What Raquel spoke about.

Dear Lukas, you said that the European Union is committed to fighting for the rights of women against oppression, and also to fight illegal migration, but do you agree with me that it won't be a reason to invite the Taliban to fight illegal migration? Because, actually, what we are doing is only helping preserve a regime which is the source of a lot of migration into the European Union. Wouldn't it be better to fight that regime with everything we have and not legitimise them?

Mr President, Madam Commissioner, I have a question for some in this chamber – are you more comfortable with our European Commission talking to the Taliban or to Greenpeace? The Taliban receives the privilege of dealmaking with the entire European Union, and some of you seem fine with it. Why? Because of migration. And yes, getting migration under control is important, but so is maintaining a minimum of decency and standards. Europeans died – died – to give Afghan women and girls rights. So no, we do not legitimise the Taliban ever. What is next? We talk to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, maybe ask the ayatollahs to give a keynote speech here in the plenary? Some colleagues on the right seem more willing to talk to international terrorists than to European civil society. And I sure hope they are not a majority. Those who carry out crimes against humanity should never set foot on European soil without passing The Hague's International Criminal Court first, thank you.

Mr President, Commissioner, we have an explosives problem. Last year, 1 534 attempts were made in the Netherlands to carry out an attack with explosives. Half of the arrested suspects are under the age of 20 and are often in a psychologically and socio-economically vulnerable situation. They are easy prey for organized crime. They are recruited online, sometimes for a few tens. They are child soldiers who legally intimidate and harm people with fireworks in their backpacks, at the risk of their own lives. The Rotterdam mothers I spoke to last year are powerless. This is not only happening in the Netherlands, but also elsewhere in Europe. That is why it is good that the European Commission wants to change the fireworks rules. This adjustment cannot be achieved quickly enough, as can the obligation for countries to share information about international gangs and to take much stricter action against profitable online platforms on which these young people are recruited.

Thank you, Mr Inselvini. According to the European Commission, illegal manufacturing of fireworks could contribute between 25 and 50 % of the national pyrotechnics market in Italy. I am telling you this because those fireworks then find their way into other European Union countries and are being used by criminal gangs, including minors, to conduct their attacks. My question to you is very simple: we will be working together with the Commission on stronger rules against the illegal use of fireworks, will you support European rules against this practice?

Mr President, Commissioner, violence against women is on the rise and, for the most part, comes from within our own circle. One in five women in Europe suffers from some form of gender-based violence. Recent research does not predict improvement. From the manosphere, men's medieval ideas about women are gaining ground in the classrooms and influencing the mindset of the next generation of teenage men. Boys are invariably presented with the idea that they must be strong and emotionless. They are superior to women. That violence may be used. Politicians, including in this parliament, confirm this madness and we are setting a course for more violence, more victims, more police ‑ deployment and overcrowded reception and care. That is why it is important that we oppose this politically. This directive puts things in order. It is a good thing that it better regulates the provision of assistance to victims across Europe. It is now up to the Member States. Take the well-being of more than half of the population seriously.

Everyone knows what it's like to experience stress. Everyone has a busy day at work or school. But what happens if that hustle and bustle doesn't stop when you take off your heels, your sneakers or your clogs at home? If work seamlessly transitions into a private life where we are also expected to arrange everything down to the last detail. The result is that women are twice as likely to suffer from stress complaints than men. So yes, I also want better and more childcare, and affordable care for the elderly remains necessary. But I also want us, from the political point of view, to become more active norms. It is not normal that the care gap is still large. It's not normal for women to fall over in bushes. It is not normal for the narrative of "alpha males’ and “trad wives’ that our young people are being presented to the assembly line, glorifying such inequalities. It is poison and poison we must fight.

Mr President, Europe is the greatest place on earth to be born. Not the US. Our infant mortality rates are the lowest worldwide. The best and most affordable education, whether vocational or academic, is a founding principle of our societies. And our Erasmus+ programme is the envy of many. Europe is the best place to work. We have the right to mind-blowing things like family leave or vacation. In Europe we can work to live and not live to work. Our collective life expectancy is unmatched, worth much more than raw GDP, if you ask me. Europe is, simply put, the place to be. And the EU is the foundation for that greatness. But like every great project, it requires maintenance. It requires courage to reform. It requires vision to integrate further towards an ever closer Union, towards a federal Union. We do not need an American dream. We have our own homemade European dream. The moment is here. The European moment is now.

