Speeches

– For years many young people and scientists have warned that the time is pressing and that it is time to act before it is too late, to avoid major climate-related tragedies all over the world. At that time it is now. We are in the fight against climate change. We are witnessing disasters around us often, caused by climate extremes and the irreversible point is too close. This is the moment, and we promised to be at the forefront, as , to do everything to save the only planet where human life can live. We all take care that the homes in which we live and which we raise our children in are not endangered; And this is the attitude we want to have towards our world. And not only that: for it must remain a priority for us despite everything that is happening around us. We cannot fall to the populist narrative of conservatives who, during times of crisis, immediately turn against the environmental transition. Let's be clear: this Parliament cannot fall to that trap. There is no pause button in the context of climate change. Time squeezes and climate disasters are exacerbating: highest temperatures on record in summer, fires burning our forests, floods with record rainfall in the shortest times. This is the reality not only of the world, but also of our Europe. That was for conservatives, we stop acting against climate change to focus only on other crises, but we want to make success and not fail. We are unwilling to fail in this biggest challenge facing mankind. We know what the repercussions are and we know who are hitting the hardest. Who had the courage to take responsibility and make decisions? We have been and must remain the ones who take responsibility. Citizens' cry is clear: Looking at the other side is certainly not an option. And we are ready. We are ready to take this responsibility, and we are ready to make decisions, even the hardest. This is what will determine whether our children will have a future to enjoy. And the European Union was born to tackle global challenges together. That is the Europe I believe in, and that is the Europe we are the socialists in this Parliament are working for. But at the same time, we must listen to the cry of European citizens about rising prices in Europe after the pandemic and because of the war, which are leading to exorbitant energy bills almost all over Europe, and as Socialists we will remain close to European citizens, because no one should have to choose between a basic need and another basic need. And we are taking actions to address these difficulties also through tools that help with financial aids. We will be using the Social Climate Fund to help those who do not have to heat their homes, help renovate more efficient homes, and help people buy clean vehicles. We are addressing today’s challenges and preparing for tomorrow’s challenges. And this is what we are doing through the ‘Fit for 55’ package, which has been a privilege for me to be entrusted with the law ofMarket Stability Reserve by this Parliament – an important tool in the package of measures. Through this law we have sought stability. The stability that European families and businesses want. Let's keep the rate ofdouble intake by which allowances are placed in the reserve until 2030. This is a natural and necessary step for the Mechanism to meet the climate targets we have agreed to reach by the year 2030. With this we will have a stronger emissions trading system for strong and resilient emissions. If we had not done anything, we would have weakened the ETS system, as a result of which we would continue to rely on thefossil fuels and, consequently, on Russia. Our direction is one of energy independence, through renewable energy, and this will remain our priority. A strong Europe, an independent Europe, an environmental Europe and a competitive Europe.

Ms President, would have been laughing if not crying to EPP spokespersons, nationalists in the European Parliament, excuse what happened in Greece just because there is a nationalist government. When there are other governments from other parties, they have made a plate that never ends. Not only has an investigative journalist been killed in Greece – something very bad that unfortunately also happened in my country – but laws have even changed to give extraordinary powers to the government that have led the government to illegally spy and listen to at least thirteen journalists, activists and politicians, including from this Parliament, coming from opposition parties by taking control of their mobile phones, knowing everything they are saying, and everything they are doing on their phone. Illegal monitoring of a person is in itself a serious violation of the fundamental rights of every human being – a violation that should never be representative of what defines this European Union. In this Parliament we are working to have the Media Freedom Act. We have a Committee that is analysing the espionage, the programs that are being used by spies like this government. I hope that nationalists, the EPP, will no longer be partisan and consistent in what they say.

