Speeches

Madam President, Commissioner, Boualem Sansal, a French-Algerian citizen, free spirit, award-winning writer and political dissident, was arrested last year for daring to speak out against the political and social situation in his country, accused of an attack on state security. His act is considered terrorism and he risks life imprisonment and the death penalty. This detention, like many others in Algeria, raises the issue of disrespect for freedom of expression in a country, ironically, which sits on the UN Human Rights Council for the period 2023-2025. This detention, like others in similar situations, cannot be exploited by anyone. Freedom of expression has an intrinsic value. So here is this Parliament's appeal to the Algerian authorities today: immediate release of Boualem Sansal and all those arbitrarily detained for peacefully exercising freedom of expression, alteration of the use of the legal framework of terrorism for the repression of fundamental freedoms, freedom of the press, freedom in Algeria.

Honourable Member, two very important things: firstly, the response that China has just given to what was the withdrawal of US support for the World Health Organization is an example for this House, as China has just stepped up its financial intervention in the World Health Organization to cover the withdrawal of the United States. That is what the European Union needs to do. Secondly, on the question of armaments, I have no doubt that the defence of peace sometimes also involves armaments.

Mr President, Commissioner, Minister, Trump's arrival in the White House, his inaugural speech and the first presidential decrees clearly show what we can expect. Trump's "America First" shows us the choice for weakening transatlantic cooperation in areas such as defence, trade or climate policies. The reference to the construction of a society blind to diversity shows us a choice not only with regard to disrespect for individual rights, but also, reflexively, with regard to contempt for international organisations and multilateralism. Finally, Trump's idea that the best war fought is one in which the United States does not enter raises questions about the United States' commitment to its global position. We fully respect the democratic choice of American citizens and want the United States to remain a privileged partner of the European Union, but not at any cost. We are not ready to do without our values, our principles, our identity, especially when it comes to interference and technological interference in our liberal democracies. The European Union, all of us, this House, is required to do more than manage silences or contemporize. It requires a sense of urgency, investment in our strategic autonomy and also a sense of awareness of our value.

Mr President, 24 hours have passed since the start of the ceasefire in Gaza and we do not know for how long the hope will last, but we are delighted at the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees. Today is the day of a new phase that asks, in addition to seriousness in its implementation, restraint of the parties. At any moment, the fragile peace agreement can be broken. The release of all hostages captured by Hamas and those arbitrarily detained in Israel's prisons is a step. The immediate entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza is another. But this temporary pause cannot make us forget the need to face the deep roots of conflict. We need a two-state solution, support for the reconstruction of Gaza, respect for the decisions of international courts and the work of UN agencies, including UNRWA. It is time to repair the possible and design a solution for the future. And the European Union must be present, not only with financial aid, but as an active part in the search for a political solution built within the framework of the United Nations. If we want to be this European Union, we must first understand each other here in this House.

Mr President, Commissioner, in Azerbaijan, state repression against civil society and independent media gained prominence on the eve of COP29, with the authorities using politically motivated charges to detain activists and journalists, with the aim of silencing and restricting citizens' fundamental rights. One of the paradigmatic cases is that of Gubad Ibadoghlu, an economist and political activist in the fight against corruption, who is currently under house arrest, without access to the healthcare that his medical condition demands and who, having been one of the finalists of the Sakharov Prize 2024, was yesterday, when his remote participation in the ceremony here in the European Parliament was planned, prevented from even accessing the meeting via the Internet. But it's not the only case we should report. I remember here the other human rights defenders, arbitrarily detained, with the clear objective of silencing criticism of the government in office. The international community and the European Union must use all the means at their disposal to demand from Azerbaijan the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and respect for the fundamental rights of its citizens. And the means at its disposal, of course, are also an urgent revision of the memorandum of understanding on a strategic partnership and the imperative of inserting conditionality clauses in all partnership agreements between the Union and this country.

Madam President, Madam High Representative, ten years ago, in this very room, Parliament awarded the Sakharov Prize to Denis Mukwege, the doctor who has dedicated his life to healing the bodies of women who have been victims of war rape in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Dr Mukwege said that women's bodies have become a real battleground in his country and in others, such as Sudan, which we are also talking about here today. The use of sexual violence is one of the most violent weapons of war, because it attacks and traumatizes the women who are victims of it and, at the same time, hurts the whole community, ending up mostly unpunished. Sudan now emerges as a new battlefield on which this cheap, affordable and devastating weapon, as Mukwege called it, is used by armed groups to mass rape women, girls and boys. A decade ago, when the Sakharov Prize was dedicated to the fight against rape as a weapon of war, I call on the authorities of these two countries to clearly and unequivocally condemn these crimes, hold the culprits to account and facilitate the entry of humanitarian assistance to provide health care capable of responding to these terrible acts.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, High Representative, after more than 50 years of control by the Assad family, Syria has flooded with hope for the end of a regime that has used chemical weapons against its own people. I would like to say that there is no 'but' for the end of a cruel dictatorship. However, the collapse of the regime at the hands of the HTS movement, outlawed by the United Nations, also causes concern. Syria has a new transitional government, but we know that the risks of violence remain: opposition movements are disunited, ethnic and religious minorities are vulnerable and Israel has strengthened its military presence in the Golan Heights, Turkey is seeking advantages in Kurdistan. Syrians displaced in the country or in the diaspora aspire to return in peace. But it is not possible to think that this will happen in the short term or by suspending the right to asylum. There are more than a million Syrians in the European Union. In my country there are also some, namely those that the President of the Sampaio Republic took through the Global Platform for Syrian Students in 2014. We all know that the Syrian people have lived under terror for decades, but the fall of the Assad regime did not liberate them on its own. Those who have remained in the country, such as those who have taken refuge around the world, aspire for justice for the crimes committed, for the protection of human rights, for the reform of government and institutions, in short, for an inclusive peace process. And without them, this time will be nothing but a false hope.

