What Sebastian spoke about.

—

Written Statements EN

Outcome of COP 29 and challenges for international climate policy (debate)

USD 300 billion each year by 2035. That’s how much money will be ripped off from European and other developed countries as a result of the climate conference. For what? For funding climate work in Africa, for instance. Europe accounts for only eight per cent of global emissions. However, we are told to pay up, while China and India only keep polluting more and more. Once again, we have been fooled. And one thing I cannot understand: how can we agree on financing other countries’ climate goals with these astronomical sums, and at the same time have troubles finding the resources needed to defend our own continent? So let’s not be fools anymore and let’s put our priorities in order. For us Europe must come first.

—

Written Statements FI

Crackdown on peaceful pro-European demonstrators in Georgia (debate)

The EU has failed in a sad way with regard to Georgia. Now the people are on the streets because of election irregularities. The EU was unfaithful to its own principles and, in its mere greed for enlargement, did not act sufficiently, did not sting hard, and allowed situations to escalate to this point. Instead of addressing the erosion of democracy in a timely manner, the EU has behaved gently with the ruling party in Georgia. In Georgia, a Russian-style agent law has been blocked, and the country has even gone so far as to threaten the opposition with denial. When a candidate country moves in this direction, it is also a failure of the EU. The case of Georgia serves as a dissuasive example to the EU of how it should by no means operate in relation to other candidate countries.

17

Jun

2026

Speeches EN

Watch

Political prisoners in Nicaragua – the cases of Carlos Brenes, Salvadora del Socorro Martínez Aburto and Brooklyn Rivera

Madam President, when we think of authoritarian regimes, very rarely is Nicaragua the subject of conversation. Yet it is no less brutal than other dictatorships. In Nicaragua, political opponents disappear into prisons for disagreeing with the government. Carlos Brenes was detained in 2018 for civic protest participation. He was tortured. Brenes, together with Salvadora Martínez, were detained again in 2025. They were sentenced to 15 years for treason. Brooklyn Rivera, the president of a dissolved party, died in custody after years of detention and disappearance. This is a systematic campaign to silence people. A government that fears criticism more than corruption, and political opposition more than injustice, has abandoned the principles of democracy. It is a shameful government.

17

Jun

2026

Speeches FI

Watch

The resilience of the European transport sector and the need to ensure the supply of essential goods amid ongoing geopolitical instability (debate)

Mr President, the European rubber-wheeled transport sector is like the blood circulation of our economy. If the veins are blocked, the whole body suffers. Do you know how those veins have been blocked in Finland? Let me tell you. Due to EU-level emission criteria, AdBLue urea solution needs to be added to the diesel fleet. On paper, emissions go down, but then there's a big problem: This works in Spain, but not in Finland. You see, the substance cannot withstand the severe frosts, which in Finland are a phenomenon of every winter. The systems freeze and decompose as a result. The equipment is standing, the Finn pays the costs. This has to change now. When regulation is made at EU level, it must operate from the Aurinkoranta coast to Rovaniemi. This is not the case now. These flats cannot withstand Finnish conditions, so don't force us to make ineffective decisions.

17

Jun

2026

Speeches FI

Watch

Electrification Action Plan (debate)

Mr President, the EU is developing yet another plan for electrification. Why is it? This is to achieve the EU's climate goals. But now internalize: European homes, hospitals and factories cannot rely on weather forecasts other than kite pilots. Even the green prayers will not save us if we are wind-dependent and come in a calm period. European everyday life and industry must act like a train toilet ‑ regardless of the weather. When nuclear power has been cut down in Europe, it has been consciously opposed to electrification. I am not against electrification when it takes place on market terms. Electricity produced with nuclear power makes electricity cheaper in Finland, for example. Nuclear power contributes to electrification. If the Commission wants to promote a green ideology, then proceed as before. If you want to promote electrification, start fighting for nuclear power.

