Speeches

The overwhelming majority of European heads of state were outraged by the anti-LGBTIQ law introduced by Viktor Orbán in Hungary. Rightly so. This law goes against the well-being of children by censoring content on homosexuality or LGBTIQ rights. I welcome the reaction of most Heads of State and Government, but that should not end there. I call on the Council to trigger Article 7 against this illiberal government. We cannot remain silent in the face of this anti-LGBTIQ law that goes against everything the European Union stands for. However, membership of the European Union means, among other things, respect for common fundamental values, whether the Hungarian leader likes it or not. This is not an à la carte menu. Let us protect what is most precious, the freedom of our people.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the rule of law is not a gadget. Respect for fundamental democratic principles is the thread that unites all European countries. This is the basis, ladies and gentlemen, of our common project, it is the assurance of the democratic power of Europe. Today, the rule of law is a fragile achievement. This is reflected in your annual report, Commissioner. And then we see it in Poland, when the rule of law has been dismantled, it is difficult, complicated to rebuild it. In the face of the erosion of fundamental principles, we have made progress. We are trying to move from observation to action and punishment. We must, Commissioner, set this principle in stone, especially with the rule of law cycle. Indeed, our fundamental principles cannot be tossed around by elections, moods or circumstances. In a world where the great powers abandon in turn the respect for the law, Europe cannot take the risk of weakening what makes its strength and legitimacy in the world, the respect for democracy and freedom.

Mr President, Commissioner McGrath, ladies and gentlemen, Madam rapporteur, the European Convention on Human Rights was conceived and drafted here in Strasbourg. At the end of the Second World War, the ambition of the European countries is clear: Establish safeguards to prevent the repetition of the monstrous violations of fundamental rights observed during the conflict. It is on this ambition that the European Union was born. It was in this wake that, 50 years later, the European Charter of Fundamental Rights was born. Today, we are all the guarantors in this Chamber. Today, fundamental rights have never been more threatened in Europe. You all said it: the 2025 stocktake, these are major threats to freedom of expression, threats to press freedom, equality, women’s rights, LGBTI+ rights and migrants’ rights. Our Renew Group, Commissioner, urges the Commission to put respect for fundamental rights at the heart of its action. There's an emergency.

Mr President, Commissioner, dear Piotr Serafin, ladies and gentlemen, we take a strong, responsible, ambitious and realistic position in this report. Our citizens are asking Europe to do more, not less. There is not a single area that requires less EU funding. That is why we need to invest: for our strategic autonomy in key sectors, to support industries, youth, research, health, culture and the ecological transition. We have to face the big challenges of tomorrow, and we have to face them as Europeans. The budget is also an instrument to protect our values. I am pleased, together with my Renew Group, to have a firm position from Parliament on the protection of the rule of law in the budget and for the budget. Finally, the European budget is also an instrument of European solidarity and must remain so. Finally, while Parliament can only give its consent or not in this procedure, our position is very clear: we will not approve the next multiannual budget if it is not guaranteed by new own resources, and we are converging on that, Commissioner, with your position. We need real European revenue to finance our ambition, ladies and gentlemen, for a responsible, realistic and ambitious European budget at the service of Europeans.

Madam President, dear Sabine Verheyen, Commissioner, dear Hadja Lahbib, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to begin by pointing out that I have a problem with the French translation, the term 'therapy' for conversion. These practices are not therapies at all. As you yourself have said, Commissioner, therapy is treatment. But here, there is nothing to look after. "Sexual orientation is not a disease, it is torture," the Council of Europe rightly said. Article 21 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is clear: no one should be discriminated against on the basis of his or her sexual orientation. We said – as you may remember – a few years ago, the European Union, a Freedom Zone for LGBTIQ+ in response to free zone Reported in Hungary and Poland for LGBT people. Today, more than one million citizens across 27 Member States have supported this European Citizens' Initiative to call for a ban on these conversion practices. Their cause is right. Thanks to the young people who managed to federate this million signatures. Ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, what are we waiting for to ban this practice? Our citizens are calling us to do so.