Mr President, I think it's Rule 10 about the dignity of this House. I don't think that an MEP who speaks about this Parliament as a rubber‑stamping machine is doing an honour or a service to the dignity of this House.

I am really surprised that someone coming from the extreme‑right ESN is saying that the European Union is not protecting the people. The people are, in a large majority, already telling us: please move faster, please defend our safety, please defend our security. You are always saying you are the voice of the people. You are not the voice of the people. We are. So, tell me, what is your wonderful idea to listen to the will of the European people, as they are telling us every day?

You said that the rule of law does not protect individual citizens, and that it aims to destroy freedom of expression, online particularly. I was wondering if you consider that freedom of expression should be extended to, for example, the 62 million visitors of online rape academies, or we might want to implement and enforce our European legislation against that sort of practice online – also part of the rule of law.

See, Mr László, that is the beauty of rule of law systems. When there is a suspicion, people are prosecuted, people are taken to court and an independent judge needs to make a decision. I would like to know how many convictions for corruption there have been in Orbán's circle in the last few years in Hungary, how fast and what the penalties were. And my information says there were not many. So yes, the clock is ticking for all of us, but we are here defending the institutions which we have, and I am very proud of that.

Mr President, thank you, Commissioner, dear colleagues, as you know, fairy tales have often inspired me when talking about Viktor Orbán here in this house; Orbán the evil queen stealing from the Hungarian people, Orbán as the emperor without clothes, and now Orbán sent to political never-ever-again land by his own people. I do feel bad giving Péter Magyar the same treatment, because I am really happy that he won a majority to clean up the mess, like Cinderella, but he also needs to move quickly before the clock strikes midnight – that will be tough. This Parliament does want European funds to flow back to Hungary to improve people's lives, their schools, their healthcare. For that to happen, we count on the new government to restore the rule of law and put an end to rampant corruption so that taxpayers' money can be spent safely and with accountability. The rule of law is no fairy tale. It is the only guarantee that the government treats you fairly, and the Hungarian people deserve their happy ending.

Dear Mr Schwab, you know how much I appreciate working together with you, usually in the context of the Conference of Delegation Chairs. Today, I would like to ask you about something else. I agree with you that we need to be better, more accountable to our citizens about the funds and the way that we use them. That's why I was wondering whether we could not work together on finally implementing the EU ethics body as the final instrument in the system of checks and balances, where we, the platform groups, including the EPP, can ensure that we have one extra layer of safety in the good management of funds.

Mr President, dear Commissioner, dear Minister, dear colleagues, Today I would like to focus on a horizontal responsibility which should guide every budgetary procedure in all of the institutions: gender budgeting. Gender equality is not optional. It is a core European value and a Treaty obligation. Our budgets must reflect that, and gender mainstreaming and gender budgeting should therefore be central to how Parliament and the Commission, but today Parliament, especially, accounts for public funds, especially our own spending. Yes, this Parliament has taken steps forward, but progress must be measurable and transparent. We need clear objectives, reliable monitoring and consistent implementation across all areas of our work, and this is why Parliament's action plan on gender mainstreaming should be made public. If we expect others to deliver on quality, we must lead by example ourselves. Colleagues, I hope that next year we will be able to assess the real impact of these efforts in this Chamber, open to the scrutiny of our citizens.

Mr President, Commissioner, it is a pity that Mr Zdechovský has already left, because I wanted to tell him that Renew Europe really values the cooperation within the platform when it comes to the rule of law and the protection of the Union's financial interests or our taxpayers' money. So I was actually quite shocked when I learned that the EPP had decided to team up with the far right on this one, especially on points where the far right has proven to be quite destructive. So I am wondering how it is possible that our Hungarian colleagues of Tisza would accept a text with very little recognition of the role of independent media in investigative journalism in the fight against corruption, after having seen how essential these media were to uncover Viktor Orbán's crony regime. And how is it possible that our Polish EPP colleagues would accept a text that does not sufficiently insist on the fundamental link between the financial interests of the Union and the rule of law, having been through the rule of PiS? So I believe this must be a mistake, I believe we can do better as a Parliament, and I believe you, colleagues, also believe that as well.