Madam President, yesterday Ordo Iuris contacted me to speak in this debate, so speak I shall. Dear Ordo Iuris, you and the far right here called this convention defective. The only defective thing in all of this is your view on women, the misogyny and sexism with which you drive your policies. The idea that women's sexual and reproductive health and rights should be driven by your disrespectful agenda is what I call defective, as is the way you speak on same sex couples and their children. On Valentine's Day, Ordo Iuris and those on the right of this chamber chose to love their women less because they let misogyny drive their principles. Such love is defective. This goes beyond the principles we are discussing the protection and safety of women and girls, our mothers, our daughters, autonomous human beings. This convention should be the essence of what our union is able to do for all women. Hence, the only defective thing in all the six-year saga is the ideology which encourages anything but this convention.

Mr President, speaking at the end of such a debate may be a disadvantage but good because you have heard all the thoughts of the Chamber. Let us not forget that we are talking about our health and the health of the environment we live in. We are not talking about cars already on our roads that are killing us – those will continue to kill us but those who laud new 12 years. I see a gallery full of young people, those fighting to fight climate change. And I thank them for being here because this is an important moment – this moment marks the first official agreement on a law from a fundamental package for the future of our climate and environment, our health. I hoped it would be a moment of unity, we agreed with the three institutions but conservative forces seem to be working to stop progress. Here too, nationalists against clean air for all of us in every European country and against our health. This is the first opportunity we have to give a signal to the world on the environment. We will not give up, we are committed to reducing the environmental impact of new car emissions, while ensuring that no one is left behind because yes, we are socialists, and we do not want anyone to fall behind. We will not work for the environment and for the health of all of us.

I think that we could go back to the original proposal of the Commission, when it proposed in 2016 the interinstitutional agreement for a mandatory transparency register. Already there it was stated that while Members of the European Parliament should be transparent and register all their meetings, the same should be done for staff of the European Parliament, for the Council, as well as for the Commission. I think that everyone who is going for meetings on behalf of citizens should be transparent and have all those meetings public.

Ms President, I am here on behalf of all the citizens of the European Union, we are here on behalf of all the citizens of the European Union. And so every meeting we have is not on our behalf, but we are doing it on behalf of European citizens in order to understand exactly what the needs and needs of all citizens of the European Union are. And so, as my friends from all political parties said, today in this Parliament Roberta Metsola’s proposals were good but very weak. They are the first step forward but there is still a lot to go. Today I wanted to focus only on meetings we have with those who have some interest, with those who come to represent different interests and we meet them because that is our duty. Because in the proposals presented to us by President Metsola we are not telling us that we should have a register, we are not telling us that we should register them all, they are public, but we should only do those that are legislative. This is also contrary to what the European Commission proposed in 2016 as the mandatory transparency register. I strongly believe that every meeting we have, no matter who it is, what it is, should be a public meeting. Some say that this is impossible – I encourage everyone, go to my website, still meet us even though we publish the minutes of every meeting we have with those representing interests. (The speaker agreed to answer a "blue card" speech)

Ms President, the scandal ahead of us should be an opportunity. An opportunity for us to do what has not been done before us in this legislature, before this mandate is closed. And I say this because in the year 2016, the European Commission had proposed a mandatory, mandatory register for all. A transparency register where each Member of the European Parliament could and had to follow, together with the Commission, together with the Council of the European Union. But this House itself, in the past legislature, has decided to dispose of, remove and replace that mandatory register with a voluntary one where everyone can do whatever they want. And so I am delighted to see that the President of the European Parliament has come up with a number of proposals. I am deeply concerned, however, that the proposal on the mandatory transparency register is much weaker than what the Commission had proposed in 2016. And I think we should go far beyond that. We should not only have what the Commission proposed in 2016 - a mandatory transparency register - but this should be mandatory for every meeting every Member of the European Parliament has with any other individual, organisation or country, because we are here to represent our citizens and we should always be transparent with them about what we are doing on their behalf in this Parliament.

