What Fernand spoke about.

19

May

2026

Speeches FR

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Recommendation on the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (debate)

Mr President, the European Union cannot even agree on a negotiator with Russia, but it has the ambition to sit as a permanent member of the Security Council. In fact, France already represents European interests and the EU does not need to be represented twice. It is the Indian subcontinent, Africa and Latin America that should obtain a permanent seat. These are the regions with the future. While Europe is weakening due to its own political and diplomatic mistakes, such as questioning Russia’s presence in the Security Council. In doing so, it applies a double standard: She accuses some of all evils, while closing her eyes to the misdeeds of her close allies. In reality, the EU conducts a foreign policy that does not deserve its name because it lacks honesty, responsibility, vision and courage. With regard to the role of women in peace negotiations, I assure you, High Representative, that your presence will aggravate conflicts rather than resolve them.

27

Apr

2026

Speeches EN

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Madam President, the Commission seeks to introduce age controls on social media under the pretence of protecting our children. Its real purpose, however, is the abolition of anonymity on the internet and the further extension of its already overreaching control and censorship mechanisms. In reality, the EU does not care about protecting minors; its aim is to abolish free speech and privacy for everyone. The Commission is no longer a protector of democracy and fundamental rights; on the contrary, it has become one of their most committed detractors. I therefore call on the Commission not only to abandon this app for verifying the age or identity of internet users, but to accept that the education and guidance of minors is a matter for parents, not for Brussels bureaucrats.

27

Apr

2026

Answers FR

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Importance of consent-based rape legislation in the EU (debate)

I would like to answer you, Madam, first of all to say that I did not focus in my speech on the definition of rape, but on the consequences of the legislation you are proposing on gender relations. It's a different discussion, but I think it's very important. I would also like to tell you that the developments you are proposing here are a serious threat to the legal culture in our societies. We have always had a fundamental requirement in the Criminal Code to ensure the rights of the defence: it is that the crime must be precise and that there can be no interpretation on the definition of the crime. Now we are seeing more and more that this European Parliament is proposing legislation so vague that the right of defence can no longer be guaranteed. It's very serious.

27

Apr

2026

Speeches FR

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Importance of consent-based rape legislation in the EU (debate)

Mr President, feminism is an ideology that betrays women. Most of them aspire to be happy with their families, husbands and children. More and more often, feminism prevents them, because it makes relations between the two sexes increasingly difficult. Initiatives like the ones we are discussing today expose men to incalculable legal risks when they court a woman or engage in sexual intercourse with her. Radical feminism replaces eroticism with a consent contract, if possible set in writing, and turns any sexual act into a potential criminal record. No man is immune from prosecution for rape, even after decades, even in the absence of any evidence and even for the most abject reasons. In reality, feminist ideology aims to weaken heterosexual love. There is no need to add that this Parliament and the Commission are again violating their competence, because criminal law is a national competence.

10

Mar

2026

Speeches FR

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EU enlargement strategy (debate)

Mr President, those who wish to precipitate Ukraine's accession to the European Union pursue a single goal: We are dragging ourselves into a war against Russia. There can be no question of that. Ukraine will not be favoured over other candidate countries. Before it joins, it will have to live in peace with all its neighbours and meet all the Copenhagen accession criteria. This is not currently the case, since it is a state that is both totalitarian and corrupt. Its leaders must stop threatening European statesmen and refrain from any action that could harm the political or economic interests of a Member State. On the European Union side, enlargement policy will have to remain subject to the unanimity rule. There can be no exception in this regard. As our Union is not a federal state, but an association of sovereign states, unanimity must not only be maintained, but must once again become the general rule in our decision-making.

12

Feb

2026

Speeches FR

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Recommendation to the Council on EU priorities for the 70th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (debate)

20

Jan

2026

Speeches FR

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CFSP and CSDP (Article 36 TEU) (joint debate)

Mr President, talking about the European Union's foreign policy is difficult, because under Mrs Kallas such a policy does not exist. Instead of improving international relations, it degrades them. Instead of engaging in dialogue with her counterparts, she drives them in. Instead of working for peace, it advocates war. While the High Representative has replaced diplomacy with Russophobia, the doors of the chancelleries are closing in front of her, including among our allies. The people of Europe have had enough. They want a policy that serves them, guaranteeing peace, freedom and prosperity. The High Representative is the guarantor of the contrary. Under its aegis, the European Union controls and censors. The Foreign Affairs Council sanctions those who do not share its views, including Jacques Poos and other journalists and intellectuals. In order to defend a member country against Washington's imperialist and annexationist visions, the High Representative must invent non-existent Russian or Chinese threats. It is time for Mrs Kallas to resign and for the European Union to change course.

