Speeches

Water is vital, one of the most precious goods that man has. Cyprus, although it is an island, is washed by the sea, however it faces huge problems of drought and water scarcity. Unfortunately, the quantities of drinking water are at dangerously low levels, while the dams in our country have dried up. I sound the alarm, asking for support for my country to face the huge problem it faces. We urgently need to find solutions to the problems. It is necessary to release funds to support countries where the prolonged drought has become a nightmare, while the creation of seawater desalination plants can contribute positively to solving the problem, since it will help primarily farmers, and secondly households and businesses. Finally, as the European Union we must institutionalise a pricing policy so that there is a cap on the price of water. The consumer should be able to buy water at the same price, whether it is purchased from a supermarket or from a luxury restaurant.

Madam President, the housing crisis is one of the biggest problems and one of the biggest challenges facing the European Union. Lack of affordable housing particularly affects young people, low- and middle-income families and vulnerable groups. It undermines social cohesion, dignity and equality. The increased rent prices are a huge scourge that could not be left out of my homeland, since rents have skyrocketed. But this problem is not enough for us. In Cyprus, as in some other European countries, we have the sale of first homes. Citizens are forced to leave their homes as there is no protection of the right to housing, which further exacerbates the existing problem. I would stress that the arbitrariness with the sale of first homes must be brought to an end. We must safeguard the inalienable right of every citizen to housing, which is the foundation of every family.

Mr President, 47 years have passed since the founding of the Islamic Republic of Iran, a year generally marked by repression, destabilisation and support for radical Islamic organisations, while the escalation with the nuclear programme has been continuous. The culmination of the visible from Cyprus ballistic missile storm that hit Israel. This problematic situation posed a threat not only to the Iranian people, but to the entire periphery, Europe and Western civilization at large. By the end of 2025, things had gone wrong. Iran is experiencing a popular uprising with the regime responding with violent repression and mass executions of civilians. Because history will not forgive those who, in the face of terrorism, chose silence, as the Left provocatively does, we have a duty to stand by the Iranian people in the struggle for freedom and dignity. A democratic service that does not spread fear, blood and darkness would contribute to stability in the Middle East and strengthen security in Europe.

Madam President, I will be very brief and ask a question: Who gave the right to the left government of Spain to illegally legitimize 500,000 illegal immigrants? Who said the Spaniards want to be replaced? I'll be clear. Europe belongs to the Europeans. Every people in their homeland and every people in their nation.

Mr President, the fall of Assad has not brought stability. Instead, we moved to another dictatorial regime, an extreme Islamist regime. That is why, from the very beginning, we have expressed our concerns and, unfortunately, we have been justified. Let me remind you a few months ago of the massacres of Alawites and Christians. The Druze followed. Today, without any respect for human rights, the governorate of Latakia decided to ban the use of makeup for women working in the public sector, while a few days ago we saw jihadists escaping from prisons in southeastern Syria. At the same time, the Kurds are being massacred by al-Julani terrorists working with another terrorist in the region, Turkey. Democratic transition and stability in Syria will not come with funding for terrorists who cut their beard, put on a suit, put on a tie and play the democrats. Returning back to Syria all those who fled the Assad regime is a key condition for democratic transition and stability building.

Madam President, tackling cancer starts with early diagnosis and equal access to care for all. These must be the cornerstone of our policy. Greater investment is needed in prevention, human resources and coordination of health services with targeted human-centred actions. As we have already proposed in a proposal we have tabled, we call for specific funds to be secured from the Horizon Europe programme for research, innovation and the creation of a European Cancer Institute. In addition, we propose the creation of a dedicated fund at European Union level to support equal access to innovative treatments, strengthen the capacity of health systems and cover the costs of patients. World Cancer Day and the message should be one: Cancer is not invincible.

Mr. President, clashes of people with sticks, clubs, axes, pistols. Shooting in broad daylight. They are not images of war. They are images of European failure. I did not describe scenes from Syria, nor from any extreme Islamic state. I describe scenes from clashes in once peaceful Cyprus. Scenes from a small European town, Larnaca. Europe is at risk from the policies of those who opened the gates to illegal immigrants. Behind all this there are culprits: The Left, the Greens, the Liberals and the pseudo-right led to chaos and now insecurity is prevalent in every European city. European citizens in last year's European Parliament elections sent a clear and unambiguous message. They're asking for security. They're asking for a check. They're asking for results. They're asking for their neighborhoods back. They demand an end to the illusions of integration and a strict immigration policy to the standards applied by Poland at last. Europe will either choose to protect its borders and citizens or it will finally accept its extinction.

