Speeches

Madam President, Commissioner Brunner, ladies and gentlemen, the return aspect was the only missing text in the Pact on Migration and Asylum. I therefore look forward to making progress on this subject in order to reach a common, harmonised solution at European level. However, this proposal poses problems on several points. As I understand your presentation, Commissioner, mutual recognition of returns would only be voluntary, not mandatory. It is a shame to deprive ourselves of a common tool, while Member States only complain about dissonant return decisions. On return hubs, what does it mean to send migrants back to an intermediate country with which they have no connection? How can we ensure that the fundamental rights of migrants outside Europe are properly respected? To improve returns, my group, Renew, is calling for agreements to be negotiated with countries of origin, sovereign countries, to take back their nationals. Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, let us finally give the Pact on Migration and Asylum a chance. Let us ensure that it is properly implemented before seeking simplistic and populist solutions.

Madam President, Commissioner Micallef, ladies and gentlemen, the rise of the far right in Europe is a growing threat to everyone, especially the LGBTI community. This is evidenced by the Meloni government's recent move to cancel registrations of the civil status records of children of same-sex couples. In Italy, more than 20,000 children raised by same-sex couples are threatened by the questioning of their legal parentage. Today, in the European Union, more than 2 million children could face a situation in which this link with their parents is not recognized. It is therefore urgent to act now, especially since, Commissioner, the solution has already been found, as you have pointed out. Two years ago, the European Commission proposed a regulation to harmonise this recognition and introduce a European certificate. This recognition would not only put an end to uncertainty, but it would also provide a real guarantee of rights protection and equality for families. So, ladies and gentlemen, what are we waiting for to implement it? Together with my group, Renew Europe, we uphold the European values of equality loud and clear. I therefore call on the Member States to take forward this proposal, which is essential for legal certainty for all, for equality and for the protection of children in the European Union. We owe this to all European children.

Mr President, dear Roberts Zīle, Commissioner Magnus Brunner, we have had this debate many times and, despite logical, factual arguments and statistics showing that building walls at borders not only does not work, but that it is not in our European DNA either, here we are again. Contrary to what the extreme right likes to claim, it is not enough to build walls at our borders to solve the issue of illegal immigration. Of course we must protect our borders, organise ourselves to enforce them, as you have explained, Commissioner; we're working on it. But the best management of migration and the best protection of our borders also requires the application of this pact, which has not yet been implemented. Indeed, a major part of the implementation of the Pact is devoted to this border protection. This requires the creation of accelerated border procedures, rigorous screening, an asylum and migration database and additional budgetary means. The Pact also includes a cooperation component with third countries to prevent irregular departures, combat migrant smuggling, cooperate on readmission and promote legal pathways. It is these innovative measures that we must finance with the European budget. This budget must be used to bring people together. It must be put at the service of citizens and solidarity. The European budget, ladies and gentlemen, must build bridges, not walls.

Madam President – dear Sophie Wilmès –, Commissioner – dear Magnus Brunner – ladies and gentlemen, according to Europol, a very large majority of migrants pay smugglers to reach Europe. Reports from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees show that these smuggling networks are often involved in other actions and criminal networks along migration routes, specifically between East Africa, West Africa and the African Mediterranean coasts. This is no surprise to us. These smugglers also abuse their position, and many migrants find themselves victims of physical abuse, sexual abuse and trafficking of all kinds. This is why the creation of safe and legal pathways must be a priority, together with the protection of our borders. I recall that one of the flagship measures of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum is precisely to better combat these smuggling networks, through better cooperation with third countries and countries of origin, but also through better cooperation of police and judicial services between Member States. We have tools, Commissioner, to fight these criminal networks. Let's implement them!

Mr President, Commissioner – dear Piotr Serafin –, Minister, ladies and gentlemen, here we are again. After the use of Pegasus by Hungary, we pass a notch above. Since December, we have been facing new suspicions of espionage by Hungary. OLAF members were allegedly followed and wiretapped during an investigation into possible misappropriation of EU funds by Hungary. The information revealed is very worrying, and all the light must be shed on this case. Ladies and gentlemen, we cannot tolerate such actions on the part of a Member State vis-à-vis our institutions. Moreover, it was a State that held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union at the time of the revelations. This case demonstrates two things: on the one hand, the Hungarian government’s feverishness regarding its use of EU funds. Why, indeed – as my colleague from my group, Renew Europe, Raquel García Hermida-Van Der Walle, put it very well – monitor OLAF investigators when there is nothing to blame? On the other hand, Commissioner, it shows how necessary the mechanism of conditionality of European funds to respect for the rule of law is, how powerful this tool is. So let’s not hesitate to implement it anymore!

