Speeches

Mr President, dear colleagues, there can be no doubt whether our digital rules should be properly enforced. There is no place for bargaining when it comes to the interests of our citizens and our businesses. Presidents – including US presidents – come and go. As a person who worked many years on developing transatlantic relations, I can tell you: 'keep calm and make Europe competitive'. The US will be back. Our relations have to be based on mutual respect and equal treatment. In the meantime, we have to focus on our own digital economy. We need an ambitious vision for building a European digital ecosystem from connectivity through AI, semiconductors, cloud infrastructure and data centres. We need comprehensive industrial policy investments in the base layer of the digital infrastructure, and driving demand for the European alternatives to the hyperscalers. It is key that we keep competitiveness at the heart of this process and we do it together with our own digital industry. That is why we need to embrace the EuroStack concept and make it finally happen.

Madam President, I'm sorry. We're at war. We are in a war that we have not provoked or started. The war can be as terrible as it is in Ukraine. It can also take the form of thousands of acts of sabotage, arson, cyber-attacks and disinformation. It also acts by buying politicians, including in this Parliament, blocking the GPS signal, ripping off submarine cables with ‘Shadow Fleets’ anchors. Drone attack on Poland is another phase of aggression. This operation was retailly prepared. It was a test before the next, further tests. At this point, we didn't fail because we were together. Dutch pilots were side by side with Polish airmen in the air, we were supported by soldiers from other NATO countries – and I thank you for that. There are declarations of support for the eastern flank. This is necessary, because today the eastern flank defends the security of the whole of Europe. Fortunately, no one died in Poland yesterday. This was possible thanks to the efficiency of the state, the heroism of soldiers and the help of allies. On the other hand, whether our response will be tough and decisive enough depends on how often such acts of aggression will be repeated. We need to introduce more effective sanctions against the regimes of Putin and Lukashenko, use frozen Russian assets, consider a permanent closure of our borders with Russia and Belarus, and effectively close the skies over western Ukraine. Let's stop being naive. Putin wants to rebuild a great, imperial and aggressive Russia. We Poles will never agree to this. Poland is not dead yet! Long live free Europe!

Mr President, internet can be, at the same time, one of the best things ever invented by the mankind, but at the same time also a curse damaging or destroying our society, full of harmful hate speech and simple lies, called nowadays 'fake news', out of courtesy. Our responsibility is to make sure it is the best version of itself, and to contribute to its global governance in line with the EU values. The European Parliament delegation participates in the annual meetings of the Internet Governance Forum and promotes our vision for the internet, which is open, interoperable and governed by all. So I welcome the initiative to prolong the IGF mandate. We need it more than ever, with more and more tendencies to instrumentalise the internet. Some even try to use it against our European democracy. We should not allow that to happen and stand firm in defence of democratic principles in Europe and the world.

Mr President, thank you very much. I must say that I am satisfied with the content of the own-initiative report of the Committee on the Internal Market. Public procurement generates a huge demand impulse for the European market, which is about 14% of the European Union's gross domestic product. So we have to make good use of it. On the one hand, it is public money, so we must make sure that it is spent as effectively as possible. On the other hand, we must end a kind of naivety that does not see the role of public procurement in supporting the European economy, European industry. We need an industrial policy strategy in which public procurement plays an important role. I am thinking in particular of the digital, technological aspect, where we need to start using bold public procurement to develop European digital projects. I hope that the European Commission will propose an ambitious approach already in the expected Cloud and AI Act, and that Member States will be bolder in using public procurement as a tool to build and strengthen our technological sovereignty.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Madam Minister, I'm sorry. It is, of course, good news that 14 people headed by Siarhei Tsikhanouski have been released, but let us not let this good news obscure the most important truth: These people should never have gone to jail. They didn't commit any crime. Their only crime (in quotation marks) was the fight for freedom, truth and democracy. The release of these people is not a grace, it is part of the calculated game of the Lukashenka regime, a PR game in which the dictator tries to gain points in international relations. Let's not be fooled by this. More than 1,100 people remain imprisoned, including Polish journalist Andrzej Poczobut. As long as at least one of Lukashenko's political prisoners remains imprisoned, we will call for sanctions to be extended. Although many say that the Belarusian economy will not recover, the data says otherwise. For example, Belarusian airlines have increased their contribution to GDP by 14% year-on-year. This is just one of many examples of the regime adapting, combing, looking for loopholes in sanctions. We can't help him survive. As long as Lukashenko rules, as long as democracy, human rights will be dead, non-existent in Belarus. Mr Siarhei, you are cordially invited to the European Parliament. Your presence among the Belarusian opposition will add motivation and lead to a uprising that will finally overthrow the Lukashenka regime. It's a live Belarus!

