Speeches

Dear Colleagues, Breast cancer screening saves lives — yet participation across Member States still ranges from 6% to over 90%. This wide gap shows that while progress has been made, much more can be achieved. The European Beating Cancer Plan and the 2022 Council Recommendation set the shared goal of reaching 90% coverage for eligible populations. The EUCanScreen programme plays a crucial role in this effort. I kindly ask the Commission to provide transparent data on the efficiency and early results of the EUCanScreen programme — what works best, where, and for whom. Such evidence is essential to guide future action and ensure equal access to quality screening across Europe. Finally, improving health literacy remains key. When citizens understand the value of early detection, participation rises. Let us make health literacy a true European priority, backed by dedicated funding in the next MFF.

I emphasised that today, here in the European Parliament, we are debating media freedom, because in some countries of Europe we are experiencing something that has hitherto only been conceivable in dictatorships. Some governments are now trying to restrict not only the media, but also workers' freedom of expression. This was also the case in Hungary, where, during the COVID pandemic, the government enacted new laws that allow for total surveillance of those working in the state administration. Taking advantage of the pandemic, the Hungarian government extended surveillance to healthcare workers, forcing them to sign a new employment contract, which included consenting to the surveillance of phones and computers, and withdrew the right of declaration and made it subject to central authorisation. Those who did not sign the new treaty or spoke out against it were dismissed in the middle of the epidemic. When I became a candidate, I had no choice but to resign so that I could speak freely and draw attention here in the European Parliament to the fact that the actions of the Hungarian Government evoke the dark years of the 20th century, and we must stop this as soon as possible.

My fellow Member, you are always pointing the finger at the European Union. However, I would like to ask why Viktor Orbán did not call on Robert Fico to repeal this law? Why didn't you invite your ambassador to Budapest to Slovakia, and why didn't Viktor Orbán visit the Transcarpathian Hungarians? Answer these questions and do not point to the EU, while the Hungarian government has abandoned the Hungarians in Felvidék.

Thank you very much for the question, and yes, it is very important to involve both the profession and patients when it comes to such a comprehensive action plan. I understand that significant steps have been taken and consultations have been held with both medical and patient organisations, and I believe that we, the European Parliament, have a huge role to play in ensuring that the views and knowledge of both patients and medical and nursing organisations are truly reflected in this plan, because only together can we set up a working and sustainable plan.

Mr. President, please. Chemicals surround us, without them we would have no phones, no buildings, no colorful clothes. Some of them we know are safe, others we know are dangerous. However, there are a lot of things that we don't know exactly how they affect our bodies. To protect people in Europe and children in Europe, we need up-to-date and science-based data on the risks posed by chemicals. The Tsiodras reports clearly show that Europe needs up-to-date, reliable, publicly available data to assess the risks of chemicals. Strengthening the role of the European Chemicals Agency and effectively redistributing scientific tasks are key to basing our decisions on evidence rather than on storytelling or momentary lobbying interests. This approach is on the side of innovation, health and safety. Such a system has the potential to put the interests of the European people first and to encourage the chemical industry to look for and apply safe alternatives. It is clear to the Tisza Party: transparency, professional development and the protection of citizens' health are non-negotiable. We need a direction that puts knowledge, responsibility and security first, while maintaining Europe's competitiveness.

Dear Mr President, Mental health affects not only ourselves, but society as a whole. For young people, the situation has become critical. In recent years, the number of young people who consider themselves lonely has quadrupled, many of whom are anxious every day, as my fellow Members who have spoken earlier have said. Suicide rates have also increased dramatically. However, I would like to mention those that society often forgets. Children living in children's homes, with tens of thousands without families, would be the last chance to get help to deal with the terrible traumas they have experienced, and yet we see that they are often abandoned by society, let down by governments. That is why I think it is very important to launch the Year of Mental Health in the EU, as part of which we are developing an EU mental health strategy to help our citizens and the most vulnerable in our society.

