What Raquel spoke about.

10 Feb

2025

EN Speech

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

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Madam President, Madam Commissioner, let me begin by expressing my deepest condolences with the families and friends of the shooting in Sweden and, of course, to the Swedish people as a whole. The far right of this Chamber has only one solution for fighting organised crime: let's close our borders and take back our country. But here comes a reality check. Criminals are laughing at your obsession w…

22 Jan

2025

EN Question

Addressing EU demographic challenges: towards the implementation of the 2023 Demography Toolbox (debate)

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I'm happy to hear about the initiatives in the field of demography of the Italian Government. I think that all governments should consider this subject very seriously. The Dutch Government has done so as well. But I was wondering, given that immigration into Italy was at an all time high last year, how do you combine that with the ideas that you just presented?…

22 Jan

2025

EN Speech

Addressing EU demographic challenges: towards the implementation of the 2023 Demography Toolbox (debate)

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Mr President, I will keep saying this: Rule 10(4) of the Rules of Procedure make hate speech and offensive language something we should not allow. Hate speech is clearly defined. 'Population replacement' and every other synonym – this is Nazi terminology; we all know that. This should not be allowed in this Chamber.…

22 Jan

2025

NL Speech

Addressing EU demographic challenges: towards the implementation of the 2023 Demography Toolbox (debate)

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Mr President, if we give our children the right to remain in their own region, we must also give others the right to come here. Many Europeans want to be able to continue living in their own village. To this end, there must be houses, the hospital in the region must remain open, there must be a school within walking distance and the village house must not go under due to high energy costs. This me…

22 Jan

2025

EN Speech

Addressing EU demographic challenges: towards the implementation of the 2023 Demography Toolbox (debate)

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Mr President, thank you for allowing my request. I refer to Rules of Procedure, Rule 10(4), that concerns hate speech or offensive language. The colleague from ESN used the term 'population replacement'. This is generally accepted as hate speech and offensive language, and I request that this be scrapped from the meeting and that the colleague be held responsible for using this hate speech.…

21 Jan

2025

EN Question

The Hungarian government’s illegal espionage of EU institutions and investigative bodies (debate)

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Thank you, colleague, for your intervention. What I don't understand is, why are you so afraid for an investigation? If it's innocent, if there's nothing to prove, if there's nothing wrong, you should be the first one asking for an investigation, because the person who has nothing to hide is never afraid for an investigation at the hands of the competent authorities.…

21 Jan

2025

EN Speech

The Hungarian government’s illegal espionage of EU institutions and investigative bodies (debate)

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Mr President, we have yet another debate about the Orbán Government undermining the European Union, and it turns out that Orbán has most likely been spying on the European Anti-Fraud Office, which was investigating his abuse of EU taxpayers' money through corruption and nepotism. Now, in a healthy system, there should be, at the very least, tough reactions from the other governments. But instead, …

20 Jan

2025

NL Speech

One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, first of all the best wishes for this new year. May you and your loved ones know good luck and enjoy good health. Unfortunately, that will not be the case for the thousands of victims of fireworks during the turn of the year. Two Dutch people lost their lives, including a child. There were five people in Germany. Every year we see victims of very heavy fireworks…

19 Dec

2024

EN Speech

Recommendation to the Council on the EU priorities for the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women - EU priorities for the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (joint debate - EU priorities for the upcoming session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women)

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Mr President, it is a pity that Mr Kraus immediately walked out of the room, because I would have given him a chance to pronounce my name correctly with a blue card. Madam Commissioner, the figures cannot be repeated enough. We have heard a lot of them today: one in three adult women in the EU have experienced violence; One in six have experienced sexual violence. Someone said to me recently, 'Are…

19 Dec

2024

EN Question

Recommendation to the Council on the EU priorities for the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women - EU priorities for the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (joint debate - EU priorities for the upcoming session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women)

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Dear colleague, thank you for for your intervention. I do have a question, because as we are used to from the interventions from colleagues from your party and your group, you tend to blame migrants for violence against women. I won't deny that migrant women are definitely at risk of violence, just like any other vulnerable population in Europe. But I would like to ask you very specifically about …

19 Dec

2024

NL Speech

Need to update the European strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner Lahbib, which of those present has never lost their way here in the European Parliament? Try imagining what that would be like if you couldn't read the signs, because they're not in braille. Look around this building. In 2024, people with disabilities in Europe, including the Netherlands, are still often unable to move freely, attend education, exercise or work. Non-bind…

18 Dec

2024

EN Speech

Need to ensure swift action and transparency on corruption allegations in the public sector to protect democratic integrity (debate)

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Mr President, having listened to the other speakers, one thing that is clear is that fighting corruption should have the highest priority. Because corruption kills. It kills trust in public institutions. It enables organised crime and allows foreign interference in our democracy. And it literally kills young people in a train accident in Greece or journalists such as Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malt…

27 Nov

2024

EN Speech

Recent legislation targeting LGBTQI persons and the need for protecting the rule of law and a discrimination-free Union (debate)

