What Raquel spoke about.

10

Mar

2026

Speeches EN

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Guidelines for the 2027 budget - Section III (debate)

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.

12

Feb

2026

Speeches EN

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Resumption of the sitting

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.

12

Feb

2026

Speeches NL

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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)

12

Feb

2026

Questions NL

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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)

11

Feb

2026

Speeches EN

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Rule of law, fundamental rights and misuse of EU funds in Slovakia: the need for an EU response (debate)

Madam President, dear colleagues, Europeans want a strong and united Europe in times of international turmoil – just like the majority of Slovaks do. However, Europe can only be as strong as our weakest link. And if we tolerate corruption running rampant in one of our European capitals, it weakens all of us. Corruption kills trust: trust between citizens and their governments, but also trust between our countries. And that is exactly what Robert Fico wants. Fico's government has abolished the national anti-corruption agency and shortened sentences for corruption. Yes, the number of prosecutions dropped by 70 %, but – breaking news – that's not because there is less corruption; it is simply not being investigated, let alone taken to court. So don't be fooled: corruption is only getting worse. The people in Slovakia deserve better, just like European taxpayers do. So it is our duty in this Parliament and the Commission to protect them both.

21

Jan

2026

Speeches EN

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European Council meeting (joint debate)

Madam President, madam Commissioner, dear President Costa, in the words of California Governor Gavin Newsom, it is time to buck up and have a backbone, and growing a backbone will take more than words, even though I do appreciate President von der Leyen saying yesterday in Davos, nostalgia will not bring back the old order. And that is why I would like to remind you and all of us in this House, that the United States is currently threatening Europe of getting rid of the visa-free travel to the US if we do not give them free access to our biometric police databases. And why on earth is the Commission going along with this? And why did the Member States approve a mandate to negotiate with the US on this in December, when we could all see the direction that things were taking? The Commission must put all negotiations on this matter on hold. We will not be blackmailed.

20

Jan

2026

Speeches EN

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Pending approval of the Hungarian national plan for Security Action for Europe (SAFE) funding in light of persistent concerns around the allocation of public funding (debate)

Madam President, colleagues, the days of Viktor Orbán at the head of possibly the most corrupt government in the EU are numbered. And so I guess he thinks that desperate times ask for desperate measures. And that must be exactly why Hungary has requested billions from Europe, this time from the SAFE loans programme, despite vowing – vowing! – to stay out of the same defence cooperation which SAFE aims to strengthen. It's just more taxpayers' money to get his hands on. And I get it: you do you, queen! But why on earth do the Council and the Commission think that it is a good idea to lend Orbán EUR 16 billion while he keeps rolling out the red carpet for Trump and for Putin – and that without any real improvements to the rule of law? So to me this is like a '6-7' situation where I really don't understand what's going on. So let me ask the Commission and let me ask the Council to be the adults in the room here, to do the right thing and not to lend any money to Orbán, to protect our safety and protect our budget.

20

Jan

2026

Speeches EN

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Tackling AI deepfakes and sexual exploitation on social media by making full use of the EU’s digital rules (debate)

Madam President, colleagues, we have heard many, many good things today, but I think that we have heard too little about enforcement and why it's taking us – why it's taking the Commission – so long sometimes to publish investigations, to come up with the fines, to enforce the rules that we already have in place. I wonder: might this have something to do with the threats that we're getting from some tech oligarchs in the United States and their protector in the White House – as has been said in this room today? I think that there are a lot of Europeans who are looking at us on this day, this week of all weeks, as the week of truth. What are we going to do as the European Parliament to break our tech dependency on the United States and claim not only our digital but our general sovereignty? I think this is the moment of truth, and I call on the Commission to take action swiftly in this domain and also other policy fields.

19

Jan

2026

Speeches EN

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Framework for strengthening the availability and security of supply of critical medicinal products as well as the availability of, and accessibility of, medicinal products of common interest (debate)

Madam President, what we are trying to do here is to guarantee supply of medicines for which inefficient supply would result in serious harm or risk of serious harm to patients. Now, let me remind you that there are a lot of women in Europe who are still not enjoying the right to safe and legal abortion, and this situation will only become worse if we do not include abortion medicines in the list of critical medicines. Please, when you are going to vote tomorrow to decide whether we do include these medicines in this list or not, think about friends, think about sisters, think about daughters. Think about what happened if they, for whatever reason, including medical reasons, needed an abortion and the medicines were not available. Do you think that there would be fewer abortions? No there won't. There will be more unsafe abortions with health risks and deaths as a result. Please reconsider your position.

