Speeches

Madam President, I'm sorry. Dear Colleagues, This Saturday we will celebrate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, marking the start of the 16 Days Against Gender-Based Violence, which will conclude International Human Rights Day. More and more is being said about violence against women, but not enough. Too many women struggle with aggression, hate and injustice. According to police statistics, three women are killed in Poland every week due to domestic violence. Approximately one million Polish women are victims of physical or sexual violence each year, and 95% of the perpetrators of this violence are men. In addition to physical violence, women are also affected by emotional, psychological and economic violence, as well as institutional violence - i.e. legal and social mechanisms discriminating against women, for example in terms of pay. Aggression and discrimination against women is not a marginal phenomenon, but a widespread and serious violation of fundamental human rights. The 25th of November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, is to remind us of this in the strongest possible terms.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, Hate speech and disinformation are not only the world of politics, it is also the backyard, school, universities, dormitories. But it is above all a space in which there is no room for difference, a space in which young people, but not only young people, are exposed to harassment, suffer, are immersed in mental illnesses, and also make suicide attempts. In this area, we have two values: freedom of speech and the right to privacy. When freedom of speech becomes a tool for harassing or humiliating others, it is clear that intervention is necessary in such situations. In Poland, an example of the tragic consequences of hate speech on political grounds is the publicly committed murder of the Mayor of Gdańsk, Mr Paweł Adamowicz. Life, security and human dignity are overarching values and these provisions of the Charter of Fundamental Rights must be at the centre of all legislative activity of the European Union and the Member States. As a lawyer, I am also pleased with the proposal for a Digital Services Act. The new legislation will better protect internet users, establish a robust framework for transparency and accountability for published content, and better protect the fundamental rights of European Union citizens online.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, Local communities at the internal borders of the European Union have been working together and living friendships for years. We don't have to talk anybody into it. But it is our duty to work to remove administrative barriers in order to fully unleash the potential of these regions. Let me give you a specific example of the help you need. From my city, Gorzów, to Berlin is exactly 232 km. The bus journey takes more than 3 hours. It's expensive. And the timetable is limited. On the other hand, due to the lack of a coherent administrative and legal system, the investment of the railway bridge in the Kostrzyn nad Odrą border cannot be completed for many years. This problem is due to the lack of common procedures. This hampers integration and economic development and has a negative impact on the environment. I therefore look forward to action, including on the Council's side. We in the European Parliament stand ready to continue working together on this issue.

Madam President, I'm sorry. The rule of law is one of the fundamental conditions for maintaining and further strengthening the European Union. This is clearly confirmed by the example of my country. Previously ruling far-right and populist groups in Poland have attempted to attack the Polish constitutional order and to introduce authoritarian power. The principles of a democratic state, i.e. the right to express one's opinions, including in political and philosophical matters, as well as violations of women's dignity, were eliminated from social life. Those opposing such actions were harassed or intimidated, and they were also targeted by the Pegasus system. False threats were created to create a sense of fear in parts of society. May the days that have passed in Poland be a warning to others. I know that the new Polish government, when restoring the rule of law, is not guided by revanchism, but will be guided only by the protection of the most important value for the entire European Union, which is human dignity.

Dear Mr President, Dear Commissioner, Dear Colleagues, I thank the members of the Committee on Petitions and its Chair, Ms Dolores Montserrat, for taking up this important subject. It is from the Committee on Petitions that these very important signals come out, which indicate that Community law is not properly transposed into the legal systems of the Member States and this is to the detriment of citizens. As we know, Article 17 of the Treaty on European Union states that the European Commission has a duty to enforce EU law by monitoring the application of primary and secondary law and to ensure its uniform application throughout the European Union. I agree with the announcement, with the information provided by Commissioner Dalli on the scope for effective enforcement of this law. We agree that this enforcement needs to be improved. What I am particularly concerned about is not only the incorrect transposition of the rules on the right to fairness, but above all the swift right of citizens to have their complaints handled against the rules that harm them. And I can also agree with Mrs Miranda, who says that the solution to this problem may be the introduction of a digital platform. After all, a petition is a very important instrument that allows citizens to directly influence the process of governance, and extending their processing time clearly violates the right to a prompt and fair hearing. It is therefore a lack of respect also for citizens, and yet we represent the citizens of the European Union. I therefore strongly subscribe to the call for more joint efforts on this issue. I thank the representatives of the European Commission for their commitment. Thank you for your attention.