Mr President, thank you very much. Minister Adam Szłapka is no longer with us today, but I want to take this opportunity to thank him for six months of arduous work in this House. I would like to thank all the Polish officials, thanks to whom the hard work of the Polish Presidency went so smoothly. I started with Poland, because our country is the best example of the success of the process of enlargement of the European Union. In a short time, Poland has become a leader in economic and social development throughout the Union. I believe that welcoming new members will strengthen our collective resilience against growing geopolitical pressures. The EU enlargement process – including Ukraine, after the end of the war with Russia – could be a scenario win-win. Simplifying the accession procedures, while at the same time protecting the agriculture of the current Member States (including Polish farmers), would be the right step forward for all of us. The accession procedure should therefore be simplified. Enlargement is not only a gesture of solidarity, but also an investment in the security and prosperity of Europe as a whole. In difficult global circumstances, it is time to reaffirm the Union’s global leadership. Let us also allow those who want to co-create this project with us to take part in it.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Russia is waging a war of destruction, a war designed to eliminate the entire Ukrainian people. Russia has a lot of people, this has always been their approach. As Stalin said: (Member speaks a non-official language) – They have lots of people. For Russia, people are just numbers. Since they did not respect and do not respect the lives of their own citizens, much less do they have respect for those whom they perceive as enemies. They have no respect for bombed Ukrainian civilians, for prisoners of war held in inhumane conditions, for hundreds of Ukrainian children kidnapped to Russia. This is a cultural gap between us and them. We cannot change their mentality, free their enslaved minds. We can only act decisively to discourage Putin from further attacks on Ukraine, from attacking Europe. All those who here in the European Parliament sympathize with Putin, acknowledge his reasons, go to Moscow and want to pact with him, open Nord Stream, are co-responsible for the horrors of this protracted war. Human life is the supreme value. The life of each of us. Let us bear this in mind when Putin's supporters and the heirs of the NSDAP dream of annihilating entire nations. No more such crimes!

Mr President, thank you very much. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Mr. Secretary of State! Nord Stream 2 has become a symbol of the myopia of some European elites in the not-so-distant past. But we should make sure that it is also a warning for the future, a warning against returning to Business as usual with Russia. There can be no return to business relations with Russia, which is imperial, aggressive and does not respect international law. On the other hand, our energy infrastructure must be built in such a way that it is resistant to external attacks, to blackmail, to various methods of pressure that are already emerging. Just a few hours ago, the Polish navy in the Baltic Sea drove a Russian ship out of the shadow fleet, which posed a threat to the power cable between Poland and Sweden. Our infrastructure must also be as decentralised as possible and the energy systems of the Member States must be well interconnected by interconnectors. We need cheap, green, clean energy and tools to stabilize our energy system. I therefore welcome the Commission's roadmap for ending energy imports from Russia. Now we need to implement it as soon as possible.

Madam President, I'm sorry. I come from Poland, the country that suffered the most during World War II. Millions of human lives – Poles, but also Jews – were killed in the name of hatred and division, a community that for centuries had its place in Poland, in a country of understanding and tolerance. After the destruction of millions of people, the destruction of hundreds of cities and trauma, peace has come for generations. This is exactly why the European Union was founded 75 years ago. To build peace and community. Let's not delude ourselves: Euroscepticism fed by radicalism, fuelled by money from Moscow, is a road to the past, a road to catastrophe. That is why I condemn in the strongest possible terms today the disgraceful anti-Semitic speeches of MEP Grzegorz Braun. It is not just hate speech, it is an attack on the values on which Europe is built. I also appeal to the Eurosceptics: open history books, see how much the European project has given us – it guarantees freedom, security and cooperation like never before in European history.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Mr. Secretary of State! What happened on the Iberian Peninsula has stunned us all. The scale of the chaos caused by the blackout makes us painfully aware of two issues. Firstly, how crucial climate policy, energy sources and energy infrastructure are today. Secondly, how important it is to ensure the safety of the population, to provide the public with knowledge about how to deal with emergency situations and to build a well-functioning civil defence. Our infrastructure must be built wisely. The systems of different countries need to be better connected than they are today with interconnectors. It should also be as decentralised as possible, as the war in Ukraine also shows. We need cheap, green and clean energy, but also tools to stabilize our energy system, and in the short term, energy supplies cannot finance criminal regimes. I am very pleased with the road map shown yesterday of complete independence from oil and gas from Russia. Mr Commissioner, Mr Minister, I wish you good luck in these matters. I believe that these are issues that no European country can solve on its own. We need good cooperation and European solutions.