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Madam President, Madam Commissioner, I heard a colleague saying 'we can't negate nature, we can't deny nature.' But you know what nature is? Nature is the pain in the eyes of the Bulgarian LGBTIQ+ activists who came to visit the European Parliament when they were telling us about being targeted by their own government. And you know why governments are targeting them? It is to hide their own corrup…

27 Nov

2024

EN Question

Recent legislation targeting LGBTQI persons and the need for protecting the rule of law and a discrimination-free Union (debate)

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Madam President, thank you, colleague Wąsik for accepting my blue card and my question. You spoke about the right of parents to bring up their children according to their convictions. Do you think that parents also have the right to inflict enormous pain on their children when they subject them to conversion therapy?…

13 Nov

2024

EN Speech

Fight against money laundering and terrorist financing: listing Russia as a high-risk third country in the EU (debate)

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Mr President, Madam Commissioner, thank you for your work the last few years and especially also for your efforts into this request, looking at the possibilities. But, colleagues, let's just face it: Putin can still continue his war of aggression against Ukraine, among other reasons because of corruption and money laundering in the European Union. Because money laundering is still too often facili…

23 Oct

2024

NL Speech

The important role of cities and regions in the EU – for a green, social and prosperous local development (debate)

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Mr President, here stands today a Spanish by birth, a Dutch and Frisian by choice, and a European by conviction. Because thanks to the European Union, I was able to follow love, work, study and start my family. From the capital Madrid to the Frisian village of Gorredijk: I have been able to seize all the opportunities that Europe has to offer. I give my daughters the same freedom. The freedom to c…

23 Oct

2024

ES Answer

Findings of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on Poland's abortion law (debate)

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My opinion is very simple: my opinion on abortion follows the guidelines of the World Health Organization. And, if you have not read those reports prepared by the best experts on issues of reproductive and sexual health of women, I invite you to do so. In those reports you will see my position.…

23 Oct

2024

EN Speech

Findings of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on Poland's abortion law (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, Ms de la Pisa Carrión, two years ago, Izabela Sajbor, aged 30, a European citizen, died because of the Polish abortion laws, because doctors would not help her when she went into premature labour and got sepsis, because they risked going to jail. Two months ago, a United Nations expert established that the Polish abortion laws discriminate against women, constitute u…

23 Oct

2024

ES Question

Findings of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on Poland's abortion law (debate)

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Mrs De la Pisa Carrión, you said that we all have the right to our life and dignity. In your opinion, did Izabela Sajbor not have the same right to his life and dignity? I was thirty years old.

9 Oct

2024

EN Speech

Strengthening the security of Europe’s external borders: need for a comprehensive approach and enhanced Frontex support (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, since the beginning of this mandate, one thing has become crystal clear to me. A majority of this House wants an operational, well-funded Frontex which can enforce the law while respecting fundamental rights. It is therefore difficult to explain to our citizens back home that the Member States – the same governments who talk with big words and tear d…

9 Oct

2024

EN Question

Strengthening the security of Europe’s external borders: need for a comprehensive approach and enhanced Frontex support (debate)

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Mr President, for a very long time, about three quarters of women in my country, the Netherlands, and everywhere in Europe, have been at some point in their life – and that has been so for a very long time – a victim of sexually inappropriate behaviour or harassment. I have been a victim of that, and a lot of women in this House probably as well, seeing the statistics. Your constant repetition tha…

7 Oct

2024

EN Speech

The reintroduction of internal border controls in a number of Member States and its impact on the Schengen Area (debate)

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Mr President, Madam Commissioner, I was very happy to hear you say that 50 million Europeans live in border regions. They work across the border, they do their groceries across the border, they do business across the border. You mentioned to be proud of this, and I'm also very happy to hear this. But these people, these businesses are being hurt by internal border controls. In Germany, in Austria,…

18 Sep

2024

EN Question

The case of José Daniel Ferrer García in Cuba

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To hear the colleagues speak about the treatment of criminal offences in Germany, it's funny, because I never hear them talk about the 28 945 extreme right-motivated crimes in Germany in 2023. And why don't you talk about the 1 270 incidents with violence in Germany at the hands of the extreme right in the same year?…

18 Sep

2024

ES Speech

The case of José Daniel Ferrer García in Cuba

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Madam President, Commissioner, thank you very much for your presence on this long day for you, for your presence tonight, although I must say that, from the Renew Europe Group, we would have preferred it to be Mr Borrell who appeared in this house, but, again, thank you very much for his presence. The Renew Group condemns the Cuban regime's repeated human rights abuses. We want to show in particul…

18 Sep

2024

EN Speech

The Hungarian “National Card” scheme and its consequences for Schengen and the area of freedom, security and justice (debate)

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Mr President, Madam Commissioner, Mr Bóka for the Council, you know, when listening to the colleagues and thinking about this debate, I had to think at about my children. All three of them – three daughters, which, I guess, from the Hungarian Government, I would get a medal or something, given their obsession with women's reproductive function. But that's maybe for a different debate. But the thin…