Speeches

Madam President, we are here today and some focus on the heinous act of Hamas two years ago and others on Netanyahu's utterly disproportionate response. Deaths are deaths and nothing justifies the use of violence, the violation of human rights, let alone genocide. The Palestinian people deserve a just and lasting peace process. And we speak of the end of the bombings, of the delivery of humanitarian aid, of the release of hostages, of the delivery of weapons, of the recognition of two States and of the reconstruction and necessary coexistence. Today Hamas and Israel have in their hands the power to move forward because the avenues of dialogue are open. We call on this House to do everything in its power and without excuses to ensure a lasting peace process that guarantees the voice and rights of peoples. Let us be able to launch a hope to all these people who are in the world saying: Stop it now!

Madam President, at this point no one questions that our elders are a social good to care for and protect. There are many years of different policies and programs, ranging from the universal accessibility of infrastructures and services to harnessing their full potential or involving them in social construction. All this, too, adapted to our new elders, who have nothing to do with those of a few decades ago and probably nothing to do with those we have within others. But from here I do want to make an appeal to intergenerational coexistence, because we do see every day a greater gap between generations and we also feel a growing fight of interests between that binomial that wants to differentiate sometimes: youth and the elderly. We talk about wages, pensions, we talk about leisure, rest. In addition, conflict is often fuelled by numerous interests that have nothing to do with the common good. So today we ask to take advantage of all the know-how of our elders to bring to light the full potential of our young people and thus ensure a dignified and exciting future in this new European strategy of intergenerational fairness that we have on the table and in which we play a lot in our future.

Mr President, we see repeated debates and attacks in this Parliament that we had when the damage happened. Natural disasters and dramas are again used to lie about climate change, to attack the opposite or to entangle in areas of competence. Do you know that as temperatures rise, the mountains burn and some argue, the far right rises? Each of them, from its own sphere of competence: prevention all year round, choice of species with risk criteria, stable professionals, intelligent restorations after fires, agile protocols, not climate denialism... "This heat is not normal" is one of the phrases we have heard the most this summer. Let us take care of our mountains, but let us also take care of our public services, which are necessary to watch over them throughout the year, because then it is not worth throwing your hands at your head. Proud of Euskadi, a country that had the ability to help neighboring communities that were having a hard time.

Madam President, look, I am sick of going back to the Basque Country, to my house, week after week and hearing how we are seeing children and civilians killed and starved to death, and that we are not doing anything from the European Union. We cannot continue to hear that there is no agreement, because this is no longer valid for us. We must exercise our responsibility and we must find ways to be able to act. Do they mean that we can sign a trade agreement that nobody likes with the United States and that we cannot advance sanctions or some kind of political and economic pressure on the Government of Israel? So we refuse to believe this, and we also wonder if the leaders of the European institutions and European political formations have eyes on their faces and do not see the growing complaints, demands, demonstrations that we have in different parts of Europe. It is not difficult to find articles that talk about how human rights should be respected and comply with European international law in the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights. The street does not understand treaties, it does not understand that we are not forceful on this issue, and the patience of many MEPs is running out, including mine. Let's act now.

Mr President, on Wednesday we will have the debate on the taxation of digital platforms and today what we are talking about here is Internet governance. And in this context we have to take into account the recent fine that has been imposed on Google of 2.4 billion euros, with a Donald Trump threatening from behind. We have a great open debate about the control of chats and surveillance and about the respect or not of the privacy of certain messages. We have received over 1 500 e-mails to date. We have fake news, disinformation that is growing in the digital sphere and that is why we believe that management, that order, that guaranteeing rights and freedoms in the digital world is also the responsibility of this Parliament. And that is why we call on the United Nations General Assembly to renew the Internet Governance Forum, and to do so on a permanent basis, as a collaborative space so that human rights and fundamental freedoms are protected also in the online space and so that connectivity is guaranteed that is affordable and without digital gaps, leaving no one behind. Internet accessible, open, free, global and according to the challenges of the moment.