17

Jun

2026

Speeches FI

Watch

Preparation of the European Council (joint debate)

16

Jun

2026

Speeches EN

Watch

2025 Commission report on Türkiye (debate)

Mr President, how can we seriously discuss EU membership with Turkey, which ranks 159th out of 180 nations in the World Press Freedom Index, and is a country where political opponents and journalists face imprisonment? As my colleague Geadis Geadi always here reminds us: Turkey is a country that has, for more than 50 years, continued its illegal occupation of his home country Cyprus – an EU Member State. And I haven't even gotten to Turkey's connections to the terrorist organization Muslim Brotherhood or to the use of migration as a tool to blackmail Europe. The EU needs a new approach to Turkey: no EU money to Turkish projects, no visa liberalisation, an end to EU candidate status and an end to the occupation of Cyprus.

16

Jun

2026

Speeches FI

Watch

Question Time (Commission) - State of play on the European Commission’s pledge to reduce the reporting burden, in particular for SMEs

Thank you for your reply. But that's the main question you didn't answer. So I ask you, do you believe that with this current line of simplification, this dreadful figure of 71% will fall to an acceptable level? If your answer is that you do not believe that these measures will bring this down, does the Commission intend to accelerate its pace and introduce new omnibuses?

16

Jun

2026

Speeches FI

Watch

Question Time (Commission) - State of play on the European Commission’s pledge to reduce the reporting burden, in particular for SMEs

The EU has created a problem in Europe that cannot be solved by polishing corners. The European Commission is talking about regulatory simplification, but this continent would need regulatory clearance. Let's listen to what companies say. European small and medium-sized enterprises of all sizes identified regulatory barriers or administrative burdens as the main challenge. For European start-ups, up to 71% identified this as the biggest challenge. And then we wonder why there are no new success stories like elsewhere. The world is full of risks and obstacles for entrepreneurs. Is it too much to demand that the regulation created by the EU itself should not be the largest of them? I would like to ask the Commission whether you really believe that, in your current line of simplification, this 71% horror figure will fall to an acceptable level?

16

Jun

2026

Speeches EN

Watch

Russia’s unacceptable provocative actions and drone incursions into Romania, the Baltic states and Finland (debate)

Mr President, Russia is testing us. It is testing our borders, our patience and, above all, our political will to react. Every drone crossing into European airspace is designed to answer one question: how will Europe react? Will it hesitate like it has with supplying arms to Ukraine? The countries of Europe's eastern frontier understand that there is no room for hesitation when it comes to confronting Russian threats or building credible defence forces. We know the true nature of Russia. This means that Russia must be met with strength, the only language it understands – the very same strength some countries in Europe have been neglecting for decades. It is high time for all to participate in defence efforts and start treating Russia as it should: a terrorist state that is a threat for Europe.

16

Jun

2026

Speeches EN

Watch

The role of the EU in efforts for peace and stability throughout the Middle East after the announced deal between the US and Iran (debate)

Madam President, how naive can we really be? The Iranian regime won't become a democracy through hope. It will not even stop repressing its own people through hope and the truth is that even a peace deal won't change these facts. I'll tell you how to achieve a stable Middle East in plain language. It starts by eliminating the source whose entire existence is based on fuelling instability: the IRGC and the network of Islamist terrorist groups it funds, arms, and directs. If we truly want a peaceful Middle East, Europe has only one real solution: isolate the Islamic regime, expel its diplomats and build a network of sanctions that will squeeze the terrorists' financial flows. The real risk to global order was never the strikes against the regime, the real threat is the Islamic regime itself.