It is a lie that this did not happen before. I am really sorry for your daughter, I have three, but I will tell you this: that story about a girl – she was not German. She was Spanish. She went to Italy. It was me. So, this happens and it happened already almost 20 years ago.

Mr Sell, if a German girl goes on holiday to Italy and she meets an Italian guy, and they decide that they want to have a nice time together, and they go to bed and, you know, she is feeling all right, but at some point he wants to do something that she does not want to do, but she freezes. Don't you want that German girl in Italy to be able to go to the police station the next morning – like she would be able to do in Germany – and not be treated as if she was not credible, not be asked why she went home with that guy, not be asked if she resisted? Wouldn't you want the same protection that that girl has in Germany in Italy?

Madam President, I should like to thank the Commissioner for his kind words and for his commitment again. Thank you to the Chair of the LIBE Committee, Mr Javier Zarzalejos, for the good cooperation, and when it has been necessary, also, the good advice. I would like to address some of the issues that have been raised by colleagues, because I acknowledge that, as I said in my opening statements, this directive could have been a bit more ambitious. But I don't like that we spread things that are not exactly true. This directive does cover Union officials. Union officials are residents of Member States. We live in Member States. We are political functionaries in a Member State, and in that sense we are covered by this law. I think it is important to say this, because it is the reality and it will make a difference in investigating and prosecuting corruption also at the European level. So I wanted to set that straight. I would also like to emphasise the need for fast and appropriate implementation by Member States. I truly hope that Member States do not choose an approach of the minimum common denominator, but that they go for the maximum allowed by this directive and that they are motivated in the transposition. I would also like to say the following: I am very happy as rapporteur to accept that not everyone is happy about the result. I appreciate that, particularly from colleagues who have engaged at every step of the way in these negotiations. But I would also like to say: if you didn't take the time to come to the table, don't come saying that this directive is not what it should be. That's something that we have heard today, and I really don't like that. I think that's not a courtesy to our citizens. I would like to say this: it has been said already, but our work is not done and it won't be done for a very long time. But nothing of value is easy. Jan, Daphne and so many others paid the high price. May their names be the last ones we need to remember in such a way. For them, and for all 450 million Europeans, we must go on. This directive will be the stepping stone to do so with confidence and determination.

Madam President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, tomorrow this Parliament will vote on a historic piece of legislation: a binding law to tackle corruption all around the European Union. A first. But not all of our citizens will get to celebrate. Journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who exposed corruption in Malta. Slovak investigative reporter Jan Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kusnirova. The passengers on a bus on a road that was poorly maintained near Svoge, Bulgaria. The travellers, most of them students in their 20s, on trains near Tempi, Greece, running on tracks that were out of date. Those just waiting under a railway station canopy in Novi Sad, in Serbia. And without a doubt, so many more, maybe still unknown to most of us. All of them had hopes and dreams for their lives in Europe. But they are no longer among us as a result of corruption and fraud, sometimes at the highest level. And this is why this law matters. Corruption kills. It costs us billions. It hurts trust in our governments. It undermines our democracy and eventually, our Union. Because corruption, more and more intertwined with transnational international crime, does not understand borders and differences in legal provisions. That is why this law is necessary and urgent. Member States will need to evaluate their anti-corruption measures and update them where needed. They will have to develop strategies to combat and prevent corruption and include preventive measures. Authorities will get more time to investigate and prosecute corruption offences, and those offences will be punished in a more similar way across the EU, to avoid a race to the bottom. Judges will be able to apply higher, more deterrent penalties. But also, exactly because the stakes are so high and this subject is so important to so many of our citizens, I have to tell the honest story that this law could have been better. More ambitious, more hard-hitting, more in line with the wishes of this Parliament. Yes, all of that is true. And it was a tough fight. The national governments on the other side of the negotiating table did not make it easy. And at some point, I think all of us were afraid that this would slip through our fingers and be put on hold, with an uncertain future. But we pulled through. We all came back to the negotiating table. We talked, and most importantly, we listened to each other and we got a deal and a number of major wins. 'We' plural. Because yes, I am speaking here today as your rapporteur, as chief negotiator. But every major step forward in European history is, per definition, a collective effort. So let me use this moment to acknowledge the work of all those involved: my own team, Parliament staff, the LIBE Secretariat, the Legal Service, the lawyer-linguists, the interpreters whose life was not made easy by me switching from English to Spanish in the middle of a meeting without notice. And also the ambassadors of both Poland and Denmark and their teams, the European Commission, and in particular, Commissioner McGrath, for their role as honest broker. And above all, the team of shadow rapporteurs. You were committed and sharp, fierce in defending our mandate but willing to compromise where needed. And I am certain that our unity has been crucial in delivering the best possible result for our citizens. It was a pleasure and a privilege to work with you, and I thank you. The new anti-corruption directive will bring a Europe free of corruption a few steps closer. A safer Europe for journalists and travellers. A Europe where getting a job or a permit does not depend on your connection to people in high places. A Europe where citizens trust that their governments are looking out for them, instead of for themselves. So colleagues, help us achieve that Europe. I look forward to the debate.