Madam President, we are very happy that this initiative has arrived here today, in the European Parliament, because it has had many difficulties along the way and the Basque Nationalist Party already supported it in 2014. There are many and many of us who believe in the European national regions and we will defend, always and everywhere, Article 3 of the Treaty on European Union, which speaks of respecting their rich cultural and linguistic diversity. National regions, diverse European national identities, cultures and minority languages must be recognised as part of Europe's own potential in this new reinforced Europe that we need. They are cross-border regions, they are macro-regions, they are national regions: reality goes far beyond feelings and the European Union must address them. It has the opportunity to lead this change and strengthen the European project from the recognition of diverse national identities and diverse regional realities.

Mr. President, these are the tariffs that Donald Trump threatens us with: the widespread 10%, 25% to automotive, 50% to steel and aluminium, 17% threats to agri-food products, 50% announcements to copper, 20% to pharmaceuticals... Today I overcame that threat. Now the next date is August 1 and we are waiting for some letters that have already received some countries such as South Korea or Japan. Donald Trump says receiving a letter means a deal. I think we have to say clearly that a letter with a decision on a tariff is a unilateral action with a dictatorial touch. And, of course, Donald Trump should not condition with whom we relate or not, as is the case with the BRICS, of which countries are part with which I, of course, have no interest in having strong relations; But none of those who make up half the population and 40% of the world's GDP is yet another evidence of their despotism. Hopefully we will reach an agreement that is beneficial, but if it is not, we ask that it is the European Union that sets a deadline and activates plan B.

Mr President, Commissioner, we are among those who believe that there is little talk in this Parliament of technological sovereignty, and the dependence we have today on this matter - both China and the United States - is undoubtedly one of the great risks that we also have on the table. In some of the areas we are weak, but specifically in clean energy, which is what we are talking about today, we have a differential, we have a potential and, therefore, we believe that we have an added value that we have to take advantage of. This scenario is complex, we have fierce competition, but we need to strengthen our industry and we need to help it decarbonise on the basis of clean energy. We talk about battery production, carbon capture, hydrogen, use and integration in circular economy... I believe that the objectives are shared by all; The question is how we do it. And here's a very clear request: we need to make it easy for them, cutting red tape, and we need to make it easier to invest. We therefore ask you to do so in the new multiannual financial framework.

Mr President, I will try to keep to the essence of the issue and the defence of democracy, because we sincerely do not feel anything identified and identified with the interventions we are seeing these days and let me doubt the interests of the existence of this debate in itself. When the credibility of politics and the trust of citizens is at stake, we should all try to do our best, which is no small feat, with prudence and humility. And on this issue of the Prosecutor General and the Prosecutor's Office we have a report from the European Commission on the rule of law, with recommendations in relation to the Statute of the Prosecutor General and I refer, for example, to the recommendation to temporarily decouple the mandates of the Prosecutor General of the State and of the Government to ensure compliance with European standards on independence and autonomy. Soon - as the Commissioner said - we will have the new report and there will be new recommendations. Please apply to remove any doubt about partisan interests in the fight against crime and corruption.

Madam President, Commissioner, Minister, we have been waiting for the revision of this regulation for more than ten years, and today we have to say that we do not like what we have received. The agreement that has been closed directly attacks the rights of passengers: it does so with regard to compensation for short-haul flight delays; it does so, too, because it reduces compensation and claim periods; And it does so, too, because it facilitates the collection of hand luggage and the avoidance of compensation. And, in case this is not enough, people with disabilities – who are forced to take an accompanying person – have to pay the full ticket of that person when this is already resolved, in addition, in other means of transport. We know and recognize that the management of the activity has become complicated. We all travel more, but, of course, the balances of economic activity cannot be at the expense of the rights of passengers, so we do not accept this proposal or a setback in the rights of people.