16

Dec

2025

Speeches FR

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European Citizens’ Initiative ‘My voice, my choice: for safe and accessible abortion’ (debate)

24

Nov

2025

Speeches FR

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Existence of a clear risk of a serious breach by Hungary of the values on which the Union is founded (debate)

20

Oct

2025

Speeches EN

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Madam President, on 17 September, more than 50 NGOs from across Europe sent the Commission a warning. The message was simple: the Digital Services Act is becoming less a shield for citizens and more a muzzle on speech. Quoting the letter: 'the DSA risks violating Article 11 of the EU Charter on Fundamental Rights'. Madam President, legal acts written in vague words, implemented by politicised enforcers and using undefined concepts do not defend democracy; they corrode it. The DSA abolishes freedom of speech through both political and algorithmic censorship. So when will the Commission at last change its course and stop its hunt on democratic freedoms? Will it use the November review of the DSA, or even the upcoming Digital Omnibus legislation, to correct course and ensure that the DSA protects freedom of expression, rather than eroding it?

20

Oct

2025

Speeches FR

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The decision to impose a fine on Google: defending press and media freedom in the EU (debate)

Mr President, Madam Vice-President, I understand the European Commission's reasons for imposing a fine on Google. No one should abuse their power to limit freedom of expression. But why does the Commission not apply the same principle to itself? Is it not also a judge and party under the DSA? It monitors or has others' publications monitored, it limits freedom of expression while pretending otherwise and at the same time promoting its own views in the media. For this reason too, this regulation, like others, should be fundamentally revised. The future shield of democracy, apparently intended to strengthen and protect our democracy, will very quickly turn against citizens and voters. The cancellation of democratic elections in Romania was a clear warning. This shield will limit political pluralism and restrict freedom of expression. As with Google, we must also monitor the actions of the European Commission.

7

Oct

2025

Speeches FR

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This is Europe - Debate with the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Luc Frieden (debate)

Madam President, Prime Minister, welcome to this House. Today, you should have spoken Luxembourgish, at least in part of your speech. Among all the nations represented here, the Luxembourgish nation is the only one whose representatives do not have the right to express themselves in their own language. I therefore ask you to conclude without delay an administrative arrangement with the Council and Parliament, as provided for in the 2005 Council conclusions and negotiated under the Luxembourg Presidency. The Luxembourgish language fulfils all the conditions: it is constitutionally recognised, it is our national and administrative language and it is spoken throughout the country. As far as Europe is concerned, it is time to revise the treaties by means of an intergovernmental conference followed by referendums in the member countries. The Commission, as well as other Union institutions and bodies, constantly arrogate to itself competences which the Treaties deny them, such as in the field of defence, health or housing. Moreover, the Commission is not transparent. We have to react. Europe cannot be a federal construction. It must be conceived as a Europe of sovereign nations.

10

Sep

2025

Speeches FR

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Implementation of EU-US trade deal and the prospect of wider EU trade agreements (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, this subject would be better known as 'the American tariff diktat', even though the Commission has not even negotiated to defend European commercial interests. Obsessed with its desire to further prolong the war in Ukraine with the help of the United States, it yielded to all the demands, and this in a key area of its competence. Why then do we need a European Commission? It is necessary to put an end to the politicization of tariffs in order to make them mere instruments of trade policy. Any attempt to impose political sanctions through tariffs must be ruled out. Similarly, the Commission should not try to include censorship of social media with extraterritorial effect in trade agreements with third parties. On the contrary, censorship of digital services and markets must be abolished. The Commission did the opposite of reasonable. It should have stood firm on tariffs and acceded to US arguments to guarantee freedom of expression.

8

Jul

2025

Speeches FR

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Presentation of the programme of activities of the Danish Presidency (debate)

Madam President, Prime Minister, the Trump administration, Secretary of State Rubio, General Kellogg openly declare that the war in Ukraine is a proxy war, a coalition war waged by the United States and NATO against Russia. Thanks to the New York Times, we know that it is ordered from Wiesbaden. At the same time, President Trump tells us that this war is that of President Biden and that, if he had been president, it would never have started. Thus, the Americans today contradict the propaganda, which is still ours, of a unilaterally Russian war of aggression. They no longer accept this terminology in their official statements. Let's draw the consequences. Let's be as honest as the Americans: Let's end this war! Let’s change our policy towards Russia and help Ukrainians rebuild politically and economically! We hope that the Danish Presidency will do so.

