Speeches

Madam president, Russia's aggressive interference in the Western Balkans, especially its direct support for Milorad Dodik and secessionist forces in Republika Srpska, is a calculated attack on European unity. The Kremlin's goal is clear: to destabilise Bosnia and Herzegovina through Dodik, fracture the region and undermine the EU's influence. Dodik's frequent meetings with Vladimir Putin, coupled with the adoption of anti-constitutional laws, are not isolated events – they are a hybrid campaign targeting our collective security. We must respond with strength. The EU cannot turn a blind eye to the Trojan horse of Russian intelligence on European soil. Peace, sovereignty and democracy in the Balkans are not negotiable – they are the bottom line of European values. We need to be stronger to block Russian influence.

Madam President, what would a better version of the Middle East look like? Hezbollah that is a shadow of itself. The Assad regime gone. Iran severely weakened. This is already a reality. For the first time in a long time, there is genuine hope. What else we would need for a better future for the Middle East is the end of Hamas. The EU must be careful to not undermine this goal. Israel is aiming for peace through strength. We cannot be pushing for a Palestinian state until the terrorist entity is removed from power. Recognising a Palestinian state now would be an endorsement of terror. The intentions might be good, but the result will be catastrophic. Instead, we must demand that Hamas disarms, releases the hostages and surrenders.

Madam President, Europe's chemical industry employs over 1.2 million people. But how many small companies have already given up because the EU makes them report more than they produce? Simplification is promised, but too often we see just more rules, not less burden. A kind reminder for the Commission: you are not the ultimate master of every sector. Different regions need different solutions. What suits big players in central Europe may harm small companies in the north. We must protect health and the environment, but we must also trust the Member States to know what works at home. Real simplification means flexibility, national responsibility and space to breathe. Without it, we don't just lose competitiveness, we lose trust in our European system.

Madam President, Prime Minister, I would like to congratulate Denmark on the Council Presidency. I am delighted to see your programme addressing key EU challenges – tackling illegal migration and securing external borders, as well as continuing the unwavering support for Ukraine and the pressure on Russia. Countering issues like migrant smuggling and instrumentalised migration are not only vital for the safety of the victims of these practices, but also for the internal security of Europe. The recent incitements to Islamic violence in Europe by Iran, the ongoing threat posed by uncontrolled migration, the threat of Russia – this is not an easy time for Europe. When it comes to migration policy, many European conservatives have envied strict Danish practices that have had vast support in your country. I hope those strict practices will become the future of Europe.

Madam President, it's hard to believe that some politicians call for reducing dependency on the United States – our closest ally – while simultaneously pushing for closer ties with China. A regime that systematically violates human rights, oppresses minorities, and steals European technology is a serious security threat. The balance of trade between Europe and China is already sharply in China's favour – in favour of a communist dictatorship that has long traditions of using economic relations as a tool for political pressure. Europe should not build stronger trade relations with a country whose representative for European relations questions the independence of sovereign Eastern European states that seceded from the Soviet Union. This says enough. The growth of Chinese influence in Europe must be prevented.

Madam President, give the devil your little finger and he will take your whole arm. Likewise, give Brussels even the slightest hint of power and it will surely grab it all. This time, the ivory tower has its eyes on housing. The effort by Brussels is, of course, masked as only a kind endeavour to provide affordability for Europeans. But before we know it, rent control, zoning restrictions and regulations on both developers and landlords dictated by Brussels will have become commonplace. Dear Europeans, I have a warning for you: an institution that cannot learn from its past mistakes – as we have learned countless times – is doomed to repeat them in every policy area that it touches. So trust me, we do not want our housing to be dictated by Brussels.