Mr President, Commissioner, the far right is growing all over Europe and is doing so especially in rural areas. If we really want to act against the extreme right and against populisms, we must act, and cohesion funds are key to reducing inequalities and to sending a clear message to all those people who want to make their lives in environments beyond large urban centers. We want and need a cohesion policy that is modern and clearly targeted and cohesion funds that are regionalised and that allow us to ensure territorial cohesion and tackle inequalities. These are the two conditions that we will monitor for the new design of the multiannual financial framework: regionalisation of cohesion policy and autonomy in the management of funds to attack the growth of the far right.

Madam President, we are at a time when presidents of different states are invited to the White House with the intention of being ridiculed, diplomats and civilians on all sides are shot when they want to pressure human rights violations and inhumane actions and plutocracy and extremism gain ground, limiting fundamental freedoms and critical thoughts. Let's make Euskadi and Europe a space of opportunity for those who want to improve their living conditions with respect for European values and a place of professional development for those who want to add their research capacities to ours and help us reduce dependencies based on innovation and development. That's what the Choose Europe for Science programme is all about. On this new geopolitical board, scientific and innovative leadership provides an ever-increasing competitive advantage. And that, in the medium and long term, translates into new and better jobs, more strategic autonomy and fewer inequalities. Therefore, in a Basque Country that has always opted for research and development, scientific freedom and the promotion of talent, we hope that those more than 1.25 billion euros will serve to grow our space of opportunity and our country.

Madam President, our commitment to renewables has always been clear and not everyone can say the same. That said, transition and greater sovereignty require robust infrastructure, an energy mix and a mix of models also at European level. That is why we have questions to ask today. What about the 10% interconnection targets that were for 2020 and that between France and Spain only reach 3%? What about the eleven energy corridors approved by this Parliament that include the connections of the Bay of Biscay and Navarre? Why does France have exchange capacities with Belgium and Germany four times higher than it has with Spain? We ask you, the Spanish Government and the French Government for political courage so that, when they make their budgets, they will bet on infrastructures that give us security and capacity and that lower energy prices, and so that they will develop a true European single energy market that passes yes or yes through interconnection under the conditions of the Member States and through the coexistence of models. Please listen to my colleague Anna Stürgkh and the proposals we have as a group to improve and strengthen interconnections and the single market and to become more autonomous.

Madam President, Madam Vice-President and High Representative, I share with you that the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement with Cuba is currently the best way to guarantee and work for the Cuban Government to make the necessary transition to democratic standards enshrined in international law in its broadest sense as soon as possible. And that includes, of course, the cases of Félix Navarro and José Daniel Ferrer. We need to be firm in our talks and exercise all diplomatic channels to guarantee the human, social and political rights of Cuban people. And, in addition, we must do it from Europe, because I doubt very much that from Russia, for example, with those who maintain close relations, they will worry about it. It is also clear that the United States will not do so either. That said, I trust the Agreement and we want to continue to give it a margin of confidence as a tool for economic, social and political development; with imperfections – there are many things to improve – but with positive opportunities also through political dialogue and international development cooperation projects.

Mr President, Commissioner, the Atlantic Rail Corridor has an unacceptable delay that means that the Basque Country and the New Aquitaine Euroregion are disconnected from Europe through the means of transport that is more sustainable at the moment. Last week I was able to do Paris and Brussels in an hour and a half. Good thing I didn't fall asleep because in another hour and a half I would have shown up in Amsterdam. There is no right for Basque capitals to remain disconnected from each other and from the rest of Europe. What about the Hendaye-Dax connection? As with other things, we call on this Commission to use the tools at its disposal to put pressure on States to materialise investments. We also have the multiannual financial framework. Connectivity through high speed is a key strategic tool for maintaining and generating economic activity and for the mobility of people. We ask you once again to demand that Spain and France comply with the commitments that this same House approved too many years ago, because it is important for that European competitiveness of which we are talking so much.

