Speeches

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, we have been hearing for decades about gender equality and millions supposedly intended to improve women's lives, but this spending has not been focused on something as important as our health. We have seen campaigns aimed many times at social engineering, while the real problems that affect so many women, such as endometriosis, remain completely invisible. One in ten women suffers from this disease, with severe and chronic pain and infertility. However, there is no effective early diagnosis. The investment is insufficient to achieve effective treatments. I ask him the following: Why not allocate spending on ideology to research on diseases that affect women? Over the last decade, the European Union has invested more than €400 billion in projects related to gender equality and the promotion of gender equality policies. Where is the political urgency when the pain is real and not just a slogan? Let us recognize that little has been invested, but, of course, what can we expect when it comes to an ideology that cannot agree even on a definition for what it means to be a woman? A clear reorientation of EU public funds is vital and urgent. Women need real solutions to real problems. This disease affects millions of women in Europe and represents an estimated annual cost of €30 billion in sick leave alone. I'm sure every woman would appreciate an in-depth look at the causes, prevention and treatment. The incidence continues to increase and it is not yet known what factors may be affecting this.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, we have been hearing for decades about gender equality and millions supposedly intended to improve women's lives, but this spending has not been focused on something as important as our health. We have seen campaigns aimed many times at social engineering, while the real problems that affect so many women, such as endometriosis, remain completely invisible. One in ten women suffers from this disease, with severe and chronic pain and infertility. However, there is no effective early diagnosis. The investment is insufficient to achieve effective treatments. I ask him the following: Why not allocate spending on ideology to research on diseases that affect women? Over the last decade, the European Union has invested more than €400 billion in projects related to gender equality and the promotion of gender equality policies. Where is the political urgency when the pain is real and not just a slogan? Let us recognize that little has been invested, but, of course, what can we expect when it comes to an ideology that cannot agree even on a definition for what it means to be a woman? A clear reorientation of EU public funds is vital and urgent. Women need real solutions to real problems. This disease affects millions of women in Europe and represents an estimated annual cost of €30 billion in sick leave alone. I'm sure every woman would appreciate an in-depth look at the causes, prevention and treatment. The incidence continues to increase and it is not yet known what factors may be affecting this.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, Europe is blind or perhaps prefers to close its eyes. On June 22, in Damascus, thirty Christians were killed during Sunday Mass in an Islamic terrorist attack. His church – a place of refuge and prayer – became a scene of death and violence. Can an Islamic fundamentalism that has seized power be trusted? Alawites, Druze or Christians, who are examples of reconciliation, suffer unchecked offenses, aggressions, abductions, rapes, massacres for their religion. Let us remember that Christians in Syria have been a fundamental part of the country's history and origins for more than 2,000 years. Today, they are an essential pillar in society, because they offer essential services, such as hospitals, schools and disability care. In 2011 they were 10%, today only 3%. Their persecution and exodus not only threaten Christianity in the region, but also end the hope for a democratic future, stability and peace in the Middle East. But not only there, our spiritual roots are there, the soul of Europe is Christian. To protect you is to protect who we are, to protect our identity, especially in the face of the radical Islamism that many of you...

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, Europe is blind or perhaps prefers to close its eyes. On June 22, in Damascus, thirty Christians were killed during Sunday Mass in an Islamic terrorist attack. His church – a place of refuge and prayer – became a scene of death and violence. Can an Islamic fundamentalism that has seized power be trusted? Alawites, Druze or Christians, who are examples of reconciliation, suffer unchecked offenses, aggressions, abductions, rapes, massacres for their religion. Let us remember that Christians in Syria have been a fundamental part of the country's history and origins for more than 2,000 years. Today, they are an essential pillar in society, because they offer essential services, such as hospitals, schools and disability care. In 2011 they were 10%, today only 3%. Their persecution and exodus not only threaten Christianity in the region, but also end the hope for a democratic future, stability and peace in the Middle East. But not only there, our spiritual roots are there, the soul of Europe is Christian. To protect you is to protect who we are, to protect our identity, especially in the face of the radical Islamism that many of you...

