Speeches

Socialists, we have reiterated our commitment to the victims of the catastrophe, demanding to clarify rigorously what happened on October 29, 2024 in which 235 people lost their lives. We also denounce the institutional abuse suffered by the victims by the Generalitat Valenciana. We know that the climate emergency will continue to cause catastrophes, fires and pandemics. That is why we must redouble our efforts so that tragedies such as the DANA do not recur, insisting on the importance of having clearer and faster early warning systems, moving towards a European Statute for Victims of Natural Disasters, placing the people affected at the centre of the institutional response, and strengthening the Civil Protection Mechanism.

Mr President, Commissioner, the truth is that Europe is at war, we have to know: trade wars, kinetic wars, hybrid wars. But the reality is that this report does well in looking at space, it does very well in looking at the sky. Honestly, we've gone from trench warfare, very kinetic, to Star Wars, where we're actually using drones as a pretty powerful coercion system. You also have to know a little about the system and the price of drones. Russian drones, for example the kamikaze Shahed or Geran-2 type, cost almost $50,000; decoys or observation decoys, such as the Gerbera type, cost $10,000; Orlan-10, $120,000. And the new European drones cost almost tens of millions of euros. We have to know and place ourselves at that level, because, of course, it is very important to also think about a necessary satellite network at this time that Europe does not have. I think there's the future: look also at satellites, know exactly where to develop and use Galileo and Copernicus with a certain proactivity. Because the satellite network is the one that is really going to give us effective and powerful coverage to the drone system that we want to implement. Security is at risk, it is at stake, and Europe certainly has to make an effort to protect all citizens.

Mr President, Commissioner, the truth is that piracy of sporting events and other live events is not just digital picaresque, it is real-time theft. The truth is that we are seeing that voluntary tools are not being efficient. The 2023 Recommendation has had a rather limited impact, as acknowledged by the Commission itself. And, of course, cultural and audiovisual employment, clubs, grassroots sport, journalism, European creation are at risk... My question is whether or not the Digital Services Act we have works in the face of these events in real time and live. It's something we have to see. Look, in Spain, for example, we have a pioneering, effective, guarantor creation and system; where piracy of sports broadcasts in real time is combines swiftly, judicial guarantees and liability of intermediaries. I believe that in the digital single market there can be no benefits without responsibilities. And above all, real-time impunity has to be cut.

Madam President, I like to say that Europe is at war. There are visible wars and invisible wars, but from the point of view of cybersecurity, without a doubt, we are in a frank minority. Russia today has fundamentally three intelligence services working in a very proactive way: the FSB, the Federal Security Service, with advanced persistent threat (APT) cyberattack groups, such as Secret Blizzard; the GRU, which is the Chief Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff, with groups such as APT28, Forest Blizzard, which is permanently attacking critical infrastructure in Europe; and the SVR, the Foreign Information Service, with the APT29, Midnight Blizzard, as the Cozy Bear or The Dukes groups. My question is: What is the European Intelligence Service? What is the Commission doing, what is the Council doing, to have top quality information and really protect our citizens? I believe that, sincerely, a unique intelligence service that gives us coverage and protection is more necessary today than ever.

Madam President, the first thing I would like to do is to congratulate the rapporteurs on this report and, moreover, on having taken into account the opinion of the Committee on Security and Defence. I would also like to highlight the success in this report of focusing on strategic issues as important as cybersecurity or hybrid threats. It is a question of sovereignty, survival and also strategic credibility within the Union. The only possible path is to be able to combine the effort of the technological base, including talent, increase strategic autonomy and, above all, protect the territory and the population. Ladies and gentlemen, Europe is at war, we cannot avoid it and that is why we have to work together. We cannot work each of the twenty-seven separately. Hybrid threats do not know any kind of border today when they block an airport, when they invade airspace, when they blackmail with tariffs or try to manipulate an electoral process. Together, all united, we are stronger and our strength lies precisely there. That's where our future is.

Mr President, Mr President Murphy, thank you very much for the annual report of the European Court of Auditors. Undoubtedly, this report represents an essential exercise of democratic control over the use of the Union budget and, in that sense, as socialist rapporteur, in these institutions, stress that the Court does not in fact comment on the accounts of the Court of Justice, the European Ombudsman or the European Data Protection Supervisor, which demonstrates a sound and transparent management of these institutions. However, there is one thing that does concern me in a special way – in what I have been working on in this Parliament in recent times – and that, moreover, is part of the essence of the structural debates, increasingly present, which has a lot to do with security and defence, where the report warns of slow and fragmented management and implementation. Taking into account the budgetary implosion we are having, especially for the next long-term budget, which practically multiplies by ten the investment in security and defence, I would like us to work much more also so that not a single gram, not a single euro is delegitimized. It is not only about spending more on defence but also about doing more with intelligence, transparency and European vision.

Madam President, as my dear friend Oscar López, the Minister of Digital Transition of Spain, would say, we can be techno-optimists, but what we cannot be is naive. And it is true that from Europe it is very important that we continue working to give the battle of rights, which is not happening practically anywhere in the world. We need to work for algorithmic transparency, platform accountability, of course, protecting our children, protecting mass disinformation campaigns and, above all, protecting our societies from lies. I am a convinced technologist, but above all to put technology always at the service of people. And speaking of technology, I too have to confess that I am a convinced Social Democrat. That is why this afternoon here I want to be absolutely supportive. And I also want to raise my voice and say, Cheer up, Alberto!

Madam President, the first thing I want to do is to congratulate the rapporteurs on a very timely report and, moreover, I have to admit that it is very balanced. I believe that, in addition, it comes at a crucial moment where, of course, the European Union has to address and show - thinking of the future EU-CELAC summit in Santa Marta - some very important challenges in two regions that really unite us. That is why, after hearing here today, this afternoon, some messages with that national-populist-Trumpist vision, or others that are extraordinarily colonialist, are going to allow me to want to place myself on the sidelines of that. I think it's time to build. I sincerely believe that it is time to treat Latin America with respect and see the geopolitical and strategic opportunities we have, thinking about that future. I come from a meeting held this past week in the Dominican Republic in which we talked about cybersecurity, the new space model, new economic models. Honestly, I believe that there is the construction and there is the future by which we have to guide ourselves.