For over 20 years I was a journalist and editor-in-chief of significant media in Poland. I grew up in communist Poland, listening to Radio Free Europe and the Voice of America in turn. This has shaped me as a conscious citizen and a future responsible journalist. Today, Radio Free Europe reaches millions of people every day in Europe and Asia, often being one of the few or even the only sources of reliable, honest and independent information. In a situation where the United States is acting irresponsibly, Europe must find a solution to fill the gap. I am pleased that the Commission is already working on this and that the Polish Presidency of the Council has met and discussed with the delegation of Radio Free Europe and Radio Swoboda. They are pleased with the declarations of the Czech Republic, where the radio station is located, but also of other countries about the readiness to provide the Radio with appropriate funding. I call for a solution to be found as soon as possible to give stability to the Radio and the journalists working in it, so that they can continue their key mission.

Madam President, Executive Vice-President, let me first congratulate you for coming up with this plan within the Commission's first 100 days. On a personal note, I had the chance to participate – perhaps as the only Member of the European Parliament – in President von der Leyen's presentation of the Clean Industrial Deal in Antwerp, in front of the Europe's top industry executives. I would sum up the room's reactions this way: well done for the first step. But this is only the first step. We need to do much more to rebuild EU competitiveness, which is so vital to ensure our ability to defend ourselves in such a dangerous situation. To put it simply, we would not be able to defend Europe without the ability to produce steel, cement or pharmaceuticals on our continent. We need to focus on reducing energy costs for industry. Asking Member States to cut down their energy taxation cannot be our main and only response. We need European solutions and joint efforts to save our industries. Dear Executive Vice-President, I encourage you to be bold and ambitious. This Parliament will support you.

Mr President, Commissioner, let me start with thanking you, on behalf of the Renew Europe Group, for the Commission's immediate reaction to the security threats related to the Baltic submarine cables and the ongoing work to increase security of our critical infrastructure. We also need to look for more synergies between digital and energy networks, while working on detection, prevention and repairing of the undersea infrastructure that is nowadays, especially in the Baltic Sea, under constant and real threat. Going above sea level, I can strongly encourage the Commission to do the utmost to invest in the European critical communication infrastructure. Europe cannot allow itself to be dependent on third countries when it comes to comes to strategic elements of communication infrastructure. So I welcome the IRIS2 planned constellation, with its 290 satellites. It is a huge step forward for Europe and we should appreciate it. But we should also keep in mind that it won't be enough. We will need to do much more beyond 2030. In order to achieve Europe's tech sovereignty, we need to have everyone on board. All Member States need to join the efforts, instead of making constant deals to secure military and government communications with third-country providers, which can put EU security in jeopardy. Prime Minister Meloni, please join us, and let's keep Europe great and secure together. Do not waste the money of Italian taxpayers on senseless deals with global oligarchs.

Madam President, thank you very much. This is a very important topic. I join all those before me who have criticised the US decision to impose export restrictions on advanced artificial intelligence chips. Artificial intelligence, technological innovation must become the engine of growth of our competitiveness. We also see that the new trade policy of the United States leaves us with no illusions. That is why I expect representatives of the European Commission to vigorously pursue European economic interests in their relations with Washington. European technological sovereignty, including the development of artificial intelligence, must be a top priority. In this context, we welcome the announcements made by the Commissioner, President von der Leyen and the President of France at the ongoing summit in Paris. On the other hand, we need to focus on the European semiconductor development strategy. I welcome the Polish strategy published last week by the Ministry of Digital Affairs, which is based on seven pillars, such as expanding infrastructure, supporting innovation, international cooperation, investment and financing, human capital, sensible use of energy and water, and increasing access to critical raw materials. All of this will determine our future, not just our technological future.

Madam President, thank you very much. Mr. Prime Minister! Welcome to Strasbourg. You have already heard the high hopes placed on the Polish Presidency. Last week, the ministers of our coalition government heard about it from representatives of Renew Europe in Warsaw. Today I will focus on two obvious issues, on security and on the economy, because these are absolutely fundamental and even existential spheres for Poland, for Europe. Firstly, security - the leitmotiv of the Polish Presidency. Europe needs to be prepared for the worst possible turn of events by providing the highest quality weapons, organisationally by implementing the best civil defence plans and infrastructurally by ensuring the security of critical infrastructure also against cyber threats. This requires huge investments and the adoption of relevant plans, such as EDIP, the European Defence Industrial Programme. I very much hope that the Polish Presidency will be able to build an agreement on these difficult issues, because we have no other choice today. Second, the economy. We need a new industrial policy without categorically denying the Green Deal, defending Europe's economic interests, showing development ambitions and clear leadership. European industry is facing major challenges due to low competitiveness and technological dominance from China and the United States. We must build Europe's technological sovereignty and enforce European law to the letter. The needs for support for industry, including Polish industry, are enormous and the resources in the European budget are insufficient. Without a response to the American IRA and other such programs, Poland will not win the global race. Prime Minister, good luck. We look forward to good cooperation.