16

Jun

2026

Speeches FI

Watch

Achieving digital sovereignty and resilience for Europe, in light of recent developments affecting access to advanced AI technologies (debate)

15

Jun

2026

Speeches FI

Watch

Simplification of the implementation of harmonised rules on artificial intelligence (Digital Omnibus on AI) (debate)

15

Jun

2026

Speeches EN

Watch

EU-US trade deal (joint debate)

Madam President, Antifa, Greenpeace, pro‑Palestine networks. Although the left would wish otherwise, none of these is the EU's most important partner. What is then? It is the United States of America, unlike the left would wish. I have a message to the leftists in this Chamber: you are free to hate Trump. I see also you hate the politicians in Europe who do not want our countries to be invaded by illegal migration. But do me a favour: do not hate Europe. Because when you demand the dismantling of the partnership between the US and Europe, you actively want Europe to become less prosperous and less safe. Your anti‑Trump rhetoric is not making us stronger. Your new climate goals are not making us stronger. Your new taxes are not making us stronger. What will make us stronger is the transatlantic partnership.

15

Jun

2026

Speeches FI

Watch

Time for European economic independence (debate)

19

May

2026

Speeches EN

Watch

Question Time with the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy - EU’s strategy to address the current crises in the Middle East

The oppression of the Iranian people is undeniable. Their desperate plea for help in the face of overwhelming brutality from the Islamic regime is also undeniable. An entire people have been cut off from the internet for months, silencing the voices. In this internet blackout, they are intimidated, imprisoned and executed. This is an actual open‑air prison. The EU's reaction has been disgraceful. Instead of helping liberate the people and getting rid of the Islamic regime, Europe has decided to take the path of weakness. European leaders want to get back to diplomacy with these fanatics even if that condemns the Iranian people to live under oppression forever. My question to the High‑Representative Kaja Kallas is: how do you see that the EU's diplomatic approach towards the regime has concretely helped the oppressed Iranians?

19

May

2026

Speeches FI

Watch

Presentation of the Fertilisers Action Plan (debate)

Mr President, without fertilizers there is no food. This highlights the importance of fertilizers to the world. When looking at the euro, fertilisers are the single biggest cost of agriculture. This, in turn, crystallises the importance of the price of fertilisers for food producers. If we do not secure the availability and affordability of fertilizers, we will not control our dining table. Despite all this, Europe has developed a dependency on fertilisers. We are dependent on imports, and I am not saying that we are dependent on a country like Norway. We are dependent on Russia for fertilizers. Is this European self-sufficiency? What is important to us should be held in our own hands. We need more of our own fertilizer production. No more one new addiction should be served on our dining tables. Europe must finally learn to feed itself.

19

May

2026

Speeches EN

Watch

EU cybersecurity and preparedness in view of advanced AI systems (debate)

Madam President, artificial intelligence has changed our lives forever, in both good and bad. Unfortunately, Europe has fallen behind its competitors, but this should not come as a surprise. Our unhinged obsession with regulation has brought us to this point. Now, we are afraid of what others are creating. We are in a situation where American companies are able to produce models with supreme hacking abilities. We may not like it, but you cannot deny that it's an asset for them. I agree that such models should face proper inspection and monitoring, but I cannot help thinking if without all the regulation, European companies could have created something that the rest of the world would be willing to inspect. It's not the companies' fault, it's the EU decision-makers that have made Europe the loser.

18

May

2026

Speeches EN

Watch

One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Mr President, Pedro Sánchez has become the face of the collapse of Europe's cultural and security backbone. Debt, uncontrolled migration, crime, violence and irresponsibility in security policy. And yet there are people on the left who call him Europe's moral leader. Excuse me? Pedro Sánchez does not represent anything that is good for Europe. First, you misuse EU recovery funds to patch up pensions and welfare spending. Then you say no to strikes against the Islamic regime of Iran. In other words, you say yes to a terrorist tyranny. On top of that, you want to regularise half a million illegal migrants and endanger the security of the entire Schengen area. Shameful. I feel sorry for Spanish people and I feel sorry for Europe.

