What Li spoke about.

8

Sep

2025

EN Speech

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Public procurement (debate)

Mr President, would you spend more than EUR 2 trillion annually to buy from companies that disrespect workers? I certainly hope not. The rules on public procurement affect the wages, the working conditions and the working life of millions of European workers. The EMPL Committee adopted an opinion to this report with a broad political majority, including possibilities to exclude companies that do n…

9

Jul

2025

EN Speech

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Lessons from Budapest Pride: the urgent need for an EU wide anti-discrimination law and defending fundamental rights against right-wing attacks (topical debate)

Madam President, dear colleagues, Viktor Orbán is at risk of losing political power, and I think he is showing his desperation and his weakness by attacking the Pride and by trying to push through legislation that would shut down many NGOs and many independent media outlets in Hungary. But at the Pride in Budapest in June, the people really showed their strength and power. And I have to say to the…

19

Jun

2025

FI Speech

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Institutional and political implications of the EU enlargement process and global challenges (debate)

Mr President, right-wing forces are currently doing their best to transform the EU into what it can be at its worst: Only a union of markets and big business. But in Eastern Europe and the Balkans, many people are looking at us for another reason. They seek security through political cooperation. They want strong protection for the rule of law, human rights and adequate environmental requirements.…

19

Jun

2025

FI Speech

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Institutional and political implications of the EU enlargement process and global challenges (debate)

Mr President, right-wing forces are currently doing their best to transform the EU into what it can be at its worst: Only a union of markets and big business. But in Eastern Europe and the Balkans, many people are looking at us for another reason. They seek security through political cooperation. They want strong protection for the rule of law, human rights and adequate environmental standards. As…

18

Jun

2025

EN Speech

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Freedom of assembly in Hungary and the need for the Commission to act (debate)

Mr President, Viktor Orbán has been attacking freedoms and fundamental rights by restricting freedom of opinion and by weakening the rights of minorities and workers for years. And now he is doing exactly what authoritarian leaders always do when they are not stopped – he is going further, by giving authorities broad powers to monitor, sanction or even ban activities of civil society, trade unions…

21

May

2025

FI Speech

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Improving mental health at work (debate)

Mr President, workers have a fundamental right not to fall ill because of their work, and it is often even a matter of life and death. Few people are aware of the importance of the EU in the development of OSH. In 1989, a framework directive was adopted which, in addition to setting minimum standards, sets limits on, inter alia, exposure to dangerous substances, protective equipment and the protec…

6

May

2025

EN Speech

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A unified EU response to unjustified US trade measures and global trade opportunities for the EU (debate)

Mr President, the US is ruled by an authoritarian president who is using trade policies as a means of coercion and political extortion. While it is clear that European workers will only lose in a full-fledged trade war, the EU should be much bolder and much more imaginative in its own response to Trump's actions. The EU should target the oligarchs that are close to Trump, through action directed a…

2

Apr

2025

FI Speech

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Topical debate (Rule 169) - Social Europe: making life affordable, protecting jobs, wages and health for all

Mr President, only about a year ago, in this Chamber, new EU fiscal rules were adopted and are already being amended. It tells us all about how badly these rules fit in times of multiple crises. Changing the rules to allow only defence investments is obviously not enough, neither for competitiveness nor for a social Europe. We need investments in the climate and energy transition, research, educat…

1

Apr

2025

EN Speech

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Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 20 March 2025 (debate)

Madam President, last week we in The Left Group gathered young Ukrainian leftists and trade unionists in Brussels to discuss how Ukrainian civil society can be supported during the fight against Russian imperialism. The message was crystal clear: in addition to arms support, Ukrainian society needs to address acute problems such as the severe lack of affordable housing, the lack of care services, …

12

Mar

2025

EN Speech

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Union of Skills: striving for more and better opportunities to study, train or work in the EU and to bring our talents back home (debate)

Mr President, Executive Vice‑President, who is at the centre of all of the transformations that are ongoing in Europe? It is the workers. They are the first to face the emergence of new technologies, and every day they feel the rising costs of living. As a response, we need action to secure good working conditions and quality jobs and an ambitious skills agenda. At the moment, EU Member States are…

11

Mar

2025

EN Speech

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European Council meetings and European security (joint debate)

Madam President, as a leftist, I think that Putin and Trump form one of the most dangerous ideological alliances that the world has seen in a long time. Therefore, it is essential that the EU strengthens its support for Ukraine. In addition, the EU should set a strategic goal of reducing our dependencies on the US. This means: creating a European security architecture, redirecting all financing cu…

10

Mar

2025

FI Speech

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Cutting red tape and simplifying business in the EU: the first Omnibus proposals (debate)

Mr President, 'it is not a matter of deregulation, it is a matter of simplification. We just want to do things better." We have heard these messages from the Commission on several occasions, but now, at the latest, this omnibus package shows that these claims are not true. The whole of this so-called preparatory process has shown whose interests are being defended by deregulation – big companies a…

