What Ana spoke about.

24

Apr

2024

Speeches ES

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Recent attempts to deny dictatorships and the risk of Europe returning to totalitarianism (debate)

Mr. President, Chato Galante, an anti-Franco activist and activist of democratic memory, said that there will never be true democracy as long as there is no truth, justice and reparation. To him and to all the victims of Francoism who have had to go to Argentina, to the Argentine lawsuit against Francoism, I dedicate this intervention today. Listening to the People's Party and listening to VOX whitewashing neo-fascism, which we have denounced so many times in Europe, is a real shame. The PP, it is clear, that, with that abolition of democratic memory laws, it is sold to the neofascism of VOX. I am very happy that, in my country, in Galiza, VOX has zero deputies. I'm very happy. Because truth, justice and reparation have to be our goal, our goal also here, where, by the way, there was a group of historical memory. If you see this flower it means fascism. Never more. And we will continue precisely for that reason, to denounce these fascists who dishonor democracy and who dishonor the European peoples.

24

Apr

2024

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Forging a sustainable future together: economic, social and territorial challenges for a competitive, cohesive and inclusive Europe (debate)

Mr Angel, thank you very much for your mandate. The ninth Cohesion Report speaks of the government of my country, Galicia, and reads as follows: Galicia disapproves of the European Union examination. This Cohesion Report says that the quality of government is below the European average. We know this well, Galicians and Galicians, with a demographic challenge, with professionals fleeing, with a lack of support for rural areas and, also, with challenges in public services, a lot of lack of pediatricians, a lot of lack of investment. Galicia disapproves of the European Union's examination, Commissioner. And it is not me – a Galician MEP from the NBG – who says so. This is reported by the European Governance Quality Index. It is unfortunate that European funds have not been used to avoid all the problems that my country has. What a different thing it would be if we ruled.

24

Apr

2024

Speeches EN

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Resumption of the sitting

Madam President, I want to thank all the workers of this Parliament. I want to thank you in all the languages. (The speaker said ‘thank you’ in several languages)

23

Apr

2024

Speeches ES

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EU’s response to the repeated killing of humanitarian aid workers, journalists and civilians by the Israel Defence Forces in the Gaza Strip (debate)

Madam President, we have to stop this genocide. The European streets are telling us, day after day, week after week, that this genocide must be stopped. Mr Borrell, you know that the European Parliament has asked you for more action, sanctions, recognition of Palestine, support for humanitarian aid and expulsion from Israeli embassies, just as they do not allow Members of the European Parliament to enter their territory. Also strong measures of respect and humanitarian aid. Israel, Netanyahu, they don't want eyes, they don't want witnesses. Look at that picture that just won an award: A mother with a dead child in her arms should be the shame of Europe. It should be the shame of our peoples that we end this European legislature and the ceasefire has not been achieved. Israel has no limits. Those humanitarian graves, those persecuted aid workers... Nothing like it has been seen. I did not want to leave this legislature that ends this week without saying that impunity is enough, that we call for a ceasefire and recognition of the Palestinian state.

23

Apr

2024

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Combating violence against women and domestic violence (debate)

Mr President, there is an increase in gender-based violence in Europe. Violence is a scourge, it is a structural problem and it must be combated. On the streets, feminism has said loud and clear that we don't want violence. If they hit one of us, they hit all of us. If they kill one of us, they kill all of us. We had to wait until 2024 to have such a directive; a directive that is not complete, as we said a moment ago, after the boycott of France and Germany, Commissioner. I remember when we came to the government in 2005 in my country, in Galicia, and we made a law against gender violence that was a priority. I hope we have more courts, more resources, more salaries... for freedom. May no girl, no teenager and no woman have to be afraid when we leave our homes, when we are in our homes or when we defend our position as women. A sexual relationship without consent is undoubtedly rape. We'll always say that loud and clear. But seeing the advance of neofascism, which also denies gender-based violence, I think it's the least bad text we could hope for. Surely we would like something more, but we will fight so that, in the future, in the next Parliament, we already have a directive that also contemplates the inclusion of rape.