19

Jan

2026

Questions EN

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Framework for strengthening the availability and security of supply of critical medicinal products as well as the availability of, and accessibility of, medicinal products of common interest (debate)

I was shocked to hear that, in trilogues, essential medication for women was simply dismissed as non‑essential – I am talking about abortion medication – and this while women in Europe still die today because of lack of access to safe abortion. Now, we could be solving this on a European level, and groups such as yours still refuse. Your party leader, Marine Le Pen, supported enshrining abortion as a fundamental right. So, I do expect you to vote tomorrow for the amendments which try to achieve this at European level. Could you confirm that you will do so?

18

Dec

2025

Questions NL

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European Democracy Shield – very large online platform algorithms, foreign interference and the spread of disinformation (debate)

18

Dec

2025

Speeches EN

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European Democracy Shield – very large online platform algorithms, foreign interference and the spread of disinformation (debate)

That was not my argumentation, because I appreciate every single thing that is done for women to become more independent. I am talking about all those men in Hungary who, influenced by social media platforms which are totally out of control, now think that women should be under their direct financial control. That is what I am talking about. You are not responding to that.

18

Dec

2025

Questions EN

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European Democracy Shield – very large online platform algorithms, foreign interference and the spread of disinformation (debate)

I would like to speak about Hungary. In Hungary, 68 % of men think it is acceptable to control the financial situation of women. That is 22 % higher than the European average. And among young boys, especially, 72 % think that it is the task of men to earn money – that is 30 % higher than the European average. I think that we should be shielding Hungarian women from this development, and I was wondering if you agree with me that this is something concerning, that you should not want this for your country, and that social media platforms do have something to do with this?

17

Dec

2025

Speeches EN

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Implementation of the rule of law conditionality regime (debate)

Madam President, I've been told that Viktor Orbán really cannot get enough of a Hungarian comedian called Somogyi András, because he does a wonderful impersonation of how Brussels is an evil conspiracy and how Ursula von der Leyen doesn't want anything to do with democracy and only wants to punish Hungary. And I understand why people in Hungary love him, because that's exactly what we have heard today – that Brussels is the evil conspiracy and that we are only trying to kill Hungarian democracy. But I think that you have to be very serious and very real. And Brussels is not the reason why Hungary is in economic decay. Brussels is not the reason why Hungary has an education system which is crumbling. Brussels is not the reason why people in Hungary have to bring their own toilet paper when they go to hospital. And Brussels is not the reason why 600 000 people have left the country. So, to the Commission, I will say: the next time that you have the opportunity to take swift action, please do so and apply conditionality properly, because the Hungarian people deserve our protection. Thank you so much in advance and please – please –do not leave it at promises. Take action.

16

Dec

2025

Questions EN

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

Thank you, colleague, for your reading of the situation in Slovenia – which I do not share, because this initiative is not about Slovenian politics. This initiative is about providing women everywhere in Europe, regardless of whether they have the resources or not, with access to safe and legal abortion. But let me ask you something. Have you talked to organisations who help these women coming from Poland, for example, to the Netherlands? Because I have talked to them and they have told me their stories. Have you taken the time to engage with those doctors helping these women? Because I have talked to them and they have told me the stories. Have you?

16

Dec

2025

Speeches NL

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

15

Dec

2025

Speeches NL

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Murder of Mehdi Kessaci - urgent need for ambitious European action against drug trafficking (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, Mehdi Kessaci, lawyer Derk Wiersum, crime journalist Peter R. de Vries, Hakim Changachi, Mohamed Bouchikhi: They were all killed by drug criminals. A threat to our European security, freedom of expression and democracy. In the fight against international drug crime, we are not going to win with endless discussions about ‘sovereignty’ or ‘subsidiarity’, as we do in this house. Criminals don't have a message and laugh. Only by truly European thinking and doing can we master these criminals. That is why I call on the Commissioner to speed up action, with stricter European rules on criminal law, with more powers for Europol and Eurojust, without taboos, and with better cooperation with private parties in ports, such as shipping companies and port companies, and finally with prevention through education. We can win this.

