Speeches

Mr President, thank you very much. The enlargement of the European Union to new countries, such as Ukraine, is geopolitically justified. However, it has serious economic consequences, especially for countries such as Poland. We are already seeing the impact of increasing competition from Ukraine in key sectors such as road transport and agriculture. In response to Russia’s aggression, the European Union liberalised Ukraine’s access to the single market in 2022, completely abolishing tariffs and quotas and giving up the licensing system for road transport. Officially motivated by solidarity, these actions have created significant social tensions in the Member States. The biggest beneficiaries of these activities were powerful agroholdings, including those controlled by international capital. You said that you cared about Ukrainian farmers, that it was an expression of solidarity with the fighting country. In fact, it was to support international players in strengthening their position on the European market at the expense of our farmers, at the expense of our processors. This is not international solidarity. This is not how the enlargement of the European Union should take place.

Mr President, thank you very much. In Georgia, the lights of democracy are fading. The authorities dominated by the Georgian Dream brutally suppress the pro-democracy protests and wage an open war against the free media. Mzia Amaglobeli, a respected journalist, was arrested only for daring to protest. In her dramatic appeal, she said "I will not accept the agenda of the regime. I'm on a hunger strike. Freedom is more precious than life.” Freedom is more precious than life. Former Georgian President Saakashvili has been a political prisoner of the Ivanishvili regime for almost 4 years. The Georgian Dream, led behind the scenes by Bidzina Ivanishvili, has turned Georgia away from Europe. This country, once aspiring to join the European Union and NATO, has become a satellite of Moscow. We can't just stand by and watch it. Georgians are fighting for fundamental values. They fight for democracy, for freedom of speech, for a normal life. To support a dictatorship, to submit to it, is a crime. Indifference and silence is also a crime, ladies and gentlemen.

Madam President, I'm sorry. The Russian aggression against Ukraine has the face of a terrified Ukrainian child. Child – victims of bombing, child – orphan, child raped by Russian criminals, child brutally torn from the place of his or her previous life, deported, Russified, deprived of his or her own identity. According to Ukrainian data, Russia has deported more than 20,000 children since February 2022. The deportation and russification of Ukrainian children is a violation of Article 2 of the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Yes, it is! The abduction and expropriation of children is a crime of genocide, just as German crimes against Polish children during World War II were genocide. Of the 200,000 Polish children forcibly deported to Germany after the war, only 30,000 were found. – 15%. It's a dramatic statistic. Let's not let it happen again. We must fight for every child! But every official, every soldier, every politician involved in these crimes must be held accountable – with Putin, Lviv-Belova and Lukashenko at the forefront.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, Europe’s role, our role, is to work for peace in Ukraine – but only one that is fair and lasting. It is necessary to clearly indicate who was the aggressor and who was the victim. There will be no peace without the withdrawal of Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine. There will be no peace without the return of the deported Ukrainian children, but also without the return of the Crimean Tatars to the peninsula. Finally, there will be no peace without the settlement of Russian war crimes – from Bucha to Mariupol. The European Union must be a guarantor of justice, not a return to Business as usual. Peace without justice is just a pause before another Russian aggression. That is why we need to support Ukraine militarily, politically and humanely for as long as it takes. But not at the expense of Polish agriculture, not through full liberalisation. Using all frozen Russian assets, rather than liberalising trade with Ukraine, as led by your classified work on the Association Agreement. Ladies and Gentlemen, instead of helping, do you want to quarrel with us, again? This is what Russia wants.

Mr President, thank you very much. Today, in the heart of Europe, we must say aloud: Belarus is Europe's bleeding wound! Wiktoria Kulsza – 1605 days in captivity. Volha Majorawa – 1544, Alona Hnauk – 1172 days in captivity. These women are not prisoners. They are hostages of the Lukashenka regime. Wiktoria Kulsza is dying in front of our eyes. He's going through the hell of torture. Suicide attempts, starvation, destruction of the body and psyche. The colony's administration turned the prison into a 21st century concentration camp. Volha Majorawa is losing her sight. She's being denied treatment. The regime considered her a terrorist in order to be able to kill her slowly. Alona Hnauk does not know that her children have fled persecution. Cut off from the world, brutally exploited, devoid of dignity. Andrzej Poczobut, Belarusian and Polish journalist, prisoner of conscience – imprisoned in the most severe penal colony, subjected to psychological and physical repression just for being the voice of truth. Europe must act immediately. Every day of delay is another victim of Lukashenka's terror. We demand sanctions, we demand complete isolation of the regime!