Mr President, if there seems to be something we all know to do, it is to keep our homes clean and then to fall and rise from what is happening outside our door. And so far that is also the European waste policy. But now we're going to say so much. So, because we live in one world and pollution in one side of the world affects everyone. As such, because we care about the health and rights of those living in developing countries; and so, because every piece of waste in the European Union should be viewed as a resource. Everything has to be used and the circular economy we talk about and dream about can only become a reality if we stop once and for all the standard-free landfills that we are creating around the world in the countries most in need of help and not litter. Mr President, it was a pleasure for me to negotiate this law, together with Pernille and other partners, to achieve the best and best for our environment and the health of all citizens, even those who live far away from it. And it allowed me to boast of the three biggest achievements that we will be making if tomorrow is given confidence for the work that we have accomplished over the past year. First of all, we will stop exporting plastic waste from outside the European Union once and for all. Mr. Commissioner, this is toxic waste. It is leading to changes in natural habitats, affects biodiversity, reduces the ability of ecosystems to adapt to climate change and has a negative impact on food production and social justice. When I proposed this step, I found a lot of resistance. But today we have an absolute majority of political groups in this House who agree with me and say so much for plastic. Secondly, any other waste leaving the European Union should only go to plants that share our European standards. We can never accept that what is done at home, that we do not accept what is done at home, we should not accept it anywhere else around the world. And finally, we will be cutting red tape inside the European Union so that waste, this resource can move from one country to another of the European Union much more easily. And so, I encourage you to join us tomorrow with a vote for our environment, for our health and for the environmental economy.

Taking the protection of journalists for granted, even in modern democracies, where the Rule of Law is respected, is a mistake that we cannot afford. Last year more than 900 journalists reported being persecuted, some of them even being assassinated. I therefore welcome the European Commission's evaluation and its recommendations. However, I urge the European Commission to be more ambitious and stronger where there are serious shortcomings. Today I don't want to look at the past. I will not talk about the various assassinations of journalists in a number of European countries, including my own, and I will not go into how the Commission has praised Malta's advances in this field. And I will not even talk about how Greece has an escalation of persecution against journalists, even from the institutions, with the cherry on the cake being the spying of journalists and the Greek Leader of the Opposition from the same institutions. Today I want to talk about solutions, beyond bunch words and the beautiful speech that has now narrowed everyone, including journalists and me. What can we do? What can the authorities in our Member States do? It is necessary that Member States give legal protection to media sources, give legal recognition to journalism as a fourth pillar, ensure remedies in criminal law when journalists are assaulted, ensure that each Member State has a national authority to protect the safety of journalists, and, once SLAPP law is enacted, train judges. Commissioner, we must also ensure that journalists are relieved of the burden of court costs – unless convicted – and where this is not done, there should be a European fund to help them in this regard. Freedom of the press is the guarantee of a fair society and is the guardian of all of us.

Mr President, dear Sara, to us you have two mothers whose parenthood we see, recognise and value; two mothers who have fought for their place in this world and for yours in this Union. You might find it contradictory to call this place a Union when parts of it have refused to recognise a union as beautiful as your family. And so this is why we are here today, to remind not only this House but all Member States that this Union and what it is aspires to be a Europe that leaves children stateless three years after their birth because the family they are born into is not one we want to form part of. Dear Sara, you are one of us. You are European. We welcome you into this European family, and we promise you to tirelessly work so that those who have sat idle for far too long will welcome you too. Because these are our values. We value equality. We value freedom of movement of all families within our Union. And above all, we value love: the love your family has given you, and the love that the majority of this Parliament gives you and all other children born within and outside our Union.

What hypocrisy, Mr President, that those countries that have been enriched by the colonisation of several African countries today treat the citizens of these countries as totally forgettable, totally discarding them. What hypocrisy, Mr President, that those countries that are enjoying solidarity funds, European funds that they are enjoying, have no solidarity with the Mediterranean countries that are facing a major crisis in rescuing a number of immigrants arriving in our Europe. What hypocrisy too, Mr President, that you have a number of countries, that do not want to accept to save people coming from Africa, who are at the same time selling armaments to African dictators. This is the reality of the European Union today. And Mr President, here we have a European Parliament that has a strong position on solidarity, a strong position on what should be done by irregular immigrants entering our Europe. Where is the Council? When it's going to fall asleep, the Council?