Thank you, Madam President. In the last few hours, the situation in Syria is in danger of being dangerously diverted. I am therefore tabling the following amendment for an additional paragraph: It condemns the recent escapes of hundreds of ISIS detainees from prisons in northeast Syria, which seriously undermine internal stability as well as regional security. The difference with the previous amendment is that here we condemn escapes.

Mr President, in a world of rapid geopolitical developments it is important to promote cooperation between all Member States based on our common interests, European principles and values. Determine that international law, sovereignty and territorial integrity are non-negotiable and inviolable values. I must welcome the introduction. Very good point for Cyprus, Greece and Turkish aggression. At the same time, however, I am concerned about the dangerous attempts by some to abolish unanimity in foreign policy matters. Mrs Kallas, I have heard you speak again about the liberation of Ukraine, about Gaza, Venezuela, Iran, Greenland and even the Pacific islands. Again, there is no mention of Cyprus. Doesn't your tongue turn? Keep this in mind: As long as Cyprus remains under occupation, it is hypocrisy and shame to talk about freedom and security.

Madam President, Mr President, on behalf of the ECR, we welcome you to the European Parliament. We welcome the start of the Cyprus Presidency and declare that we are at the disposal of our country to offer all our strength. The central pillar of our policy is the autonomy of Europe, which by extension also means national autonomy, which will play a decisive role amid geopolitical developments. A sense of security, trust and dignity must be conveyed to all European citizens through policies that meet real needs. That is, we must aim for productive autonomy, supporting the primary and secondary production sector. Financial autonomy through strengthening our competitiveness internationally, and cutting red tape. Housing autonomy, offering incentives for affordable housing that is a pillar of the sacred institution of the family. Energy autonomy through the utilization of European energy reserves and our natural wealth. Defence autonomy, supporting the creation of a strong European defence and industry. Autonomy in all areas means reducing dependencies. It means an autonomous Europe that can decide for itself, without burdens and obligations. That is, a Europe that can play a leading role in global developments. Dear colleagues, Cyprus takes over the Presidency of the European Council for the second time after 14 years, but it is still under Turkish occupation and could play a decisive role because of its geographical position as a bridge of cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean. However, it has Turkey blackmailing every day with the use of weapons, instrumentalising migration, funding terrorist organisations, blocking European projects of common interest and threatening to invade suddenly overnight. It is a shame for Europe to care only for Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, Venezuela and Honduras, but not for its own children, for its own territories, for its own Member States, for the country that chairs the European Council. The liberation of Cyprus is a European task for all of us.

Madam President, I would like to inform the House that European citizens and farmers have been under threat for almost two months. First in the village of Denia, where armed Turkish soldiers attacked farmers, talking about supposedly new borders. Then in the village of Mammari, where Turkish soldiers along with occupation authorities stoned farmers, and luckily we had no dead. Then to the village of Avlona, where they advanced into the buffer zone. Indeed, while the United Nations Office in Cyprus assured that it would not be repeated, three days ago we had the same. This is why the strong support of this House is needed. I have already called for a condemnatory resolution for the next plenary session in February, and I hope that everyone will rise to the occasion before we mourn victims. I expect all the political groups to support it, as my ECR political group does. As you have already said, Madam President, Greenland is not for sale. We need to send the same message – Cyprus is not for sale, because it is guarded.

Madam President, Thucydides: Preparedness prevents war. Pericles: Peace can be preserved with force. Vegetius: If you want peace, prepare for war. Clausewitz: To avoid war, convince the adversary that war is not in his interest. Unfortunately, this has taken many years for Europe to understand. To avoid war it will not be with wishful thinking or with leftist and green paranoid policies. Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, coupled with Donald Trump's statements, has awakened Europe from its lethargy. I am talking about lethargy, because the threats of war and the illegal occupation of European territories pre-existed, with Greece and Cyprus as victims respectively. I wonder if those who today support Turkey's participation in European armament programmes would have the same attitude if it illegally occupied a third of the territory of Spain, Germany or France and illegally distributed Madrid, Berlin or Paris in the middle. Europe will not gain its credibility with hypocrisy.