Mr President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, my grandmother lived with Alzheimer's disease. At first, the signs were almost invisible: a little more sensitivity, tears over small things. But the illness advanced, slowly but relentlessly. Even as a doctor, I can say that nothing could truly prepare me to watch the person I had loved since childhood slowly fade away. After a while, she no longer knew my name, but at times her smile and the way she held my hand reminded me that she was still there. Those moments were both precious and painful. This is not just my story. Today, 7 million Europeans live with dementia, and by 2050 that number will double. That means 14 million families will face this challenge. Dementia not only strikes individuals – it reshapes entire families. When a parent or grandparent loses cognitive abilities, children must take on daily care. Families give up jobs, face financial strain and too often collapse under the emotional and economic weight while they're trying to fill the gap between healthcare and social care systems. This is not sustainable. Demographics are against us, which is why Europe must act together. We need a strong European strategy on dementia. Supporting research and ensuring equal access to innovative treatments across Member States. Investing in social institutions, housing and rehabilitation so that people can live with safety and dignity. Preparing our healthcare systems for early detection, integrated care pathways and family support, and strengthening health literacy and tackling stigma. If we defend dignity, health and brain capital, we defend our European values.

Dear fellow Member, You've said some very nice things here, but you're masking reality. According to all public data, Hungary's housing stock is one of the worst in the European Union in terms of energy efficiency and health. Hospitals are in worse shape. This is because they wasted money on the GINOP, KEHOP, TOP programmes in 2014, 2020 and now people are paying the price. Why do Hungarians have to pay for this while spending billions on stadiums?

Dear Mr President, Dear Commissioner, Like geopolitics, Europe's climate has changed. The difference is that while it has changed over the last few decades, it has changed over the last few millennia. That's not what we're seeing right now. Thirty years ago, Europe's climate was predictable, and now there are heatwaves and sudden coolings. This not only destroys the economy and agriculture, but also affects people's lives. In 2022 alone, more than 60,000 people died from heatwaves. The human body, especially the elderly and the sick, is not prepared for these changes. Therefore, as the Commission emphasises, we need to address both causes and consequences. In addition to climate protection, housing and health policies should also include protection against heatwaves. We need to tackle housing and climate change together. In addition to affordable rental housing programmes, specific EU funds should be provided for the comprehensive preparation of residential buildings, social institutions and hospitals. Heatwave protocols should be introduced in health and social institutions and climate change should be promoted, on which the lives of patients may depend. But we know: What cools outside produces heat outside. The microclimate in cities will thus become even hotter, and alternative passive solutions, such as the use of lighter colours for buildings and roofs, which alone can significantly reduce temperature and energy use, should therefore be promoted. There is not one perfect solution, but together we can find the best solution.

Dear Mr President, Dear Commission, Endometriosis affects one in ten women. Hundreds of thousands of women suffer in Hungary and millions in other member states of the European Union. A disease that is a serious blind spot in health policy. Endometriosis is not just painful menstruation. Reality is much more alarming. Endometriosis means that uterine tissue appears in the abdominal cavity or other points in the body, which menstruates in the same way as the uterus. In doing so, it causes tremendous pain to those affected and, in the long run, severe damage to their bodies. It often takes six to eight years for the diagnosis to be made, while those affected are constantly living with the knowledge that the pain is returning from month to month. It hinders the education of thousands of young girls because they are absent from school. Adult women's equal employment and sex life are ruined by the disease. It also causes daily anxiety for those who want to have a family or a child, as late recognition means infertility, serious damage to other organs in the long run, while therapeutic options are scarce, often involving surgery. Several Member States of the European Union have recognised the importance of acting at the right time. Yet we see that some are only verbally active. The Hungarian government has repeatedly promised to help those affected, but has not provided any real support other than tax relief. And, as in many other Member States of Europe, we lack early detection education and screening programmes, access to modern diagnostics, and in many cases it takes years for patients to reach the right doctor. This can lead to serious social inequality. A true family-centric policy is based on the promotion of women's health. And the European Union has a duty to stand up for the women concerned and to help them with early detection and access to care, so that they have equal opportunities in life in whatever Member State they live in.