Dear President Martin Hojsík, Commissioner Henna Virkkunen, ladies and gentlemen, yes, we have a solution to take back control of migration. It exists, it is European: it is the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum swiftly and without delay – and I thank you, Commissioner, for clearly supporting it, and bearing all your burdens, for its real implementation. But this pact cannot be effective without a key element: a credible return regulation – this is the missing text of the Pact. I would like to welcome the commitment of my colleague Malik Azmani, the rapporteur, who seeks to bring together the same majority as for the other texts of the Pact, in a constructive way, and I would like to thank the representatives of this majority who wish to make progress on this subject, migration. The principle is simple: any person who does not have the right to remain on European territory must be able to be effectively returned. But for this to happen, the EU must shoulder its responsibilities and strengthen – as has been said – its cooperation with third countries. No migration policy can succeed without strong partnerships with countries of origin and transit of migrants. Balanced partnerships, based on mutual commitments, that integrate development, training, legal mobility, determined fight against smugglers. But one thing is certain: Outsourcing our responsibilities is not the solution. Let us act together in a responsible and European way!

Madam President, Mr President, dear Nikos Christodoulides, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the Asylum Migration Pact is due to enter into force in June 2026. This pact will allow for accelerated border procedures, rapid registration of asylum applications, harmonised decisions between Member States and effective returns for people who are not expected to remain in Europe. I am pleased, Mr President, that its implementation is a clear priority for your presidency. But the implementation of the pact will only make sense if we maintain the objective of striking a balance between firmness and efficiency. Protecting our borders and protecting people are not conflicting goals. Europe must not give up what makes its identity: respect for human dignity, the right to asylum and the rule of law. The Cyprus Presidency, Mr President, which is honoured to be here with us this morning, is a unique opportunity to implement the long-awaited European response on this important subject.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of my group, Renew Europe, I am firmly opposed to the text on safe third countries. Let's be clear: this text does not aim to improve our asylum system; we will return people to countries with which they have no connection, without examining their asylum application. We are escaping our responsibilities and relocating our values. The right to asylum is not an option, it is a moral duty, enshrined in international law, which is incumbent on us under the weight of history. This text opens a dangerous path: the massive and mechanical removal of vulnerable persons. The European Union was built precisely to prevent this. In this Chamber, some have clearly forgotten this. European migration policy will not be driven by populist slogans and false solutions: it requires firm and effective responses, but always humane. I call on everyone's responsibility and humanity when it comes to voting.

Mr President – dear Martin Hojsík –, Commissioner – dear Piotr Serafin –, Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank the Commission for its reply. We are four groups - EPP, S&D, Greens and Renew - that have written to him and we take note of his constructive proposals on several points, such as the role of the regions, the changes on the CAP, the role of Parliament, as my colleagues have said. Unfortunately, the Commission has kept the structure containing the national plans, which we are not in favour of. We regret this, but we want the stated objectives to be clearly European, to ensure that policies are accompanied at European level. Finally, I would like to repeat a proposal from my group, Renew Europe, to add a European Semester on the rule of law among the existing proposals. Along with strategic autonomy and defence, the protection of the rule of law – as Valérie Hayer pointed out, also referring to corruption issues – must remain a top priority in the European budget.

Madam President, Commissioner, dear Magnus Brunner, Madam President, dear Marie Bjerre, ladies and gentlemen, I welcome yesterday's publication of the first annual report on the situation of asylum and migration in Europe, which will be over the past month. This is an important step in the concrete implementation of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum. I share the analyses presented, and together with my group we want to welcome this transparency in the follow-up of joint commitments. The classification of Member States into three groups according to migratory pressure is a solid basis for building a European response based on shared responsibility, as my colleague Tomas Tobé, rapporteur for the text on the annual solidarity reserve, recalled earlier. The effort must now continue with the full implementation of the Pact, Commissioner, Madam President, before June 2026. Firmness and humanity must continue to guide our European approach to asylum and migration.