Mr President, the European Commission has once again had the impulse to intervene in the sovereign decision-making of the Member States, this time in the organisation of care services – the activities that the States themselves know best and know how to organise. This issue should not even be discussed here in the House of Representatives of the European Union. These discussions should take place in the Member States. The Commission makes beautiful promises time and time again, but the reality is completely reversed. We now promise to emphasise the role of families and communities in care services. In reality, the Commission's grey bureaucracy has light years away from families and the community. Do we want to keep the decisions of the care services close, or hand them over to the dusty desk of officials in Brussels? If we really want to hand over the power of the institutions to the communities, we would rather start with the EU Commission itself and return it to the Member States.

Mr President, Europe cannot afford to be China's dumping ground. Last year, over 4.6 billion low-value parcels arrived in the EU – mostly from China – often unchecked, unsafe and unnecessary. This is twice the number compared to the year before; three times the amount of the year before that. This growth speed is shocking. We're not just importing products; we are importing dependence. And the profits are going to China. This cannot continue – not for our economy, our environment or our people. We must reduce demand for cheap foreign goods and bring the factories back to Europe. A European-made product means jobs, safety and self-reliance. Instead of this current China import statistics, I want to see the numbers of European factories skyrocketing.

Mr President, financing development cooperation, acting as the EU's climate bank and all sorts of secondary targets. Is this what Europeans want from their European Investment Bank when the focus should be on these issues: defense, defense and defense. Are we really still so stuck in the green fantasies of over five years ago that we can't see what's going on around us? Our defence industry is desperately awaiting investment, but we as we stand with our heads in the bushes, waiting to see when that money thrown into the green will reverse climate change. Wake up Europe! The greatest threat against us at the moment does not come from above, but from the East. And until this threat has been stalled, I do not want to read any more reports of this kind, in which the priorities are pine-shaped.

Madam President, distinguished colleagues, 30 years ago, Europe witnessed some of the darkest days in its modern history. The people of Srebrenica were subjected to unimaginable horrors by soldiers of the Bosnian Serb army, who engaged in systematic execution of civilians. Over 8 000 men and young boys were killed. After all the violence, rape and killing, even more souls were shattered forever. The Srebrenica massacre is a reminder to all that Europe must work together to prevent anything like this from ever happening again. We pride ourselves in peace and democracy – values that we must protect. Outside actors who are engaged in a systematic effort to destroy these values must be stopped and held accountable. This is our duty. I would like to end by expressing my sincerest respects, on behalf of the ECR Group, to the victims of Srebrenica and their loved ones.

Mr President, today we had a long list of amendments to the Clean Industrial Deal resolution to vote on and I was disappointed. I would have expected this to have been much more ambitious for the benefit of industry and for the return of industry to Europe. Last year we talked about the Green Deal. It was noticed that it went a bit in the wrong direction, especially from the point of view of industry, and this season we have now talked about this Clean Industrial Deal. But there was so much in this resolution, which was debated today and voted on, as I regret to have noticed, about the green agenda, about the wrong ideological agenda, not about market-based regulation, that I unfortunately had to come to the conclusion that I cannot vote in favour of this paper. Perhaps next season we will be able to have a resolution called the Industrial Deal alone.

Mr President, well-functioning electricity grids keep Europe safe. Without them, our security of supply and resilience would collapse. Cross-border electricity distribution also plays an important role here. However, this is always the responsibility of the Member States themselves – Member States that are even able to deliver with exemplary splendor. According to Fingrid's statistics, the reliability rate of the main grids in Finland last year was 99.9995 per cent - a remarkable figure. Would it have been this high if the electricity grids had been run by officials in Brussels and not by domestic operators with the best knowledge of Finnish conditions? Not sure, I say. The best thing about Europe's security of supply is to allow the Member States to do their job and to cooperate internationally, which will surely benefit all parties involved. That is why I decided to vote against the motion, because even if we move electricity far away, the decision-making power must remain close.

Mr President, access to food is one of the pillars of security that Europe must also awaken to. The EU’s common agricultural policy has a budget of almost €400 billion for 2021-2027. However, the EU has been plagued by a disease called green ideology. The focus is on everything that meets the hallmarks of ideological greening, including in the vital agricultural sector – at the expense of food production. Now, more than ever, we need to focus on the most essential things, including the small ones – literally. Up to 80% of our crops depend on pollination by insects, from which bees play a major role. Their positions are now falling. The crude fact is that without bees, our food security will collapse. Preventing this horror image is something that we in Europe should drink to.

