Speeches

Madam President, Mr President Costa, the other day the European Council launched important messages of unity for this project on the single market, trade agreements, competitiveness and the protection of industry. A while ago we were able to talk about the energy market, so I will focus on the humanitarian drama that we are and we will continue to live if the conflict in the Middle East continues, since it will generate millions of displaced people in precarious, if not inhuman conditions: Iran, Lebanon, Gaza, the West Bank ... and let's not forget Ukraine. Tomorrow, when we have to talk about the Return of Migrants Directive, what we ask is that, please, we talk to the humanity and dignity that what we are living deserves, because, order in the migratory processes, yes, but dignity, too.

Mr. President, with the war in Iran and the swings of Donald Trump, we are all holding our breath and seeing how we can mitigate the price increases of the electricity bill, of fuels, of the purchase. Today we heard that this will also affect the housing market, and we return to the eternal debates of security and strategic autonomy. We have and we know of unacceptable differences in the price of energy in the Member States. Today there is a very concrete request: what is the list of concrete barriers that the European Commission believes Member States must remove in order to actually reach a unified energy market? What we are asking for is information that is public, transparent and objective about what energy mix we need and what barriers need to be removed in order to go directly to the ministers of the Member States to demand it.

Madam President, look, we are not here to add more pain to the already suffered by Adamuz and Tempi train accidents out of respect for the victims, their families and friends. Responsibilities will have to be clarified in court. Here what we have to do is try to give solutions so that all this does not happen again. The maintenance and modernisation of infrastructure must be a top priority in the European Union. Failures in infrastructure, in signalling, in supervision can have devastating consequences and we have seen it in Tempi and Adamuz. The European Union must ensure the full implementation of European legislation on railway safety and accelerate the deployment of modern safety systems and more, if possible, now that a very clear commitment is being made to rail transport and high speed. We cannot build an effective high-speed network if it is not secure. And for this to be possible we really need close cooperation and clear engagement between Member States, between infrastructure managers and regulators to ensure that strategic railway infrastructures are built and maintained with high and homogeneous safety standards and across the European Union. Rail and high speed are the pillar of sustainable mobility and European connectivity and deserve ambition because they will strengthen innovation and strategic autonomy. We need to take advantage of all the tools offered by public procurement, digitalisation and technological innovation. This area is an opportunity for competitiveness and security. It is clear that we cannot change what happened, but Tempi and Adamuz must be a turning point for the new Connecting Europe Facility to be provided with the necessary resources.

Madam President, today we all have our heads set on Iran, on the humanitarian and economic crisis that all this is generating, and without taking our eyes off what happens there, we have to talk about housing and I want to do it by echoing what the cluster of the construction of the Basque Country was moving us a few days ago: want to be part of the solution to the housing problem and, beyond the big developers and builders, there is an industry, there are 122 000 jobs in Euskadi, there are small companies – window factories, cement, materials, electricians, masons, engineering, waste management, robotics and innovation – and they want to contribute to ensure access to decent housing. And from today I want to make that call so that the steps and actions that come out of this report – reduction of bureaucracy, aid for young people and vulnerable groups, mobilisation of supply – go hand in hand, in collaboration with a public-private model, putting limits on abusive practices and giving a real and comprehensive solution, which has a direct effect on the real estate market. And, in the end, that each person can freely choose their option – buy or rent – and have access to decent housing.

Madam President, Madam Vice-President, after listening to Donald Trump in Davos, it is really difficult to focus the debate. But perhaps today, more than ever, we welcome the Digital Networks Act. We are ready to take the lead that is needed to drive real change in the way the European Union regulates the digital ecosystem. We believe in comprehensive reform that strengthens our ability to achieve global competitiveness and sovereignty. Europe needs high-performance connectivity to realise its digital ambitions. We need a modern and simplified legal framework that accelerates the transition from copper to fibre, from 4G to 5G and 6G, and from legacy systems and infrastructures to more modern and more capable ones. Furthermore, we understand that their proposed scaling up of cross-border networks and services is key for investment, innovation and for that digital single market; They propose to reduce administrative burden, facilitate investment in areas such as satellite and protect the consumer. Therefore, perhaps today, more than ever, it is time to support initiatives like this that make us more independent and freer from the United States.

Madam President, High Representative, the military intervention by the Trump administration in Venezuela is a clear violation of international law and the UN Charter, as we have already said; and that such an incursion is an alarming precedent, too. Sustainable peace, democratic legitimacy and justice cannot be guaranteed by military force. Venezuela deserves a democratic future. Nicolás Maduro is an illegitimate dictator who remained in power and this Parliament has already recognized Edmundo González Urrutia as legitimate president of Venezuela. If he had taken office, we probably wouldn't be here today talking about this. At the moment, the situation remains very unstable. The regime remains in power at the hands of Donald Trump. We welcome the release of political prisoners, but we also demand the unconditional release of all those people who are arbitrarily imprisoned for political reasons. Change in Venezuela must come from within, from its people, and Europe must defend the rule of law without double standards. In a new world scenario where the strongest seems to win, international law and Europe must finally do what it takes to become a true global power. We call, from here, for a strategic commitment with the Latin American peoples and leaders to respond in a balanced and fair collaborative democratic way to the challenges we face.

