What Ana Catarina spoke about.

27

Nov

2024

PT Speech

Watch

Recent legislation targeting LGBTQI persons and the need for protecting the rule of law and a discrimination-free Union (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, what is unbelievable is that in the 21st century we are having such a debate. And we only have the debate about discrimination in the 21st century because, really, no matter how many action plans there are - and Portugal is one of the Member States that have the action plans in place - the truth is that states like Hungary, Bulgaria or Italy violate the right…

23

Oct

2024

PT Speech

Watch

Findings of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on Poland's abortion law (debate)

Mr President, the irony of fate is that Simone Veil was the first woman President of this European Parliament. Simone Veil was the woman – Jewish, woman, Minister of Health – who defended the decriminalisation of abortion, who defended the decriminalisation of abortion, who defended that women do not resort to abortion by choice, but resort to abortion for a need, and that it is always a tragedy. …

23

Oct

2024

PT Answer

Watch

Managing migration in an effective and holistic way through fostering returns (debate)

Dear Mr Oliveira, I am happy to reply. Yes, the Socialists and Democrats here in the European Parliament have approved the Pact for Migration. The Portuguese Socialist Government contributed to making this Migration Pact the best possible compromise. What cannot happen at the moment is, in exchange for perceptions and fear and hate speech, to want to revoke a pact that has not yet been implemented…

23

Oct

2024

PT Speech

Watch

Managing migration in an effective and holistic way through fostering returns (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I believe that we really need to be very clear about the Commission's and the Council's proposal on migration, because this measure is actually against the values of the European project. It's a mistake, it's inhumane, it's the externalization of borders. Ladies and gentlemen, this is an affront to human rights. It's not just me saying it. The I…

22

Oct

2024

PT Speech

Watch

State sponsored terrorism by the Islamic Republic of Iran in light of the recent attacks in Europe (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, we have long known that the Iranian regime has a clear agenda of internal oppression of its own population, which is reflected in the intensification of attacks against human rights, having launched a war against women and girls through increasingly violent repression, reinforcing the use of the death penalty to silence dissent. The Iranian regi…

10

Oct

2024

PT Speech

Watch

The rise of religious intolerance in Europe (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, Article 10 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union recognises the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. And that is why this is also the place to condemn what is religious extremism on the one hand, but also what is the anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim discourse that is raging in our society. This is the speech, mo…

9

Oct

2024

PT Speech

Watch

2024 Annual Rule of law report (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, respect for the rule of law can never be taken for granted. That is why this annual report is of particular importance, not only because of the improvements it has already shown in some Member States, but also because of the concerns it leaves us with. And one of the concerns is the press freedom index 2024, which shows what we already knew: freedo…

9

Oct

2024

PT Speech

Watch

Presentation of the programme of activities of the Hungarian Presidency (debate)

Madam President, Prime Minister, ladies and gentlemen, I have fortunately grown up in a Europe of values, in a Europe of solidarity, peace, justice and freedoms. And today, what I expected was that those who hold the presidency of the European Council could tell us here that their view on immigration has changed, that migrants are not, are not poison, and that hate speech only inflames what we hav…

8

Oct

2024

PT Speech

Watch

Outcome of the Summit of the Future: transforming global governance for building peace, promoting human rights and achieving the sustainable development goals (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I believe that the Pact for the Future, contrary to what has been said here a moment ago, is really a starting point and not an end point. And it is absolutely important at a time when we are experiencing a number of conflicts on a global scale. It is therefore important to reinforce that, in this pact, the United Nations puts on the table the vision of multi…

8

Oct

2024

PT Speech

Watch

Escalation of violence in the Middle East and the situation in Lebanon (debate)

Madam President, 'there is only one radical way to preserve the human being: without concrete reinforcements, tanks, planes or fortifications. The radical solution, ladies and gentlemen, is called 'peace'. No more blood and tears. Thirty-nine years ago, following these words, Yitzhak Rabin was murdered, and I think it is worth remembering him today to remind him that a path of peace is possible an…

7

Oct

2024

PT Speech

Watch

Facing fake news, populism and disinformation in the EU - the importance of public broadcasting, media pluralism and independent journalism (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Anne Applebaum explained this week, in an international interview, the danger of fake news, disinformation and the control of social information networks by several world leaders who do not have an ideology in common, but rather the will to remain in power at almost any cost. That is why we know that, in recent years, authors opposing the European project and…

7

Oct

2024

PT Speech

Watch

The reintroduction of internal border controls in a number of Member States and its impact on the Schengen Area (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I do not think any of us have any doubts and I, like the Commissioner, am proud to live in the Schengen area and in a Europe, in an area without internal borders, in which the free movement of persons is ensured. Since the Treaty of Lisbon that is, and since the Treaty of Lisbon that we also know that this Schengen acquis introduces its exceptio…

18

Sep

2024

PT Speech

Watch

The deteriorating situation of women in Afghanistan due to the recent adoption of the law on the “Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice”

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, three years ago the Taliban again attacked Afghanistan and therefore imposed rules that are inhumane rules, where women no longer have a voice. At this minute, I would like us to remember Simone Weil as the first woman President of this Parliament and remind her that we can be the silenced voice of so many women in Afghanistan. For the respect of human rights, f…

18

Sep

2024

PT Speech

Watch

The Hungarian “National Card” scheme and its consequences for Schengen and the area of freedom, security and justice (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, representative of the Council, I think the time is particularly difficult. And it is particularly difficult because we are still experiencing Russia's invasion of Ukraine's territory. Therefore, in this context, the recent decision of the Hungarian authorities to facilitate the access of Russia and Belarus to the Schengen area, immediately after Prime Minister Orbán’…

17

Sep

2024

PT Speech

Watch

Global measures towards social media platforms - Strengthening the role of DSA and protecting democracy and freedom in the online sphere (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I do not think that any of us is unaware that there is a before and after of new technologies. There is a before and after of digital platforms and we know how distorting the use of digital platforms undermines our democracies. For this reason, over time, the rules that define the limits of this communication have been changed to accommodate these …

16

Sep

2024

PT Speech

Watch

Persistent problems of anti-Semitism in Europe and of other forms of hate speech and hate crimes (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the previous colleague rightly said, let us not forget history. And it is history that gave rise to the European project, the European Union: a space of respect for human rights, for difference, for freedom, for equality. Therefore, even in this space of defence of the rights, freedoms and guarantees of all, hate speech cannot pass and cannot take …

16

Sep

2024

PT Answer

Watch

Need to prevent security threats like the Solingen attack through addressing illegal migration and effective return (debate)

I base myself on the various studies that are being done. They are made in Portugal, they are made in Spain, they are made by the European space. The European Commission has a lot of data on this. Migration cannot be directly linked to crime. That is why a great deal of work is needed to clarify this for you too, honourable Member.…

16

Sep

2024

PT Speech

Watch

Need to prevent security threats like the Solingen attack through addressing illegal migration and effective return (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the first word is a word of vehement condemnation of this Parliament for the terrible attack that took place in Solingen. The second word is a word of solidarity with the relatives of the victims of these people. But, ladies and gentlemen, we cannot and should not confuse immigration with criminality. This is not how we deal with migration polic…