Mr President, thank you very much. Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased that my initiative to have a serious discussion on Belarus at the plenary session has also been adopted. Today, the European Union must make it clear that these so-called elections will not be recognised by the international community. No decision made in the shadow of repression, violence and falsification can be considered the will of the nation. We do not have to wait for the election result, they have nothing to do with democracy from the beginning. The solution, however, is not to wait for Lukashenko or Putin to die. That won't solve the problem. We must act in support of the Belarusian opposition, independent media such as Belsat TV and the young generation of Belarusians dreaming of democracy. Think about the foundations of the future rule of law in Belarus. And the last thing. Belarusians look at Ukrainians, using them as an example. Every success of Ukraine is a hope for Belarus. Belarus, like Ukraine, is not doomed to Russia. The fact that this is historically possible has been demonstrated by the example of Poland. We can't just be observers. Sanctions must work and our solidarity must be clearly and firmly expressed. It's a live Belarus!

Madam President, thank you very much. Mr President, thank you very much. For centuries, Russia has built its empire on lies and manipulation. The Tsar, the Soviets, and later Putin's pseudo-democracy all had one strategy, in addition to controlling the military, to control the minds of the citizens. In recent years, we have seen how Putin wants to expand this control beyond the borders of his country. The lie about the greatness of Russia and its eternal power is constantly repeated to hide its barbaric methods. After the Soviet army murdered thousands of Polish officers and intelligentsia in Katyn in 1940, Stalin argued that the Russians knew nothing about it. It was only half a century later that Gorbachev confirmed the truth. Today, Ukraine is passing through the Russian roller of history. Russian disinformation and falsification of history are part of a strategy aimed at erasing Ukrainian identity and introducing a narrative in which Ukraine is only part of Russia. The insolence of Putin's or Lukashenka's lies must be borne by them, not by Ukraine, Poland or any other country. Sanctions, sanctions and more sanctions. Full, airtight and effective.

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, fake news, manipulation and simple lies pose a serious threat to the integrity of our democracies. These threats are not abstract. We can see how disinformation is being used today to divide societies, undermine citizens' trust in politicians and state institutions, or even influence scientific achievements. There are numerous examples, from false information on vaccines to manipulation regarding climate change. A single fake video or a manipulated post can destabilise democracy and elections in our Member States. This is not just a TikTok problem in Romania. Just yesterday, reports emerged that before the 2023 parliamentary elections in Poland, hackers – likely acting on behalf of Russian secret service – sent out nearly 200 000 text messages urging votes for the then ruling Law and Justice Party. They unsuccessfully attempted to send another 600 000 messages. Our response has to be strong. Democracy cannot survive if citizens do not have access to the truthful information. We must create effective regulations that will target those who deliberately spread lies and disinformation.

Madam President, thank you very much. Mr President, thank you very much. Ombudswoman, please! As coordinator of the Committee on Petitions for Renew Europe, I sincerely thank the Ombudsman for this last year. Words of appreciation from me as a politician and citizen, but also from our entire faction. Your great contribution to increasing the transparency of the administration, your focus on citizens' issues, demonstrates how responsible you have been both this year and throughout your 11-year term of office. The European Ombudsman, like ombudsmen in the Member States, must be as close as possible to and defend every citizen. It is supposed to be a spokesperson, advocate and confidant of citizens who sometimes get lost in the EU bureaucracy. The aim of the European Ombudsman is to bring the Union closer to the European citizen. It's a huge task. We will decide who will make the effort to continue this task this week. We MEPs have a very important responsibility to choose well and wisely. Not who will be the better political choice, not who we would like to give this position to. No, we have to choose the person who will make the Union live in the homes of our citizens, not somewhere far away in the buildings of Strasbourg and Brussels.