Mr President, when it comes to trans people and specifically young people who want to use gender-affirming care, the far right is shouting murder and fire here that we must protect young people from something that would have been imposed on them from woke culture – we have just heard again. Today we are talking about therapy that does just that: imposing a worldview on young people. A therapy that we know harms young people, leads to suicide and leads to years of trauma, because ‘freedom of faith’. But no, because the faith of religious fanatics does not deserve freedom. What we don't accept for practices like female genital mutilation, we shouldn't accept for things like conversion therapy. That should be banned.

Madam President, colleagues, the Ombudsman – or Ombudswoman in this case, in the previous case – is one of the biggest fighters for transparency in our Union, and more specifically for the right to access public documents. She has rightly pointed out that the Commission President's deliberate deletion of text messages is a case of maladministration. I note in my conversations – and we have seen it very often in this Parliament – that this has given ammunition to the extremes to come up with all sorts of crazy conspiracy theories. This has unfortunately hurt trust in the EU enormously. President von der Leyen has to understand that citizens, civil society organisations and journalists exercising their right to transparency is not a threat; it is not a sign of mistrust that should be limited or thwarted. Proactive transparency is not a luxury. It is an opportunity, a necessity, to show our citizens how we make decisions, to involve them and to regain the lost trust, because cover-ups and half-truths rarely stand the test of time.

Madam President, Commissioners, spyware is, in most cases, illegal, and we cannot say it loud enough or often enough. Greek judges have delivered some justice for this illegal use of spyware, and four people have been sentenced. That is real, it is tangible, and we should applaud it. But the fact remains that no high-ranking official in the Greek government has offered any democratic accountability. The fact remains that protection for journalists in Greece is still the worst in the EU. The fact remains that the Greek government keeps seeing civil society as a threat. The fact remains that it still possesses spyware to bully and intimidate journalists, as do other countries in the EU. I applaud the Greek judiciary, but this sentence is a fork in the road. Do we take the road towards real accountability for the use of spyware, or do we take this sentence as a pacifier and go back to sleep as if nothing happened?

Mr President, dear colleagues, on behalf of the FEMM Committee, two days ago on 8 March, the world celebrated International Women's Day. Two hours ago, this Parliament did the same. Our timelines were full of marches and beautiful shows of solidarity and admiration for and from women, yes, but also thankfully from men. Men like our own Manfred Weber, who posted an inspiring video praising and celebrating women, saying the EPP won't stop being a champion for our rights and we act. So let's act. Colleagues, let's act together. Let's put our money where our mouth is. Let's ensure that the positive answer given by the European Commission, by Ursula von der Leyen herself, to the 'My Voice, My Choice' citizens' initiative does not remain a paper tiger. Let's ensure safe and accessible abortion for every woman in the EU so that, in the same words of Mr Weber, women are equally treated and have a fair chance in our societies. It should not be hard. Europe is watching.

Madam President, colleagues, I will try to strike a slightly different tone. Listen, we are a house of democracy, and we should have a lot of freedom to engage in also radical ways of calling for the attention of citizens for different subjects. But we have had already two plenary sessions when banners, including this one that we have seen today, have been hung without permission, infringing the Rules of Procedure of this House. And I will go into the message, because this banner that six or seven boys have hung out here is directed to intimidate and scare the women of this House and beyond. So I would like this House to take action, and the President to take action.