Mr. President, please. In Parliament, we closed our two-day Mental Health Conference yesterday, with 30 experts and over 300 participants. We focused on the mental health of young people, women and vulnerable people affected by the war. The psychological effects of the environment and working conditions have also been affected. This plenary session is about mental health at work, and if we are talking about this topic, we should be one of the first to mention workers in the health and social sectors. According to a publication by the European Commission, during the COVID-19 outbreak, nearly half of healthcare workers suffered from post-traumatic stress and nearly a third showed symptoms of depression. We are talking about very serious things, because after the end of the epidemic the situation has not improved. More than 1 million healthcare workers are missing in Europe, more than a third of doctors are over the age of 55, while many people leave this profession every day due to mental exhaustion, and those who remain are under increasing mental strain. That is why I believe it is important that Parliament, in its report on the shortage of health workers, prioritises the protection of the mental well-being of social and health workers. By listening to them and involving them, we need to find EU and national solutions together, because it is our duty to take care of those who care for others.

Madam President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, I'm a bit disappointed to see so few of us here in person for this debate, especially as we are talking about diseases that pose an increasing burden on our ageing society across Europe. Cancer, cardiovascular diseases and neurological conditions cause the death of more than 3 million Europeans each year. In the case of cardiovascular diseases alone, 1.3 million of these deaths could be avoided with better prevention, early detection and access to modern, affordable healthcare. That's why, along with the European Beating Cancer Plan, we also need strong support and funding for the European Cardiovascular Health Action Plan. To achieve our goals, we must have a truly holistic approach to recognise how physical, mental and brain health are deeply connected. We have a great responsibility: people are counting on us to act on healthcare, and we also see that where healthcare is declining, extremism is growing. Strengthening healthcare not only helps people, it also protects democracy.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Water is a condition of life, we all know that. Yet we are faced with a growing shortage of them in Europe. The ambition of the WFD was clear, but many Member States, including Hungary, used the right of national discretion to ignore hazards and do nothing to conserve natural waters. In fact, by throwing aside impact studies, it gave the green light to build huge water-intensive battery factories in China. The consequences of irresponsible water management are already tangible. The area of the Homokhátság between the Danube and Tisza is in a state of complete dehydration. The natural waters are gone, the groundwater is falling, the farmers and inhabitants are useless. That is why I am in favour of the new strategy strictly requiring transparency in water use, strengthening the protection of natural water retention systems and ensuring that local residents and communities are involved in water management. Water is a national and community treasure, the future of our children, which we cannot sacrifice for short-term goals.

I am sorry that your party is engaging in such personal attacks. I would like to clarify that the Tisza does not support illegal migration. We are arguing in favour of strengthening Europe's borders, and this is why we are fighting, and we have also raised our voices when people smugglers were released in Hungary. The Hungarian government released 2,000 smugglers on Viktor Orbán's orders. I'm sorry if you may have received other information from Fidesz, you have been led, but the Tisza Party and I have never personally... (The Chair withdrew the floor from the speaker)

I am pleased that, here in the European Parliament, there is at least verbal support for people suffering from rare diseases. At the same time, I would like to ask, if it is really important for your government to help patients with rare diseases, then why was the assessment of individual fairness outsourced from a public body to an opaque foundation? Why was he outsourced to a foundation that does not have to comply with the legal requirements that applied to these applications so far? And why is it that so many families have already received negative responses from this foundation? Why did they do that?

Dear Mr President, Two names: Zente, Adin. Two Hungarian children whose stories have been circulated in the Hungarian media. They also suffer from a rare disease, like their 30 million counterparts in Europe. They were lucky: Through community collaboration, they have access to a life-saving cure. However, not everyone is so lucky. Beni, Dominik: young, cheerful, five-year-old children suffering from lethal muscular dystrophy. It's something that has therapy, but it's still unattainable in Hungary. And their parents get up every day in such a way that if they do not manage to collect hundreds of millions of forints, their child will not live to adulthood. The Hungarian government will not help them. Not only does he not help, but he has outsourced the licensing of life-saving, uniquely equitable drugs to a foundation, in order to escape the law and save children's lives. Coordinated action is therefore needed, a common solution. Even if a Member State cannot or does not want to help children and adults with rare diseases, we should help them. Building on the European Reference Networks, we need to ensure that research and drug development are accelerated, that professionals are trained, that centres are built and that cross-border treatments are provided. This requires a Commission action plan, the dedication of Parliament and the joint work of the Member States. Let the new stories tell us about the lives of the children who were saved together.