22

Apr

2024

Speeches PT

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Mr President, as a Galician MEP for the BNG, I defend pacifism and antimilitarism. We defend peace, politics as dialogue, diplomacy as a bridge, negotiating conflicts rather than escalating them by sending more weapons that prolong wars and genocide. Not on our behalf. War is defended by all those who are willing to send more weapons and prolong conflicts, those who are willing to do anything. And I want to call again, in this last plenary session, for an end to the war. We must put an end to the massacre and genocide of the Palestinian people, recognise the State of Palestine and put an end to the crimes committed by Israel. The hypocrisy and cynicism that exists in Europe in relation to wars show who is really behind it, those who sell arms. Therefore, always for peace, not for wars. Not on our behalf.

22

Apr

2024

Speeches PT

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Preventing plastic pellet losses to reduce microplastic pollution (debate)

Madam President, as a Galician MEP, this debate is very important for my country, Galicia. The environmental disaster of the loss of plastic pellets off the coast of Galicia was evidence of the lack of response from the Galician government. Mr. Millán Mon, it was a veritable irresponsibility of the People's Party government. I welcome the rapporteur's words. Always present and always helping so that these disasters are not repeated, with prevention, with safe storage. Thank you very much! We want to prevent the recurrence of events such as the container ship accident. I recently spoke to the mayor of Muros. And listen to the Lord, listen to the People's Party, she says that the pellets continue to arrive, that the white tide continues to arrive, and that they are in great difficulty. So do not lie here, because this is undoubtedly a European problem, Commissioner, and we therefore want maritime transport to be included, compulsory transport and responsibility to be included, so that people like mine in Galicia do not continue to be those who receive oil tides and microplastic tides.

22

Apr

2024

Speeches EN

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Approval of the minutes of forthcoming sittings

Madam President, this day four years ago my mother died. I think every day in sadness of the mothers and children of Gaza. Mothers without children. Children without mothers. President, I want to reiterate my request for a minute of silence for the Palestinians and international victims killed by Israel in the Gaza Strip. It’s the only case which we don’t have any minutes of silence. It’s time, President and Members of the Chamber, to stand against the genocide in Gaza and stand up for a permanent ceasefire.

10

Apr

2024

Speeches PT

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Mr President, in the centre of my country, Galicia, the speculators of the Portuguese company ALTRI, through their Galician society, want to install a gigantic polluting cellulose factory in a territory with a unique nature, water, heritage, work and landscape. The project promotes a forestry model contrary to European objectives and protected areas such as the Natura Network, promoting the monoculture of eucalyptus. Since the project cannot be implemented in Portugal, the Galician government wants this project to be installed in Galicia, and that we Galicians and Galicians suffer the consequences of predatory companies that seek spaces rich in biodiversity without taking into account the consequences for agriculture, farms and rivers, or for the Ria de Arosa. Speculation is free for companies coming to Brussels for European money. That is why, as a Galician MEP, I want to warn here in the European Parliament in Brussels that it is necessary to protect our territory, to protect our rural way of life, to protect our environment and our land.

10

Apr

2024

Speeches ES

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Union code relating to medicinal products for human use - Union procedures for the authorisation and supervision of medicinal products for human use and rules governing the European Medicines Agency (joint debate - Pharmaceutical package)

Madam President, I greet the representatives of the Galician association Asarga who are present here in Parliament. I want to say that this association was born as an association of Galicia, of my country, and now brings together patients from all over the Spanish State, and that it has been denouncing the lack of access throughout the State to medicines approved at European level by the European Medicines Agency, because they were not financed precisely by the high prices. Access to medicines should be made on an equal footing in all Member States. Because there can't be first-class patients and second-class patients. Patients' lives cannot depend on the market decisions of pharmaceutical companies. In addition to equity and accessibility, there is a need to support innovation of new medicines for rare diseases and cancers. In Galicia, for example, more than 20,000 cases of cancer are detected each year. Sempre public health.

