Speeches

I understand that you, like me, have read the report and you know that this report attacks those people who criticize or question the gender perspective, that we are not other people who think that we must give value to life and also to the family, that we protect this. We are called anti-gender movements and it is said that you have to fight. You make that interpretation that someone attacks your rights, I talk about what you put in the report. This report says that we must fight against me, against movements that defend something as basic as life or family. It just puts it in the report. That's my complaint, that's what I based my intervention on.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, what are the values of the European Union? I'm serious about this question. We talk about gender, climate, the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, but none of these concepts are included in our Charter of Fundamental Rights. This report shows very clearly the ideological drift of the European Union, with a transformation of values that has nothing to do with the originals. It is a vision of rights that erodes such essential principles as the right to life, equality between men and women, security, privacy or freedom of conscience and expression when it does not fit with the so-called majority current. Not only are principles attacked, but the people, organizations and countries that legitimately uphold them are also attacked. It claims to fight against anti-gender movements, that is, against those who are in favour of life and family – life and family. Persecution is spoken of, but Christians are omitted, which is the most persecuted religion in the world and the foundation of the original values of the European project. Let us recover the true content of these rights, which was none other than protecting all of us, especially the most vulnerable.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, this Holy Week we have once again lamented episodes of violence and death against Christian communities, which continue to increase every year. In Jos, Nigeria, at least twenty-seven people were killed on Palm Sunday. And it is not an isolated fact: Although it is a country where a large part of the population is Christian, two out of five Christians are persecuted there for their faith. What is most troubling is that the attacks receive neither the attention nor the recognition they deserve. Not even in this House; excuses such as lack of resources or climate change are invented. It is essential to call things by their name: Denying this persecution silences their suffering and exposes all Christians to experience aggression in the world. In fact, it is eroding the foundation of the European project itself, of our culture, with Christian roots. Even in the Holy Land, the cradle of Christianity, there have also been difficulties in the normal exercise of worship, reflecting the fragility of freedom of faith when the environment is convulsive. Let us remember that Christians are agents of dialogue, of concord, and an essential part in the construction of a true and lasting peace in the world.

Madam President, Commissioners, ladies and gentlemen, we all deserve love, respect and dignified accompaniment, without pressure or physical or psychological abuse, of course. But this citizens' initiative tries to pursue any intervention that is not exclusively aimed at favoring a reaffirmation. This puts at risk any accompaniment, both professionals and educators and parents, out of fear. This fear can prevent a necessary orientation, especially in crucial and changing stages of life, where doubts and very varied needs that must be met can be expected to arise. This role cannot be played by anyone, let alone someone from an NGO with an ideological vision in a ten-minute conversation. Accompaniment from respect favors free decisions. Undoubtedly, what does not help is that only an irreversible path is accepted, such as hormonal therapies or surgical interventions in children. Isn't this pressure too? Do not say that it does not happen: you know that there are people – many – who have repented. We condemn any abuse and ensure freedom, prudence and safety in the accompaniment of those in need.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the tragedy of the trains in Adamuz, Spain, reminded us of something very simple: Behind every news story are lives, families and entire villages that are forever scarred. Among the victims were Cordoban, Huelva, Andalusian families, and in Andalusia death is lived with deep pain, yes, but also with a hope that is part of the lives of many people, the hope that is born of faith. That's why that funeral was so overwhelming: In the midst of the tragedy, families set an example of dignity, integrity and hope. But it also exposed something we see too often: a government that does not understand, that ignores, how we live, how we suffer and how we Spaniards expect. And perhaps the families and their grief reminded us of something that politics should never forget: That every person's life is sacred and that hope is what allows a people to rise even in the midst of tragedy. Andalucia is a believer, and it is by embracing the cross that we find comfort: In the words of Nati, the victim of the accident, at Adamuz's Catholic funeral. We ask for respect for our faith because it is part of us.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, International Women's Day is a form of recognition of equality in rights and dignity; also of the importance of our participation in all spheres of social life. The funny thing is that it is celebrated very differently in each country. In places like Poland, women receive bouquets and flowers and thanks. In others, it becomes a day of screaming, confrontation and even vandalism, trying to impose an ideology that sees love as a threat, motherhood, slavery, work, oppression. It is a rhetoric that many do not understand and that does not respond to our concerns: make ends meet, start a family, have a job, have a place to live, feel safe online, at home, but also on the street. In Spain, for example, Sánchez's government claims to be the most feminist in history, but rapes have increased by 288% since her term began. Let's return to an inspiring, uncomplex vision of who we are: professionals, mothers, wives, daughters, sisters, friends; all unique, with a place in the world, but without facing it.

