Speeches

Madam President. On November 1st this year, a terrible tragedy occurred in Novi Sad with the demolition of a concrete canopy at the railway station, where 15 people lost their lives. This event provoked mass protests across Serbia. Students, professors, citizens and journalists stand up to seek justice and hold those responsible to account. Following mass arrests of activists, Amnesty International reported earlier this week that authorities had been spying on civilians and wiretapping them using Pegasus. I condemn in the strongest terms digital espionage and surveillance of citizens and demand an immediate investigation against those responsible. As a candidate for EU accession, Serbia must align democratic values and the rule of law with us and immediately stop the illegal use of software. Once again, I extend my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and my sympathy to all affected citizens of Serbia.

OK, I will say it in English. It was an accident that happened in Serbia on 1 November this year, at 11:52. Fifteen people died. Two more were heavily injured. In the meantime, there were mass protests running over the country. Instead of listening to what is happening in the streets, the authorities employed Pegasus and other software to hear what are the protesters talking about. So this is clear interference of the authorities in the freedom of speech. So this is important to tackle.

Mr President! Dear Sir/Madam, As a first-hand university professor, I know how crucial university education is for the advancement of Europe. Our universities are the foundation of knowledge, innovation and critical thinking and the building block of Europe as we know it today. But it is precisely this openness that makes us vulnerable at the same time. We are threatened by foreign intrusions and espionage by actors from third countries. They take advantage of research programmes, academic exchanges and partnerships and often target sensitive areas such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology and defence science. Their goal is not to steal knowledge, but to undermine our ideas and progress. Universities therefore need to be given tools and trained to detect and prevent such interventions. It is therefore essential to strengthen the cooperation and integration of universities and therefore to provide them with resources. It is not just about protecting our universities, it is about defending European values.

Dear President! Dear colleagues! The rise in energy prices is not just an economic issue. This is a challenge that encroaches on the very essence of social justice and sustainability. That is why we need to act decisively. Today, millions of Europeans face energy poverty and a cruel choice between heating their homes and surviving. In the short term, we need immediate support for vulnerable households through targeted subsidies. These will provide relief, while focusing on a long-term solution, speeding up the transition to renewables. These are not only cleaner and safer, they are key to stabilising and lowering energy prices and dispersed ownership. By ending our dependence on fossil fuels and investing in common energy projects, we can ensure affordable energy for all. The sun is everyone's. With the support of our citizens today, and by installing solar panels on roofs and switching to renewable energy sources, we can protect first and foremost our people, but also the planet.

Madam Commissioner, thank you very much for your work. My question goes from the bottom‑up approach, and this is being a mayor for 14 years – there was ongoing debate how to integrate more local and regional authorities in the design of a new cohesion policy, because at the end of the day, it is really difficult to use the funds properly and rationality to the people on the ground. So what will be your recommendations maybe for the future? How can we more integrate the local and regional authorities that make everything easier – and also make more foreseen – for those who are working at the bottom of this? And the second question is: of course, the cohesion policy always is understood as a pool of resources that could be shifted to something else. For example, we will be voting on Restore just another day, and, of course, we are still in danger that this money being allocated to the other position. Of course, nobody is discussing whether or not this is appropriate, but at the end of the day, we know why we have the cohesion policy. So what will be your recommendation to keep this money also available for us, in the European Union, to diminish the differences between the regions that are still big? For example, the difference is almost 500 % between really well‑developed regions and less‑developed regions.

Mr President! Dear colleagues! What would you like to see European cities in 2030? Will they still be at the top of the list of the most desirable places to stay in the world? To maintain this, we need to ensure sustainable transport, affordable public services, public education and health, and a solution to the housing problem. This is a key challenge for our generation and this mandate. And to achieve this, we need to listen to our mayors, who are in direct contact with citizens and know their needs best. As a former mayor of Kočevje, I was convinced that social and green programmes should be implemented at the core of democracy, that is, in local communities. This is also why we need to give cities more direct access to European funds, and right away. National governments cannot decide everything. Local communities must have a voice. Only in this way will Europe remain a world leader in sustainable development and quality of life.

Madam President, colleagues, the pressure on journalists, the opposition, civil society and critical voices in Türkiye is escalating. The charges against prominent journalist Bülent Mumay is another case how to silence critical journalism. This sentence is sends a clear signal to all those brave, independent journalists who report on matters of public interest, namely the AKP's corruption and clientelism. Mumay's case is not an isolated incident, but part of a broader pattern of judicial harassment and censorship targeting Türkiye's independent media. Dear friends in Türkiye, you are heard and not forgotten. People in Türkiye need international attention to protect their fundamental rights and freedoms. We cannot trade Turkish democracy, freedom and rule of law for some economic or migration interests. Europe needs to stand by its values within the Union as well as in its immediate neighbourhood. Freedom for all those who fight for democracy in Türkiye!

Dear President! Dear colleagues. Floods in Slovenia and throughout Central Europe, drought in Spain, fires in Greece. What kind of planet are we leaving to our children? The challenges we face today, from climate-induced disasters to the housing crisis and deepening inequalities, are felt most at local level. However, we need more than just a local response. We need coordinated multilateral action under the leadership of the United Nations. Now. The world of the future must be built from the bottom up. The local community, that is to say those affected by climate change, and above all our young people, must be involved in shaping global policies. With the new pact for the future, we have the tools. Now we need political will. Despite the differences and challenges we face, we need to work together, because it must be Europe that leads the way forward.