21
May
2026
Watch
The Union’s preparedness for and response to health emergencies: the case of the MV Hondius and the hantavirus warning (debate)
Madam President, look, there are two ways of understanding Europe: the one of the hoaxes and the one that rescues 150 people from 23 countries in a Canarian port. The first one screams louder, the second one works. What happened to MV Hondius is not a miracle, it is what happens when the World Health Organization, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the Member States get to work together instead of discussing. That is multilateralism. That's what saved lives again. It worked because there was a government that rolled up its sleeves. Minister Mónica García was always on the ground, not on a set; It wasn't screaming, it was working and looking for solutions, and it worked thanks to public health that you cut back on whenever you can. While some spread hoaxes, our entire health system was working meticulously. That is why, ladies and gentlemen, this debate is not about a boat, it is about whether Europe is going to shield what works, strengthen prevention, finance the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority, sustain public health in each Member State, because the next emergency is already traveling towards us and we are not going to stop it with hoaxes or partisanship.