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, one in five children in Europe is sexually abused. Today's adults must be ashamed of us. We are failing them, leaving them unprotected against violent situations that will leave physical, psychological and social consequences that will mark them all their lives. We cannot forget the aggression of exposing minors to pornography. What a child sees, he lives as a real experience, so pornographic content acts as a psychic violation, breaks his innocence and thus affects his cognitive and affective development. This danger is accessible and persecutes them online, hooks them when they are not yet mature, which generates a pathological addiction that is already a public health emergency and also a social poison, because, as children learn by imitating, they will repeat the model they see and thus tend to hypersexualize their relationships, reifying people, especially women. They will return the aggressiveness they have seen on screen. Unfortunately, every click is revenue. 12% of pornography visits are by minors. We must persecute those who profit from the dignity and health of our children.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, Europe cannot look the other way when we talk about excellence in health. Our culture has always been oriented towards the development of science and the humanities. We have trained generations of talented researchers and healthcare professionals, guided by a commitment to the common good. We have a responsibility of leadership, not only by capacity, but also by principles, so that health is guided by the desire to heal, to protect life, to accompany and alleviate suffering, so that it is at the service of the person, and not of interests alien to it. It is essential to remember that cancer claims the lives of almost 1.3 million people in the European Union every year. Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death and neurological disorders affect more than seven million people. We must, like Europe, move forward together, sharing good practices between Member States. Let us bet on a Europe of cooperation, exchanging effective experiences and supporting each other, always taking into account the particularities and needs of each country. The next few years may be revolutionary for medicine. New tools – such as biotechnology or personalised medicine – already make it possible for us to face diseases that were previously intractable. However, its potential is limited by a regulatory framework that makes it difficult to transform research into real solutions for patients. SMEs, which lead innovation, are particularly affected, including by a lack of funding in the early stages of development. If we want Europe to move forward in health and innovation, we need a coherent and supportive environment that facilitates investment and accelerates the arrival of new treatments to patients. Of course, an equally clear commitment to care is also required. We have the possibility to offer hopeful options to all those who suffer from diseases, not only in terms of diagnosis and treatment, but also in terms of accompaniment. It is no coincidence that the less life is valued, the more health systems deteriorate. In Spain, we have very serious problems: endless waiting lists, lack of health professionals – and those who need to do marathon work days – thousands of people who die waiting for access to palliative care... But, of course, who's going to want to invest in health if we don't value life? It is frightening to think that there are countries – such as Spain – where the only alternative offered to people with serious illnesses is death, namely euthanasia. We cannot resign ourselves to a health model that measures its effectiveness by costs or ideologies, but by its ability to care, to heal, to deeply respect human life in all its stages. In the face of suffering, our response must be more humanity, more commitment, more investment in health, research and also palliative care. If Europe wants to be a reference in innovation, it must also be a reference in respect for the dignity of the person.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, in 2004, a dozen eggs cost EUR 1.20; Now it's around three. The kilo of tomatoes has gone from 0.9 to 2.50 euros, more than double. More and more families are relying on aid to meet their essential needs. This is the result of the socialist ideology that applies today here in the European Union and also in my country, which has always led us to poverty in every way. They intend to impose scarcity as a lifestyle. Now even electricity is going to be a luxury. After Spain's blackout, there has been no resignation. Take responsibility. This unfortunate situation could have been avoided by making other decisions about energy or green regulations. It's misery disguised as progress. Their collection cravings drown families. Europeans have awakened to these attacks on their dignity and freedom. Comply with the citizens and recognize the electoral turnaround.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, health tourism is a growing trend at international level. More and more people are traveling abroad in search of specific medical treatments, from aesthetic and dental interventions to specialized surgeries. At the same time, the European Union has become a key destination for patients from other countries seeking quality medical care or more convenient legislation as appropriate. Spain, in particular, is among the ten most popular destinations in the world for this type of tourism. Faced with this rising demand, we must leave the European Union. We must look carefully at the matter. Health is a very sensitive issue and these practices, while they can be beneficial, carry significant risks. We must ensure that citizens travelling to countries outside the European Union undergo safe procedures that meet minimum quality standards. There are risks of malpractice with postoperative complications that lead to truly desperate situations. At the same time, when receiving this type of tourism, in our countries we must also pay extreme attention and caution, since just as they can be a source of prosperity, they can also have a very negative impact on the stability of our health systems. Increasingly, the responsiveness of our services is limited, as can be precisely the case in Spain: staff cuts, reduction of beds, delays in medical appointments, endless waiting lists. As we debate the rise of health tourism, the reality is that thousands of citizens face late diagnoses that seriously compromise their treatment and, in many cases, even their lives. We cannot forget the health professionals and the precarious work they suffer: Insufficient salaries, temporary contracts, strenuous working hours and a shortage of staff that is aggravated by the flight of talent. Added to this is the unequal management of services, even within each country, which causes enormous deficiencies in some regions in terms of investment, resources and access to treatment, as is the case in rural areas. All this happens in a context of increasing pressure on the health system. On the one hand, the aging of the population, which demands more care and resources and, on the other hand, uncontrolled immigration, which has triggered the number of patients incorporated into an already saturated system. Many of these new users, being in an irregular situation, do not contribute to the sustainability of the system, but they do generate additional demand that aggravates the lack of resources. The resources of any country are limited. And it's not just an economic problem. Overload prevents quality care from being offered, putting everyone's health at risk. This crisis threatens the right to health care of those who have supported with their work a welfare state that characterizes the European Union and that, ironically, is what makes us attractive to those who seek this assistance from abroad. There is an urgent need to revise the current model. If we do not find a balance between solidarity and sustainability, we run the risk that public health in the Member States, conceived as a universal right, will become a collapsed and unsustainable system. Ensuring fair access and quality care should be a priority.