Madam President, Commissioner, Minister, we are the day after the inauguration of Donald Trump, an inauguration which, as we know, poses a great danger to our democracies, to European citizens and to freedom of expression. Because it is precisely democracy and freedom of expression that we wanted to protect when we voted on the Digital Services Act (DSA). Contrary to what the leaders of the major platforms X and Meta argue, freedom of expression lies where all opinions can be expressed with respect for each other. Deregulation gives way to hate speech, child pornography, terrorist, misogynistic and racist content. Let us not be mistaken: Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg do not defend freedom of expression. They only want to convey their own ideology. No, Europe is not weak. Commissioner, we have the DSA to deal with these threats. Let us apply this regulation, Commissioner, with rigour and determination, to lead all platforms to respect our rules and, above all, to respect our values in order to protect our fellow citizens.

Madam President, dear Sabine Verheyen, Commissioner - dear Maroš Šefčovič - ladies and gentlemen, in the letter that the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, sent to the Member States on Monday and in the Council's conclusions, I note a certain enthusiasm for innovative ideas to better manage migration, in particular its external dimension. By "innovators" I understand that it is envisaged to outsource European migration policy, in particular with return hubs or camps, as Italy was able to do in Albania. However, the Italian example, Commissioner, has only one merit: illustrate that migration outsourcing, promoted by the government of Giorgia Meloni, is a dead end at exorbitant cost. Yet, ladies and gentlemen, the innovative solution we have already built together: it is the New Pact on Migration and Asylum. A European, solidarity-based solution that respects reception rules, but also those of return, with a component on the control of irregular immigration and a new border procedure. Let us ensure its proper implementation before seeking simplistic and populist solutions.

Madam President, Commissioner, 'Migration is a European challenge requiring a European response'. These words are inscribed in the conclusions of the meeting of Heads of State on 17 October. This is our compass for effectively managing migration, which led to the adoption of a landmark agreement last spring: the European Pact on Asylum and Migration. The Pact offers new and powerful tools to combat irregular flows and to discourage the departure of non-asylum-seekers through the asylum border procedure, to speed up the examination of asylum applications and to swiftly protect those who are persecuted, but also to ensure, through the Pact and these tools, a fair sharing of responsibility and the necessary solidarity between Member States. This pact is a real revolution, ladies and gentlemen, and the priority is to ensure its proper implementation. I strongly oppose so-called innovative solutions for outsourcing return policy to third countries. hubs away from home. Of course, we need to work on a new directive on returns. However, such centres would be inefficient, cost taxpayers a fortune and make us vulnerable to blackmail from third countries, without addressing the delicate issue of obtaining laissez-passer. One after another, attempts by governments to create such systems turn out to be dead ends. One example is the abandonment of the UK’s agreement with Rwanda. Let us remain sovereign and masters of our immigration policy.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, today I would like to talk about the European budget for 2025, which is part of the revision of the multiannual financial framework, which we adopted in February this year. Negotiations on this budget have brought little change. Apart from some increases in specific areas, margins are still limited, lines underfunded, emergency instruments almost instantly exhausted. During the last parliamentary term, the European Union had been at the forefront: COVID-19 crisis, common borrowing, vaccines, war in Ukraine, strategic autonomy: a true European defence! So many leaps forward! The role and competences of the European Union are ever more important, yet we are still unable to fund EU programmes and policies to match their needs. I therefore call on the Commission and the Member States to invest for Europe, to give us real means and to be more flexible for the next multiannual financial framework. Citizens expect and deserve a strong Europe.

Madam President, we know that the New Pact on Migration and Asylum and migration policy dominated the European Council at the end of last week. This is a matter of concern for our citizens. We are proud, all here in this House, to have adopted a pact, to have found a balance in dealing with the issue of illegal migration, while respecting our values. We also know, ladies and gentlemen, that it will take us another two years to implement it. We cannot therefore accept that a Member State uses a back door to circumvent what is provided for in the Pact and the precise rules that we have defined together. That is why we propose to rebound on the Greens' proposal and to add the "implementation of the Pact" dimension as a whole, i.e. with regard to its duties, the application of its rules, but also the guarantees of human rights and respect for fundamental rights that we have incorporated into it. It is in this spirit that we propose this amended debate.