Mr President, Commissioner, dear Magnus Brunner, ladies and gentlemen, Europe is facing a profound transformation in its security environment. I think we all say it here, the threats are multiplying, strengthening: terrorism, organised crime, hybrid threats, foreign interference. Protecting our citizens is a European priority. We need to strengthen police and judicial cooperation at EU level. This cooperation already exists on a local scale. As you know, Commissioner, we visited the Kehl cooperation centre together. There are 56 such centres where police and customs cooperate on both sides of the border. At European level, Europol, Eurojust and the Public Prosecutor's Office are the pillars of this cooperation. Their terms of reference are scheduled to be revised in 26. I call on you, Commissioner, to strengthen the capacity of these agencies to facilitate their investigations, the exchanges of data that you have mentioned. I urge you to value the action already taking place on the ground in these centres, at the borders of our Member States and the spirit of cooperation between the police, gendarmeries, national customs, all the services that conduct investigations to move forward together towards a Europe of security, firm on the rules and above all respectful of the rule of law.

Madam President, I refer to Rule 202 of the Rules of Procedure on agenda items. Five years ago, Professor Samuel Paty was murdered for teaching free speech. Two years ago, Professor Dominique Bernard was killed in turn, a victim of terrorism. These two teachers embody what Europe stands for. Their memory forces us. In a context where hate speech and obscurantism are on the rise, it is up to us to protect schools, to protect freedom of expression and tolerance, pillars of our European model. That is why, Madam President, I wish and propose that this House pay tribute to them and solemnly reaffirm its commitment to the common values that form our Union.

Madam President, Commissioner Kubilius, Minister for European Affairs, dear Marie Bjerre, ladies and gentlemen, I repeat what I said on Monday in my reminder to the Rules of Procedure: This debate put on the agenda by the extreme right is a false debate, which exploits fears and manipulates figures. Let's discuss the facts. Contrary to the extreme right's obsessions, irregular entry into the Union has fallen by 38% in one year, as you recalled, Madam Minister. The European Union is taking firm action to reduce illegal immigration while humanely welcoming those who are being persecuted. On 15 October, as you pointed out, Commissioner, the Commission will present for the first time an annual report on asylum and the migration situation. This is a new step in the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum, which will enter fully into force in one year. I therefore appeal to the spirit of responsibility in this Chamber, as Thomas Tobé has just proposed. Let us work together to rigorously and firmly apply the common rules of the Pact on Migration and Asylum to manage migration in Europeans, respecting the fundamental rights of asylum seekers.

Madam President, I shall speak in line with what President Iratxe García Pérez has just said. It is a reminder to the Rules of Procedure on Rules 163, 164 and 169(3), on precisely this topical debate requested by the PfE Group. Let's discuss the facts. Contrary to what is repeated by the far right, irregular entries into the European Union have fallen by 38% in one year. On the other hand, combining migration and crime is a manipulation. The data are clear – the data are clear: Three quarters of all violence against women and children is perpetrated within the family circle. It is not by exploiting migration that we will protect them. I therefore call, like Iratxe and my colleague Tineke Strik, for this debate and this discriminatory title to be withdrawn on the basis of Article 169(3), which, I recall, refers to Articles 6 and 2 of the Treaty on European Union, referring to the human dignity and dignity of our European Parliament.

Madam President – dear Sabine Verheyen –, Madam Minister for European Affairs – dear Marie Bjerre –, Commissioner McGrath, ladies and gentlemen, a few months ago I was speaking in this Chamber to call on you to join us at the Budapest Pride. The mayor had the courage to take responsibility, despite the threats. I would like to greet the Hungarian people, who have come in large numbers – and we can applaud them – to defend the rights of LGBTQIA+ people, and also to defend freedom of expression. A people stood up against Viktor Orbán’s authoritarianism and regime of fear. It was an honour (which I share, if they allow me, with my colleagues from the Socialist Groups, the Greens and the Left, as well as with Maria Walsh) to be present alongside the Hungarians. Commissioner, we need a European anti-discrimination law more than ever, and I ask you to abandon any idea of withdrawing the anti-discrimination text. Together, let us defend European values!