Mr President, Commission, ladies and gentlemen, life is the beginning of everything and without it we cannot talk about rights. Today I want to give a voice to more than 30 million Europeans suffering from rare diseases, whose right to live and do so with dignity is at stake. Spain ranks 27th out of 33 European countries in access to orphan medicines, with an average approval time of 517 days and a diagnosis that takes an average of five years. Many patients do not have this time. Let's use the resources in well-targeted research, which allows us to know in depth these diseases and, thus, respond with new therapeutic tools and new hopes. This is where the European dimension can make a difference. Let's focus on the patient, guaranteeing their care. Let's support families. Expenses are sometimes unaffordable. There are people who need 24/7 attention. Jordi Sabater, who has been with ELA for ten years, denounces that, in the Spanish State, to whom he cannot cover his care, the only option offered is death, instead of aid to live. Health must be a cross-cutting concern of the political groups, where we are expected to work together, especially from Europe.

Madam President, the Commission's position is really incomprehensible. It speaks of conflicts of a different nature. A far-fetched speech not to mention Christians. Twenty-three killed in March 2025, one woman burned alive, children beheaded, in February seventy Christians beheaded with machete inside a church. It is intolerable that they are not clear, that they do not call things by name. It's a brutal religious persecution. Radical Islam kills our brothers just because they are Christians. Continuous massacres. The excuses that have been mentioned today for not recognizing or denouncing persecution when it comes to Christians are shameful.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, every child has a father and a mother. You have the right to know them and to be cared for by them as much as possible. This regulation jeopardises this natural principle by interfering with family law, over which the European Union has no competence. Under the pretext of simplifying the paperwork of complex situations in itself, it is proposed that everyone can choose legislation at their convenience, forcing countries to accept provisions outside their own law, which would create not only regulatory chaos, but would leave loopholes that can protect illegal practices with serious attacks on the dignity of people, such as surrogacy, illegal adoptions ... There has even been talk here of multiparentality. They know the result of opening these channels: more and more children in undesirable situations and the dangerous normalization of the breakdown of natural ties. The rights of the child are defended by strengthening the family, not by disfiguring it.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the best way to protect employment and workers is to facilitate initiative, to create opportunities, both for employees and for the self-employed. In Spain SMEs make up 99% of the business fabric, many in the agri-food sector, and today they have to combine their intense day to day with coming here to defend themselves from European regulations that can make their activity unfeasible, such as the Regulation on the protection of animals during transport. We are alarmed by the lack of wisdom in the Commission's proposal. Almost one million jobs have also been lost in the automotive sector due to its commitment to the European Green Deal. They know perfectly well the serious social consequences that this transition will have and, even so, it is not rethought. It is regrettable the hypocrisy of the popular, who today take their hands to the head for the loss of competitiveness and jobs, offer statements asking for wisdom, but at the same time continue to vote with socialists in favor of the regulations that are the rope in the neck of the Europeans.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, although the President is a woman, it seems that the Commission does not fully understand our aspirations. We don't hate men. We value family, motherhood, life and being able to take care of our own, as well as being able to develop a professional vocation. We want to be respected and loved, not reified. We would like to be quiet both at home and on the street, and be free. However, we respond with more gender norms that end our prosperity and do not protect us. Women are not protected by spending our money to foster an ideology that denigrates, confuses, victimizes and confronts us, an ideology that is destroying us as a society. Women are not protected by silence in the face of fundamentalisms that respect neither the life nor the dignity of women. Women are not protected when it comes to changing the founding values of the European Union for ideology surprised or Islamism.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, family law falls within the competence of the Member States. The Declaration of the Rights of the Child is clear: Every child has a father and a mother and has the right to know them and to be cared for by them as far as possible. The natural bonds between parents and children must be respected, as they transcend one's own existence: Who am I? Where do I come from?; the beginning of our life in the womb; the bond with our parents... Other forms of paternity interfere with this reality and expose the child and the persons involved not only to serious ethical and legal dilemmas, but also to situations where their own dignity is violated. Ensuring legal certainty for families is legitimate; However, we see how this principle is being instrumentalized to give a new form to the relations between parents and children by transforming them into contractual ones, sometimes even into mercantile ones, such as surrogacy. The human being ceases to be treated as a subject of rights and becomes considered an object of transaction, a consumer good, through the exploitation of women, causing a painful tear with the child and normalizing the rupture of natural ties. The difficult situation in which these children may find themselves must be resolved on a case-by-case basis at national level, not by a general European mechanism such as the certificate of parenthood: this would encourage these practices by exposing more people to this...