Mr President, the security of Europe is under serious threat: China is strengthening and taking over the world, Russia is cutting up new territories for itself, and in the Middle East the blocks are being rebuilt. There is a cold race for power in the world. In the midst of all this, we Europeans must look at our neighbourhood with new eyes. Russia is waiting in the water language for our neighbours to fall into their arms. This must not happen and the EU's enlargement policy is an important tool for this. We must be a credible partner for our candidate countries. When convergence with our standards occurs, we do not hold back. But at the same time, we must ensure that we do not make exceptions to what values we believe in for reasons of geopolitics. If an incompetent country, such as a country that supports imperialist Russia in its foreign policy, enters, then the destabilisation of Europe will also, and especially from the inside, be successful. That's when we jump out of the ditch.

Madam President, the further escalation of violence in South Sudan has plunged the country even deeper into a devastating humanitarian crisis. Civilians are experiencing the full force of intensified clashes, leading to mass displacement, food insecurity and even a cholera outbreak. South Sudan is already scarred with past civil wars. We do not want this young country to face another one. We must urgently call for a ceasefire and a renewed commitment to peace negotiations. The European Union has a critical role in fostering diplomatic solutions that protect vulnerable populations. Failure to act risks prolonging this tragedy and destabilising the entire region. Let's act as mediators, call for peace and end the suffering.

Mr President, European countries must invest in the functioning of electricity networks. Access to electricity is a prerequisite for virtually everything from households to productive economies and for the security of the continent as a whole. The EU's motion for a resolution on electricity grids also contains good points, but, once again, unnecessary rhetoric has been inserted between the lines of an important topic, such as gender balance in the distribution network company. But do you know what sounds like an expensive sentence for a Finn? This is a direct quote from the text. The European Parliament states that “more than 40% of the distribution networks in the Union are more than 40 years old and need to be updated”. What are the networks of the Union? They are networks of member states and companies operating there. It is not the task of Finns to start updating the networks of other countries. Let everyone deal with this on their own.

Mr President, it has been extremely disturbing to learn about the serious accusations of corruption and abuse of power on behalf of the leftist government in Spain. It is disgraceful that these kinds of acts still take place in Member states. Such actions should have no place in a democratic society. They pose a serious threat to the rule of law and undermine the legitimacy of democratic institutions. We live in an era of significant geopolitical turmoil. It is imperative that citizens can trust elected representatives to defend their interests and help them through these difficult times. What we have witnessed in the Spanish Government is the exact opposite. It is called betraying your people. I call for all those involved to take responsibility and answer for their crimes.

Mr President, I am a conservative man, and that image Green MEP showed does not make me gay, I already am, but I cannot endorse everything that pride in the Western world has started to promote, including the idea that children should be taught they might be in the wrong body and that we should support the mutilation of their genitals. Insanity. I have chosen the conservatives because they have not lost their minds, unlike you on the left. Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East and the biggest Pride organiser in the world. Yet you on the left keep attacking it. Today you even came to the defence of Iran's nuclear sites. A country that imprisons women for not covering themselves and throws us gays off rooftops. Leftists, I am not on your side because you are not on the side of us gays. We are just a toy for you. To Orbán I say, do not ban protests because I am also supporting freedom of speech.

Madam President, if we dare to look at the facts, we will see that it's not Israel committing genocide. Let me be clear. Hamas, which launched a massacre on 7 October, is a jihadist death cult that is dedicated to erasing every Jew from the river to the sea. That is a genocidal agenda. And what did Israel do? It defended itself – as any democracy must. It is ironic how parts of this Parliament cry genocide at the only liberal democracy in the Middle East, while ignoring an Islamist regime that uses children as shields, aid as propaganda, and rapes women. You want to talk about war crimes? Then ask why Hamas builds tunnels under hospitals and fires rockets from schools. If Israel laid down its arms, there would be another Holocaust. If Hamas laid down theirs, there would be peace.

