What Raquel spoke about.

8 Jul

2025

EN Speech

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

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Madam President, Madam Prime Minister, I fully agree with you – the European Union should have security and competitiveness as priorities. But there will not be real security as long as foreign governments can corrupt our public officials. And there will not be competitiveness in a corrupt system. That is why we need a strong anti-corruption directive. And it is a disgrace that Member States are b…

7 Jul

2025

EN Question

From institution to inclusion: an EU action plan for deinstitutionalisation, family- and community-based care (debate)

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Let's talk about the regions: in Emilia-Romagna and in Lombardy, where your own party is very popular, I believe, thanks to anti-immigration rhetoric, 85 % of caregivers for children, for the elderly and for people with disabilities are migrants. Italy, your own country, will need in the next few years 1.3 million caregivers also for people with disabilities and many of them, two-thirds, will be m…

18 Jun

2025

EN Question

Freedom of assembly in Hungary and the need for the Commission to act (debate)

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You said we think we have a mandate. We do have a mandate: the mandate of the Treaty of the European Union, Article 2, which says that everyone should be free of discrimination, among other things, which says that we have fundamental values that we have to abide by. You don't feel bound by the Treaty of the European Union standing in this Chamber?…

18 Jun

2025

EN Speech

Freedom of assembly in Hungary and the need for the Commission to act (debate)

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Mr President, what an obsession with underwear. Dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, last time we stood here to discuss Orbán's attacks on the rule of law, I said he was a bit like the emperor without clothes. But actually, I have come to the conclusion that he's much more like the evil queen from Snow White. He only cares about one thing. And it's not beauty. It is power. It is power to keep steal…

21 May

2025

EN Speech

Improving mental health at work (debate)

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Mr President, Madam Commissioner, nice to see you again. And to the ladies: this is our workplace. And I know that many of you who also have care responsibilities back home will spend a significant amount of your energy not only thinking about what we are doing here, but also what needs to happen there – children who need new shoes, parents who need a medical appointment. Now think of all those fe…

21 May

2025

NL Question

The EU's response to the Israeli government's plan to seize the Gaza Strip, ensuring effective humanitarian support and the liberation of hostages (debate)

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Mr. Ruissen, you often refer to the Bible as a moral compass. I also learn from it sometimes. For example, the wise lesson from Proverbs 6 about six things the Lord hates, including hands shedding innocent blood. My question to you is very simple: Can you explain why you support the mass slaughter of children in Gaza as long as they are not Israeli children?…

7 May

2025

EN Question

Malta's Golden Passport scheme circumventing EU sanctions against Russia (debate)

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Thank you, Mr Bjada. I agree with you that Malta is a very well esteemed member of the European Community and the European Union, and it is so because it made a sovereign decision to join the European Union. And in doing so, it agreed to accepting the ECJ rulings, but also the rest of the lawmaking within the European Union. And in doing so, it also receives funds from the European Union to suppor…

7 May

2025

EN Speech

Malta's Golden Passport scheme circumventing EU sanctions against Russia (debate)

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Mr President, thank you, Commissioner, thank you, Council Presidency. Yes, of course, we all agree here: this is a very good decision of the courts. This is good news. There will be no more rolling out the red carpet for Putin's cronies and other corrupt people trying to access the EU to launder their money, for example. But let's also face it: this comes a bit too late. In 2014, this House alread…

2 Apr

2025

EN Question

Recent legislative changes in Hungary and their impact on fundamental rights (debate)

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Colleague, you said that Viktor Orbán and the Hungarian regime, his regime, care about families. That means they care about children. But would you care to explain to me then why it is that two thirds of Hungarians describe the education system as bad – purely bad? And would you care to tell me why the population in Hungary is still shrinking, despite all of the efforts from Viktor Orbán to encour…

2 Apr

2025

EN Speech

Recent legislative changes in Hungary and their impact on fundamental rights (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, Minister, colleagues, the emperor has no clothes. Hungary is one of the poorest countries in the EU, but Viktor Orbán chooses to wage yet another culture war. Two thirds of Hungarians describe the education system as bad, but Viktor Orbán cares more about schoolbooks being kind to him. Hospitals are crumbling down because of government corruption, but Viktor Orbán th…

1 Apr

2025

ES Question

Improving the implementation of cohesion policy through the mid-term review to achieve a robust cohesion policy post 2027 (debate)

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I am pleased to know that we are continuing along the same lines as regards the final destination of the cohesion funds, which must contribute to territorial, social and economic cohesion within the European Union. I wanted to ask you, in particular, about the attempts to centralise cohesion policy. You come from a region that surely has a lot of direct access to funds. Mine too. I would like to k…

1 Apr

2025

NL Speech

Improving the implementation of cohesion policy through the mid-term review to achieve a robust cohesion policy post 2027 (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, Europe must fundamentally change. But let us not throw away the foundations of Europe with the bathwater. That foundation is our solidarity. The knowledge that we are as strong as our weakest link and as rich as our poorest region. That is a very strong logic, as also endorsed by Draghi and Letta. In our poorest regions, support for Europe is lowest, where Russia and Ch…

31 Mar

2025

EN Speech

Need to ensure democratic pluralism, strengthen integrity, transparency and anti-corruption policies in the EU (debate)