Madam President – dear Sabine Verheyen –, Madam Minister for European Affairs – dear Marie Bjerre –, Commissioner McGrath, ladies and gentlemen, a few months ago I was speaking in this Chamber to call on you to join us at the Budapest Pride. The mayor had the courage to take responsibility, despite the threats. I would like to greet the Hungarian people, who have come in large numbers – and we can applaud them – to defend the rights of LGBTQIA+ people, and also to defend freedom of expression. A people stood up against Viktor Orbán’s authoritarianism and regime of fear. It was an honour (which I share, if they allow me, with my colleagues from the Socialist Groups, the Greens and the Left, as well as with Maria Walsh) to be present alongside the Hungarians. Commissioner, we need a European anti-discrimination law more than ever, and I ask you to abandon any idea of withdrawing the anti-discrimination text. Together, let us defend European values!

Madam President, Commissioner Piotr Serafin, Minister for European Affairs – dear Marie Bjerre –, ladies and gentlemen, the European Commission – you, Commissioner – will present its proposal on 16 July. What Parliament is asking for, what my group, Renew Europe, expects from this text is very simple: an ambitious and truly European budget. It is unthinkable that this next Multiannual Financial Framework will not contain new own resources. Why are the own resources foreseen in 2020 by the Interinstitutional Agreement still not in place? The Commission is already announcing cuts to repay NextGenerationEU's debt. The European budget is already small, given the number of fields it covers, and we would like to reduce it further? Like many of us, I have exchanged with farmers, magistrates, journalists, European agencies, and the verdict is final: We are all asking for more resources. European citizens are asking us for more resources. I therefore call on you, Commissioner, Madam Minister, to act together to build a European budget that allows us to meet together the expectations of our fellow citizens, that allows us to influence the international scene, that allows us to live up to our ambitions.

Madam President, Commissioner Piotr Serafin, Minister for European Affairs – dear Marie Bjerre –, ladies and gentlemen, the European Commission – you, Commissioner – will present its proposal on 16 July. What Parliament is asking for, what my group, Renew Europe, expects from this text is very simple: an ambitious and truly European budget. It is unthinkable that this next Multiannual Financial Framework will not contain new own resources. Why are the own resources foreseen in 2020 by the Interinstitutional Agreement still not in place? The Commission is already announcing cuts to repay NextGenerationEU's debt. The European budget is already small, given the number of fields it covers, and we would like to reduce it further? Like many of us, I have exchanged with farmers, magistrates, journalists, European agencies, and the verdict is final: We are all asking for more resources. European citizens are asking us for more resources. I therefore call on you, Commissioner, Madam Minister, to act together to build a European budget that allows us to meet together the expectations of our fellow citizens, that allows us to influence the international scene, that allows us to live up to our ambitions.

Madam President, Commissioner McGrath, ladies and gentlemen, for several months we have been debating the events taking place in Hungary at every plenary session: a new action by the government of Viktor Orban, a new attack on the values of the Union, new restrictions on the fundamental rights of Hungarian citizens. Let me repeat this, as in every one of my speeches: Hungary has been under the Article 7 procedure since 2018 – for seven years. And for seven years, the government of Viktor Orban has only persevered in its dismantling of the rule of law. Half of the title of this debate is the "need for the Commission to act". Commissioner, I ask you, what are you waiting for? I will be with my Renew group in Budapest for Pride on June 27 with the Socialists, the Greens and The Left and others I hope, to defend our values. For your part, what are you waiting for, Commissioner, to organise the suspension of the veto and the right to vote for this Member State which is blocking the decisions, as you know, of the Council and more generally of the European Union? This Member State has consistently shown us that it is committed to respecting the fundamental values of the Union. This member state which allies with Russia or the United States of Mr. Trump rather than with its European neighbors. Together with my Renew Group, I call on the Commission and the Council to finally implement the sanctions provided for in Article 7. We've all waited long enough.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to propose an oral amendment to the annual report on which we are currently voting. The amendment is added at the end of paragraph 35 and reads as follows: I'll read it in English. 'Urges, in that sense, the European Commission, in due respect of the spirit of the ECI – the European Citizens' Initiative procedure – to provide adequate, concrete and effective follow-up to ECIs related to fundamental rights of citizens, such as the one calling for a binding legal ban on conversion practices targeting LGBTIQ+ citizens in the EU and the ECI 'My voice, my choice'. Ladies and gentlemen, this amendment is necessary at a time when the rights of LGBT communities and women's rights are under threat all over Europe. Together with my group Renew Europe and with many of you, I hope, we are committed to defending these rights enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and we will support LGBT communities at the Pride in Budapest on 28 June.

