What Thijs spoke about.

1

Apr

2025

EN Speech

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Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine: standing with Ukraine and upholding justice (debate)

Madam President, High Representative, colleagues, on behalf of the S&D Group, I thank you, High Representative, for your efforts to protect Ukraine's interests, which align with Europe's security and shared destiny. We have a shared common concern: the current US-led push for a ceasefire tramples upon vital principles on the international rules-based order and on Ukraine's independence, sovereignt…

12

Mar

2025

EN Speech

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Secessionist threats in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the recent escalation (debate)

Mr President, Commission, colleagues, Milorad Dodik's toxic mix of secessionism, autocratic tendencies, cosying up to Putin, ethnic hatred and systemic corruption has finally hit an obstacle. For months now, he tried to negotiate a way out of an inevitable conviction. Years of neglect, hollowing out of institutions and appeasement out of fear of instability have created a problem that the country …

12

Mar

2025

EN Answer

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Frozen Russian assets (debate)

Thanks for asking. No, what I mean, of course, is that the possible reparations or compensations will exceed this amount by far. But to reassure people who are afraid of taking this step, we can say: 'Look, the European Union, of course, guarantees that if Russia pays the full amount of reparations and compensations, then we will also look again at these assets.' Because then we will have no probl…

12

Mar

2025

EN Speech

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Frozen Russian assets (debate)

Mr President, Commission, colleagues, Europe is sitting on hundreds of billions of frozen Russian assets, and I have great difficulty explaining all the objections and the excuses for not getting this sorted, despite the fact that Ukraine needs more money to defend itself from Russia's illegal aggression. We have to see what happens next with the possible interim ceasefire, but our task of support…

11

Mar

2025

EN Speech

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White paper on the future of European defence (debate)

Mr President, Commission, Council, dear colleagues, Europe is already under attack. And you, Commissioner, understand the need for bold ambition and courageous action, which the Parliament shares with you. Member States say they do as well, but I'm not sure, at least not about all of them – your Member State excluded. They have had their chance to get European defence right, but they squandered pr…

11

Mar

2025

EN Speech

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European Council meetings and European security (joint debate)

Madam President, colleagues, Council, Commission, Europe is at a critical juncture. You said it yourself, Minister. We are relevant now or never again to act or to be passive observers of the destruction of the rules-based order. I commend the Member States for their clear understanding that Ukraine and Europe's future requires peace through strength – strength for Ukraine to stand up against Puti…

13

Feb

2025

EN Speech

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Resumption of the sitting

Mr President, thank you for your patience, and thank you, colleagues. On behalf of my group – and I hope many more – I would like to ask our President to convey our deepest concerns about yesterday's statements by President Trump and his government. We all want peace for Ukraine, but the terms and conditions emerging are bad for Ukraine, bad for Europe and bad for the rules-based order. Just good …

11

Feb

2025

EN Speech

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Political crisis in Serbia (debate)

President, Commission, Member States, colleagues, this Parliament shares the students' demands and hopes for the future of Serbia. The students and all the Serbs that support them want change, and change is badly needed. Autocratic tendencies in Serbia have only increased. But what are they asking? The students are not asking for dialogue on the rule of law, but for its implementation. And ironica…

11

Feb

2025

EN Speech

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Continuing the unwavering EU support for Ukraine, after three years of Russia’s war of aggression (debate)

Mr President, three years of a full‑scale invasion and Russian brutality, and what did we learn? Ukraine has already won. Ukraine will be an EU member and we will be stronger with them. And Europe is stronger and more resilient than many thought. Yes, we did a lot financially and militarily. But was it enough? Was it enough? No. We delivered too late and too little on crucial military support to p…

22

Jan

2025

EN Speech

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Links between organised crime and smuggling of migrants in light of the recent UN reports (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner and colleagues, migrant smuggling is a ruthless business thriving on false promises. Smugglers lure migrants with guarantees of safe passage to Europe. But the reality is a nightmare. Vulnerable people are cramped into unsafe boats or left to suffocate in overcrowded trucks with criminals filling their pockets. We need to stop them. But just as relentless as the behav…

22

Jan

2025

EN Speech

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Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 19 December 2024 (debate)

Madam President, Council colleagues, I must say I was a bit disappointed with the Council conclusions in December, and it's nothing personal, dear Mr Costa – you are depending on 27 Member States. The Council conclusions on Ukraine 1 to 9: good. But which countries that so far have given little to nothing of their military stockpiles to Ukraine did you convince since? On enlargement, 'continued im…

20

Jan

2025

EN Speech

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Ceasefire in Gaza - the urgent need to release the hostages, to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to pave the way for a two-state solution (debate)

Mr President, colleagues, Netanyahu never prioritised it, but hostages are being released again. He prioritised the destruction of Gaza, but the killing of Gazans has stopped for now. I'm glad there is a fragile ceasefire. But the only thing that changed since this deal was brokered eight months ago is finally putting enough pressure on Israel and Hamas to accept it. But it wasn't the EU. I wish I…

18

Dec

2024

EN Speech

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Preparation of the EU-Western Balkans Summit (debate)

Madam President, dear colleagues, in the Western Balkans, our credibility and strategic interests are at stake. So support what we need more of, and no appeasement of autocrats and destabilizers like Vučić and Dodik – you would think. So do give North Macedonia clear guarantees that constitutional amendment will remove Bulgaria's objections and do not lead to new ones. Do not reward Serbia's backs…