Mr President, it’s incredible the hate that comes out of certain speeches. Two years ago, this parliament declared that ‘Black lives matter’ but, let’s be frank, even judging by the three previous speeches, do ‘Black lives matter’ in our politics, in our policies and in our implementation of them? Are persons of colour, minorities and others only remembered in our thoughts and prayers? Right now, authorities have the power to discriminate through laws, and we are tired of this systematic racism and discrimination embedded in policies, and ineffective remedies. Big statements are very attractive, but lack of action is deadly. What about the prediction of criminality in minorities due to their immigrant background? This is a human rights violation. Let us introduce concrete follow—ups to ensure effective implementation. Governments must give the support that many NGOs struggle to give – yet they still do it. Let us ensure equal treatment, distribution of wealth, and let us be the ones to initiate a model of real inclusion and dialogue between citizens. Colleagues, we do not need preachers and speakers; we need decision—makers and game—changers to address the systemic roots of institutionalised racism – also in this European Parliament!

Mr President, like a virus, right—wing extremism is mutating in unpredictable ways. Exasperated by a pandemic which has left many scared and alone, extremist organizations have found a playground for recruitment on online comment boards and social media platforms. Yes, a playground, with media reports indicating that children as young as 13 are actually leading neo-Nazi divisions across the Union. It is clear that we need to take action and we need to do so very fast, especially in the face of upcoming crises. Sixty acts of right—wing extremism terror happen every year, often by young men who end up as lone wolves, but they are not. They are almost always part of radical, violent online groups who post memes glorifying misogyny, homophobia and white supremacy, making jokes out of violence while their hateful words turn into deadly actions with the blessing of the EPP, as we have seen in Italy and Sweden. And by the way, where is the EPP in this debate? They have fled with the far right. We warned about this yesterday, Commissioners. We warned you last week, last month. And we warn you again today. More minorities will die if you not take action against Europe's biggest and most legitimate terrorist organisation: the far right.

Mr President, it started with a word – they call us ‘poofter’, ‘dyke’, ‘faggot’ – but it ended with a knife, a fist or, in this case, a gun. That is the reality we face when our communities and our leadership do not take hate speech seriously. This is the result of inaction in the face of growing radicalisation of far—right and conservative narratives. Last Wednesday, Slovakia, Europe and the world lost two of our siblings to hate and intolerance. Hate and intolerance which many of us saw coming. Our community saw the warning signs in every tweet and every post and every alt—right hand gesture hidden in photographs. Our community has lived lives where phrases have turned into fists and insults have turned into injuries. And we have begged you to pay attention while many have accused us of only seeking attention. Commissioner, Juraj and Matúš were killed because we have allowed the right—wing to distract our political discourse with talk of pronouns and wokeness in the face of rising radicalisation and violence by their supporters. Madam Commissioner, Deputy Prime Minister, I urge you to take more action on the rising hate. Once again, our community is begging you.

Mr President, five years ago, all of us were shocked. On the day of Daphne’s assassination, I stated that this was a terror attack on freedom of speech. I joined the vigil in Sliema with my partner and a friend, only to realise that, due to partisan political reasons, we were not welcome there. I did not agree with all that Daphne wrote, but what happened needed to be fought by us all, away from partisan bickering, which is leaving all of us bruised and citizens alienated. We hold strong to our Maltese values – those of democracy, human liberties, justice and the rule of law, the same values of our European Union. In five years, seven journalists have been – unacceptably – killed in our Union and our European response is anti SLAPP legislation. Important, but not enough. Back home, we are undergoing an overhaul of our judicial, institutional, political and media set up. It gives me hope. Reforms are being praised by international institutions, but when all this is done, this too will not be enough. What we need is to heal as a nation from political divisions rooted in the past. Our challenge is to fight hate, classism, the belief that some opinions are superior to others. Justice for Daphne is being done in our courts. But yet, to honour her, we need to open minds, open hearts and fight partisan hate, and we must do that together.