Mr President, thank you very much. The foundations of democracy and civil liberties are free media. European politicians are discussing the need to support them, as in the case of Radio Free Europe, but their actions do not prove this. Examples, Belsat TV - a medium providing reliable information to Belarusians, but also to Ukrainians and Russians. Until recently independent. Today it is only an editorial office in the structures of the Polish public television illegally taken over by the government of Donald Tusk. Belarusian section of Radio Wnet, Belarusian portals, Card 97, Nexta, Radio Racja, Radio Svoboda. Their resources were drastically reduced. These media are a window to the free world for Belarusians. Taking over the burden of EU funding is only a matter of quick and decisive decisions, Ladies and Gentlemen. You're hitting Americans for cutting media finances. In the meantime, this is first and foremost a task for Europe. It is for the struggle for membership in the European community that Belarusians face persecution, torture or imprisonment. It is time to finally take responsibility for this, ladies and gentlemen of Europe.

Mr President, thank you very much. There is another important resolution ahead of us. It raises the issue of the illegal detention and show trials of Armenian hostages, including high-ranking political representatives from Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan's complete annexation of Nagorno-Karabakh has triggered a humanitarian crisis and a mass exodus of Armenian civilians. This situation requires concrete actions, such as the establishment of a human rights monitoring mission, the organisation of talks between representatives of Azerbaijan and Armenia, and making the future cooperation of the European Union with Azerbaijan conditional on progress on human rights. For years, the European Union has been interfering in the Polish democratic order. Now he plans to organize a round table on democratic presidential elections in Poland, so that the civic candidate does not win, but does not react where human rights are really violated, where this reaction should be quick. Europe, this is not the time for loud speeches and applause. I demand decisive action to solve the real problem, which is undoubtedly the situation in the Caucasus.

Madam President, thank you very much. On 21 February 2017, Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová were murdered. It was a brutal execution of an investigative journalist who revealed information about informal links between the world of politics and business, and at the same time a blatant attack on journalistic freedom in Slovakia. Unfortunately, every day, journalistic freedom is hampered by opaque and authoritarian governments that try to cover up their ineptitude. In Poland, public television was forcibly and unlawfully taken over after the change of power in 2023. Independent media journalists are intimidated and denied access to Prime Minister Tusk's press conferences. They are even threatened with imprisonment. All of this is happening in Poland, where Prime Minister Tusk claims to have finally restored the rule of law – I think Lukashenko’s. Threats against journalists have nothing to do with the rule of law. We must defend journalistic freedom.

Madam President, thank you very much. The International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice are the cornerstones of the global legal system. In theory, as an international community, we have the tools to prevent violence and effectively punish criminals. Meanwhile, here in Europe, Russia is committing crimes against the Ukrainian people, and the Lukashenka regime is persecuting Belarusians fighting for freedom. As the author of the report on Russian crimes committed in eastern Ukraine, filed in The Hague, I also deal with the problems of Eastern Europe. For years, I have also unsuccessfully demanded that criminals be tried fairly and that the fate of their victims be taken care of. Unfortunately, criminals remain unpunished, as the possibility of ICJ and ICC influence is weak and ineffective, largely due to the politicization of both institutions and pressure from the aggressors. There is a need to improve the efficiency and independence of action and enforcement mechanisms. Protecting international justice is key to ensuring justice, but it requires global cooperation, depoliticisation, commitment and consistency.

Madam President, thank you very much. Shootings, attacks, rapes, gangs terrorising residents are part of the everyday life of Sweden, a recently safe country. This is the result of an open-door policy that left-wing politicians have been pursuing for years. All those who opposed the immigration policy of the European Union at the time, including my group, were accused of xenophobia. For eight years of the rule of Law and Justice, we have successfully defended Poland against the influx of refugees, including those from the east who are being attracted by Lukashenko. It was then that the current Prime Minister Donald Tusk, your pet, threatened Poles with punishments for not accepting migrants, and his party colleagues attacked the Polish border guards. That's all to get your support in the elections for which he now pays for Poland's security. Today, the European bureaucracy is forcing my country to accept migrants. Tusk pretends that he does not agree to it, but we all know that this is a simple fraud for the purposes of the presidential campaign. Soon the Poles, like the Swedes, the Germans, the French, will begin to face the consequences of your harmful decisions. You want to rule the world, and you're dragging Europe down.

