Speeches

Mr President, the world's powers once again gathered around a round table at their G20 meeting. The meeting focused on the following motto: a fair world and a sustainable planet. This was a dirty show. This meeting was attended by countries that represented anything but what they were discussing. Has Russia attended the meeting concerned about justice, having carried out more than 1,500 attacks on Ukraine in the past 24 hours? Is China concerned about justice when it persecutes Uyghurs and pro-democracy activists? Is Saudi Arabia the right country to talk about justice, when women only got the right to drive a car a few years ago? These countries are not building a fair world. This has to be said out loud: They are a threat to it.

Mr President, when we talk about violence against women, it is extremely important to identify where in the world (words are not included). Although more needs to be done in Europe to eradicate violence, it is still the case that a single woman wins the lottery in Europe. There is no recognised practice in Europe of maiming girls, punishing women for disobedience or non-compliance, or using rape as a legally valid retaliatory measure. In many other countries, unfortunately, this is the case, and in the last ten years these countries have become a mass influx of migrants into Europe. There is a risk that in 20 years' time Europe will not be the safe haven for women's rights as it is today. That is why we must defend our European values and our culture. Let's say a strict no to European Islamization and sharia law enforcers.

Mr President, oil trade is a key source of revenue for Russia to finance its invasion of Ukraine. In order to circumvent the sanctions, Russia has created a large shadow fleet, a network of hundreds of tankers, with which it seeks to hide the origin of oil on the international market. In addition, the vessels are uninsured unnavigable ratchets, which pose serious environmental risks. We need more targeted sanctions. All vessels of the shadow fleet and their owners must be named. The EU must reassess its relations with the countries that are preparing the Russian shadow fleet. As long as the EU imports fossil fuels from Russia, the impact of the sanctions will remain weaker than intended. Therefore, the import of Russian fossil fuels should be completely banned. It is our duty to do our utmost to eradicate the oil trade financing the Russian war machine and to prevent the shadow fleet from operating. That is why I voted in favour of the resolution.

Mr President, those of us who opposed this resolution did not do so because we did not care about the environment and the climate. We are simply opposed to the ideology in the name of which Europe, whose emissions account for only 7% of global emissions, will have to sacrifice the future of several hundred million people because of that 7%. Our steel mills are closing, car manufacturers are putting a note on the hatch, and thousands of people are going to the mileage mill. What do we say to the citizens of our countries when they come to ask us why we drove them into unemployment and their family's social security benefits? We feel that in this Chamber we take greater responsibility for the climate than in our size, but where is the responsibility for the economy, jobs and people's livelihoods? At the same time, how can we discuss increasing our defence capabilities when climate ideology shackles much of the potential of our production? Down with the crazy green business, up with the European economy and industry. That is why I opposed this proposal.

Mr President, Mr Niinistö, thank you for your work for Finland and thank you for your work for Europe. This report is a gift to us, a fiery alarm clock made by That sort of thing. If we allow Ukraine to disappear, then the current and future Member States can start to happen next. If tanks crossed your land border today or critical infrastructure collapsed, would you manage? Is there cash when your card doesn't work? Do you have dry food and water when the shops were empty, which was seen only during the pandemic on a smaller scale? Are there batteries, candles and generators when there is no electricity? Do you know where the nearest bomb shelter is and if there is one? Are you mentally and physically ready to protect yourself and your family? While the Member States must assume their own responsibility for preparedness, society is made up of citizens, each of whom has a decisive role to play.

Mr President, today marks exactly nine years since the terrible terrorist attacks in Paris, in which hundreds of people were murdered and wounded in cold blood by ISIS terrorists. After the Paris attacks, it took only a few months for the Brussels metro and airport to be hit in the same shocking way. Just over a year ago, an illegal ISIS supporter shot dead two Swedish football fans in the middle of Brussels. The repeated attacks show that Islamist terrorism is not a distant threat, but a reality in our midst, in our Europe. Western Europe has failed completely to protect its citizens. Substantial changes are needed in immigration policy. Border controls must be tightened, asylum seekers must be outsourced outside the EU and those illegally staying in the EU must be returned to their countries of origin without delay. The memory of the victims of Islamist terrorist attacks obliges us to do so. Europe needs to be made a safe place again.