18

May

2026

Speeches FI

Watch

Research Fund for Coal and Steel: research programme and multiannual technical and financial guidelines (short presentation)

Mr President, much of the foundation for our prosperity lies in the European coal and steel industry. For 50 years, the activities of the European Coal and Steel Community were financed by contributions from the coal and steel sector. When the Community officially came to an end, it was decided to mobilise its tremendous cash to set up the Research Fund for Coal and Steel. Funds have been channelled, among other things, towards the green development of Europe. For the coal sector, funding is already focused on post-mining issues such as mitigation of emissions. The path represents the EU very poorly. The glorious industry in Europe has faded, and the same politicians who are responsible for the fading of industry are using the wealth that industry has created in Europe. Not to support the foundation that brought prosperity, but to support ideological goals. Somewhere this would be called theft.

18

May

2026

Speeches FI

Watch

European solidarity: key to securing medicine access in a shifting geopolitical era (debate)

Mr President, let us return to the corona and its lessons. What happened when medicines and supplies were needed in Europe? The nation-states took the lead in their own hands, because that is how the nation-states act. They protect their own citizens. For example, Germany imposed an export ban on protective equipment. EU solidarity melted like ice cream on a hot summer day. In the name of this same solidarity, the rabies law has pushed for the centralisation of pharmaceutical supply at EU level. No, I'll tell you. Finnish medicines are Finnish medicines. They are also reserved for Finnish elderly people, children and patients to protect them during times of crisis. National security of supply is not charitable work at European level. Each country must take its own responsibility and be prepared. Sick concentration projects at EU level must not be diffused into implementation. They're quarantined.

18

May

2026

Speeches FI

Watch

The multiannual plan for the Baltic Sea and ways forward (debate)

Mr President, when will this madness end? You are talking fine proverbs about security of supply, but again you are driving down European food production. The aim is now the fishermen of the Baltic Sea. The Mercosur agreement, which opens Europe's doors to Brazilian meat imports, has barely dried up the ink, while we are going at the expense of European food production. Temporary closure areas are now required for the Baltic Sea at EU level. Stock recovery breaks are proposed for herring stocks and fishermen. No, there is an urgent need for a regulatory break and a ban on EU interference. For Finnish fisheries, herring in the Gulf of Bothnia is the most important fish stock of all, and that is why Finland makes sustainable use of the herring stock. Without Ursula, without the EU, without the European Greens or the Renew hubs. So write this in your directives: Finnish fish for herring, and onion with it.

18

May

2026

Speeches FI

Watch

The impact of the implementation of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive 2014/89/EU on fisheries in selected fishing areas and sea basins (debate)

Mr President, Europe has lived in a green wind power utopia. For climate ideologues, wind power has offered only pluses, no minuses at all. They have forgotten their greatness when landscape disadvantages, when the volatility of production, when taxpayers' money embedded in wind power subsidies. I know that you can see the negatives in energy production, if you want to. When it comes to peat production or oil, you see nothing but minuses. Wind power is certainly a worthy cause, but European energy policy requires common sense, which is not only slavishly focused on stalking the emission meter and celebrating when it creeps in the right direction. We need to look at the whole, the costs, the disadvantages, the security of supply. To boost wind power, Europe has been forced to shut down functioning energy production, such as peat and nuclear power. It's been a gigantic mistake.

18

May

2026

Speeches FI

Watch

Negative trade-related effects of global overcapacity on the Union steel market (debate)

Mr President, China is threatening the European steel industry. The Chinese Communist Party is not restricted by the Green Deal of the European Communists, not by any means. Instead, China is rolling its head in red from low-priced steel to the global market. China produced more than 1,000 million tons of crude steel based on previous year's statistics. This is more than all the other countries in the world combined and is about 27 times more than Germany, the largest producer in the EU. When this Chinese communist steel then flows into Europe, our own producers will be in trouble. The European steel industry is first struggling with the European regulatory avalanche and climate requirements, after which the Chinese steel avalanche will blow the rest of the air out. Free trade is a fine and commendable thing, but the survival of the European steel industry now requires this: Chinese steel imports to Europe must be restricted.

29

Apr

2026

Speeches FI

Watch

The need to combat antisemitism and protect Jewish life in Europe, following the recent attacks against the Jewish community in the Netherlands and Belgium (debate)