18

Dec

2024

EN Speech

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Preparation of the European Council of 19-20 December 2024 (debate)

Madam President, Commission, Council, we have to get the Member States out of their irresponsible waiting mode, perfectly reflected today by the Presidency, actually. President von der Leyen was right: Russia is weaker than we think. This is the moment to further bolster Ukraine. Supporting the energy network is great, but we need the Commission to push Member States to deliver the air defence tha…

17

Dec

2024

EN Speech

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Toppling of the Syrian regime, its geopolitical implications and the humanitarian situation in the region (debate)

Mr President, High Representative Kallas, welcome. Listening to the whole debate, I must say one thing: I am disgusted by the way some people here talk about people. It is dehumanising. I want to have it noted that from the far right the word deportations has been used several times, and I do not want to normalise that. We will only get one chance to get this right. The fall of the Assad regime is…

28

Nov

2024

EN Speech

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Reinforcing EU’s unwavering support to Ukraine against Russia’s war of aggression and the increasing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia (RC-B10-0191/2024, B10-0189/2024, B10-0191/2024, B10-0192/2024, B10-0193/2024, B10-0195/2024, B10-0198/2024, B10-0200/2024) (vote)

Madam President, I would like to move an oral amendment as a new separate paragraph between paragraph 16 and 17 because of new developments yesterday. The oral amendment is as follows: '...regrets the decision of the Slovak Prime Minister to accept the official invitation of the Russian President to participate in the commemoration of Victory Day in Moscow next year'.…

26

Nov

2024

NL Speech

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Continued escalation in the Middle East: the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank, UNRWA’s essential role in the region, the need to release all hostages and the recent ICC arrest warrants (debate)

26

Nov

2024

EN Speech

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Reinforcing EU’s unwavering support to Ukraine against Russia’s war of aggression and the increasing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia (debate)

Madam President, Council, Commission, some are apparently under the impression that Russia's war of aggression will end soon, and they act accordingly, going to completely irresponsible waiting mode: wrong and a gift for Putin. Nothing has changed really, since the US elections in terms of what we have to do for Ukraine and for ourselves. Nevertheless, we see a completely absent sense of urgency i…

13

Nov

2024

NL Speech

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Deplorable escalation of violence around the football match in the Netherlands and the unacceptable attacks against Israeli football fans (debate)

Mr President, let me start with the strongest possible condemnation of the violence in Amsterdam last week. Nothing at all justifies the organized chase of Maccabi fans or other Israeli visitors. What animates these people? But also the intimidation of Amsterdammers, the removal of Palestinian flags, mistreatment of a taxi driver and hateful racist chants are unacceptable. What inspires these hool…

23

Oct

2024

NL Speech

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EU actions against the Russian shadow fleets and ensuring a full enforcement of sanctions against Russia (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, in recent months oil tanker Giant unhindered along the European coasts, with seven hundred thousand barrels of oil on board. An old rusted tanker, full of Russian oil. The risk of a massive environmental catastrophe is high, while Putin's oil continues to flow, funding his war of aggression. Despite everything that has happened, the urgency to really paralyze Russia is …

9

Oct

2024

EN Speech

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The cases of unjustly imprisoned Uyghurs in China, notably Ilham Tohti and Gulshan Abbas

Madam President, Commission colleagues, in China's prison camps, about 1 million Uyghurs are currently detained, many without trial, among them Ilham Tohti, the 2019 Sakharov Prize laureate, imprisoned for his peaceful advocacy for Uyghur rights. The Chinese regime deems his freedom of speech – simply asking for basic rights – to be separatism, resulting in a life sentence. Uyghur families often f…

8

Oct

2024

EN Speech

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The democratic backsliding and threats to political pluralism in Georgia (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, arguably, nowhere in Europe you see more Ukrainian flags than in Tbilisi. The people of Georgia stand in solidarity with Ukraine in their courageous fight against Russian aggression. A struggle the Georgians understand all too well. Yet, Georgia is torn. There is a government moving away from the EU path, implementing laws that counter European democrat…

8

Oct

2024

EN Speech

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Strengthening Moldova's resilience against Russian interference ahead of the upcoming presidential elections and a constitutional referendum on EU integration (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, the future of the Republic of Moldova is in the European Union. That much is certain. Will it be easy? No. And the interesting thing is that Moldovans know better than anyone else what difficult task was and still is ahead of them. But they want it. They know what is at stake. This is a country where we can really make a difference, despite the threats, desp…

8

Oct

2024

EN Speech

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Escalation of violence in the Middle East and the situation in Lebanon (debate)

Madam President, Commission, colleagues, we have seen a year of innocent people being murdered, missile attacks, dehumanisation with all the consequences in Gaza and now Lebanon. Despicable. All of it. I want to thank Mr Borrell for standing up for human rights and international law despite his difficult position, and I call on the Member States to finally agree on something – something relevant i…

18

Sep

2024

EN Speech

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The severe situation of political prisoners in Belarus

Mr President, dear colleagues, Commissioner, imagine a friend, a family member, a loved one held captive on trumped up charges in a dictatorial regime, in this case, the relentless and extremely repressive regime of dictator Lukashenka. Lukashenka violates the very basic human rights of political prisoners. They suffer torture and lack of medical treatment, but many of them are also held incommuni…