Madam President, thank you very much. Mr. President Niinistö! Thank you very much for this extremely valuable report. Dear friends from Finland, you are an example for our community. Finland has built a defence model that involves citizens at every stage: from defence education to active participation in training and defence. As a result, each person feels responsible for the security of their country. With 5.5 million Finns, the military reserve amounts to an impressive 900,000 people. The security of the civilian population is the cornerstone of any effective defence policy. In the face of modern threats such as hybrid warfare, cyberattacks and climate change, it is imperative that the European Union protects its citizens effectively. Poland is also a positive example. Next year, we will spend a record 4.7% on defense. GDP. Not because we want to, but because we have to. A week ago, the Polish Sejm unanimously adopted a draft law on civil protection and civil defence. I am glad that we are able to fully agree on such important matters. The defense of civilians is our shared responsibility. We need to act now to prepare for tomorrow.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, thank you very much. Report of the United Nations Committee on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) The elimination of discrimination against women is an opportunity for us in this House to repeat what is obvious to us. Polish anti-abortion law today is, firstly, extremely restrictive, secondly, it interferes in women's decisions, thirdly, it violates human rights, including Article 16 of the UN Convention. My party, Poland 2050, as part of the current government coalition in Poland, as well as I in the European Parliament, as the only Polish member of the Renew Europe faction, we are constantly standing up for women's rights. The current state of affairs following the judgment of the Constitutional Court is absolutely unacceptable. Every year, tens of thousands of women are forced to have abortions abroad. Women's rights must be guaranteed in Polish law as soon as possible. Unfortunately, it seems that in the current Polish Sejm, which consists of less than 30% of women, there is not enough support for this. The still incumbent president of Poland, in office until August next year, also leaves no doubt that he will veto any liberalization of the regulations. In this regard, to all those who have women's rights at heart, I say: Let's give the decision back to the citizens, Poles and Poles, let's liberalize abortion law through a nationwide referendum.

Madam President, thank you very much. Friends and colleagues! Today, the European steel industry is experiencing the biggest drop in demand in decades. Polish steel mills are going back to the sales results of the 1950s. The twentieth century. The situation is odd, because the demand for steel in Europe does not fall at all. On the contrary, it is still high, and it will be higher and higher, because thousands of tons of steel will be needed for the reconstruction of Ukraine. It is high time for politicians to defend European steelworks, and consequently our entire economy, which depends on the price and availability of steel. In particular, this is crucial for our arms industry, which for obvious reasons needs to be strengthened and accelerated today. What do you need to do? The key factor is the reduction of energy prices, very high in Europe, almost the highest in Poland. It is necessary to accelerate the use of renewable energy sources for steel production, to promote green steel production. Subsidies and temporary forms of protection for our European steel industry are needed at Union level, not at the level of individual Member States. Without rapid action, our arms production and construction will become dependent on supplies from China.

Mr President, thank you very much. Mr. Commissioner, I would like to thank you. Dear Colleagues, The automotive industry in Europe, including the boom of the automotive industry in Poland, our manufacturers and our suppliers has always been the subject of our pride. Today, we are stunned by the news about the closures and, above all, about the redundancies – most recently, the news about the 500 workers who are about to lose their jobs at the Stellantis factory in Gliwice. The reasons for this situation are many. Of course, European and EU regulations could always be better, but I would also look for the reasons for this situation either primarily in the short-sightedness and lack of vision of the leaders of the largest automotive companies. The dieselgate scandal, i.e. de facto cheating of consumers and market surveillance authorities, was a great warning to the industry. Unfortunately, no conclusions have been drawn from this scandal. But I don't want to focus on who's at fault today. Now, when jobs and Europe's competitiveness are at stake, all hands on deck! I look forward to the concrete proposals of the new Commission. Raising tariffs on electric cars from China is unfortunately the right, but far from enough, step. A step worth considering is to facilitate the consolidation of the European automotive industry before it becomes...

Mr President, thank you very much. Ladies and Gentlemen, Today we talked a lot about how dramatic a natural disaster can be. These phenomena are to some extent independent of us. However, there are things in which a person should be efficient and have the right to decide for himself. This right is given by democracy. Belarusian society still dreams about it. Next year, presidential elections will be held in Belarus. Lukashenko rigged the 2020 elections and has already announced that he will not give up now either. Today, Europe wants – and this is what we are doing in our resolution – to make it clear to all Belarusians: We're on your side. We want you to finally have an impact on what the governments of your country look like. Today, with a strong voice in our resolution, we demand, among other things: holding free and transparent elections, freeing all political prisoners (including Andrzej Poczobut), depoliticising court trials. Dear friends from Belarus! As a Pole, I fully understand and share your democratic aspirations. As the European Union, we cannot stand by and watch post-communist Russia aggressively defend the sphere of influence it considers its own. We, like you, want a free and independent Belarus. Therefore, in our resolution, we call for sanctions to be extended to Lukashenka. There is no place for dictatorship in 21st century Europe. Lively by Belarus!