Madam President, for decades, NATO has guaranteed peace, security and stability on our continent. However, in today's world, raising our defence spending is more critical than ever. Europe has underinvested in its defence for far too long – we can't speak of autonomy, deterrence or a stronger NATO unless we are willing to pay for it. We must be ready to face it: NATO's 2 % of GDP target for defence spending is no longer enough. A stronger and better equipped European defence strengthens NATO, our own continent and global security. The transatlantic bond needs to be unwavering, but we must take responsibility for our own defence spending. Security is not an exception – like anything else, it must be paid for and protected.

Mr President, democracy and safety from political violence are not self‑evident. They are the results of hard work, blood, sweat and tears. Still, the work is far from over. The recent assassination attempt of senator and presidential candidate Miguel Uribe in Bogota paints a horrifying picture of the democratic state of Colombia. In Colombia, the criminal networks have grown so large that they have created parallel societies who use severe violence in order to further advance their own goals. Unfortunately, the same phenomenon is also becoming ever more apparent in today's Europe. This nightmarish bloodshed must be stopped. Violence cannot continue to cast a shadow on the democratic processes of the world. I wholeheartedly wish Mr Uribe a swift and full recovery.

Mr President, the world cannot afford a nuclear Iran. A regime that openly sponsors terrorism, destabilises its neighbours, and calls for the destruction of Western democracies cannot be trusted with nuclear capabilities. Only the idea of such a regime with nuclear material – or worse, such a regime giving it to terrorist proxies like Hamas – sounds horrific. Israel's pre-emptive strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities were not only justified, but also necessary. These actions were not acts of aggression, they were acts of global defence for which we should all be grateful. We saw again an example of how Israel strikes military targets, including nuclear sites, while Iran's Islamist regime deliberately targets civilians. Preventing Tehran from crossing the nuclear threshold is not just in Israel's interest, but in the interest of every nation that values peace and stability.

Mr President, public transport is a local issue that should not be steered from the European level. For example, it is not possible to move around in Lapland's frosts with the same solutions as in Brussels. Helsinki metro, Turku archipelago traffic or the sparsely populated areas of Kainuu require completely different systems. It is precisely for this reason that citizens choose their municipal decision-makers so that they can decide on which equipment and how to move. Local residents know their area best. EU officials should not dictate what is the best solution in an area they have never even visited. Too many EU decisions bring more bureaucracy to the local level, but not better service. I do not think it makes sense for us to discuss public transport services at all here in the European Parliament. Public transport must be decided locally. It's a point.

Mr President, anti-racism measures in the EU, 40 kilometres of new cycling routes to Belgium and window renovations in Italy. Among other things, this was offered by the recovery package. Can any of you with a serious face say that this has anything to do with the recovery from COVID-19? But this peak of your scams went through the Europeans, and that's why I'm not surprised that you seem to be trying to repeat the same trick again. What was still a one-off emergency solution four years ago is now being taken as a basis for future EU action. This report, which is now before us, does make a few correct observations about what was wrong with the recovery package, but the conclusion is wrong. We want to use the lessons learned from the recovery package when designing future solutions. Stop right there. The only conclusion to draw from these mistakes is that this expensive bump will never be repeated again.

Madam President, over 400 poor condition vessels sailing with a heavy oil load, day after day. This is called the Russian 'shadow fleet'. It is a fleet that poses two types of massive security threats. But now it should be crystal clear for all of us that this fleet is funding Putin's expansionist policy and war crimes in Europe. But now, as we discuss the European Ocean Pact, we should not forget the huge environmental threat that this bloody fleet poses constantly for our oceans. The European Ocean Pact is built around pillars such as protecting ocean health and enhancing maritime security and defence – good goals. I think the biggest deed we could now do for our oceans would be doing everything we can to get these Russian 'shadow fleet' vessels out of our seas.