Mr President, let us be frank: Russia is a terrorist state. With its barbaric war of aggression, Russia is trying to subjugate the Ukrainian people to their will. Attacks on the civilian population, destruction of infrastructure, summary executions of civilians and prisoners of war and other serious human rights violations are appalling examples of Russia’s continued war crimes. Two years ago, the European Parliament, in a resolution, designated Russia as a state that supports terrorism and a state that uses the means of terrorism. Since then, Russia's war crimes have continued. The country has established unprecedented close ties with Iran and North Korea, both of which are blacklisted for terrorist financing. There should be nothing unclear here. The European Union should, as a matter of priority, designate Russia as a high-risk third country in terms of money laundering and terrorist financing.

Mr President, last week Israeli football fans were brutally hunted in Amsterdam and many were hospitalised. Eighty years ago, things were the same in Europe before the darkest hour. Just three weeks ago, in plenary, I urged the Left to look for the culprits for the explosion of anti-Semitism in its own Palestinian demonstrations. Now speeches and several acts of violence have been taken to the next level, as Jews have been systematically persecuted. Does the left already agree to admit who these barbarians who hunted Israelis are? We on this side of the Chamber know the truth, and for years we have been actively advocating for a policy to prevent such violent attacks, while the left, with its mouth round, is still wondering why the whole problem arises. The fact is that we cannot have any real debate on the problem of antisemitism in Europe as long as not everyone in this Chamber is able to acknowledge its greatest source, the Islamisation of Europe.

Mr President, while the Georgian people overwhelmingly support the country's European path, the ruling party has taken them further from this goal. It has introduced Russian-style laws, labelling NGOs as foreign agents and so-called gay propaganda. The oligarch behind the ruling party has even threatened to ban opposition parties. There have been widespread reports of voter intimidation, vote buying, double voting and incidents of violence during the recent electoral process. Georgia's President has called the election a 'Russian special operation'. These incidents must be thoroughly investigated. Election integrity is a core European value. Georgia stands at a crossroads. If it wants to honour its people's will for European integration, it must uphold democratic principles and reverse its course.

Mr President, last year China was responsible for 95% of the construction of all new coal-fired power plants in the world. While we are pouring our productive industries into the radical climate agenda, the actions of other countries will completely nullify any and all of the goals we can achieve in terms of reducing emissions. We cannot expect the industries we are driving out of Europe to disappear altogether. Instead, they are simply relocating to other, and most often more permissive, countries where they can make their products much cheaper and more emission-intensive. The current climate agenda will not lead to a reduction in emissions. Its result is, and only is, a reduction in the safety and competitiveness of European jobs. To the green ideologues who are pushing this agenda, I can only say: good luck. Your policies have made Europe less self-sufficient, less attractive to businesses and, ultimately, less secure in these times of global uncertainty.

Madam President, President Trump was once again elected, and he wants to make America great again. Because of our lousy politicians, Europe has managed to put itself in a situation where our supply of energy was at the mercy of Russia, our supply of goods is at the mercy of China, our population growth is at the mercy of Africa, and our defence is at the mercy of the USA. So, should we choose the next new motto for Europe to be 'Make Europe great again'? Yes! Now it's our turn. Whether you like this motto or not, you have to start living according to it. The time of weak men is over. Let us make our energy, goods, babies and weapons ourselves.

Mr President, hate speech, radicalisation and anti-democracy. This moment is reserved for the whole House to discuss these issues. In fact, this is a very topical issue, so it is good to discuss it. In fact, we have recently witnessed events that meet all of these criteria: hate, radicalisation and anti-democracy. Numerous Palestinian demonstrations, all the way to top universities, have sparked anti-Semitic screams. The only democracy in the Middle East, Israel, has been wanted to be destroyed, and the radical terrorist organisation Hamas has enjoyed the support of many demonstrators. Why haven't I heard from the left today? I want to remind you of this when you are looking for hate speech and radical speech everywhere, so sometimes go to the Palestinian demonstrations on the left. You may find what you are looking for everywhere else.