Mr President, dear Nicolae Ştefănuță, Madam Vice-President, dear Věra Jourová, in five years, the European Commission's annual Rule of Law Report has become a valuable tool in responding to the erosion of the fundamental principles on which our Union is based. Our group has long called for arming Europe against autocrats who dismantle the rights and freedoms of European citizens. Madam Vice-President, I would like to commend you and Commissioner Didier Reynders for putting together this annual report. This is a big step forward. This morning in plenary, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán brushed aside all criticism. Yet the facts documented in this report are indisputable. The entire Hungarian judicial system is controlled by political power and corruption scandals are ubiquitous in the Orbán system. Together with my colleagues from the Renew Group, we want this report to be, tomorrow more than ever, at the centre of a strengthened system of conditionality, so that the disbursement of all European funds is subject to compliance with the fundamental rules and values of the European Union.

Mr President, dear Margaritis Schinas, the security of European citizens depends, among other things, on effective control and management of the European Union's external borders. This is an essential condition for the Schengen area of free movement. I agree with President Ursula von der Leyen and yours, Vice-President Margaritis Schinas: the Union is facing new challenges and multiple threats that call for a rethinking of our external border management strategy as Europeans. Together with my Renew Europe group, we support the strengthening of Frontex. We want to step up the presence of European border and coast guards on the ground, provided, however, that we thoroughly review the governance of this agency, so that it operates more effectively, while respecting fundamental rights. A positive shift is taking place with a new Managing Director. It is a demanding task to be pursued relentlessly. Secondly, it is our collective responsibility to provide the Agency with the financial and human resources it needs to carry out its border protection mission. With my group, I am resolutely committed to it.

Madam President, Commissioner, Minister, on 5 July last, when Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Moscow, he did not go on a so-called peace mission. He rolled out the red carpet to Putin and opened wide the doors of the European Union to an enemy country. This national card allows an unlimited number of Russian nationals to enter Hungary. This is in total contradiction, Minister, with the policy of the European Union since the beginning of Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine. Since 2022, we have frozen the facilitation of Russian visas, tightened visa conditions for Russian nationals and tightened border controls. This is not just a lonely decision by an isolated dictator. This is a major internal security issue for all European citizens. Your colleague, Commissioner Ylva Johansson, has carried out several actions since the summer to obtain clarifications and guarantees from the Hungarian government, without a credible response at this stage, however. I therefore call on the Commission and the Member States to consider the temporary suspension of Hungary's Schengen membership, as provided for in Article 29 of the Schengen Code. Let us act forcefully against this threat to our common security.

–Mrs President, Commissioner, dear Margaritis Schinas, dear Ylva Johansson, ladies and gentlemen, we are here. After eight years of hard work, we can act to address migration challenges. Today, we are faced with a difficult and crucial choice. Let's be realistic and honest. To reject the pact is to prevent any reform for the next ten years. Rejecting the pact means choosing a status quo that is unacceptable for states, for European citizens and, above all, for asylum seekers. That is why I call once again on all members of the centrist and pro-European parties to support this pact, and finally to act for immigration control and genuine European solidarity. Concretely, I would remind you briefly, thanks to the Pact, we are putting an end to situations of chaos at the EU’s borders and in our territories, such as in Calais, for example, in France. Thanks to the Pact, we will significantly reduce the presence of people in an irregular situation on European soil. Through the Pact, we will make our asylum procedures more efficient, harmonised and respectful of migrants. Colleagues, acting or preventing is our choice today. Together with my colleagues from the Renew Europe Group, we are determined to act and support this European Pact on Asylum and Migration without exception.