Everyone in leadership has an economic choice before him which is all the more important in challenging times such as those in which we are living today. Either the path of nationalist parties of austerity that place any new burden heartily on families and businesses because they believe the market drives, or the path of a progressive economy that invests in people, invests in families and invests in businesses. And let me, Ms President, talk about what countries are doing because the progressive economy that puts people at its centre is one that is yielding results over the last nine years, with the highest rates of economic growth in Europe and the lowest rates of unemployment in our history. And I want to encourage others, including the European Commission, that reducing burdens on families and businesses is creating an economic climate that brings and incentivises more growth and more economic power. A country that, although it has not stopped helping families and businesses since the start of the pandemic and now during the war, still has its own plan for the country's finances that have remained on track according to European rules. I therefore urge the European Commission and other Member States to follow this example.

Madam President, there are many legends that come from my island: they say that we are home to Atlantis, the legend of Calypso, and that we stand at the point where the plates of Europe and Africa kiss. And while the legends that we are told by fishermen weaving their nets are fables, the deep and intricate relationship between islands and oceans is not. In 1967, one of the greatest marine conservationists of our time called for the ocean seabed to be designated as the common heritage of mankind: a concept still sacrosanct in Article 136 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. He called for international regulation to prevent the colonisation of our seabed and the monopolisation of resources to the detriment of our planet. That man was Maltese diplomat Arvid Pardo, father of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. And here I am today to reiterate his call, because colleagues, those of us who come from islands have known for all too long that our oceans are just as much a part of us as the land and trees. We depend on the oceans and our homes and livelihoods depend on the seas. We are constantly reminded that exploitation and pollution will forever affect the global ecosystem that we call home. And today, there is renewed interest from the private sector to look into the commercial exploitation of these minerals. Technological advances and an increase in the long—term demand for minerals, industrialisation and globalisation have led to this strong path. In 1967, when the Maltese delegation brought forward the radical notion that our seabed is imperative to humanity’s ecosystem, they were viewed with astonishment and great suspicion. But science has vindicated Arvid Pardo, and time and time again we are here to reiterate that message again today. The latest smartphone and the next supercomputer made from seabed minerals are not worth the irreversible destruction of our planet. And I hope that this Chamber votes in this way on Thursday.

Mr President, I am so honoured today to stand here as the Socialists & Democrats shadow rapporteur on this report, because this report that we are discussing today truly represents this European Parliament. It represents the diversity of this Parliament, its different faces, multiple views. And, above all, it is a symbol of what united, progressive and moderate forces together can achieve in the face of rising extremism and hate. What we are debating today is the fruit of weeks of compromises between our political groups that have been put together with the EU’s motto in mind. Because in coming up with this report, we have been truly united in our diversity in the face of the far right in this Chamber trying to make a mockery of fundamental rights in the European Union. Flipping through the pages of our report of our report, one will find our common words strengthened by the EPP’s passion for standing up for persons with disabilities, combined with the Left’s unwavering fight towards a society without racism and xenophobia. It pays homage to my political group’s fight for women’s equality coupled with renewed unfaltering dedication to LGBTIQ rights and further strengthened by the Greens’ booming call for a more just, social and a greener Europe. Colleagues, I have been brought up with the belief that hate creates hate and love creates love. I have been raised to believe that when they go low, you must go high. And in this case, colleagues, we have soared because we rose above the populism, the vitriol and hate towards minorities and in the face of such targeting, we have achieved a text which is all-encompassing and pays service to our constituents – the diverse citizens of our European Union. So I wish to thank my colleagues and now friends for the collaboration we have had over the past weeks and months, Alice, Vladimír, Michal and Sira. While we may not have agreed on every little thing and every little detail of this report because of our own diversities, we came together to create resolve and put past our differences to look at the bigger picture: the European picture, one which unites us and our own diversity.