Madam President, the vote in this College of Commissioners is a hard test for many of us. It was not we who chose to ignore the principle of parity in its composition. We did not choose to assign a vice presidency to the radical right. We do not choose to hand over central portfolios to Europeans that affect the rights of European women and girls to those who have nothing but indifference to them. But we know how to understand the exceptionality of the times we live in. We understand the threats that the European Union faces externally, as we understand the threats that undermine it from within, from the growth of nationalisms to the contagion of an economic recession. Today we are going to vote on a College of Commissioners, which in many cases would not be ours, but which must work with everyone and for everyone. In a context where institutions are expected to be able to solve problems and give confidence to citizens. I recall that the expectations of Europeans are high and that in the past we have shown that we are capable. Housing, employment, environment, energy, competitiveness, defence, rule of law, rules-based international order. If we do not live up to these expectations, it will be the European project that we undermine. This means implementing, without hesitation or backtracking, the cooperation agreement entered into between the pro-Europeans. Madam President, our scrutiny of the work of the College begins today, after the vote. More than ever, we wish you good luck.

Madam President, Commissioner, the current agenda of the future Trump administration poses worrying threats to the political priorities of the European Union. On the one hand, there is the climate threat. A second withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement, or even the complete abandonment of the UN climate change negotiating framework, will undermine all efforts to achieve carbon neutrality. On the other hand, the threat to multilateralism. With Trump, in the past, the United States abandoned several international organizations, withdrew from the Council for Human Rights, the World Trade Organization and even the World Health Organization, in the midst of a pandemic. Finally, the threat to peace. The Trump administration's proposals for the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East do not represent solutions because they ignore the will of one of the parties to the conflicts, and the policy of economic and trade isolationism risks even leading to a real trade war and geopolitical implications. But the outcome of the American elections, which we naturally respect, is also the last warning for the European Union. More than ever, we need to improve our autonomy. Above all, we need an economy for all and new social policies that respond to those who, on both sides of the Atlantic, seek in simple answers what – we know – they cannot give them. This is also the lesson of this election.

Madam President, first of all, I would like to extend a word of condolence and solidarity to all the Spanish people for the tragedy in the Valencian region. We think that things like this only happen in vulnerable countries, which we promptly come to with humanitarian aid. Suddenly they happen on our doorstep, with one of our Member States, showing our fragility in the face of the force of nature. In recent years, severe flooding has caused frequent concern in Spain. They are usually the result of extreme weather events. When masses of cold air at altitude encounter warm, moist air coming from the Mediterranean, they cause torrential rainfall. Due to its geographical position, the Valencian coast is one of the most exposed. But this is an increasingly common pattern in a context of climate change. In Spain, as in other European countries, this means a greater irregularity of rainfall and risk of sudden flooding. This risk is exacerbated when the destruction of natural vegetation and urban pressure reduce the absorption capacity of the soil. This is why the work currently taking place in Baku and the need to meet the climate targets are so important. These extreme events, ladies and gentlemen, require a serious and in-depth debate on climate adaptation and mitigation policies at European Union level. Responses to climate emergencies, as before responses to health emergencies, cannot be the stage for populist exploitations and political strategies. Respect for the victims does not deserve it at all.

Mr President, Commissioner, classifying this debate as an urgency is more than a procedural designation. There is an urgent need to denounce the apartheid Just as urgent is the need to do everything in our power to put an end to it. The repression of women took hold in the country when, for the second time and in the known context, the Taliban returned to power about three years ago. Since then, women have been banned from school beyond sixth grade, banned from university, unable to work, play sports or go to public parks, not allowed to travel more than 70 kilometres beyond their home without proper male supervision. And at the end of last August, these restrictions were further transformed into law. The so-called Law of Vice and Virtue dictates a severe and merciless application of what it interprets to be Islamic law. The new religious code forbids women from raising their voices, from reciting the Koran in public, and from so many other things. Added to this is a very serious economic crisis in Afghanistan, in which women are the main victims. Without the possibility to study, work or even leave home, women are exposed to deprivation. About 90 percent of Afghan girls say they don't eat basic meals. They are barred from isolation that results in subjugation and a third of Afghan girls report signs of depression and anxiety. So there is no other way to say it: We are facing a real humanitarian crisis and we cannot abandon these women to a brutal regime. We demand the reversal of the Law of Vice and Virtue. We cannot allow the Taliban government to use women's rights as a bargaining chip. We must impose sanctions on the main political actors. Across the country, in their homes, almost always in the shadows and silence, Afghan women continue to resist. Let us remember that it could be each one of us who is there, in the shadow, in the silence.

