What Cyrus spoke about.

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MT Written Statement

Deaths at sea: a common EU response to save lives and action to ensure safe and legal pathways (debate)

If I knew you I would name you by name. But they weren't given a chance. We don't know anything about you, except that you have kept it in life even though it has given you on your face. And we continue to call you illegal. Politics has failed – in your country and even in Europe. Politics has killed you, and you still find someone who keeps stressing on walls. But the walls are only in their hear…

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EN Written Statement

Strengthening democracy, media freedom and pluralism in the EU (debate)

Media freedom is fundamental and we must do our utmost to safeguard and protect free independent media across the EU. In the last years, shocking assassinations across the Union have reminded us that while democracy strengthened with time and technology, freedom of expression remains under attack. The rule of law and good governance are our Union’s fundamental values. Malta and the S&D strongly sh…

25 Apr

2024

EN Speech

Interinstitutional Body for Ethical Standards (debate)

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Madam President, transparency in politics is not only important, but essential. We currently have a system of self-verification, self-regulation at EU level and, Commissioner, we work so hard to fight greenwashing in Europe, we must do the same to fight for transparency and the integrity of all members of all institutions of this European Union. What a shame that governments have chosen to stay ou…

24 Apr

2024

FR Speech

The European Parliament's right of inquiry (debate)

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Mr President, today is a sad 10th anniversary: the refusal of the Council and the Commission to reform Parliament’s rights of inquiry. The attitude of your institutions is totally unacceptable and disrespectful to us, but also to the European citizens who directly elected us. I don't understand what's so innovative or outrageous. This right of inquiry is, however, entirely normal for a Parliament …

23 Apr

2024

EN Speech

EU’s response to the repeated killing of humanitarian aid workers, journalists and civilians by the Israel Defence Forces in the Gaza Strip (debate)

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Madam President, Saifeddin, Zomi, Damian, James Kirby, John, James Henderson and Jacob all killed in a single Israeli airstrike while they were doing their work in Gaza. But we were told that it’s fine. The IDF informed everyone that it was a mistake, so now they expect that all should be forgiven, as if nothing ever happened. But let me send a clear message. We will not be swayed by hollow apolog…

23 Apr

2024

MT Speech

European Disability Card and European Parking Card for persons with disabilities - European Disability Card and European Parking Card for persons with disabilities for third country nationals legally residing in a Member State (joint debate - Disability cards)

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Mr President, Commissioner Dalli, I want to live in a society where the most vulnerable people find our support and support all of us. A society that does not look at what we cannot do but looks at everyone’s abilities and creates a framework where everyone can reach their full potential. I want to thank the rapporteurs for the great work they have done, I, as shadow rapporteur, wanted to see that…

22 Apr

2024

EN Speech

Amending Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims (debate)

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Madam President, as a Parliament, we are strongly united to fight human trafficking and the organised criminal networks that prey on the most vulnerable people across the globe. I believe that all human trafficking should be condemned. Anyone who is forced to do anything against their own will should be considered as a victim and needs our protection in the European Union. I do agree that anyone u…

14 Mar

2024

EN Speech

Inclusion of the right to abortion in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (debate)

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Mr President, woman number 4: ‘When I went for my scan, I found I had cancer. In Malta you cannot get therapy if pregnant. According to law, I should have sacrificed my life for the foetus’s life and leave my children orphaned.’ Woman number 10: ‘I don’t remember much of that night. He hit me so hard I was unconscious. I woke up without any clothes on me’. Mara, 26: irrispettivament miċ-ċirkostanz…

13 Mar

2024

EN Speech

The time the European Commission takes to deal with requests for public access to documents (debate)

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Mr President, I’ve taken transparency quite strongly here since I’ve been a Member of this House and I must say, I’m very disappointed in the failure of the Commission to provide timely access to documents. Everything is delayed, everything is late, sometimes they don’t even arrive these documents. This transparency is very crucial for public scrutiny and it is very crucial also for trust that our…

13 Mar

2024

EN Speech

Rising anti-LGBTIQ rhetoric and violence: recent attacks in Thessaloniki (debate)

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Mr President, madam Commissioner, I have said that a number of times in this House it starts with a word, an insult, a slur, but then it moves to a fist, a knife and sometimes a gun. But what happened in Thessaloniki last weekend must be condemned. But how much more hate speech and physical attacks against LGBTIQ people will we have to denounce in this House? What starts as transphobic language by…

12 Mar

2024

EN Speech

A single application procedure for a single permit for third-country nationals to reside and work in the territory of a Member State and on a common set of rights for third-country workers legally residing in a Member State (recast) (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, more efficient, simpler and harmonised migration rules are essential for the whole system to work. Malta, like the rest of Europe, is more and more relying on workers coming from abroad. Rather than hysteria and scaremongering from the far right that we have witnessed during the past years on irregular migration, we should really focus on legal and fair migration rou…

28 Feb

2024

EN Speech

Report on the Commission’s 2023 Rule of Law report (debate)

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Mr President, populism, disinformation, lack of transparency, and the weakening of institutions and procedures are putting the rule of law and democracy under threat in the European Union. And I urge this House to keep on defending democracy, keep on defending human rights and keep on defending the rule of law as a key priority in the next mandate after June, because European citizens depend on th…

27 Feb

2024

EN Speech

Rising inequalities in the world (debate)