10

Apr

2024

Speeches PT

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Screening of third country nationals at the external borders - European Criminal Records Information System - Third Country Nationals - Common procedure for international protection in the Union - Establishing a return border procedure, and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1148 - Asylum and migration management - Addressing situations of crisis and force majeure - Establishment of 'Eurodac' for the comparison of fingerprints for the effective application of Regulation (EU) No 604/2013, for identifying an illegally staying third-country national or stateless person and on requests for the comparison with Eurodac data by Member States' law enforcement authorities and Europol for law enforcement purposes (recast) - Union Resettlement Framework - Standards for the qualification of third-country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection - Standards for the reception of applicants for international protection (recast) (joint debate - Migration and Asylum package)

Madam President, the world is looking at us, not with our vote, because we do not want a fortress Europe, with borders and supporting dictatorships by paying to externalise borders. The Immigration and Asylum Pact is based on security policy and sets aside solidarity and human rights. We cannot accept the speeches of the far right in this Parliament, and of the far right in general, to tell us what we have to do. First, we need to protect people. Walls and fences criminalize it. Walls and fences leave out human dignity. Walls and fences do not respect the human person. We, today, will be out here, in the Place du Luxembourg in Brussels, to support all organisations and all peoples fighting for a migration pact and an asylum pact that respects human dignity and rights.

10

Apr

2024

Speeches ES

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Order of business

Madam President, embassies are inviolable. The raid, attack and kidnapping carried out by Ecuador at the Mexican Embassy in Quito are unacceptable. Mexico and any country have sovereignty in their diplomatic missions. The kidnapping of former Vice President Jorge Glas has violated diplomatic protection under several international treaties. I express our solidarity with Mexico and we call for a debate on the subject in plenary on the basis of our reciprocal relations with Mexico and with EuroLat.

14

Mar

2024

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Healthy lifestyle and active ageing in the EU (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, we are still speaking in the same language. The ageing of the population in Europe, as in my own country, Galicia, is an indisputable fact. In fact, for example in Galicia we have to talk about population loss and aging. As for the population loss, Galicia has lost almost 100 000 inhabitants since 2009. Just this week I was talking to Commissioner Šuica about this, since according to data from the Statistics Institute for 2009 – precisely when the People’s Party took over the government of Galicia again – there were 2 796 089 people living in Galicia, while in 2023 that number fell by 3.7% to 2 696 177 people. On the other hand, while the population of Galicia decreased, aging increased. While Galicia's population ageing rate in 2003 was 168 for every ten children under the age of 16, there were almost 200 people over 64. Two decades later, in 2023, that figure was 218 elderly people – our elderly, so dear, as was my mother, who died of Alzheimer’s. Taking into account these data from public administrations, we have to bet on policies that take into account the concept of active ageing advocated by the World Health Organization. The World Health Organization defines this phase as the process of optimising opportunities to participate in society to improve people's quality of life as they age. Active ageing policies should be more public investment, more support for retirement homes, more public support. Grandparents don't have to be the ones who endure the crisis. May grandparents not be the ones who have to take care of their children and grandchildren, as happens and happened in all cyclical crises. Europe is ageing, but we have to care for our elderly, to support them because they cannot bear the burden of crises, nor the burden of disease. In my country, for example, many elderly people wait many months to see a doctor. That's not what our seniors need.

14

Mar

2024

Speeches PT

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Inclusion of the right to abortion in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (debate)

Mr President, I shall continue, after Maria Manuel Leitão Marques, also in our language. We women have the right to decide on our bodies, contrary to what the far-right and right-wing parties, which deny women’s rights, want. That right should therefore be included in the European Charter of Fundamental Rights. The right to abortion is a human right that feminism has fought for all its life. Feminism takes to the streets, from Galicia to other parts of Europe. Feminism takes to the streets to ask the world for the fundamental right of all women to a free, safe, free and public abortion. We will continue to fight so that there is no backsliding, because women's rights are threatened. And no, they won't.

13

Mar

2024

Speeches ES

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The immediate risk of mass starvation in Gaza and the attacks on humanitarian aid deliveries

Mr. President, it is unacceptable that Israel is using hunger and preventing humanitarian entry as a weapon of war in its quest for revenge. I've been to the Rafah border crossing. I saw the blockade of more than two thousand trucks while children are dying from malnutrition and half a million people are at risk of famine in Gaza. It is indefensible that Israel has killed 31,000 people, more children in these five months than have died in all armed conflicts together this year. Israel is responsible, but Europe is also responsible. Because we have to stop this impunity in the face of the genocide that Israel is committing. Europe and the world are responsible if a permanent ceasefire is not supported, if the humanitarian blockade is not supported. If it is done within a week, a month, it is not worth: It has to be now. This is barbarism, genocide. We must stop and, above all, stop exporting weapons. If they do not decide to put an end to this humanitarian catastrophe provoked by Israel in the Gaza Strip, the images of malnourished children, naked and maniated prisoners, of the hundreds of hungry people, crushed by tanks while searching for food, will always haunt them, will make their conscience tremble, if they still have any conscience and any humanity.