18

Jun

2025

Speeches FR

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Electricity grids: the backbone of the EU energy system (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, the blackout in Spain on 28 April laid bare the perilous flaws of the Green Deal. Addiction to unstable renewable energy promoted by NGOs and funded by the European Union threatens to plunge our citizens into darkness. Our energy policy must be based on science and not on ideological chimera. The interconnection of electricity networks must enhance stability rather than create chaos. Synchronized weather conditions across Europe make the exchange of green energy illusory. Nuclear power, the only reliable solution to decarbonise while securing supply, is inexplicably neglected by the European Union. The Spanish blackout is sounding the alarm in order to protect our citizens and businesses, only networks based on reliable energy sources can be interconnected.

17

Jun

2025

Speeches FR

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Resumption of the sitting

Madam President, this reminder to the Rules of Procedure relates to Rule 144, which lays down the time-limits within which written questions must be answered. Of the 40 written questions I put or co-signed in my first year in this Parliament, only half a dozen were answered within the deadline. Among the questions that remain unanswered are also important questions for all of us. Often the answers are so vague or superficial that they have no added value. Another colleague has written to the Commission complaining about this problem and has been waiting for the answer for five weeks. I therefore ask you, Madam President, to remind the European Commission of its obligations and to defend the rights of parliamentarians.

6

May

2025

Speeches FR

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Discharge 2023 (joint debate)

Madam President, today we are being asked to grant discharge for the management of a number of agencies and bodies of the Union. This is a good opportunity to take a closer look and see that some of these entities are far from meeting our expectations or are even clearly superfluous. In the latter category, we can classify the European Institute for Gender Equality, which is an institution that propagates radical feminism. We can also abolish the "EU vs Disinformation" entity, which itself spreads unbridled disinformation, further imbued with primitive and shameful Russophobia. Among the agencies that need to do better, we can count Frontex, which must again focus on preventing any illegal immigration instead of criticising the Member States. Finally, the Fundamental Rights Agency must confine itself to defending the rights rooted in our Treaties and accepted by the Member States: his activism is unacceptable.

6

May

2025

Speeches FR

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A revamped long-term budget for the Union in a changing world (debate)

Mr President, the European Commission is constantly demanding more money to wage a war in Ukraine instead of seeking peace, to pursue a ruinous and ineffective climate policy, and to act in areas in which it has no competence. In open violation of the treaties, it constantly wants to increase debts in order to make integration irreversible. The Commission does not deserve our trust. We must put an end to his financial thirst. Even today, the scandal surrounding the supposed COVID vaccine is not clear. We have learned that the Commission is using taxpayers' money to corrupt NGOs. We still do not know how the debts of the Next Generation EU programme will be repaid. Instead of requiring more contributions from Member States or new own resources, the Commission will have to settle for its current funding and prove that it will use this money wisely, transparently, honestly and effectively in the future.

31

Mar

2025

Speeches EN

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Madam President, the statement concerns the review of the Digital Services Act. Article 91 of the DSA provides for a review of the Act by November 2025, regarding the designation of very large online platforms, their scope and the DSA's compatibility with various legal instruments. The DSA has been heavily criticised not only by the current US administration, but also by European politicians and human rights defenders, who have alerted and documented the far‑reaching impact of the DSA on fundamental rights, in particular the right to free speech. In this context, a well‑rounded review process is strongly needed. Can the Commission clarify the review process under Article 91 of the DSA and, in particular, the roles played by Parliament and the Council? Is the Commission envisioning amendments to the DSA and, if so, which ones?

31

Mar

2025

Speeches FR

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Situation of European academics and researchers in the US and the impact on academic freedom (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, those who criticise President Trump for wanting to restrict academic freedom can also be exaggerated. While the freedom to criticise Israeli politics must be preserved, the fight against anti-Semitism and violence on university campuses is justified. Similarly, the quality of teaching and research must be restored by excluding pseudo-sciences, such as gender theory. Promoting meritocracy restores justice and fairness. Americans no longer favor certain people because of their physical characteristics. Instead of criticising this approach, we should adopt it. Let's turn our universities and research institutes into hotbeds of intellectual excellence and academic freedom, just as the US is doing now. Unfortunately, the reality is different. European universities are becoming less attractive. Some of our Member States are very poorly ranked in the Academic Freedom Index. Pressure on professors or researchers is becoming more frequent. Lectures, for example on biological sex in the natural sciences, had to be cancelled. Often these pressures on researchers are exerted by the universities themselves, which is totally unacceptable. Given these developments, the gap between the United States and Europe is likely to widen. On both sides of the Atlantic, everything must be done to support and defend both freedom of expression and academic freedom.