Madam President, Mrs Mînzatu, ladies and gentlemen, the situation of European families is very worrying. Why? Well, to a large extent, because of the bad decisions made here: increase in the bills of the shopping basket, energy, housing, destruction of jobs. However, there is an anti-poverty strategy that does not speak once of correcting the policies that have brought us here. The social hecatomb that was going to be generated after the green transition was known, but the rhetoric of wealth sharing, systemic injustices, subsidies, minimum wages, which is typical of the rapporteur Oliveira - a communist MEP - continues, but it is astonishing that it has been supported by the majority of this House, even by the EPP Group in the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. Talking about more social benefits and increasing spending without generating wealth is counterproductive, it causes more and more poverty, which generates a spiral of misery and growth. For this reason, our group has presented a text with a different vision. Prosperity is not created with agendas imposed from Brussels, but by supporting those who have initiatives – autonomous or small and medium-sized enterprises –, they are the ones who generate jobs. Taxes and bureaucratic burdens that impede the viability of projects, including successful ones – how many companies have closed in the last decade? – must be reduced and the prestige of the irreplaceable work of the family as a generator of life, care, education, but also a dynamizer of the economy must be restored. The best social policy is to generate employment and defend the stability of the family. While others propose more spending, centralisation and ideology, we stand for freedom, responsibility and real opportunities for Europeans to own our future. This is the real anti-poverty strategy. Everything else is repeating the mistakes of the past.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, today it is proposed that, as a result of the green transition, the digital transition and demographic changes, our labour market and our social cohesion are under enormous pressure. Well, yes, it's really worrying: Families don't make ends meet. How many are out of work? The shopping basket is unbearable today, but who brought us here? Who has made the political decisions? Because those who have created these problems intend to solve them with the same ideological drift that caused them, which chronifies and aggravates the situation even more. Some of us have tried to avoid the constant attack on our primary sector and our industry; job and talent opportunities have been pushed out, and now we are surprised that the labour market does not work, that young people do not find stable jobs, that they lack qualified profiles. And then the education system is pointed out, when the education systems have also been ideologized, instead of having opted for excellence, technical training and real adaptation to the labor market. The consequences are clear: the destruction of the labour market and an increasingly impoverished, subsidy-dependent society. Two days ago, the directive on a just transition in the world of work was voted 'no' in this House. Therefore, less we want a regulation, call it whatever you call it, even if you put a nice name on it. We call on the Commission to stop using the excuse of the European Pillar of Social Rights to meddle in national competences, spend more and legislate more, because what we need is just the opposite: spend better and eliminate the excessive burdens that are drowning us. Only in this way will we naturally regain our capacity for initiatives to emerge and create a prosperous future.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the line taken by the European Union in recent years has made us lose our autonomy in something as essential as the supply of medicines. Recovering it requires a profound change of mentality, a real commitment to a solid, competitive industrial fabric that guarantees our own production, and that is not achieved with demands, but with communication and collaboration. In order for the Essential Medicines Regulation to be a tool, clarity needs to be improved. Definitions cannot be ambiguous. What does the concept of medicinal product of common interest mean? We already see the intention to use it to meddle in national legislation. What is required? Who decides? How is it applied? What will be its real impact? Answers are lacking, and experience shows us that excessive loads, such as environmental ones, generate the opposite effect to the desired one. If we do not guarantee profitability and legal certainty, there will be no investment, and deciding solely on the basis of price has led us to the fact that the cheap has been expensive for us. Investing in health is investing in security and prosperity.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, in Nigeria the educational system is largely sustained by the action of the Church and her congregations, thus providing training and opportunities for children of all faiths. Today, many of these schools are closed due to insecurity. Kidnappings are common. Less than a month ago, 300 students from St. Mary's Catholic school were kidnapped with their teachers: Imagine the desperation of parents to see how they take their child at gunpoint. Half of Nigeria's population is Christian, but they have been persecuted for their faith for more than twenty years: in 2023, at Christmas Mass, a massacre; attacks on Christian villages by Islamist armed groups such as Fulani or Boko Haram, which have state-of-the-art weapons. Who provides them? We know that the authorities do little or nothing to prevent it from happening. They react insufficiently and look for rocky excuses such as climate change or the lack of resources to not recognize that it is a cruel persecution against Christians. Worst of all, these excuses are also heard in this house. The motion for a resolution that we shall be voting on tomorrow is again lukewarm. It does not recognize that it is a persecution against Christians, it dilutes it among other conflicts. Displacement of persons does not justify genocide. Or is it? Look, look at how the U.S. statement worked. With excuses Christians are unprotected, we expose them to greater threats. We need a strong solution.