13

Mar

2024

Speeches PT

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Cohesion policy 2014-2020 – implementation and outcomes in the Member States (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner Ferreira, as a Galician MEP I note that a decade ago cohesion investments in Galicia did not always have good results, as we have already mentioned in some of our meetings, mainly because the Galician government did not respond to the necessary challenges: creating jobs, retaining talent, rural infrastructure or sanitation. The European Parliament report states that the impact of the funds cannot be assessed only at the level of the funds implemented, but also at the level of the transformative nature of the investments and the impact on the economy and employment. In Galicia, the government of the People's Party, after seven years to plan, allocate and execute, plus the three years of grace, i.e. ten years in total, still has European funds to use and appears below the European average. It implements the programmes without informing the Galician Parliament, for example. I hope that in the next period we will have a Galician government that really transforms, too, and that makes good use of European funds.

11

Mar

2024

Speeches PT

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Madam President, the arms escalation and militaristic drift from which the EU is suffering intensifies the war. We in the NBG are very much against the European mechanisms that mobilise millions of euros for armaments, because you cannot devalue wages or pensions, for example, while investing in arms. That's not our project. This militaristic drift that absorbs more and more resources that are lacking in other areas is not our way. A drift that, above all, takes advantage of the military-industrial complex of the main European powers. Commissioner, this drift should go along paths of peace, dialogue and cooperation in order to comply with the Charter of the United Nations, and not increase armaments and increase this militaristic and armamentist drift. Our party, our organization, will always support peace.

11

Mar

2024

Speeches EN

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Statements by the President

Madam President, all respect for the victims of 11 March in Spain. And I call again for a minute of silence in respect for the 30 000 Palestinians killed by Israel in Gaza. I do not accept that this Parliament ignores the Palestinian victims. It is a question of humanity.

29

Feb

2024

Speeches ES

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EU/Chile Advanced Framework Agreement - EU/Chile Advanced Framework Agreement (Resolution) - Interim Agreement on Trade between the European Union and the Republic of Chile (joint debate - EU-Chile agreements)

Mr. President, Mari Mari. I begin my speech in Mapudungún, the language of the Mapuche people. Chile is better off without FTAs, as the five hundred organizations that signed the manifesto against this asymmetric agreement inherited from the Piñera government say. It is an agreement that has been negotiated without transparency, participation or public access to 41 documents. This agreement is the open bar to transnational corporations and an agro-export and extractivist model that promotes the increase in the extraction of strategic materials such as copper and lithium. At the cost of what? At the cost of exploiting territories and biodiversity. In addition, the indigenous peoples have not been consulted. The Mapuche people, the most disadvantaged - with whom I have worked for so many years - expelled from their ancestral lands by the business of eucalyptus, water and extractivism. Pure business at the expense of the rights of the peoples. This agreement promotes an agro-export model that is truly what Chilean and European farmers do not need. As a Galician MEP, this agreement will not benefit Galician farmers or Chilean farmers, like almost all trade agreements. In addition, I would like to point out the social response that this agreement has had in Chile and that this Government has inherited with the imposition by the European Union of an agreement in which it has almost been unable to negotiate, which is not acceptable from a democratic point of view.