Mr President, Commissioner, dear Ylva Johansson, ladies and gentlemen, we are at a moment of truth. After three and a half years of complex and demanding work, and almost ten years after the Syrian refugee migration crisis, we are in front of a crucial vote to finally reform the European asylum and migration system. This pact is a coherent, complementary set of texts to finally respond, as Europeans, to the migration challenge. Together we defend four priority objectives. The first: strategic steering of European asylum policy between the 27 Member States, with a leading role for the Commission in coordination and monitoring. The second element is a new solidarity mechanism at European level to help Member States in the event of migratory pressure or crisis. Third axis: Establish better control of irregular immigration at the external borders of the European Union, through accelerated border procedures for applicants who are manifestly ineligible for asylum. Finally, to put in place more harmonised and effective asylum procedures within the European Union, accompanied by essential rights for minors, for families and for all asylum seekers. These different legislative instruments will allow the European Union to be better prepared to respond to the main challenges of immigration. This pact will not solve everything, but it is a step forward, a giant step towards real control and good human management of immigration in France, in Europe and on our continent. This is not the end of the road either. As my colleague Birgit Sippel has just pointed out, we will have to put all our energy into ensuring that the new rules are implemented and complied with in all EU countries. Together with my Renew Group, we will be following this implementation with extreme vigilance and, Commissioner, we are counting on the European Commission to fully play its role as guardian of the Treaties. We have already started working on measures, especially for families. Colleagues, we are faced with our responsibilities: vote against the pact, offer a victory to the European far right, which has done everything to counter the construction of solutions to migration challenges (in France, for example, it is the Rassemblement national which does not want a solution, which feeds on problems with cynicism); or else vote this pact in responsibility. Dear elected colleagues of the centrist and pro-European parties, I call on you to support this pact. Our citizens want action, not big speeches.

Madam President, Commissioner – dear Ylva Johansson – I welcome the revision of the Single Permit Directive. This is one of the building blocks for a European legal labour migration policy. This permit facilitates the recruitment within the European Union of the foreign workers our companies need. As we all know, there are labour shortages in some sectors that we need to fill. As a further step forward, it provides for minimum rules to ensure that foreign workers are treated in the same way in all Member States, in particular as regards working conditions, social protection or the recognition of professional qualifications. In particular, the Directive protects workers who are victims of abusive working conditions. After the European Pact on Migration and Asylum, ladies and gentlemen, I too am calling for a boost for a truly European legal labour migration policy. This is a priority, ladies and gentlemen, for the next term of office.

Mr President, dear Reinhard Wieland, Commissioner, dear Didier Reynders, I am delighted, ladies and gentlemen, with this debate on immigration, which allows us to highlight Europe's results. As you recalled, Commissioner, after three and a half years of work, we reached a historic agreement on the Pact on Migration and Asylum together. This far-reaching reform will provide key tools for states to address the challenge of immigration in Europe, in line with our values. I would point out that this pact is based on three priority objectives. First, a new solidarity mechanism at European level to help Member States in the event of migratory pressure or crisis, in particular Italy. Second, better control of irregular immigration at the external borders through accelerated border procedures for applicants who are clearly not eligible for asylum. This will notably help countries of first entry, such as Italy. Finally, more harmonised and efficient asylum procedures, thanks to the tool of the Regulation. This will reduce processing times for asylum cases. I also welcome this debate, which makes it possible to put the points on the "i" and to denounce the great absence of these negotiations, the National Rally of Mrs Le Pen. Mr Bardella is still absent from this Chamber today. I do not know what he is doing with his illusory promises. At least it is clear: the far right, both in France and in Europe, is not looking for a solution to immigration. She lives cynically from these problems. Moreover, you did not hesitate to table amendments rejecting the proposal. That is all you have done. This is your only work in committee and plenary on Parliament’s mandate. In the April plenary, ladies and gentlemen, we will put this Pact on Migration and Asylum to the vote, and we will see clearly who is standing up for solutions and who is standing in the way.

Mr President, dear Marc Angel, Commissioner, dear Didier Reynders, the rule of law, the heart of our democracy, is under attack from all sides. Freedom of expression, the independence of the judiciary, freedom of the media and respect for the rules are not achievements, ladies and gentlemen. They are prime targets for all enemies of freedom within the European Union, as especially for foreign powers. Commissioner, dear Didier Reynders, I want to welcome your decisive commitment to rearming Europe and protecting our fundamental values and rights. Since 2020, you have been publishing the European Commission's annual Rule of Law Report and Country-Specific Recommendations. It is a valuable tool for identifying loopholes and responding forcefully to the causes of the backsliding on the rule of law. Thanks to your action, to our determination also in the European Parliament, my Renew Group and the coalition of the Centre, European funds are now conditional on respect for the rule of law and European values. Thank you, Mr. Reynders. The protection of the rule of law is what makes us, ladies and gentlemen, deeply Europeans, leave nothing behind.