Mr Nardella, the simple fact that we are talking about competitiveness, the simple fact that the Commission has to present this Compass demonstrates the failure of the previous mandate. I repeat: the Commission maintains its chairmanship. How is someone who has disoriented us going to help us find our way?

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, this Compass, like Jack Sparrow's, does not point north. Makes us stay in the storm. Industry, the countryside and the citizens have been deceived. A rectification was hinted at in the campaign, but there is no intention of amendment. In the face of the devastating effects of their policies, the answer is always the same: more ambition, more Green Deal, more decarbonisation. We already know the result! Stop trying to run our lives. We don't need more regulation or hindrances. We need freedom to create, to grow and to thrive. In the face of decadence and absolute control, in the face of subsidy culture and confrontation, we are committed to a Europe of opportunities with legal certainty, less bureaucracy and taxes, respect for private property, decent work. Let's encourage initiative. Let's reward talent. Let's trust it. Each of us can contribute to a future of hope. Let's make Europe great again.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, a plant that is not watered dries up. To begin with, very few places are offered to young people to access these studies. It also fosters a culture that does not value life and discredits care, service to others. This is also how the health professions are discredited. It is about breaking the doctor-patient trust; They are intended to impose visions against their vocation to heal people. They are the support of our health systems, but they are overloaded with endless days, without receiving the right conditions or remuneration according to their qualification. Many are forced to leave and those left are broken. About 52% of health workers have at some point suffered from the so-called burnout. This is not the case with other professions. This crisis was coming. And what has been done? It's a time of less ideology and more common sense.

Madam President, Commission, ladies and gentlemen, more than a thousand executions have been carried out in Iran in 2024, including 34 women. It is no coincidence that it is a country where a regime of radical Islamism prevails, whose laws already violate the human rights and dignity of people, especially women. Iran's history has long been marked by major massacres. The police of the terrorist regime of the Ayatollahs kill women by beatings and torture for such trivial things as showing the hair or wearing the shawl badly. It is incomprehensible that, when some of us try to denounce the atrocities of Islamic fundamentalism – which also sneaks into Europe through illegal immigration – we are accused of hate speech. It is precisely the current policies of the European Union in unlimited defense of multiculturalism that legitimize this ideology that commits actions such as the executions we condemn today. I call on the European Union to be forceful in its condemnation of radical Islamism, both inside and outside our borders, in order to definitively defeat criminal regimes such as Iran and thus restore freedom to the Iranian people.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the demographic crisis is yet another symptom of the social and cultural depression we are suffering. An existential pessimism promoted, undoubtedly, by the ideological lines that have been tried to impose from the international institutions in recent years; Among them, a radical feminism that defies a natural order, confronts man and woman, denies motherhood, poses fertility as an inconvenience and gives no value to life. With this lack of common sense, wrong economic policies have also been decided, which have promoted the loss of purchasing power, poverty and the lack of opportunities to start a life and start a family. There are many couples who long to have more children. However, instead of finding support, they see how only immigration and, in addition, uncontrolled immigration is encouraged. There are many Europeans who support political parties like mine - Vox, in Spain - to say what they say here in this House is hate speech. We are proud of our Christian roots and we want to preserve them, we think that the family is the pillar of society, we see the blessing and beauty of each new life, the joy of full parks, young Europeans...