27

Feb

2024

Speeches ES

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Critical situation in Cuba (debate)

Madam President, as José Martí said: The freedom of a people is born of its ability to forge its own destiny. How can it be said here that there is no blockade in Cuba? Just look at the UN resolution of November 2023, with 187 votes in favour. That is to say, some people in this Parliament come quietly here to raise their debate, but behind them they are promoting other types of interests, which are financial and commercial interests, and also attacking sovereign countries. To some of the MEPs who talk about it: Do you not realize that there are 187 countries that have voted in favour of that resolution against the blockade and only two against it? And you know what they are? The United States and Israel! What a coincidence! At a time when we have a whole problem in Gaza and everything that is happening in the Middle East, they are precisely the ones who are against the blockade. Do you know what Cuban doctors do? They have to go, but do you know why? Because of the blockage. By the way, they're the best in the world. Of course, all the support for the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and Cuba, because Cuba is very questioned by Aznar's successors, by those who promote the Forum of... (the Chair withdrew the floor from the speaker).

27

Feb

2024

Speeches ES

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Human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter – annual report 2023 (debate)

Mr President, if we talk about human rights, we have to say that the opposite of human rights is impunity. Impunity like the one that is occurring right now with Israel. Genocide is undoubtedly the ultimate attack on human rights for a people. In the case of Palestine, the occupation and the apartheid Israel’s reports are – or should be – included in all human rights reports. There is no mention in this report of the situation in Gaza in 2023, and this year will be one of the years in which the world will go down in history for maintaining impunity for Israel. I've been in Rafah these days, on the Egyptian border with Gaza. It doesn't take words, President, to say what it takes: the immediate ceasefire and that lives are protected, that humanitarian aid is included, that these trucks are not stopped, because, if they are not killed by bombs, they are killed by thirst, starvation or disease. A month ago, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to provide immediate and effective measures to (the Chair withdrew the floor to the speaker).

27

Feb

2024

Speeches ES

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War in the Gaza Strip and the need to reach a ceasefire, including recent developments in the region (debate)

We saw the Egyptian Red Crescent logistics hub and goods rejected by Israel with international humanitarian aid – medicines, food, electric generators or shelter shops – coming from 21 international agencies and 40 donor countries. I have no words left after visiting Palestinian evacuees in El Arish hospital. All the interlocutors with whom we have spoken say that there is an imminent risk of collapse due to the lack of humanitarian aid. If they don't get killed by bombs... (the Chair withdrew the floor from the speaker).

27

Feb

2024

Speeches ES

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War in the Gaza Strip and the need to reach a ceasefire, including recent developments in the region (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, tell Mr Borrell that we need more international pressure on Israel to bring about a ceasefire in this genocide and prevent a major catastrophe in Gaza. This Saturday, I was with other MEPs at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza. There – between ambulances and tanks – is the humanitarian blockade that Gaza is suffering, with more than two thousand trucks waiting to enter with humanitarian aid, while one in six children suffers from malnutrition in Gaza. It's immoral for babies to die from lack of milk while trucks are blocked, sheriff. Like these, please look for me, Commissioner, the trucks... (speaker shows a photograph) (the Chair interrupted the speaker.).

27

Feb

2024

Questions PT

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War in the Gaza Strip and the need to reach a ceasefire, including recent developments in the region (debate)

Mr President, the honourable Member says here that the Gaza problem is a series of things. And I remember the 16 years of the occupation of Gaza, where almost no humanitarian aid comes in. I am not the one who reminds this humble Member of this, as the United Nations says. You would have to visit the UNRWA schools. I would have to visit as they give, at this moment, home to the people who have been left homeless by the Israeli bombings. Visit, Madam, the UNRWA schools and do not speak, like your colleagues who were screaming here and are now gone. None of them belong to the People's Party or the far-right. This shows how little they care about human lives.

5

Feb

2024

Speeches PT

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Mr President, the very serious problem that is affecting thousands and thousands of families with rising interest rates and rising housing loans is a European problem that affects many territories such as mine, Galicia, where wages remain low and where the prices of basic things for life are increasingly high. Families are drowned by payments to banks and, especially, for example, in Galicia, they lowered their new contracts to buy a house, their mortgages, by 38% in November last year. The housing problem has been around for years and is getting worse with the European Central Bank gradually raising interest rates. Let us not be fooled by Mrs Lagarde, let us not be fooled by the banks, let us not be fooled by the accomplices of the banks, such as the People's Party in my country, with Mr Rueda at its head, who was unable to create public housing to deal with this problem. The increase of Euribor in our peoples, for those who have a variable type mortgage, is a large part of the salary of homes. I hope this situation will change from February 18th and Galicians know why.