11

Mar

2025

Speeches FR

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White paper on the future of European defence (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, in 2012 the European Union was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Let us therefore live up to this distinction. Instead of rearming, let’s learn to talk to each other first. Our first line of defence must be good diplomacy. In this respect, however, the EU could do much better. Our relations are strained with Washington, difficult with Beijing and non-existent with Moscow. It is not always the fault of others. We need to relearn how to practice diplomacy, how to communicate, how to listen and how to understand, even in seemingly adverse circumstances. Our second line of defense is deterrence. We want to improve our armies, but try to avoid an arms race. Instead, let us revive confidence-building measures and ensure that we do not spend excessive amounts of money and take on huge debts to cover military expenses. There are many other, often more pressing, needs in our societies. Rearmament is a dangerous activity in many ways, both outwards and inwards: Let's keep it under control.

10

Mar

2025

Speeches EN

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Madam President, we are all deeply concerned about Europe's competitiveness. Business aviation plays a key role in strengthening the attractiveness of our continent. It allows business leaders and decision-makers to save time and reach destinations not served by commercial airlines. Medical flights fall also under the sector, further highlighting its importance. A well-functioning business aviation industry helps attract investment to Europe, yet it was excluded from the Taxonomy Regulation. This omission is baffling. I urge the Commission to address this in the upcoming Omnibus initiatives. Regarding sustainable fuels – the so-called SAFs – we need a globally standardised definition. The Commission must push for this. SAFs should also be available in sufficient quantities at all European airports, big and small. Finally, I call on the Commission to actively support the development of electric vertical take-off and landing technology in Europe.

21

Jan

2025

Speeches FR

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Need to enforce the Digital Services Act to protect democracy on social media platforms including against foreign interference and biased algorithms (debate)

Madam President, we must defend democracy and fundamental rights. On the one hand, the European Commission censors and interferes in democratic elections, on the other hand, there are those who defend freedom of expression and the integrity of elections. The DSA needs to be fundamentally reformed. The best response to disinformation is not censorship, but freedom of expression. US Professor Michael Shellenberger, father of Twitter Files, reminded us of this during his recent visit to this Parliament. President Trump, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are leading the way. In Europe, unfortunately, the worst is yet to come. The 'shield of democracy', a new project by the von der Leyen Commission, will further restrict our freedoms. The best shield of democracy will be the one we raise to protect citizens from the totalitarian tendencies of the European Commission.

18

Dec

2024

Speeches FR

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Restoring the EU’s competitive edge – the need for an impact assessment on the Green Deal policies (topical debate)

Mr President, Europe has lost its competitiveness and its power of attraction. Its inability to innovate and overburdened bureaucracy combined with rising energy prices – largely due to sanctions against Russia – are the major causes. But the climate policy of our Union, this unrealistic ideology, this madness that Europe can save the world by ruining its economy, in a word this Green Deal is the main cause of our evils. It must be abolished. Europe’s economic actors need to take responsibility. The heads of industry federations in our member countries should come together to form the Renewal Commission and face this von der Leyen Commission, which only creates problems instead of solving them, introduces taxes and regulations instead of abolishing them, stifles initiatives instead of promoting them. CO emissions2 are a very modest problem compared to our economic decay and social impoverishment.

17

Dec

2024

Speeches FR

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Misinformation and disinformation on social media platforms, such as TikTok, and related risks to the integrity of elections in Europe (debate)

Mr President, the events in Romania are very worrying. On the pretext of possible foreign interference through TikTok, democratic elections were cancelled with the agreement of the Commission and in violation of the Romanian Constitution. However, interference via TikTok has not yet been established, while at the same time there has been a lot of Western political interference in the Romanian election campaign. Through its Digital Services Act, the European Commission is interfering itself in the democratic process in Romania and violating the sovereignty of that Member State with the intention of eliminating a candidate that does not suit it. Instead of censoring social media, we'd better censor the European Commission. Authoritarian and anti-democratic instruments must be abolished in the Digital Services Act. Romania must not become a precedent to allow totalitarianism on the part of the European Commission.