What Sandra spoke about.

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Written Statements ES

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (debate)

The trial of Dominique Pelicot – and 50 other men – for drugging his wife to rape her for almost ten years, in the middle of the 21st century in the heart of Europe, shows how widespread the rape culture is. Socialists lead the support for effective European action to end gender-based violence, as we did in Spain with that Law against gender-based violence that turns 20 this 2024. 25 November is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, but, as every day, we call for more efforts to eradicate gender-based violence. We must overcome the lack of political will to include the absence of consent in the crime of rape, since the legal basis is already in the norm on the sexual exploitation of women and girls. And, on the other hand, we urge the effective implementation of the Directive adopted this year and the creation of the specific Eurocrime.

21

May

2026

Speeches ES

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European Citizens’ Initiative ‘Stop destroying videogames’ (debate)

Madam President, first of all, allow me to highlight citizens' initiatives: a real tool of citizen participation that allows us not only to listen to Europeans, but also to have the capacity to propose debates and initiatives like this. An initiative that has obtained more than one million signatures and that, therefore, shows us that there is a real concern about rights in the digital economy. In addition, the video game sector is not a minor sector: has an impact of more than €26 billion and millions of people participate in it not only as a form of entertainment, but also as a creative and cultural sector in our region. Therefore, we have to do with concern how some companies, relying on opaque and unbalanced licenses, remotely, turn off video games in users who had already paid and that, therefore, we have to understand that they had the right to continue using them. From the S&D Group we believe that this needs to change and, Commissioner, what we are asking is that you review the application of intellectual property rules and, above all, do so in the revision of the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market that you are planning for this year. Let me also focus on the issue of the protection of minors. We believe that it is an issue that needs to be addressed in future regulations on digital equity to put limits on abusive practices of rewards or virtual currencies, and to ensure the existence of child impact assessments in games aimed at children. I conclude by saying that Europe must protect consumers, our cultural heritage, also in the digital world, and, above all, children: We need to put them at the centre of our debate.

20

May

2026

Speeches ES

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Financing EU priorities in a sustainable, predictable and resilient way through a new EU own resource from the online gambling and betting services sector (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, today we are not talking about how we balance the MFF accounts with new own resources. I believe that we are doing so today in compliance with the fact that own resources must accept and comply with the principles of social justice and European sovereignty. And the European Parliament's proposal to include online gambling as an own resource goes in that right direction. It is an activity that does not generate any real value. It doesn't make us better or more competitive. On the contrary: profit from the vulnerability of young and precarious people. And, following that same business logic, we have algorithms in social networks or speculation in cryptocurrencies. And, if you look at it, there's an invisible but devastating thread that ties it all together, and that's addiction. Indeed: We are faced with business models that are designed to monetize our time, to hijack the attention of young people and to take their savings. They have built a system that not only takes advantage of vulnerability, but manufactures it, feeds it, and makes it a profitable business. And when the model generates such obvious social costs for the mental health of young people across a generation, Europe's response cannot be inaction or looking the other way. Honestly, Commissioner, Europe seems too often paralysed by Trump's fear. And we know perfectly well that you have kept in a drawer important proposals such as the digital rate for fear of your reaction, because most companies are American. But neither the alternative nor the solution can be to never burden more or demand more effort from our companies or our families. The solution, on the other hand, is to demand that those who profit massively from our single market and leave us nothing good in return contribute more. That is why we have to include online gambling, a fair digital rate and a specific taxation for cryptocurrencies in the proposal for new own resources. An addiction industry has been built, a machine designed to turn the vulnerability of our young people into economic gain. Our aim must be that it ceases to be out of control, that it pays for the damage it causes and that Europe protects, above all, the future of our youth.

18

May

2026

Speeches ES

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Mr. President... (Speaking in an unofficial language of the European Union). Because we are experiencing an educational emergency. Thousands of students study in overcrowded classrooms, without air conditioning, withstanding temperatures of more than 40 degrees or worse, in barracks, in the case of students affected by the damage. And, meanwhile, teachers are required to sustain alone an increasingly precarious system, where staff are cut, where they endure an absurd bureaucracy and where they are one of the lowest paid teaching bodies in all of Spain. And, while, the Valencian Government despises social dialogue and responds that there is no money, while giving more than 70 million euros of public money to private centers of Opus Dei that continue to segregate by sex. That is why teachers, students and families have made a strike that is the most important in our history and they are not demonstrating for their working conditions, they do it for something bigger, which is the equality of our sons and daughters. Therefore, from Europe we have to pay special attention to Valencian public education, because to defend it is to defend European democracy.