Madam President, we very much welcome this cybersecurity package. We do this because we have been talking about the importance of security in a holistic way for a long time. Undoubtedly cybersecurity is an element that is strategic. We can't just remember it when the power goes out, when an airport, a hospital needs to be closed, or when a supply chain fails. It is an area that is strategic for our sovereignty and for our autonomy in the technological and digital field. We want to protect our infrastructure and our people, our people, from our European values. In this regard I would like to make just one request: that this reinforcement of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity will be used to work hand in hand with other existing agencies, such as the Basque Cybersecurity Centre, to add capacities and for Euskadi and Europe to be truly strategic and sovereign in the technological field and in cybersecurity.

Mr. President, look, I'm going to be very clear here today: We are not going to be the ones to whitewash what is happening in Spain and the shameful news we are receiving every day about cases of harassment. And let's also say that of course not, that the argument that some are using that machismo is structural is completely unacceptable. Let me also be clear and question the real interest of the People's Party in preventing sexual harassment in public institutions, because when my group pushed for the inclusion of public positions in mandatory training in the Victims' Rights Directive, it opposed it. Here we come to work for the rights of European women, and we have it very clear: We maintain zero tolerance for harassment, and we will continue to lead progress in this area, as we have done in other directives and with the European Strategy for Gender Equality. The culture of impunity in the face of sexual harassment must be questioned and dismantled, and the consequences of its practice must be firm. And today, Commissioner, is a great day to urge you to propose, as soon as possible, European legislation on consent, which is one of the duties left over from the last mandate, because it is very clear that it is very necessary.

Mr President, the regulation is approved, we know that, and the challenge we have at the moment is that we achieve those objectives with the real European industrial policy that has to be behind them, that we are realistic and that we are pragmatic. European industry does not compete only on climate targets. It does so also in cost of capital and speed to deploy clean fuel plants, including, of course, biofuels as well. Welcome are all the support for investments that add up to accelerate and to give stability and security to the investments we need, because it is really urgent to develop European value chains: If not, we will continue to buy this green transition to clean fuels outside. And that impoverishes us. As Europeans, we need sustainable and European fuels.

Mr President, European technological sovereignty is as important as energy sovereignty. We depend on technology for virtually everything we do today. And we already know that the made in Europe in this case it shines by its absence. I also want to be possible because in Euskadi and in Europe we have capabilities in cybersecurity, in artificial intelligence, in clean technology, in technological infrastructures and in European clouds. But there we have the continuing threats from the United States, which today still tell us that we have to relax our rules if we want to work on steel tariffs. A few minutes ago we talked about protecting our children online. Now we talk about competitiveness and digital independence. After all, everything is united. We need infrastructures, products, own developments that drive us in strategic sectors, but we have to do it from our values. And all this help must go to our companies, which have to compete on equal terms with American and Chinese companies, but with a red line, because people must be sovereign of their data.

Mr. President, I was saying that today, from here, we want to send a very clear message that our children are not a business. We are totally in favour of digitalisation, seizing all the opportunities of digital transformation, adapting and growing with digital platforms, learning to combine the physical and the digital, as well as using the potential of artificial intelligence. But look! We are concerned about the increase in mental illness and violent, extremist, fascist and illegal attitudes that are sometimes being promoted unfiltered and unchecked. So we need some order in those algorithms, which we neither know nor control. We know they're working on it. We know that it is not easy either because it affects many strategic areas, but there must be red lines and the manipulation of our minors is undoubtedly one of them, because they are our future.

Madam President, this week there have been many calls for an end to the violence in Sudan, which is experiencing a civil war that has caused one of the worst humanitarian crises on the planet, even if it does not have the visibility or importance that others do. And this week too, those who have sown terror in all these last years and months have shown themselves willing to collaborate with the United States to achieve peace. And they do so after Donald Trump announced his intention to start working to stop the conflict and activate a mediation mechanism with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. And here my question is very clear: What is the European Union going to do in this scenario and what will be the role that we are going to have at the moment?

Mr Vice-President, we have been talking for some time about ensuring security in a holistic way and being autonomous and sovereign, and we are only aware of this when we have a situation that leaves us in check, such as the one we lived with Amazon Web Services yesterday. We can only live in peace and quiet if we are able to guarantee minimal physical, digital, air, maritime and energy security. This is a matter of strategic sovereignty. Without security there is no freedom. In Euskadi – in my country – we were clear about this and that is why we opted for a comprehensive police force as a principle of autonomy. They can and should count on the Ertzaintza to develop the European security model. (She spoke in an unofficial language).

Mr President, very briefly: We are seeing the fragility of this peace process. We believe that it is time to do a lot of work, and to do it very discreetly, to prevent all those people, agents, States that want to destabilize the process from not succeeding. Because – let us not deceive ourselves – there are also many competing interests that we have in this peace process. Therefore, they make it really difficult. So let's not get lost. All our efforts must be aimed at complying with the agreement and stabilizing the area, ensuring that humanitarian aid enters and that all the basic needs of the civilian population are met. And all our efforts must be directed towards ensuring that nothing, and no one, prevents us from moving towards a peace that is just, true and lasting.