12

Nov

2025

Speeches EN

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Gender Equality Strategy 2025 (debate)

Colleague, thank you for your answer. I was not implying anything about the personal circumstances of anyone who has had difficulty in becoming a mother – I do regret that and I hope that we can, as institutions, support those people as well, whether they are women or men, by the way. But my question was not that and you're not answering my question. So I would really appreciate if you answered the question that I posed to you. Thank you.

12

Nov

2025

Questions EN

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Gender Equality Strategy 2025 (debate)

Thank you for taking my blue card. The regional government in Lazio, in Italy, is preparing to approve a law that would guarantee protection of the foetus from conception. I was wondering if you, Ms Magoni, agree with this proposal – that is my first question. My second question is, if you do, and you said that every woman has should have the right to be a mother, then would you also support criminalising women who might engage in dangerous behaviour with consequences for the foetus? Because, according to your view, they might be found guilty of failing to protect it from conception? Thank you.

12

Nov

2025

Questions EN

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The new 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework: architecture and governance (debate)

Thank you, colleague, especially for your first reaction to the colleague from ESN and for presenting such a strong pro-European voice. I listened very attentively to your speech. I am very happy that you highlight the need to work together also with our regions. And at the same time, I have to say that I'm a bit disappointed because when I look around in this room and when I look at the speakers' list from the EPP today, I was hoping to see a very strong voice from the Regional Committee, where we have been working very closely together with the colleagues from the EPP, but I don't see them, I don't know if they are coming, but I would like to hear their voice, because I would like to hear their voice, and from you, if you're still willing to commit to one of our main common demands, which is that regional chapters become a mandatory element of cohesion policy and the NRPPs.

21

Oct

2025

Speeches EN

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Commission Work Programme 2026 (debate)

Mr President, I really listened very carefully to the Commission President earlier this afternoon. I heard her saying that she will always listen, and I listened to her saying that she will always be open to find common solutions. I also heard her speaking of a sense of frustration among citizens, and also that in Europe we want to be 'masters of our own destiny'. And that's exactly what our regions want to be. They want to be and remain the masters of their own destiny when it comes to how we invest European funds in our future. So, I would like to ask the Commission President to listen very carefully to the opinion of this Parliament on her plans for the European budget, to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions, and to the opinion of many, many citizens who are expressing their concerns with us. Please keep the regions at the core of cohesion policy.

21

Oct

2025

Questions NL

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Commission Work Programme 2026 (debate)

It's not campaign-related at all, Mr. Berendsen, but go ahead. You are talking about future-proof economy and competitiveness. We agree, I think, that this is very important. Do you also think that our regions should be at the heart of these plans? And do you agree with me that the European Commission's current proposal for the multi-annual budget reform is, however, pushing the regions aside and that we need to fix it?

21

Oct

2025

Speeches ES

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Delayed justice and rule of law backsliding in Malta, eight years after Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination (debate)

Mr President, I was going to say something else, but, Mr López Aguilar, I am surprised and very sorry that the implicit accusation of your contribution is that we are incorrectly using the tribute to Mrs Caruana Galizia to accuse the Government of Malta of something for which it is not guilty. No, no, we are here denouncing that not enough has been done to bring justice to Daphne, her children and the people of Malta. We are here to defend the rule of law across the European Union, regardless of political or party considerations. So let's be serious and let's make things very clear. Nothing is being misused here. We remember Mrs Caruana Galizia and her work against corruption in Malta, which is the work against corruption throughout the European Union.

21

Oct

2025

Speeches EN

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Delayed justice and rule of law backsliding in Malta, eight years after Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination (debate)

Mr President, thank you for allowing me the right to answer. You say that the Corruption Perceptions Index is not facts, but it is from Transparency International, the most respected index to measure corruption in its perception among citizens, which is important to us as representatives of the people. How can you say that that index does not reflect facts? What index would you like to choose instead of that one?

21

Oct

2025

Questions EN

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Delayed justice and rule of law backsliding in Malta, eight years after Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination (debate)

Thank you for taking my blue card. First of all, I would like to repeat what some colleagues have said: this Parliament is not acting against the Maltese people. The Maltese people are a European people and deserve our protection, just like in any other Member State, and that's what we're doing here. And now my question: you say there is no backsliding in Malta. How do you explain that? In the Corruption Perceptions Index, Malta has dropped five places since 2023 – a quite steep decline.