Mr President, Commissioner Michael McGrath – the Minister is absent – ladies and gentlemen, many of us have said so, and I repeat myself here: Hungary has been subject to Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union since 2018. Viktor Orban's government is not afraid of anything and continues to restrict the freedoms and rights of its fellow citizens. As several colleagues have pointed out, the fundamental values of the Union are under threat. Despite our many warnings, Commissioner, nothing is happening: Hungary still enjoys the right of veto and the right to vote in the Council. What are we waiting for to move forward on the implementation of Article 7 sanctions? What are we waiting for to finally suspend Hungary's right to vote? More than ever, Europe is at the forefront and faces threats from Russia and the United States. We cannot have a Member State close to Russia that endangers our defence and the European unity of our Union. I therefore call on the Council and the Commission to take courage and action.

Mr President, dear Younous Omarjee, Commissioner, dear Piotr Serafin, ladies and gentlemen, tomorrow we will vote on the European Parliament's position for the next multiannual financial framework. We demand an ambitious European budget, Commissioner, for the future of our Union. Since the last mandate, the European Union has been in the spotlight with a role model. Following Russia's outbreak of the war in Ukraine and the sharp change in the position of the United States on the international stage, it is even more crucial that the European Union should live up to its responsibilities. All the actors we meet, companies, NGOs, farmers, universities, agencies, local actors, ask us for more resources. All the committee leaders, just now, have asked us for more budget. However, as regards own resources, ladies and gentlemen, we are stagnating. Where are the new own resources? How will we finance the next budget while honouring the debt of the Next Generation EU programme, without reducing existing programmes or imposing an additional burden on European citizens? We can see that own resources are crucial for our budget. I therefore reiterate, Commissioner, with insistence, our call, that of the Renew Group, that of Parliament, that we finally make concrete progress on this file. What is at stake is the future of Europe and its ability to meet the challenges it faces. We need to act now.

Mr President, Minister, Commissioner McGrath, ladies and gentlemen, the Article 7 procedure with regard to Hungary was initiated in September 2018, seven years ago already. Since then, Viktor Orbán has consistently dismantled and deconstructed the rule of law in his country: lack of free media, lack of independence of the judiciary, a muzzled civil society. The latest landmark measure is the ban on the Pride march in Budapest. At a time when we need a strong and united Europe, Viktor Orbán is holding back any plans for an ambitious and diverse Europe, preferring instead to support Russia. Commissioner, it is your responsibility to ensure that Article 7 is applied effectively. We ask you to suspend Hungary's right to vote in the Council. This procedure is long overdue. Together with my group, Renew Europe, we will be alongside Hungarian citizens at the Pride march in Budapest on 28 June. I hope, ladies and gentlemen, that there will be many of you there.

Mr President – dear Younous Omarjee –, Madam Vice-President of the Commission – dear Mrs Virkkunen –, Mr Council representative, it is good that migration is one of the Commission’s priorities for the first 100 days. As we know, this is an important concern for our European citizens. It was in this context that the Commission presented the Return Directive yesterday. This was the missing part of the Pact on Migration and Asylum, which we adopted in spring 2024. It is again this pact, Madam Vice-President and Mr President, that I would like to talk about today, because the challenge is not so much to propose new texts as to implement concretely, in each Member State, what we have already voted for. This pact will enable the Commission and all Member States to swiftly establish a European migration policy with the same rules, characterised by coherence and solidarity, and more effective. That is why, beyond these first hundred days, I invite you to put all your energy, Madam Vice-President, to ensure the full implementation of the Pact – the deadline is next June – throughout Europe. It is by taking concrete action that we will effectively address the concerns of our citizens.