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, autonomy in the production of medicines is a matter of safety. And we have committed it for lack of support for an essential sector that is also a source of prosperity and jobs. We have the talent, we are still leaders in publications, but we do not know how to carry out the transfer to technology. We must guarantee our own infrastructure in Europe, creating the environment to be productive. We encourage dialogue, we truly believe in the environment where innovation can take place. Regular backs to the sector can lead to even more shortages. Let's measure the impact of the measures well. There will be no investment in Europe without legal certainty. Let's reduce bureaucratic burdens. Let's give value to those who risk and have initiative: in the case of pharmacological innovation, it is synonymous with hope for those who need it most.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I am surprised, indeed, that the situation in Sudan is analysed without the Commission mentioning that it has a religious component. Radical Islamism is once again responsible for the greatest atrocities. The killing of El Fasher can be seen from satellite imagery. In this horror, Christians and other religious communities are living through two wars: that of the conflict itself and, moreover, that of the intensification of persecution for their faith. More than a hundred churches have been attacked, burned, damaged by religious extremists, who take advantage of the situation of chaos to increase abuses. There are kidnappings, murders, sexual violence. Christians are forced to leave, discriminated against even from humanitarian aid. They are denied food and health care for religious reasons, when precisely before it was the Christian congregations that gave aid indistinctly. I wonder why the European Union does not raise its voice for our Christian brothers. This silence leaves them helpless and exposed to horror. And, in addition, we stop pointing out the threat that radical Islamism is to everyone, wherever they are.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, life is an unavailable gift and the dignity of the human being is inviolable. Are we respecting this principle? I ask them: Are we not increasingly accepting attacks on the integrity of the person – even legally – in order to satisfy individual wishes or interests? Right to decide on my body or on my life, right to be parents, self-determination ... although they disguise themselves as new rights, they contradict the natural right, degrading people as an object, even of trade or discard: people as a means to an end – in surrogacy or prostitution, but also in abortion or euthanasia, among others. Can an assault be legitimate because there is consent or payment? Never. This logic acts as a weapon against the most vulnerable – including ourselves – and against society, and destroys at its root the protection that human rights should provide us with.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, when we talk about mental health, we understand that there is a psychosocial, emotional and even cultural dimension. We know that family stability, childhood development, affective environment and habits are essential factors for health. But we cannot forget that there are also conditions of the brain and central nervous system that are congenital or that have a genetic component, such as some types of sclerosis and ataxias or autism. Others affect neurological development and are degenerative throughout life, such as migraine, epilepsy or ALS. Trauma can also occur. That is why we need to take a more holistic approach in Europe that broadens our eyes: expand the scope of this topic to what is understood as brain health. Millions of people live with neurological diseases; Many are rare, invisible and poorly understood diseases that also need attention. Let's go beyond what is meant by mental health, where many pathologies may not be being addressed: promote research, prevention and rehabilitation and ensure the active participation of affected people, their families and carers. Only in this way can we speak of a Europe that takes full care of people's health and dignity.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the President of the Commission is a woman, that of Parliament, Commissioners, all of you. For what? To continue fostering an ideology that betrays us as women, that denies our identity, confronts us with man and victimizes us? This statement does not once mention the word motherhood. Look, it's hard talking about a woman. The concern is that women will contribute to GDP. Yes, yes, let's not stop working for a single day. Because we want to? How many times by obligation... with two salaries you do not reach the end of the month. Where is that freedom they promised? We are promised, we are put in the unfair situation of having to give up a life, to fall in love, to get married, to start a family. What I'm saying! This they try to show us as a setback: have children, take care of them, take care of them, love them. Love that is then returned to society in every way. This statement of the wonderful and necessary contribution of the family, which is also not mentioned, is forgotten. And other serious attacks on the dignity of women are ignored, such as female genital mutilation, forced marriages, prostitution, surrogacy. Unfortunately, all of them are a reality in Europe.