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, Saint John Paul II already predicted that the success of this conference depended on offering a vision of women's true dignity and aspirations. Then there was talk of women and girls. It wasn't questioned who we are, like today. There was talk of equality between women and men, not gender. It defended the empowerment of the role of women in society in accordance with their natural desires, not deforming or losing the unique wealth of our femininity. Because equality doesn't mean looking like man. This impoverishes both us and society. The active participation of man was sought as an ally, not as an enemy. This Recommendation is not true to this original spirit. He presents us as perpetual victims. It makes us feel guilty when we don't choose according to the dictates of radical feminism. It contrasts the well-being of women with the wonderful fact of being able to give life, thus despising fertility and motherhood, as if they were forms of oppression instead of gifts. I invite all of you to offer an inspiring look. Let's accept the beauty of being a woman. Let us recognize that, just by being who we are, we are able to enrich the understanding of the world and truly contribute to the full truth of human relationships. Our society needs us more than ever.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, our priority, the priority of our society ahead of others, as pushed in this House as the green or digital transition, should be to address disability. But we limit ourselves to these debates. The first thing should be to offer minimums to those living with a disability and their families: early care, education, removal of barriers, job opportunities, technological solutions - there is so much to do - but we know this is not the case. We know of cases that should embarrass us. We can not be calm until we know that every person who needs assistance to live receives it without depending on the fact that they can afford the enormous expenses that their day to day entails. It is dramatic that they are even exposed to the gloomy situation of the supposed solidarity of euthanasia. Do they realize the consequences of questioning a person's life?

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the application of the sharia – the basis of the Islamist regime in Iran – is a reality that some here dare not condemn, even leaving it out of the text. Ignoring the role of the sharia distorts the root causes of brutality against women in Iran. I therefore ask you to support the amendment by the Patriots for Europe Group in this regard. Recognizing the causes is not xenophobia, it is essential to save lives, both in the countries of origin and here in Europe. We are also concerned about the open-door policy that matters to Europe. The women of Iran are very clear: We must consider the Islamic Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization and abandon relations with the Iranian regime and listen to the people. Listen to them, to the women. It is women who, with great courage, are pushing for real change for freedom and democracy. This Parliament must abandon its hypocrisy and stand united in the face of this scourge. It is regrettable that due to the demands of the Renew and Greens/EFA Groups we have been excluded from the joint resolution. We will not stand by women if these actions are not carried out.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, energy poverty is a consequence of the policies of this House, supported by many of you, which have made us dependent on third parties or on non-continuous sources. It is a shame that we repeat a presidency of the Commission with an ideological line that has led to misery for families and businesses and that, as you announced today, you will maintain. It is offensive that this presidency has Teresa Ribera, who has not only led Spain to a critical energy situation (she has dismissed herself from her position as minister closing the Almaraz nuclear power plant) but is also responsible for implementing environmental policies that have aggravated the natural catastrophe in Valencia, which has taken more than two hundred lives and could have been prevented. Each state must shape its own energy mix to ensure energy autonomy with an affordable price and abundant supply. Unrealistic targets have been set that do not address the geographical specificities or needs of each region. It is an enormous hypocrisy to hold this debate on energy poverty when there is no intention to correct the causes that cause it.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, today the women of Europe live in fear. It is dramatic an aggression in an environment of trust, as it is not able to live with tranquility in the public space. I want to believe that we are all doing everything we can to prevent this from happening, but, ladies and gentlemen, the reality is that it is not being successful. In Spain, for example, the number of sexual assaults has increased by 14% per year in the last decade. And while, we live with inconsistencies like these: reduction of sentences for people who have committed heinous crimes, complicity with certain aggressors for political expediency, public denunciations incarnated by a kiss and silence in the face of rape in packs. This demonstrates what we have said before: gender ideology is not effective in reducing aggression; He even goes so far as to protect criminals, presenting them as victims of the heteropatriarchy. The aggressor will say that he is violent because the heteropatriarchal system has made him violent and, thus, his individual responsibility for the aggressions committed will be diluted. Sounds like the Spaniards, doesn't it? In my country we have been more than twenty years of Violence against Women Act Rather, it has served to turn women against men, but has not reduced the number of victims. Leave the ideological battle behind and truly stand on the side of women.