wishing to see their country sovereign, democratic and prosperous. The stories we hear every day are of fear, terror and torture. Despite the fact that Lukashenko has been terrorising the people of Belarus now for almost three decades, we have kept engaging in dialogue with the authoritarian regime. Let the situation in Belarus be our lesson. It is time to ensure that our external actions are consistent with our values. We must maximise our political and economic pressure against Lukashenko and his associates, including by adopting an additional fifth package of sanctions. (Exclamation in Bielarusian)

Mr President, the transatlantic bond remains the bedrock of the free world. Today, new totalitarian and authoritarian regimes are threatening our freedom, notably the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The CCP is oppressing its people and it is challenging our freedom and democracy around the world through hybrid threats. Despite the naïve beliefs of some, there is no third way between standing with our allies and extending trade cooperation with a totalitarian regime. Only by working together can we address the malign influence, protect freedom and democracy, and ensure our future prosperity. This is why I welcome the EU—US Dialogue on China. We must also not forget about those whose freedom and dignity is denied every day. For this, an ambitious transatlantic democracy support agenda is absolutely vital. Europe must do its part, and we must work together with our closest ally. Only then can we address the greatest challenges we face today globally.

Mr President, the right to petition is one of the fundamental rights of every citizen and its functioning is important for participatory democracy itself. Every year, many petitions concern precisely the status of persons with disabilities in the European Union. They point to the obstacles they face on a daily basis, inaccessibility or discrimination. Based also on these petitions, we are able to respond in a more targeted way to their real needs in our policies. And although the right to petition is declared for everyone, its use is linked to how accessible the petition processes themselves are. It is also important to inform citizens in this regard, but also to ask how many people can actually exercise this right. That is why, once again, I would like to call on us not only to remain ambitious in ensuring the accessibility of the right to petition, but also of all other areas, but to move on to action. Let us implement properly and timely adopted legislation, such as the Web Accessibility Directive and the Audiovisual Directive. Let's stop hiding behind the many exceptions to the adopted accessibility rules. Last but not least, let's use all available finance, innovation, digitalisation and technological advances to make our society inclusive, barrier-free and ensure full participation for everyone.

Madam President, across the world communist totalitarianism is responsible for some of the worst crimes in human history. These crimes are real and they are still occurring today. Let us not forget that many European states still continue to suffer the consequences of communist totalitarianism – murder, terror and oppression, communities destroyed, families torn apart, no basic freedoms. These are but some of the deepest traumas left upon us. My great uncle, Páter Mikuláš Lexmann, died in a communist forced labour camp for priests. Before, he was saving the lives of Jews during World War Two. My other family members were forced to work in mines as forced labour, and I grew up in a society unable to exercise the very same liberties which we today take for granted. As countless millions across Europe, and indeed the world, longed for freedom, so do the people of Hong Kong today. As President Ronald Reagan said: ‘In the communist world men’s instinctive desire for freedom and self-determination suffers again and again.’ The people of Hong Kong prize their freedoms and liberties and I admire their boldness and determination. They cherished the high degree of autonomy which, just 24 years ago, the Chinese Communist Party had pledged to uphold. The CCP has reneged on the promises to the people of Hong Kong and it has reneged on its international obligations. Across mainland China, and now in Hong Kong, it has imposed a cruel regime which is growing more oppressive every day. The UK Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, in their latest report on the human rights situation in China, noted that the darkness deepens. The CCP is engaging in the worst human rights abuses since the Tiananmen Square massacre. The free world cannot stand by and so, on the centenary of the Chinese Communist Party, in words and in deeds, let us send a strong message that we stand with the people of Hong Kong. We stand with all victims of CCP terror and oppression and with freedom-loving people everywhere. We cannot remain silent or pretend that what is happening in Hong Kong or across mainland China does not concern us. Today, in the interconnected world, we have a moral obligation to do our utmost for the people across the world and at least make them free to determine their own destiny.

Madam President, the EU’s Magnitsky Act represents an important foreign policy instrument that allows us to defend the values and principles on which our Union was founded and to punish those who are responsible for human rights abuses. However, I believe that it is absolutely essential that the sanctions regime also target economic and financial enablers of these human rights abuses. This is why the Member States must urgently expand the scope of the EU Magnitsky Act by drawing on the US Global Magnitsky Act and include acts of corruption within the instrument. All too often oligarchs or representatives of oppressive regimes launder money through our European cities, use the money stolen from their own people to repress them, as well as to corrupt and interfere in our democratic processes. Using the Magnitsky Act to go after the money will not only help people who wish to live in free societies, but it will also make our own free societies more resilient.

Madam President, European society is ageing. This development was preceded by complex causes that resulted in lower birth rates, but also the outflow of young people from some areas. Unfortunately, we did not respond in time with supportive policies. Today we see the growing effect of so-called sandwich parents, who, alongside children, find it difficult to manage the care of their parents because we do not have the necessary infrastructure. It's 12 o'clock. To adopt effective policies for ageing well, older people need access to healthcare and care services, but also to lifelong learning. Of course, a well-designed family policy and a fair assessment of childcare in the pension system are absolutely crucial. It is also important to highlight the great potential of new digital assistive technologies, which can significantly help seniors to live independently. The dignity of the lives of our parents and grandparents is our mirror.