What Thijs spoke about.

26 Nov

2025

EN Speech

EU response to the continuous airspace violations and sabotage of critical infrastructure in the EU originating from Russia and Belarus (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, every week we witness new incursions into EU airspace and fresh attempts to target us or sabotage our critical infrastructure on our territory, on our seabed. These are not accidents. They are part of a sustained hybrid campaign by Russia to intimidate our citizens, gather intelligence, destabilise our democracies and weaken our support for Ukraine. …

26 Nov

2025

EN Speech

EU position on the proposed plan and EU engagement towards a just and lasting peace for Ukraine (debate)

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Mr President, Commission, Council, dear colleagues, Vladimir Putin has a long history of breaking agreements and using fake negotiations to delay and divide. Ukraine and Europe want peace. A fair and sustainable peace – not a peace that rewards the aggressor, delivers impunity, undermines European security, ignores past violations and emboldens future aggression. Unless one side is losing or a pow…

24 Nov

2025

EN Speech

Enhancing police cooperation in relation to the prevention, detection and investigation of migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings; enhancing Europol’s support to preventing and combating such crimes (debate)

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Madam President, colleagues, Commission, cross-border crimes like migrant smuggling and human trafficking are best tackled with a cross-border approach, so it's only logical to use a cross-border organisation like Europol to establish a coordinated response. Therefore, from the outset, my group has been supportive of efforts to find ways to dismantle and tackle the criminal networks that mislead a…

22 Oct

2025

EN Speech

The need for a united support to Ukraine and for a just and durable peace concluded on Ukraine's terms, with Europeans and without surrendering to Vladimir Putin's conditions ahead of the foreseen Budapest summit (debate)

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Madam President, Commission, Council, dear colleagues, one phone call was enough for Trump to again change his mind. Thankfully, reality kicked in early. Putin is still not interested in peace – surprise, surprise. Ukraine wants peace. We want peace. Real peace involves talks and compromises, yes. The US could play a critical role, but we can do without Witkoff's ignorance, incompetence and confli…

22 Oct

2025

EN Speech

Situation in Belarus, five years after the fraudulent presidential elections (debate)

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Madam President, colleagues, imagine not knowing anything about your loved ones for months, for years – convicted on trumped up charges and imprisoned under harsh conditions. It is the reality under the cruel regime of Putin's lapdog, Lukashenka. It is again the reality for the family of opposition leader Mikalai Statkevich, released about six weeks ago – now again imprisoned and incommunicado. Ma…

21 Oct

2025

EN Speech

Polarisation and increased repression in Serbia, one year after the Novi Sad tragedy (debate)

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Madam President, colleagues, Commissioner, one year after Novi Sad, we first and foremost commemorate the victims. We are reminded that corruption is not a victimless crime. In fact, in Serbia today, people are worse off because of endemic corruption and state capture. Civil society and the opposition are criticised time and time again. One year after, we recall violent crackdown, intimidation of …

21 Oct

2025

EN Speech

Stepping up funding for Ukraine’s reconstruction and defence: the use of Russian frozen assets (debate)

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Madam President, colleagues, I'm quite disappointed that the Council is not here, but I am sure they are listening carefully. Now is the time to support Ukraine and to show European leadership towards a durable peace. Now is the time to support the Commission's proposals for the reparations loan that is legally sound, avoids confiscation, is morally right, and you have broad support here, Council,…

21 Oct

2025

EN Speech

Institutional consequences of the EU enlargement negotiations (debate)

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Mr President, dear colleagues, 15 to 20 years – that's how long some accession countries are in the waiting room. Citizens in and outside the EU become sceptical about our intentions. We need to restore the credibility of enlargement. It's a geopolitical necessity and it makes our Union stronger. It does not mean abandoning merit-based processes. It means we should invest efforts where it's merite…

8 Oct

2025

EN Speech

United response to recent Russian violations of the EU Member States’ airspace and critical infrastructure (debate)

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Madam President, testing us must not be a consequence-free exercise. Russia's hybrid war is not only probing our defences; it's also testing our political resolve. We cannot assume any incursion is accidental. Russia wants us to doubt its intentions. Hybrid war happens because of a deterrence gap. Capabilities mean little without the will to deliver consequences. Putin respects only strength, not …

7 Oct

2025

EN Speech

The EU’s role in supporting the recent peace efforts for Gaza and a two-state solution (debate)

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Madam President, Commission, Council, colleagues, the Middle East and the innocent people of Israel and Palestine cannot endure yet another broken promise of peace, sabotaged by extremists from either side once again. And frankly, it saddens me deeply that the Trump plan is the closest to a peace proposal we have seen in years because of our own passivity. And close is not enough. Yes, Hamas must …

11 Sep

2025

PL Speech

Solidarity with Poland following the deliberate violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones (debate)

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Madam President, colleagues, I will speak in Polish. Poland, we are with you! Yesterday was not an accident – too many drones. And it was not a surprise – too many prior Russian tests of our military preparedness, political solidarity and our resolve. Yesterday was a deliberate attack on Poland and an EU and NATO Member State. And thanks to Poland, NATO, European allies, we passed the test. But th…

9 Sep

2025

EN Speech

Strengthening Moldova’s resilience against Russian hybrid threats and malign interference (debate)