12

Feb

2025

EN Speech

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Commission Work Programme 2025 (debate)

Madam President, not a good start indeed. This Work Programme, which is supposed to be about moving forward together, includes zero legal initiatives in the field of social fairness. Zero. Instead, we get a long list of initiatives aimed at watering down legislations from the last mandate to lower standards when it comes to corporate responsibility and sustainability. Commission – this is not what…

11

Feb

2025

FI Speech

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Boosting vocational education and training in times of labour market transitions (debate)

Mr President, appreciation - that is what professional students have talked to me about the most. The wish to be seen as equals in terms of skills, working life and the economy. As a former Minister of Education, it is therefore a great pleasure to take part in this debate. Vocational education and training must be developed as an attractive educational path, including sufficient quality education…

21

Jan

2025

FI Speech

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Need to detect and to counter sabotage by the Russian shadow fleet, damaging critical undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea (debate)

Mr President, the last time I called in this Chamber in October for stronger action to tackle Russia's shadow fleet. Since then, we have indeed seen the risks associated with the shadow fleet: it enables Russia to finance and continue the illegal war in Ukraine, it can sabotage critical infrastructure and it poses a continued serious environmental risk to the Baltic Sea. For example, we have alrea…

20

Jan

2025

FI 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, the ceasefire will hopefully be at least a moment's relief from human suffering, an opportunity for people to be safe and an opportunity to bring humanitarian aid to the Gazans desperately in need. The release of prisoners is an important step forward, but a ceasefire does not yet mean peace and does not bring justice. It will not bring back the tens and tens of thousands of people w…

18

Dec

2024

EN Speech

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Promoting social dialogue and collective bargaining and the right to strike in the EU (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, in September I visited a group of young Swedish car mechanics who work at the Tesla workshop in Umeå. They were ordinary girls and boys who, at the time, had been on strike for over a year. Why? To protect their right to make collective agreements. The Tesla example shows why safeguarding the right to collective bargaining and the right to strike is increasingly importa…

17

Dec

2024

FI Speech

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

Mr President, the fall of the dictator al-Assad is joyful and reassuring news for all Syrians and for the whole world. However, the future of Syria remains a matter of great concern. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham's commitment to women's rights and polyphonic democracy, for example, is still a big question mark. Turkey and Israel are now taking advantage of the situation for illegal territorial conquests. T…

26

Nov

2024

FI Speech

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Outcome of COP 29 and challenges for international climate policy (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, around three weeks ago, I was sitting on a train from Kyiv going back over the border to Poland. We were visiting Ukraine with a delegation of representatives from different left parties, having meetings with NGOs, trade unionists and the Ukrainian left organisation Sotsіalniy Rukh. Everyone in Ukraine was telling us the same thing: they expect this winter to be the hardest period…

24

Oct

2024

FI Speech

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Closing the EU skills gap: supporting people in the digital and green transitions to ensure inclusive growth and competitiveness in line with the Draghi report (debate)

Mr President, everyone is talking about skills nowadays. Companies have highlighted the lack of skilled workers as the main obstacle to growth in Europe. There are many sectors affected by labour shortages, and the Draghi report also sent the message that all European workers must be guaranteed the right to education. It is important that Europe unequivocally puts skills and learning at the centre…

23

Oct

2024

FI Speech

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

Mr President, we in Europe must do everything in our power to make the war as costly as possible for Putin. It is a key means of putting pressure on Russia to end war crimes and violations of international law in Ukraine. With the help of the Shadow Fleet, Russia finances its illegal war of aggression through oil trade and acquires defence and security technology. In addition, tankers in poor cond…

22

Oct

2024

EN Speech

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Guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States (debate)

Mr President, I want to thank all colleagues for this wide-ranging discussion and debate, and also for the broad support that was voiced for this report. Some colleagues pointed out that you think these things should be dealt with on a national level, but as one colleague said, rightly, this is not a legally binding instrument. So if you think that, on a national level, Member States should focus …

22

Oct

2024

EN Speech

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Guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States (debate)

Mr President, the employment guidelines provide guidance to Member States for their employment policies and the setting of national targets. The employment guidelines must be consistent with broader economic policies, but Member States should also work to incorporate the recommendations of these guidelines into their economic policies. The employment guidelines are drawn up annually. This year, th…

9

Oct

2024

FI Speech

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Ensuring sustainable, decent and affordable housing in Europe - encouraging investment, private property and public housing programmes (debate)

Mr President, according to a recent Eurobarometer survey, the most common reasons for voting in the European elections were related to the rise in the cost of living and the voter's financial situation. That is why the future Commission is forced to take the social dimension seriously, and housing policy is a very central theme here. We expect the Commission to take concrete action to promote affo…