29

Apr

2026

Speeches ES

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Shortcomings and deficiencies of the ‘Amnesty Law’ in Venezuela

28

Apr

2026

Speeches ES

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Monitoring the application of European Union law in 2023, 2024 and 2025 (debate)

Madam President, this report addresses a fundamental issue for the credibility of the Union: it is not enough to adopt legislation, but we have to ensure that the law is applied effectively, transparently and uniformly in the Member States. And from the PETI Committee, we wanted to provide precisely that practical perspective based on the direct experience of citizens, since petitions are not a secondary instrument of the European institutions, they are a tool of true democratic oversight and a source of early warning that allows to detect gaps, non-compliances and systemic problems where EU law is not correctly applied. It is they, the citizens, who first identify where the problems are, and it was therefore essential to strengthen the role of petitions in this report. We also have to note that the absence of the Commission’s 2024 annual report is a very worrying setback in transparency, and more so in a growing context of challenges to the rule of law, judicial independence and the proper enforcement of our rules. But, in addition, this House has the responsibility to correct certain amendments that have been left out and that, for us, do not lengthen the report artificially, but make it more precise and connected. I am talking, in particular, about a priority that cannot be left out, such as the protection of minors in the digital environment. Just come to our Committee on Petitions and see the growing number of families absolutely concerned about child sexual abuse, exploitation and persistent shortcomings in the implementation of European legislation aimed at protecting children and adolescents. That is why these amendments are of fundamental value and we ask that they can be applied in this report to strengthen our quality of oversight and ensure that Parliament responds more precisely to the real problems of citizens.

28

Apr

2026

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Interim report on the proposal for the multiannual financial framework for 2028-2034 (debate)

Mr President, there is something in this House that most of us share: ambition; the ambition to invest more, to respond to crises, to protect citizens and to make the European Union a stronger Union. But the reality is that there's an uncomfortable question that we keep avoiding, and it's how we pay for it, and that's where the inconsistency starts. The Commission and governments like to demand more funds, more programmes, more European investment, but very few like to talk about revenue, own resources and real financing. And yet the reality is very clear: without own resources there is no autonomy and without autonomy there is no strong European Union. Since 2020, the governments of the Member States, through the Council, have blocked any progress on this issue and we cannot continue to do so. That is why we are taking a very important step today. For the first time, this Parliament clearly links the adoption of the multiannual financial framework to the existence of new resources. It ended up approving budgets without deciding how they are financed. We want an ambitious basket that guarantees at least €60 billion not only to repay the NextGenerationEU debt, but to be able to finance the new priorities without cutting cohesion and agriculture. And if some elements fall, they are replaced: digital taxation, online gambling, crypto-assets... there are options; What we must have is courage and political will to implement them. In conclusion, the message we send to the Commission and the Council is clear: There is not going to be a long-term budget with no income up to par, because Europe cannot aspire to be more if it is not willing to finance itself as such.

26

Mar

2026

Speeches ES

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EU-US trade deal (joint debate)

Mr. President, let's be clear: the Turnberry deal, as signed by Trump and von der Leyen, was deeply unbalanced. And it is even more so in a context in which the United States has acted with disloyalty, threats, pressure ... even against Member States such as mine, Spain. And that's not cooperation between allies, that's coercion. That is why today we are not going to give a blank check; what we are doing today is setting limits. We say clearly: Europe will only comply when the United States complies with Europe. And if it does not, we will suspend the agreement, because we cannot accept a framework in which our workers, our companies and our sovereignty are subordinated to the political chaos of the Trump Administration. We have to tell him, clearly, that Europe is not going to negotiate under pressure, that it is not going to accept threats and that it is not going to give up defending its interests. We support this mandate because it strengthens Parliament's position, but let no one have any doubts: without respect, without reciprocity and without guarantees there will be no agreement.

25

Mar

2026

Speeches ES

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European Citizens’ Initiative 'Ban on conversion practices in the European Union' (debate)

Madam President, 'homosexuality: we help people explore their identity and correct the causes of their confusion'. This is an advertisement that has been found in various places that should be a place of peace. Homosexuality occurs because men have been seduced by their mother, and by not having sex with her because of the taboo of incest, they focus sexual energy on men. This text has been found in one of the pamphlets they give in conversion therapies. Thanks to the petitioners for this initiative, since it is clear that it was very necessary, because in Europe these therapies are still practiced and the psychological torture to which they subject children for months or even years is unacceptable; torture that includes imprisonment, humiliation, forced labor and medication to annul the desire, but, above all, constant psychological violence that makes them believe that what they are is wrong, that they are wrong. And we don't tell it, its victims tell it: a Valencian like Xavi Martínez, who underwent a therapy for four years and is still recovering psychologically from it. But not everyone has had the same luck, as there are documented cases of suicide after these therapies. And let us not deceive ourselves: this is not just a case of marginal fanaticism. Sometimes they have institutional and political coverage. In Valencia, my land, a law that prohibited conversion therapies of the Popular Party Government and VOX has been eliminated. Steps are being taken in my country, but there are governments that push back, and that is why it is unacceptable that love, even in Europe, should be considered a disease or an action of the devil. Whoever considers it, the sick, the disoriented and the misfit is he and, therefore, must be punished.