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Madam President, I would like to start with reminding all of us here that two thirds of all Europeans believe that corruption is a major issue in the European Union in their countries, and that they expect us to combat this with all we have, with all tools, and they expect us to deliver. So, I really have a very hard time – and I'm sorry that I'm not seeing many of my EPP colleagues here anymore t…

31 Mar

2025

EN Question

Need to ensure democratic pluralism, strengthen integrity, transparency and anti-corruption policies in the EU (debate)

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Madam President, dear colleague, today, Viktor Orbán tweeted 'Je suis Marine'. Orbán is busy fighting culture wars while Hungarians suffer from his corruption. And I don't say that, Trump's people say that. Health care is a mess. Education is bad, say two thirds of Hungarians. Inflation is up and people leave the country. So please do inform us if Viktor Orbán is Marine Le Pen, why hasn't been he …

13 Mar

2025

EN Speech

Request for an urgent decision (Rule 170)

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Mr President, I'll take the risk. I would like to make a point of order on the basis of Rule 10(7). Based on media reports today on another corruption scandal in this House affecting the integrity of this House, we finally need to implement the EU Ethics Body fully. I call on the colleagues still blocking the group of experts, as a first step, to stop blocking this. (The President cut off the spea…

12 Mar

2025

EN Question

Adoption of the proposal for a Parenthood Regulation (debate)

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Mr Inselvini, here we are again with the blue-card, I hope that this time you will answer my question instead of answering something else. You always talk about the interests of children – and I agree with you, we are all here trying to protect the interests of children. Now, would you be able to explain to me how the interests of a child who has always known two mothers, of whom one of the mother…

11 Mar

2025

EN Speech

Presentation of the proposal on Critical Medicines Act (CMA) (debate)

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Madam President, in 2023, when the United States reversed Roe v Wade, it had a direct effect on the accessibility of abortion medication in the EU, because American states – fearing further restrictions on abortion medication – stocked up. And that led to shortages, for example in France. Now, the worldwide backlash against abortion, in combination with increasingly restrictive US policies, could …

11 Mar

2025

EN Question

Roadmap for Women`s Rights (debate)

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Thank you again for the Bible study lesson. It's always very interesting and I was wondering if you go around this House asking your colleagues if they have their period, because the Bible also says that you should not sit in a chair which has been occupied by a woman who has her period. Do you also abide to the Bible lesson in that sense?…

11 Mar

2025

NL Speech

Roadmap for Women`s Rights (debate)

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Mr President, condoms, the pill, IUDs and the morning-after pill: I used them all. I have always been free to decide when and with whom I would have children. This should be the norm in Europe. Unfortunately, this freedom is under severe pressure. Ultraconservative movements are investing hundreds of millions of euros to curtail these rights across Europe. They make contraceptives difficult to obt…

11 Mar

2025

EN Question

Roadmap for Women`s Rights (debate)

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Thank you, Ms Łukacijewska, I really appreciate you mentioning rural women because I also live in a rural area, and I acknowledge how important it is to have the same access as other women. My question to you is: would you agree with me that access to contraception and sexual and reproductive rights – including abortion and abortion pills – for women in rural areas is something that we should all …

11 Feb

2025

EN Speech

Protecting the system of international justice and its institutions, in particular the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice (debate)

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Madam President, I would like to make a point of order based on Rule 178(12). I understand this might require a bit of leniency on your side, because we're not discussing a report, and I do appreciate that the Minister is here the whole day – and it's been a very long day, so thank you so much for your statement. However, it is good practice in this House that the Council and the Commission do rea…

11 Feb

2025

EN Question

Protecting the system of international justice and its institutions, in particular the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice (debate)

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Mr Ciriani, I hear you talking here about lack of independence of the ICC, according to you, and defending your government for not condemning Trump's sanctions. But just to put this in perspective, what we're talking about here: the court has sentenced three Congolese warlords for recruiting children in their army and brutalities against civilians; they issued an arrest warrant against Muammar Gad…

11 Feb

2025

EN Speech

Protecting the system of international justice and its institutions, in particular the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice (debate)

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Madam President, dear Commissioner, thank you for being here tonight dear Council Presidency. The International Criminal Court exists to hold those guilty of the most abject crimes accountable. We have this court because we believe that nobody is above the law: not you, not me, not those who commit genocide and crimes against humanity, no army which commits war crimes – no one, no matter how power…

10 Feb

2025

EN Question

Escalation of gang violence in Sweden and strengthening the fight against organised crime (debate)

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Mr Vincze, I think that we share the concern for radicalisation of different groups in our youth. I would like to ask you about the recent report from Europol, about terrorist threats, where it becomes very clear that the methods and the success rate of radicalisation via online media, for example, at the hands of extreme Islamist groups and extreme‑right groups in the EU, are exactly the same. An…

10 Feb

2025

EN Answer

Escalation of gang violence in Sweden and strengthening the fight against organised crime (debate)

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Thank you so much, colleague, for your question. I do agree that strengthening our police forces at national level is important. But international criminals need a counterpart. They need someone at international level to fight them. And that's why we need a fully operational Europol. It's not this or this, it's together. I will say this, though. We know that there are crimes which are not being pr…