Mr President, Commissioner, let us start with the facts. The European Union has competences complementary to those of the Member States in the field of health, and we need to stop for a few seconds so that everyone fully understands this. Today we are gathered here because this is an outbreak of Mpox clade 1, which since November 2023 has been hitting the Democratic Republic of Congo and has spread to neighbouring countries. Its transmission is not only sexual, it also happens in families and zoonotically. And last August, a case imported of Mpox 1b into the European Union was identified, and it is possible that more cases will be identified. So, according to the risk assessment carried out by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for the population of the European Union, the overall risk is in fact relatively low. In this area, it is recommended to focus on early detection and secondary prevention, which can be achieved by training professionals, counselling people travelling to the region, strengthening laboratory capacity for epidemiological research, vaccination and therapy, in accordance with the recommendations in force, and at this time there is no approval of vaccination for children. But the situation is not the same for African countries, not least because of the fragility of most of their health systems, and here the European Union has an essential role to play. We need to work on a robust response on the ground, where outbreaks can increase and the disease is endemic. Recent experience tells us that global security, in terms of public health, can only be achieved with solidarity and that only science has effective answers. So thank you, Commissioner, for having conducted us according to these compasses over the last five years.

Madam President, almost a year after the barbaric attacks of 7 October by Hamas against Israel, humanitarian tragedy dominates the Gaza Strip. More than 40 000 deaths, difficulties in accessing food, basic health care, electricity, drinking water and sanitation systems, 75% of essential service infrastructure damaged or destroyed. The situation on the ground cannot be normalised. It cannot be normalized in our eyes. Let Gaza not become a mere lament. It is our moral and political duty, as representatives of European citizens, not to remain silent. That is why we reiterate the call for respect for international law, the immediate ceasefire, demanded by the United Nations, and the protection of civilians determined by the International Court of Justice. We must not be afraid to move towards the adoption of targeted sanctions on responsible political actors and the suspension of the current trade agreement between the United States and Israel for serious human rights violations. Not taking these decisions is increasingly unbearable. Let us be clear: there is no attack on the Israeli people here – and we demand the freedom of all hostages – let alone a glimmer of anti-Semitism, contrary to what Foreign Minister Israel Katz recently said. Demanding accountability from the Israeli government only means doing what should be done by the international community when flagrant violations of fundamental rights are at stake. If Europe wants to be a decisive player in the Middle East and a facilitator of sustainable diplomatic solutions, it has to make decisions. Peace will only prevail if we can ensure the protection of the civilian population, the opening of humanitarian corridors, the regularisation of borders in accordance with the 1967 Agreement and the two-state solution. Europeans demand from us a tireless commitment to peace. Let's live up to it.

Madam President, I would like to begin by welcoming two of the proposals in the Draghi report: advocacy for the regular issuance of common debt by the European Union and investment focused on critical areas of the economy. This is a progressive view and I must say that in Portugal the socialists have been fighting for it for a long time. But I'd like to deal with a specific point. By including the pharmaceutical industry among the ten sectoral areas analysed, the report shows that health is an important economic sector. However, there too the European Union is losing competitiveness and it is therefore good that the report puts forward proposals for solutions. I highlight the call for greater coordination of national medicines agencies, in the negotiation of prices and in the purchase of medicines, the call for further simplification of the multinational clinical trials process and also the call for the full implementation of the Health Technology Assessment Regulation. Although I would like to see other topics covered, such as transparency in price formation, I come from a country that has sought to improve its attractiveness in terms of research and development in the area of medicines, and I can only hope that the vision of this report will lead to concrete actions that are critical for Europe's competitiveness and for the health of Europeans.

Madam President, Mrs von der Leyen, in the last few days we have all worked hard to ensure that the package of nominations for the top positions of the European institutions and our electoral commitments to Europeans would be fulfilled. This morning we learned about your political programme for the next term of office. We welcome the steps that have been taken to move closer to our agenda: quality employment, decent housing for all, fair green and digital transition, new own resources. We recognise our flags here, but Europeans have expectations for the next five years. To the Green Deal we need to add more social pact, to the regular and safe channels of immigration we need to add more humanism and integration, to support the defense of a just peace for Ukraine, as a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, we need to give the same commitment to the promotion of human rights on a global scale. We will not fail in our commitment and we will support a Commission based on this programme. But this challenge starts here, today, and over the next few years it will count on our close scrutiny. This really must be Europe's mandate of solidarity. Our vote is a mandate of hope. Yours is also a mandate of responsibility to us.