Mr President, I fully agree with the speaker that Nazi propaganda needs to be addressed. It's wrong, and you were worried about how it would increase anti-Semitism. I am surprised, however, that you do not mention the side that is currently the main cause of antisemitism, both on TikTok and in other channels. These videos, shouting "From the river to the sea," or Hamas sympathy, are spreading right now. Why did you not mention this?

Mr President, the EU does not only live in cities; sparsely populated areas are an important part of the success of the Member States. Especially at the EU's eastern external border, this is also a security issue. The decisions we make on climate policy, for example, have a direct impact on the conditions for living in Eastern Finland, for example. This needs to be understood. The fact that we are channelling new regional aid across Europe from one year to the next is not enough to keep regions alive. Especially for net contributors such as Finland, there is no point in the current system. We pay a huge amount as a membership fee, only a fraction of which comes back to our own regional development. Signs will then be erected on the various projects, explaining how the EU has made this project possible. It's not like this. The Member States have made this possible, and that is precisely why more matters must be decided in the Member States, not in Brussels.

Mr President, at the latest, everyone knows that. The EU is not only foolishly spending its money, it is also grossly misusing it. According to the report you presented, EUR 10.7 billion of last year's EU spending was clearly against the EU's own rules. This should be scandalous news, but here it is not. The money is being misused and it will continue and how many times we were assured that the money from the recovery package will go where it was intended. We are now being told that these funds are not even included in this report because they are impossible to monitor. Is anyone surprised? No, I'm not. The nation states need to know exactly where the money collected for the EU goes. This is not the case today, and it is a huge problem in the EU.

Mr President, in Finland, a single steel mill produces about 7% of our total emissions. It is a fact that should not be abhorred by any climate fanatic. Every European should be proud that we still have steel mills in Europe. China currently produces more than half of the world's steel. Anyone who wants to run down the steel mills in Europe will bow to China. If we do not produce steel in Europe, it will be produced elsewhere. In Europe, there is too much lulled into the idea that if Europe does not produce emissions, we will have solved the problem. Well, we're not. Transferring emissions to other countries will not help the climate in the first place. Instead, for us, it means losing jobs and increasing dependence on totalitarian states such as China. However, such a policy has been pursued in Europe – i.e. an absurd green policy.

Mr President, I am delighted to see how Europe, Europe's direction in terms of immigration policy, is changing. Poland rejects instrumentalised immigration following Finland's example. Germany reintroduced internal border controls, and now 17 EU countries are calling for tightening of the EU's return policy. However, these 17 EU countries did not take action unnecessarily, but precisely because there is a real amount of work to be done. Those who have received a negative asylum decision pose a high security risk to Europe, so it was only a matter of time before this change in direction took place. The EU's current, even looser, immigration policy has made Europe even more accessible to the migration of living standards to the southern Mediterranean, specifically migration. Or does anyone still think that a person in need will not pass through the first safe country on their way from the Middle East to Germany, Sweden and Finland?

Mr President, supporting Ukraine is also a security solution for Europe as a whole. Although the debate we are having gives hope to Ukraine, hope alone is not enough to win the war. It requires funds, ammunition and equipment. Today, we have made a positive contribution to getting them, and that is good. I voted in favour of this new mechanism of support for Ukraine, but because of the name, it is good to clarify that this is not a joint debt, but that Ukraine will be able to pay its debts with EUR forty-five billion of frozen Russian assets.

Mr President, over the years, Tunisia has benefited from a number of EU programmes and initiatives. These include, for example, Erasmus+, Horizon Europe and Creative Europe. We are talking about huge sums. Between 2014 and 2022, the EU devoted around EUR 1.4 billion to overall bilateral cooperation with Tunisia. The question is, can this investment be assessed as being worth it? Another question to keep in mind is, how much is it the European taxpayers' responsibility to support Tunisia's green energy transition, as an example? The focus should be on combating the migratory pressure to Europe, enhancing border management and preventing the trafficking of human beings.