You are talking about child protection, while according to the Ministry of the Interior, there are already 300 babies in hospital who cannot be accommodated in child protection. These children are 2-3 months old and have already forgotten to cry, because they know that no one cares about them. Do you talk about this? You who appointed a president of the republic whose first act was to pardon a pedophile's criminal assistant? And I haven't even talked about Bese's father, who consecrated Viktor Orbán's office while attending gay orgies, videotaping them and posing with you. She was supported, and the children were left alone.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to ask you a question. How many people would feel safe if they lost their jobs tomorrow? All over Europe, especially in Central and Eastern Europe, this is not a theoretical issue, this is everyday reality. Uncertainty in the workplace is growing. Unpredictable contracts, excessive bureaucracy and outdated registration systems leave many people without work or assistance. And remember, these are not mere statistics, we are talking about real people, families and the future of their children. Workers deserve stability, fair wages and adequate protection. And to do that, we need to act. First, we need to modernise employment services. Office systems are needed to better match the skills and needs of jobseekers with forms of employment, while developing modern and dynamic retraining systems. We need to invest in rural infrastructure so that workers feel safe and do not have to choose between their work and the modern education of their children. New frameworks are needed to strengthen local economies, develop transport networks and create jobs where people live. If we want a truly competitive Europe, we need to look not only at economic indicators, but also at people's quality of life.

Madam President, I'm sorry. We all remember the darkest moments of the pandemic, when our Member States and their hospitals desperately tried to get medicines and people died because of shortages in supply chains. With a fragmented regulatory environment, without cross-border strategies, we lose valuable time in times of crisis, while Member States compete with each other. It is clear to all of us that we need to work together to ensure the provision and equitable distribution of life-saving and critical medicines. The EU must take the lead in providing accessible and affordable medicines to our citizens. To this end, it is essential to harmonise regulation and create an environment conducive to innovation, including antibiotic research. We need to preserve and strengthen pharmaceutical production in Europe to reduce our vulnerability. For critical medicines, we need to set up a common contingency reserve to ensure that there are no temporary shortages of medicines in the Member States. And we need to pay special attention to orphan drugs and the treatment of rare diseases. This requires coordinated action and funding programmes across Member States. The Critical Medicines Act guarantees these and ensures that shortages of medicines experienced during the pandemic will no longer occur in Europe. Because at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is whether the medicine is available to save the patient's life or not.

Dear Mr President, As a doctor and a fresh parent, I watch with concern as a silent epidemic sweeps across Europe. It is not spectacular, but it puts an enormous burden on young people and families. Social media crawling into every moment of our lives, the increasing availability of age-restricted content and online harassment pose new, unknown challenges for all of us. One in five young people in Europe suffers from mental health problems. In Hungary, nearly 16% of young people suffer from psychiatric disorders. The number of young people aged 15 to 25 who claim to be lonely has quadrupled in recent years, while one in five deaths in the same age group is self-inflicted. The care system is overwhelmed, and families often only get help in private care if they can afford it. Early detection of problems requires not only private care, but also well-trained professionals and an appropriate school environment. We need to speak openly and honestly about these problems, and we need European-level cooperation and modern methods for solving them. Because every child deserves to be helped and become a healthy, happy adult.

Dear Mr President, The European health and social system lacks 1.5 million professionals. In five years, that number will rise to 4 million. With 600,000 doctors, 2.3 million nurses and 1.1 million social workers, Europe will have less than it needs. The shortage of nurses and doctors is particularly acute in the Central and Eastern European region, including Hungary, where 1000 general practitioners are missing from the healthcare system. 1.5 million people do not have access to primary care of sufficient quality and quality, while the number of remaining general practitioners is approaching 60 years of age with their average age. Rural hospitals and paediatric surgeries are closing, while doctors, nurses, patient carriers and assistants are overwhelmed, overachieving to the extreme and trying to keep the healthcare system together. Under the Treaty, Member States are responsible for their own health systems, including ensuring the number of health workers. However, it is clear that some Member States are unable or difficult to cope with this. European doctors, nurses and, above all, patients need more attention. The challenges are similar across Europe. We must therefore act together at EU level, because if we do not, it could cost patients their lives and lead to disaster.