12

Mar

2026

Questions ES

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Activities of the European Ombudsman – annual report 2024 (debate)

Madam President, this report should have been an exercise in institutional responsibility to strengthen transparency, ethics and good governance in the European institutions. And we did our part of the work, kept our word and voted on the compromises in the Committee on Petitions. But, as usual in that committee, the EPP Group, instead of sticking to the work done, opened the door to the far right to put its political and ideological slogans that, by the way, they replicate in all committees in the same way and that have nothing to do with the work that has been done in the institution. The result, because we have a report whose real author - who is there - had to give it up. Now what do we do? Our group has kept its word, Madam Ombudsman, Mrs Anjinho, this group, as you know, is serious, responsible and committed to institutionality. The answer has to be given by the Popular Group, which is the one who has to solve the problem because it was the one who created it. That despite adulterating the report, now the far right tells them that they will not vote in favor of the report. Why? Because they don't believe in institutionality. Go back to consensus, go back to common sense and go back to Europeanism.

11

Mar

2026

Speeches ES

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Human trafficking and grave human rights violations linked to the recruitment of non-Russian nationals, in particular from Africa, for Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine

11

Mar

2026

Speeches ES

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AccessibleEU and the strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities: state of play and the future of EU accessibility policy (debate)

11

Mar

2026

Questions ES

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Rise of political violence, notably by far-left organisations (debate)

10

Mar

2026

Speeches ES

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Guidelines for the 2027 budget - Section III (debate)

Mr President, uncertainty is increasing throughout the Union, not only because of wars, but also because of new emerging challenges, such as the increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters that we are experiencing, for example, in my homeland, in Valencia. While it is clear that these problems cannot be solved by the annual budget alone, we can ensure that the Union has sufficient resources to act where it is most needed. In this context of so much uncertainty and challenges, both internal and external, our Group wants a budget that creates prosperity for our citizens, creates and improves employment opportunities and strengthens our security without leaving anyone behind. That is why our priorities are social investments, affordable housing, upholding European values, implementing the European Green Deal, security and defence cooperation, but above all a stronger role for Europe on the global stage. These guidelines are very important because they will form the basis of the next multiannual financial framework.

11

Feb

2026

Speeches ES

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State violence in Minneapolis and the rule of law in the United States (topical debate)

10

Feb

2026

Speeches ES

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Urgent need to address the humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan and to achieve a sustainable peace (debate)

21

Jan

2026

Speeches ES

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Presidential elections in Honduras, the non-recognition of the outcome by the incumbent administration and the attacks on opposition members of the National Assembly

Mr President, I would like to begin by stressing that the European Union's election observation in Honduras undoubtedly contributed to building trust and pacifying a very delicate electoral process. It should be remembered that Honduras has experienced, for almost two decades, episodes of political violence. He even suffered a coup d'état in 2009 and that is not a minor detail. We have to contextualize the institutional fragility and democratic weakness experienced by countries such as Honduras. That is why we in the European Parliament have a very important responsibility. The Honduran population offered us a real lesson in civility, pacifism, democratic commitment, even in a context of strong polarization on the part of all political parties. That is why in this Parliament, which has helped to appease the situation, we now have a special responsibility. We have to live up to the responsibility that citizens have given us and we do not have to feed any logic of confrontation or opposing sides. Quite the opposite: Our duty is to call for calm, peace and cooperation between the political forces and thus to accompany Honduras to the democratic responsibility that the European Union wants in Latin America.

20

Jan

2026

Speeches ES

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Human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter – annual report 2025 (debate)

Madam President, Gaza, Sudan, Congo, Afghanistan, Iran, Ukraine, Yemen, Myanmar, Nicaragua, to name the most relevant. It has been a black year for human rights, not forgetting the violence and criminalization that migrants and human rights activists are suffering in the United States. It is black, not only because of gravity, but also because of its normalization. The attack is global, cross-cutting and systematic. And what is the European Union doing? What is more, can we guarantee from the European Union that the year 2026 will be better? That is why the report is right when it says that defending human rights means putting more resources, not just words and speeches. We need permanent lines of humanitarian aid in the financial framework. We need an instrument for rebuilding Gaza and suspending our trade agreements when human rights are not respected, to tell those who want to rule with force that the European Union will always be a refuge and hope for the oppressed.