Mr President, Iran's state-sponsored terrorism is not limited to the Middle East. Now it has spread even within the borders of Europe. Thus, the efforts of the countries of the Middle East to exert influence have already shifted from financing Islamisation in Europe to direct action. Iran has long been a terrorist state from Israel's point of view. The EU must now adopt a stricter stance towards a country that has received billions and billions of dollars of money since the EU and the US lifted sanctions against Iran. The Iran nuclear deal was already a very good sign of European naivety, but at the very latest we should have learned our lesson from Iran's funding of Hamas' terrorist acts on October 7. Now, however, Iran's terror has also found its way through our door. It's the last moment to wake up.

Mr President, while China is threatening its neighbours in the South China Sea, Europe seems to be completely unable to break away from China. Are we really so baffled eastwards that we are pursuing a permissive trade policy that makes us dependent on China when Uyghurs are oppressed, Taiwan is surrounded and Filipino fishing vessels are attacked? The Chinese Communist Party has been oppressing its people for years, so Europe should not have any excuses to hide behind. We are living in the last possible moments to break the umbilical cord. China cannot be put under pressure if it is not isolated in the global arena. China is taking advantage of the conflicts raging around the world, imagining that we have forgotten the threat it poses. That is why Europe should say as clearly as possible: We have not forgotten and will act accordingly.

Mr President, I would like you to pay attention to the gentleman who is sitting in 457, the left-wing MEP who was here to speak on the toilet just now. He's wearing a shirt with a QR code, and when he's filmed, the QR code reveals a site that's a Palestinian political site. I would like to ask you, Mr President, whether it is permissible in this Chamber to wear such political shirts, political expressions, because I would think that the rules of the game should be the same for everyone?

Mr President, German Chancellor Scholz's pursuit-of-peace policy, and Hungary's blocking of different forms of support, are dangerous for Europe. This now-discussed new cooperation mechanism is a highly crucial piece of support for Ukraine in its fight against totalitarianism. I specifically want to address my colleagues on the Left who weren't on board with the effort to support Ukraine in September. Nobody sings the songs of peace when someone breaks into your home or home country. Nobody wants this war to continue. Everybody wants a long-lasting peace. But we also want Ukraine to restore the integrity of its sovereign territory. The best way to ensure peace is to ensure that Ukraine has the proper means to fight off the aggressor. Once Putin realises the hopelessness of his effort, he will cease. But he only speaks in the language of force. Let's give Ukraine another victory tool, not the thoughts and prayers of a fool.

Mr President, European airlines are doing the right thing when they are no longer flying in Russian airspace, but China is unscrupulously doing otherwise. By flying over Russia, Chinese planes use a shorter route compared to European airlines. This is not a fair competition. I therefore propose that Europe should now take action against its two biggest geopolitical opponents. What if, for example, we set a 48-hour cooling off period for the arrival in Europe of the Chinese aircraft currently in Russian airspace? This would have two significant benefits. First, from the point of view of our companies, the situation would become fairer as China would not be able to take advantage of this dirty competitive advantage. Secondly, Russia, and thus the military economy of the country, would stop receiving money from the Chinese for the use of their airspace. These, if any, should be our common goals.

Mr President, what is the greatest way to guarantee that a product is safe and responsibly made? These are the three key words: made in Europe. With Chinese e-commerce sites like Temu and Shein forcing their way into Europe by flooding our market with theor products, a 'made in Europe' tag has become harder to find. While we regulate ourselves more than ever, products that are being made far more unethically and emissions-intensively are getting shipped to Europe. But the EU can only blame itself for this situation. By driving our manufacturing away from Europe, we have created an opening for China to poach our industries and thus make us dependent on them. But unless we want to become an economic vessel of Beijing, we must significantly cut back our dependence on China, and we need to start doing it now.