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Mr President, this is a world of rising inequalities, and you mentioned political will, Commissioner. Where do I even start? Eleven-year-old Razan, from Gaza, lost the majority of her family, like more than 17 000 children in Gaza are separated from their families at the moment. Where is the political will for a ceasefire, Commissioner? Twenty-two-year-old Yemenis gay man Hassan, chucked out of hi…

7 Feb

2024

EN Speech

Implementation report on the EU LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025 (debate)

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Madam President, this legislature, our Europe, stood for equality. I must thank you, dear Commissioner, dear Helena, for the work and your dedication to make sure that we move strongly towards equality, even when having to swim against the tide in certain quarters. I believe it is essential that in the next mandate, in the next Commission, we will once again have a progressive Commissioner with th…

7 Feb

2024

EN Speech

Need to fight the increase of antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred (debate)

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Madam President, love and inclusion go beyond the hate of the far right that is always ready to juxtapose one community against the other. First, they were the frontrunners in antisemitism, including denying the Holocaust, and now leading an Islamophobic campaign. But away from the far right in this European Parliament, away from the far-right government in Israel, or the far-right Hamas in Gaza, …

6 Feb

2024

EN Speech

Quality traineeships in the EU (debate)

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Mr President, I am glad to belong to the socialist group, which has taken the lead to push for an ambitious directive on quality traineeships. Mr Commissioner, I rely on you to give this message to President von der Leyen – we need to tell her that the time to act is now. We cannot wait any further because all young people should have the opportunity to get experiences in the institutions, and not…

17 Jan

2024

EN Speech

Rule of Law and media freedom in Greece (debate)

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Madam President, wow! I just heard the EPP in a very different tone when it comes to the rule of law, simply because there is a government in Greece that is led by an EPP government. Meanwhile, did the new Presidency lose itself in the corridors for the third debate in a row? It is not even here to discuss a very important topic for us here in Parliament. But finally, we are discussing the situati…

17 Jan

2024

MT Speech

Situation of fundamental rights in the EU in 2022 and 2023 (debate)

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Mr President, as Socialists we have been, are and will always remain at the forefront to ensure that the fundamental rights of all European citizens are safeguarded. Last year I was the negotiator of this file and I would like to see my colleague, Katarina Barley, who has advanced this report this year, and very interestingly that chapter contained in the report which speaks of the social, economi…

17 Jan

2024

EN Speech

Extending the list of EU crimes to hate speech and hate crime (debate)

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Madam President, ‘poofter’, ‘dyke’, ‘faggot’, ‘monster’: it all starts with one word, but it sadly ends with a knife, a fist, and in certain cases, a gun. This report should be a wake-up call for ministers to finally make hate speech and hate crime an EU crime. Ministers were very quick some months ago to add some other crimes in this list, but why not these? You see, the Commission is ready, Parl…

14 Dec

2023

EN Speech

Outcome of the UN Climate Change Conference 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (COP28) (debate)

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Mr President, may I take the opportunity to congratulate you, Commissioner, dear Helena, for being awarded the highest of awards yesterday in our country for the resilience which you have shown during your career to achieve equality, even when most did not believe in it or wanted to keep the status quo, which is all too comfortable for many. And that is the same resilience, and it is the same ambi…

13 Dec

2023

EN Speech

Jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition of decisions and acceptance of authentic instruments in matters of parenthood and creation of a European Certificate of Parenthood (debate)

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Mr President, it’s so sad to hear the Members from the far right speaking in this manner on these families. It’s sad not because of what we think over here in this Chamber, it’s sad because of those many children who have same-sex parents who will be looking and listening to this debate and hearing all this hate from members of the far right in this Parliament, pretending as if these children are …

13 Dec

2023

EN Speech

One year after Morocco and QatarGate – stocktaking of measures to strengthen transparency and accountability in the European institutions (debate)

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Mr President, I’m not surprised that the EPP today is not accepting our blue cards when we try to ask some questions, because I remember the political bickering that we had last year, and unfortunately, it was repeated today in this plenary chamber. I believe that we should look away from the partisan bickering and focus on what we still need to do to make sure that we fight corruption, that we fi…

13 Dec

2023

MT Speech

EU strategy to assist young people facing the housing and cost of living crisis (topical debate)

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Mr President, what do young people have before them today? Environmental crisis, high price crisis, debt to continue studying in a specialisation they are interested in, prices of flats just as expensive as the most beautiful terraced houses. Then we ask why we have a mental health crisis and a substance use crisis. But doing nothing is not the solution. So I encourage disillusioned and angry youn…

12 Dec

2023

EN Speech

Defence of democracy package (debate)

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Madam President, dear Commissioners, democracy is not there only to be protected, but we also need to strengthen it. And while all politicians elected are there, not on their own behalf, but on behalf of those that elected them, they should also be transparent. So when I read today’s proposal, while I am happy to see that we are going to defend and strengthen a little bit when it comes to foreign …

11 Dec

2023

EN Speech

The European Elections 2024 (debate)

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Madam President, five years ago, many more European citizens than the time before went out to vote in the European Parliament elections. That is something that we wanted to see. It is something that we worked for, and finally the results showed that they voted for this Parliament, but also for the direction that they wanted the European Commission to take in these five years. Unfortunately, they a…