Mr President, dear Marc Angel, Secretary of State, dear Mathieu Michel, Commissioner, dear Johannes Hahn, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to start by welcoming this agreement. It allows us, together with the Ukraine Facility, to confirm our unwavering support for this people who have been engaged in the war for two years, for this people who are so courageous. However, other parts of this revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework are very disappointing. In particular, I deplore cuts to key programmes such as Horizon Europe and EU4Health. Yet the pandemic has shown us how vital the fields of research and health are. I am surprised, Mr Secretary of State, by the Council’s position, which exhausts the flexibility instruments to finance the interests of the recovery plan, even though that same Council had insisted so much during the negotiations on the annual budget for a flexible and responsive budget. Parliament has been calling for an ambitious revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework for several years to meet citizens' expectations. We are not there. The European budget must live up to the responsibilities entrusted to us.

Mr President, dear Marc Angel, Commissioner, dear Ylva Johansson, dear Paul Tang and Paulo Rangel, ladies and gentlemen, together we shadow rapporteurs have worked very well. I would like to welcome the fact that the Europe of police cooperation will become an operational reality. As rapporteur on behalf of my group, I welcome this new Prüm II Regulation, which anchors the EU's internal security strategy in the digital age. In concrete terms, we enable law enforcement in all Member States to consult, compare and exchange key data to identify criminals and collect evidence. Thanks to the secure platform that is created, a police officer or gendarme in Strasbourg will be able to consult the databases of his colleagues in Hamburg or Milan in the context of ongoing investigations and ensuring, colleagues, the protection of personal data. In the face of increasingly sophisticated and agile criminals and terrorists, the European Union is adapting and responding forcefully. Our European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation is also making progress, dismantling more and more criminal networks engaged in drug trafficking, cybercrime or trafficking in human beings. It will thus be equipped with a complementary tool that will allow it to continue the deployment of its investigations and arrests. This agreement thus complements the internal security ecosystem started in 2019. Together with my group, Renew, we welcome these major and concrete steps forward to ensure the safety of our fellow citizens in Europe.

Madam President, dear Evelyn Regner, Commissioner, dear Didier Reynders, ladies and gentlemen, in recent years we have seen an exponential rise in hate crime and hate speech. The latter are dangerous for the rule of law and for democracy because they too often serve an extreme political ideology. Their representatives use these hate speeches to stir up anger, exacerbate fears to advance their own political agenda. We therefore need to expand the list of European crimes in order to have a harmonised definition of hate crime and hate speech in order to better identify and combat them more effectively. In this regard, I would like to welcome the tenacious commitment of Commissioner Didier Reynders and my colleague Maite Pagazaurtundúa, for whom it is a life-long struggle and who does not give up on the subject. Thanks to you. Like other Members, I regret the absence of a Council representative in this Chamber. We all know that we would like the Council to stop blocking this text for a strong and firm Europe against hate speech and hate crime.

Madam President, Commissioner – dear Stella Kyriakides – ladies and gentlemen, this mandate has clearly demonstrated this: the EU is strong, especially in the area of health. This proposal for a European Health Data Space is a real step forward for a Health Europe, as my colleague Catherine Amalric said. Key objectives include ensuring that European citizens have access to and control over their health data, and then ensuring, across Europe, the free movement of citizens to which we are very committed, by ensuring that their health data can track them. This is a European priority that my delegation, my group, Renew Europe, has consistently put forward since the COVID-19 pandemic. Borders, ladies and gentlemen, we now really know, do not stop diseases. Together we can find solutions. We have been strong in fighting COVID-19 together, Commissioner, buying vaccines together, building the COVID pass together. For all these reasons, and in memory, if I may, of my colleague Véronique Trillet—Lenoir, I propose that we continue our commitment to the health of European citizens together.

Mr President, Commissioner Dubravka Šuica, ladies and gentlemen, I welcome the agreement on the two texts that allow the creation of secure and reliable digital communication channels between judicial authorities in cross-border cases. I would like to express my pleasure at working with Marina Kaljurand and the fact that we were able to achieve a very constructive outcome. Thank you, Marina. The digitalisation of judicial cooperation and access to justice will enable authorities in different Member States to work in a secure, fast and efficient manner. Closer judicial cooperation for a better fight against crime. I am also pleased that these texts include an important part on training, on the one hand, of judicial authorities and, on the other hand, of European citizens to make easy use of these digital tools. The digitalisation of justice must go hand in hand with training in new technologies so as not to aggravate the digital divide. No citizen should be harmed by technological developments, especially when it comes to protecting their fundamental rights. These technologies must serve the public interest. For a Europe at the service of citizens! For a more transparent Europe! For a Europe that protects our citizens!