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Mr President, colleagues, Commissioner, Moldova is Europe, and its upcoming elections are the next frontline in Russia's hybrid war: disinformation, dirty money, cyberattacks and even priests spreading Kremlin propaganda. As was said before, this is not just about Chișinău; it's about us. If Russia can break Moldovan democracy, it weakens Europe. And like with the referendum last year, this is a t…

9 Sep

2025

EN Speech

Wave of violence and continuous use of force against protesters in Serbia (debate)

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Madam President, colleagues, for years, the Commission allowed Vučić to steadily undermine popular support for the EU. Instead, Vučić publicly praises his real friends, Russia and China. For years, the EU has not held Vučić to account. Instead, he became more autocratic, shrank the space for free media, civil society and fair elections. For years, all this disenfranchised supporters of a European …

9 Sep

2025

EN Speech

Ukraine (joint debate)

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Madam President, with this report Parliament sends a strong signal. Ukraine is part of our European family, and our support for its accession is unwavering. Despite the war, Ukrainian authorities continue to deliver on reforms, and we recognise the progress, but also the difficulties. As true partners, we offer honest, constructive recommendations to Ukraine and to the Commission, so momentum is n…

8 Jul

2025

EN Speech

2023 and 2024 reports on North Macedonia (debate)

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Madam President, the EU and Macedonians share the vision for the country's European future. The very good work of the rapporteur and the negotiations resulted in a comprehensive and balanced report recognising that enlargement decision-making should not be misused to settle bilateral disputes. They require diplomacy based on equal footing. After everything North Macedonia has gone through – up to …

8 Jul

2025

EN Speech

Situation in the Middle East (debate)

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Madam President, I stand here rather desperate, to be honest, especially listening to the Commission and Council. But let's try one more time to find unity on one point – on humanitarian values, empathy and respect for the lives of innocent people. We here should, as a minimum, agree to the need to open Gaza for immediate and unrestricted access to humanitarian aid, food and medical supplies into …

19 Jun

2025

EN Speech

Institutional and political implications of the EU enlargement process and global challenges (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, if enlargement is the EU's strongest geopolitical tool, we must urgently make it credible again. History shows enlargement works only when domestic reformers see real rewards and when backsliding carries consequences, when citizens feel tangible benefits, and when EU institutions and Member States speak with one voice – clearly, consistently and honestly, to…

17 Jun

2025

EN Speech

Situation in the Middle East (joint debate)

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Mr President, dear High Representative, dear colleagues, I have no sympathy whatsoever for the Iranian autocratic, extremist regime. Its human rights record and threats against Israel are appalling. And Iran must never acquire nuclear weapons. But Israel's recent strike on Iran was not a defence against an imminent threat. This was about derailing diplomacy, about using escalation to distract from…

16 Jun

2025

EN Speech

The human cost of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the urgent need to end Russian aggression: the situation of illegally detained civilians and prisoners of war, and the continued bombing of civilians (debate)

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Mr President, Commission, Council, dear colleagues, let me say upfront that I am a little bit impatient, angry even, in particular with the Member States, not with you personally, but with the paralysis. A few weeks ago, European leaders spoke bravely in the presence of President Zelenskyy, but now Europe waits passively for America to realise that Putin's peace negotiations are just a smokescreen…

7 May

2025

EN Speech

Return of Ukrainian children forcibly transferred and deported by Russia

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Madam President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, Russian policies supported and carried out by its high level officials have ripped thousands of children from their families, their homes. Think for a second. Just imagine the human suffering and then imagine how barbaric and detached from humanity you have to be to implement it. Such acts are clear war crimes. No peace can be genuine without the saf…

7 May

2025

EN Speech

EU support for a just, sustainable and comprehensive peace in Ukraine (debate)

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Mr President, dear colleagues, dear President of the Commission, Council, the truth is that the past 100 days did not bring us an inch closer to a just peace. And yes, it is up to us to give Ukraine the strength to continue to say no to any bad deal. Russia is neither interested nor compelled to compromise. Territorial concessions, recognising Russia's occupation of Crimea, no security guarantees,…

6 May

2025

EN Speech

2023 and 2024 reports on Kosovo (debate)

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Mr President, dear colleagues, many have spoken, including the Commissioner, about the non-acceptance of Kosovo's EU membership application. The Council lectures Serbia on the normalisation of relations with Kosovo, but it is not capable of doing so itself, although Kosovo's independence has been reviewed by the world's highest court. But now what's interesting is that the Council regularly approv…

6 May

2025

EN Answer

2023 and 2024 reports on Serbia (debate)

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Very creative to involve another country here, but I think I have been very clear in the delegation of Montenegro on my position there. I have been clear also today on Vučić. So I think we will have a further discussion on that very soon on Montenegro.…

6 May

2025

EN Speech

2023 and 2024 reports on Serbia (debate)

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Mr President, dear colleagues, dear Commissioner, we demand impartiality, not neutrality, in enlargement processes. The Commission could no longer turn a blind eye to what is happening in Serbia – civil society intimidation, media suppression, state capture, autocratic drift. Yes, cosying up with Putin made it worse, but that is not the core of the problem, nor is Kosovo. The real issue here is th…

5 May

2025

EN Speech

Preparation of the EU-UK summit (debate)

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Madam President, colleagues, Commissioner, Council, in today's geopolitical reality, we need to stand together with our best friends, and the EU and the UK are each other's best friends. We have to join forces to preserve our freedom, democracy and security – these core values, which were re‑established with the UK's strong involvement also 80 years ago. As today we celebrate Liberation Day in the…