Mr President, Commissioner, these are the first steps we are taking for the European Ocean Pact and it is a good time to set priorities: maritime security, blue economy and environmentally healthy seas. Our ports are critical and strategic infrastructures from the point of view of security, from the point of view of international trade and logistics and as hubs energy. 99% of international communications are carried out by submarine cables. 75% of imports and exports of goods are carried out by sea. In Euskadi we look to the sea to grow and we will be very attentive to the industrial maritime strategy and the ports strategy. We cannot allow sea routes to be diverted to North African ports to avoid emissions trading and we must be very vigilant and attentive to investments that third countries such as China are making in Latin America. We ask that you closely monitor and take this into account in the future plans and strategies that you will present in the coming months. Because this is already happening.

Madam President, Mr Vice-President, Mr Minister, the European Action Plan for Steel and Metals has been welcomed by the steel industry. And it's not going to be us who say otherwise. But yes, today, from here, we want to make three specific requests on which we must insist. The first of these is related to the price of energy and to improving networks and infrastructure. A while ago we had the opportunity to be with the Commissioner for Energy, Mr Jørgensen, and we asked him to do the same. You must work together and we also ask you to echo the conclusions of the European Court of Auditors' report on this subject. They published, yesterday, different measures. We need them to push Member States to make the necessary investments to decarbonise industries. The second is to protect our products. Today new tariffs enter into force. They're going to affect us again. You mentioned the CBAM and we need to work on it and do it quickly. And the third of them are immediate incentives for those companies that are doing well. We have industries that are investing in producing low-emission steel. In the Basque Country we are already betting on this type of investment, but we are also seeing how instability is putting at risk and slowing down investments that are necessary to advance low-carbon production. And so what we need is for the Commission to support them now. Therefore, insist on reducing energy prices and infrastructure, protecting our products from unfair competition and supporting those industries and companies that are doing well with technology for decarbonisation.

Madam President, Commissioner, you know from conversations we have had that this sector is also strategic for Euskadi, with more than 38 000 jobs, and that it is also suffering, as in the rest of Europe. Firm steps and stability are key to realising the investments needed to innovate, decarbonise and strengthen the value chains and ecosystems surrounding this sector. In that sense, we appreciate the commitment that has been made to maintain objectives of decarbonization and electrification and, in turn, to have the necessary waist to protect those 38,000 jobs at a time when it is difficult. But we also want to ask you to make positive progress from now on, with that assessment that you have to make, without ruling out any option that helps us decarbonise - I insist, none - including also any type of sustainable fuel and, therefore, supporting those industries and consumers who are willing to row with us and with us along the way.

Madam President, Mr Vice-President of the Commission, in this context of ongoing tension and threats, you already know that we welcome the Clean Industry Pact. In addition, in Euskadi we have already started working on it, we have had meetings with the industrial sector to take advantage of it. So today, taking into account the latest news and the context, we want to focus on these possible 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium, which could come into force on Wednesday, and the Steel Action Plan that you mentioned and will present next week. I understand that at the moment you will be contemplating different scenarios depending on what may happen in the next few hours. We have just learned that Trump has also announced tariffs for Canada, scheduled for this Wednesday, of 50%: He's doubled them in the last few hours. Therefore, the questions are whether there is room for surprises for European tariffs within the next few hours and how we will respond also in your case. That is our concern at the moment, Commissioner, because the competitiveness of our industry and the speed at which it will be able to decarbonise will depend on it as well.

Mr President, Commissioner, Europe has been negotiating this agreement for more than 20 years and that shows the complexity and extra effort it needs in terms of transparency and working with sectors. It seems that we will have benefits for automotive, machinery, tools, aeronautics, advanced services to the industry, wine producers, dairy, cheeses. But we also have part of a society that is concerned and a primary sector that also has problems arising from the last reform of the CAP. Let's be clear: hormone use, phytosanitary and compliance with the Paris Agreement, to ensure a fair market, have to be on the table. And we need clarity around protected products, products whose opening is going to be gradual in terms of the market and monitoring that will be done of the impact and breaches that would mean the end of the Agreement, as well as compensatory measures and safeguards. We must work all these months ahead, with mixed working tables and with the sector, so that, when that agreement reaches this Parliament and we vote on it, we can do so accordingly and this is not a war between sectors, but a space for balanced collective and social opportunities.