Mr President, nobody is free until we are all free. Mr President, in 1956, Hungarians united in their revolution against the Soviets, fighting for their basic universal freedoms. Inspired by their innate European values, together, they achieved their dream: freedom, culminating in European Union membership in 2004. Yet today we see those freedoms under threat. Some Hungarians today cannot even simply be who they are and love who they want without facing the direct persecution of their own government. What greater breach of EU values is there than not allowing citizens to be their own authentic selves and protect them? A breakdown of fundamental rights where minorities are not protected means a breakdown of the rule of law. And it is for this reason that the Hungarian Government, not its people, must pay the consequences, as this morning President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen said. So I wish and hope that the Commission walks the talk.

Mr President, we elect parliamentarians to convey our message and take action. Whether we do this in our local, regional or national parliaments. The same should apply to this Parliament, the Parliament of all Europeans. But we are the only parliament without the right of initiative; we cannot bring forward the laws citizens expect from us, as we said at the Conference on the Future of Europe. Citizens' realities should be heard. We are the parliamentarians in constant contact with people in our towns and villages. We know what issues and challenges they want to address at European level. And citizens trust the Parliament to take forward their challenges. Only one can look at the petitions we receive; 1573 petitions in just one year, because citizens want this Parliament to improve their lives. Petitions are evidence of how much we can achieve for European citizens if we have a fully functioning democracy. We are capable, willing and keen to take forward ambitious and innovative legislative proposals. When will the Commission and the Council strengthen European democracy?

Ms President, Europe has a shortage of workers. Malta, a country, has a huge shortage of workers. We have come after the Commission for years to come up with proposals for legal migration routes because we are thirsty for our economies to continue growing, strengthening and raising workers with them. However, it was only in April that they were published. In some countries, 75% of businesses say they need more workers, while unemployment is virtually non-existent. After two years of pandemic, establishments are having to close a number of days or otherwise close part of their operations. This is a reality of many European countries today. As can be seen from these photos in Rotterdam, yesterday, or otherwise in the Eye Valley, Malta, as well as in Munich, Germany. As negotiator of the Socialists on legal migration, I call for faster actions in order to have more streamlined, common and transferable procedures in the European Union. With a maximum of delays set less than we have today, while, at the same time, we must ensure that all workers are protected from exploitation and have appropriate salaries and rights.

Mr President, it is time to take the European Parliament to the next level and, indeed, it is time to take the European project to the next level, and this could not have come at a better time. Citizens were given the opportunity to speak directly in this Chamber itself, and they told us the changes they want to see for the European Union to be closer to them, closer to citizens. And what a stronger signal than this: the strengthening of democracy with Parliament itself initiating this procedure now for the 2024 European elections. And with these changes, we are not only proposing a second ballot with a small transnational list, voting to give European political direction, with a lead candidate to preside over the European Commission. But it also gives 16 year olds the right to vote. It works for gender equality in this Chamber, and gives stronger rights to people with all abilities to participate in our elections. Having the European demos strengthens each Member State because we are so much stronger when we are together. Let us make history together tomorrow in our vote!

Mr President, I would like to request referral back to committee pursuant to Rule 59(4) so that we may begin interinstitutional negotiations.

Madam President, thank you to the Vice—President of the Commission. I cannot but agree with you on all that you have said right now. I would like to first thank all of those who have participated in this debate on the Market Stability Reserve. It is the first out of the legislative files of the Fit for 55 Package that have come in front of this plenary. And I am very grateful for all the help and cooperation that I have found from all shadow rapporteurs on this important legislative file. Our EU ETS must remain fit for purpose, and it must ensure and incentivise that all Member States keep on working in order to reduce their current emissions and push forward towards a more environmental and green future. So, this is what we have tried to do with this file that we have been discussing today. And I am really sorry to hear those who are at the far right and the conservatives of this Chamber who still do not believe in science, who still think that climate change is something that does not affect our planet, and who still believe that they can simply ignore it. We do not ignore it, and we want to keep on legislating in order for our European Union to remain the most ambitious continent in this planet, in order to reach our objectives. So I really look forward and encourage all Parliament to give a strong and broad support to this file tomorrow in our vote in order to have a very strong hand when it comes to negotiating this with other institutions.