16

Dec

2025

Answers ES

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European Citizens’ Initiative ‘My voice, my choice: for safe and accessible abortion’ (debate)

16

Dec

2025

Speeches ES

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European Citizens’ Initiative ‘My voice, my choice: for safe and accessible abortion’ (debate)

13

Nov

2025

Speeches ES

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Mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund: assistance to Spain and France in relation to natural disasters in 2024 and 2025 (A10-0215/2025 - Sandra Gómez López) (vote)

Madam President, first of all I would like to thank the shadow rapporteurs for the work we have done in committee. With the approval of this report we will approve a historic aid for the municipalities devastated by the Dana in Valencia and by the cyclones in France. But historical doesn't mean enough. It barely reaches 10%, in the case of Spain, and 2.5, in the case of France, of the total money invested. That is why I would like to appeal to the Commission. A Europe of solidarity means a Europe that protects and helps the territories most vulnerable to increasingly violent climate change. And that is why the proposal they have made for a financial framework is absolutely insufficient for this Europe of solidarity. And I want to make another appeal as well. Just because it's historical doesn't mean it's good. Valencians don't want to receive any more aid. We don't want to have such a deep wound again. Therefore, I want to tell the Popular Party and Vox that, before reaching an agreement in Valencia that abolishes and eliminates the Green Deal, remember that they do so in a land where climate change has left 229 dead and tens of thousands of families destroyed. Let them remember. And, finally: we are more than 700 people – 720 – very different. But I think there is one thing that unites us and that is the will to help those who are worse off, those who need it most. That is why I ask you to vote in favour so that Valencia knows - if you do not respect me, at least respect my city and the memory of the victims when we are talking about this - and so that the victims know that the dignity and memory of what has happened will remain forever in this House.

12

Nov

2025

Speeches ES

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The new 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework: architecture and governance (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, we do not agree with the structure of the plan, but what we do agree on is that it must be an ambitious financial framework. And, to be really ambitious, the current framework does not meet the objectives we have set ourselves. It is not possible to cover new priorities, such as the European Competitiveness and Defence Fund, to maintain traditional priorities, such as agriculture or cohesion, and to pay for NextGenerationEU. That's a reality. Therefore, we have to go much further and we have to make a proposal for own resources that is more ambitious and therefore includes the digital levy, and my group will not stop insisting on that. And I want to address the Popular Party: it is absolutely incoherent to defend defence and competitiveness, to sign manifestos in favour of maintaining the CAP and not to support the Commission's own resources proposal. We have to get wet, we have to decide and we have to support the proposal made by the Commission.

22

Oct

2025

Speeches ES

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First anniversary of the DANA floods in Spain: improving EU preparedness (debate)

Mr. President, learning from dana is not just investing more in prevention, emergencies or resilience. It is also to do so in humanity and empathy. Because when the institutions mistreat or ignore the victims, as the Generalitat Valenciana has done, that is also damage. The vice president went so far as to blame them for not knowing how to protect themselves and, therefore, for their deaths. Mazón has not met with them, has ignored them, has defamed them and has also accused them of being politicized, as if a mother could pretend or exaggerate the pain of having lost her daughter. Insinuating that is institutional maltreatment and neglect. And it's also part of the disaster. And we have to learn from the political failure of the People's Party in my land. Europe not only needs more and better infrastructure, it needs human institutions that listen, accompany and repair. That is why we should create the European status of victims of natural disasters, so that empathy does not depend on who governs, but is a guaranteed right for all. And we should also talk about how we treat those who suffer these catastrophes.

21

Oct

2025

Speeches ES

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General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2026 – all sections (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, Minister, Europe and its families are facing a very complex and complicated moment: climate crisis, housing crisis, growing inequality, loss of competitiveness and war. And from us they expect a firm response, with a strong, fair and people-centered budget. However, the proposal made by the Council is for cuts in programmes with unquestionable European value. And why? Because there's no money. We don't have enough resources. And this has to be a clear sign that, if we do not arrive in 2026, we cannot defend maintaining the same size of the financial framework until 2034. It's just absurd. That is why we need to be more ambitious and take advantage of this to support the increase in the size of the financial framework. And I would ask you to please also vote on the amendment that we have tabled as a political group so that women on maternity leave can vote electronically. Because it is shameful that in this House we see women who have to bring their newborn baby to be able to exercise their right to vote. An embarrassing image that we must eradicate from this House.

10

Sep

2025

Speeches ES

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Taxation of large digital platforms in the light of international developments (debate)

Mr President, yesterday Trump once again threatened Europe with reopening the trade war, because we sanctioned Google, a large American technology company that blocks legitimate competition from our European search engines. And all that, in addition, in the framework of a dinner, where the owners of the big platforms dined with Trump while boasting that they squeeze, subjugate and subject Europe to their own interests. That is why, Commissioner, the digital tax is not only tax justice, it is also European sovereignty. It is democratic dignity and it is telling Trump that he can put the tablecloth on and serve dinner to a table of millionaires, but that the only thing that matters to us Europeans is that, when they get up from the table, they pay the bill first.