Mr. President, we publicly condemn the repression in Nicaragua and express our concern about the constitutional reform that the National Assembly of Nicaragua approved on January 30. The Ortega regime thus takes control of all branches of government, independent institutions and the media and ignores Nicaragua's adherence to international human rights conventions and treaties, including the one prohibiting torture. Since 2018, more than 450 people have been deprived of Nicaraguan nationality, many have become stateless and have been expelled from the country. The government has closed more than 5,600 NGOs, including 1,500 closed in a single day in August 2024. And the government has also shut down at least 58 media outlets. There is no room for widespread repression by the Nicaraguan regime. We call from this rostrum for the release of all arbitrarily detained persons, the restoration of the rule of law and freedoms, the cessation of repression and the restoration of the rights of exiles and exiles and their safe return.

Mr President, Mr Council representative, Commissioner, we received with some optimism what the Competitiveness Compass is and also the accelerated commitment they made yesterday to this European artificial intelligence model, but we must demand more of them: We need answers that are concrete and time-bound for all those sectors and people who are currently telling us that they cannot compete on an equal footing – in what is our single market and our treasure – and who are seeing jobs endangered. We also need immediate responses and actions, which give tranquility and stability to the markets, so that the investments that are necessary to be competitive materialize. And we also need a firm, courageous and ambitious response to Donald Trump's threats and China's fierce competition. You know that I represent Euskadi: an industrial region with a government, with an economic and business sector, and with people who are willing to give their all. But that everything in this globalized world is not enough and we need a Europe that bets on us and us now and that does it immediately, with leadership and with unity.

Mr President, I come from the Basque Country, a region that has a public health service that, in a very few years and due, among other things, to the impact of COVID-19, the ageing of the population and the change in needs, and above all due to the lack of professionals, has become one of the greatest citizen concerns along with housing. Despite having privatization rates of the lowest in Europe, having improved waiting list times after the COVID-19 tragedy and betting on strong investments and changes in the distribution of professionals in this new reality, this is not being enough. The lack of professionals is a global reality and states have much to say and do in all this. But Europe can and must also support mobility and skills matching. Only by attending to this reality will we be able to respond to a growing demand and citizen concern.

Mr President, Commissioner, I will be very brief today. Nicolás Maduro lacks democratic legitimacy and we will repeat it from this Parliament as many times as necessary. On January 10, he took office without publishing the minutes, without respecting the will of Venezuelans who were demonstrating that day in different parts of the world. And today María Corina Machado is still living in hiding and the winner of the elections, Edmundo González, is out of his country. We will continue to support the eight million people who have had to leave Venezuela, those who see their rights violated on a daily basis and, therefore, we urge the International Criminal Court to accelerate all necessary investigations to put an end to these abuses.

Mr President, Commissioner, welcome. You are in your first hundred days and we believe it is time to share challenges, priorities and concerns. Ours this week is specifically in news related to the closure of BSH in the Autonomous Community of Navarra and the proposed ERTE of Siemens. These events always they are accompanied in the shadow of a lack of competitiveness, the need for more investment and the risks of relocation. And, therefore, we see it as imperative that industrial policy and the Green Deal are coordinated. We are playing a lot in many ways, both for current and future generations. Have no doubt about our firm commitment to sustainability. We believe that it will give us strategic autonomy and that it will create quality jobs in sectors that are strategic. But we are also seeing how the decarbonisation and electrification processes are crying out for simplification of regulations and financing tools, more single market, adequate electricity, energy and digital infrastructure, and demand-side action. So we hope, like water in May, that this Clean Industrial Pact and the European Competitiveness Fund will rise to the challenges. I do not know if you could confirm any date, which seems to be expected to be the month of February.