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, in Afghanistan, as we have seen in the recent earthquakes, women cannot be cared for by a man, even if it is to save their lives. Why? For where the law of the Shariah a man is prohibited from touching a woman other than his wife or close relative. To the point of letting them die. It is a clear example of how women are treated, but not only in Afghanistan. They know very well what lies behind this cruel mentality. How is women treated in Pakistan, in Saudi Arabia, in so many countries in sub-Saharan Africa? In Iran, at least three hundred and two women have been executed since 2007. Afghan or Iranian women need recognition in this house of what, surprisingly, feminism denies, which is self-evident. They need us to act without complexes before the ideology that denigrates the dignity of women wherever it is applied, which is only radical Islamism. An ideology that is invading Europe without resistance and that puts us at equal risk to women here. Because a man who doesn't respect women in Afghanistan doesn't do it in Brussels either.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, today more than three hundred and eighty million Christians are being persecuted in the world. But look in the globalist media: They'll find little. They are silent against totalitarian powers, corrupt powers that are imposed by force, that attack the dignity and freedom of the people. Powers that try to end the Christian faith because they know that it is a source of fullness, harmony, forgiveness, stability and peace. A peace they seek to destroy. That is why Christianity is the most persecuted religion on the five continents. Nigeria, Congo, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, China, North Korea, Pakistan, India, Nicaragua, Cuba... could go on. Our brothers are being massacred, in their homes, in their church. During this year, in Nigeria, an average of thirty-two Christians a day. It's not a statistic, it's a dramatic thing. And Europe does not want to acknowledge it, it does not condemn it. Moreover, it denies its Christian roots, ridicules them and opens wide the doors to radical, anti-Christian mentalities and ideologies that justify these massacres or sometimes commit them even on our own soil.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, Alzheimer's affects millions of people across Europe, about one million in Spain alone. Behind each figure there is a person, a family, memories that, little by little, are going out, and these figures could double in the coming decades if we do not act decisively. And today we know how: with an early diagnosis and access to innovative treatments, without forgetting the integral support to the sick and their caregivers, which must become fundamental pillars of our action. In many cases families go through, in solitude, difficult situations that deplete their resources, both material and emotional. It is very hard to have to stop sharing things with a loved one in the same way as before the disease: Even if the relationship changes, his presence is deeper and more valuable than ever, because it transcends what he does or what he says. They may forget, but we can't: We don't want to forget about them. We therefore ask the Commission for a clear European investment commitment for research into this type of disease and we applaud the efforts of the scientific teams working in Madrid and Barcelona with already very encouraging results. There are technological advances that allow us to deepen our knowledge of our body – biological mechanisms – and thus know the causes and get the treatments right, but also with prevention and diagnosis. There are many factors that affect our brain health. Every time we live with more anxiety, stress or depression and we see how the incidence of other neurological diseases increases, not only Alzheimer's, but also epilepsy, chronic migraines, dementia or bipolar disorder. These already account for 35% of diseases in Europe today and generate an economic impact of more than €800 billion per year in the European Union. However, there are still many of them that remain invisible and, therefore, there is no coordinated strategy to address them, either from a medical, social or occupational point of view. Suffering from a neurological disease can mean uncertainty - one day being out of the game and, the next day, almost normally - an oscillation that wears out, because it involves reorganizing plans around unpredictable health. Those affected also face a stigma, because all this happens in a society where it seems that the value of people is measured by their productivity, as if our worth is something that must be demonstrated. This multiplies the pressure they feel, and is troubling because, somehow, the infinite dignity of every human being is questioned according to their circumstances. We must aim for Europe to remain an area of protection of life and human rights, an area of science and innovation where investment in health and care never ceases to be a priority.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the failure of green policies was demonstrated during the last term of office. The ballot boxes were clear in calling for a rectification, but the Commission still ignores this and again uses the pretext of an alleged environmentalism to further stifle, if possible, a key sector for Spain and Europe: the automotive industry. This regulation not only adds obstacles and bureaucracy to our manufacturers and dismantlers: mortgage our competitiveness and our ability to generate employment. These plastic recycling targets are impracticable and clash with the technical reality to make safe vehicles and, also, at a reasonable price, because this not only makes the purchase of a vehicle more expensive, but also puts restrictions on individuals to be able to make repairs. Let's give companies space to be able to deploy their creativity: When there has been freedom, we have been leaders in innovation. Let's respect people's right to choose how to move. We want cars that are safe, that we can pay for, that last, and not cars with an expiration date.