Mr President, thank you very much. For two months, Georgia has been plunged into mass protests against a brutal, anti-democratic government that has rigged elections once again and, with the biggest opposition, suspended accession talks with the European Union. The authorities respond with brutal repression. Georgia is at a critical juncture, be it the direction of European values or the criminal regime of the Kremlin. As the European Parliament, we cannot stand by. We must resolutely demand sanctions against oligarch Ivanishvili, the related Georgian businessmen and politicians, the international isolation of the current government and parliament, support for Georgian independent media, assistance to pro-European organisations and independent circles, the release of former President Saakashvili and other political prisoners. We must also build, Ladies and Gentlemen, a positive direction for the European Union against Moscow's propaganda. Ladies and Gentlemen, it is time for decisive action! It's time to decide!

Mr President, thank you very much. Ladies and Gentlemen, The anti-elections organised by the Lukashenka regime are a cynical farce aimed at strengthening his power. Europe cannot be passive. We must act decisively and send a clear message. We will not tolerate a regime that tramples on human rights and fundamental democratic values. First, we should talk to the regime in the language of ultimatums. The end of half-measures, the end of compromises. Sanctions should target key sectors of the economy that support the regime: exports of fertilisers, petroleum products and other resources. They should also cover European companies operating in Belarus. We have these. Let us also cut off the regime from international financial transactions. At the same time, we must suspend the sword of Damocles, the International Criminal Court, over Lukashenko and his entourage. What is happening in Belarus is not only human rights violations, it is crimes against humanity. Secondly, we must support the democratic forces, which are the true representatives of the Belarusian people. Cooperation with them is not only a moral issue, but also a strategic one. It shows that Europe supports those who fight for freedom and dignity. We must clearly separate the regime from the people. Lukashenko is not Belarus and his regime does not represent its citizens. Ladies and Gentlemen, Europe must be a bastion of democracy and a defender of human rights. If we ignore the suffering of the Belarusians, we will betray the values on which the civilized world is built. It's a live Belarus!

Mr President, thank you very much. Thousands of Georgians have been taking to the streets for weeks in opposition to the policies of the Georgian Dream, a pro-Russian party that is pushing the country into Russia's embrace. Arrests, violence and the freezing of relations with the EU are the government's response against Georgian society. The Georgian demonstrations are held under the slogan ‘Wake up, Georgia!’. And I say: Wake up, Europe, and stand on the side of the protesters! Mrs. Kallas, what does it mean that much more can happen by December 29th? What are you waiting for? Until there's blood? Until President Zurabishvili is imprisoned, as was done with President Saakashvili? You said that the list of sanctioned persons is now ready. Then at least do it! In 2008, the Union slept through the war. The independence of Georgia and the honor of Europe were saved by the President of Poland Lech Kaczyński. We need to learn from history and make decisions decisively and without undue delay. Georgians believe in the strength of the European Union and are fighting for their future. Let's help them! (Speaker ended her speech in a language other than EU)

Madam President, thank you very much. On the basis of Rule 202, could you please explain why there will be no resolution on political prisoners in Belarus at this session? The number of political prisoners in Belarus is growing every day and can reach ten thousand. Among them is Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, one of the most persecuted opposition activists, who was brutally arrested in January 2021 in front of her four-year-old son. She has recently been diagnosed with chronic, incurable pancreatitis, which in prison conditions, in the absence of medical assistance, is a death sentence. I therefore call on the international community to take immediate action to release Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk and all political prisoners in Belarus.

Mr President, thank you very much. European universities are infiltrated by foreign services. It is on them that the fight for young minds is being fought, which are being forced into harmful left-wing ideologies, spreading disinformation, and influencing important decisions is being built. The fight for access to knowledge, scientific research and modern solutions is ongoing. Russia, Belarus and China are installing their spies in scientific circles to destabilize European countries. The Russian spy network has access to data that helps to influence societies and institutions. There is evidence of this in Poland, Estonia or the United Kingdom. Example: The university in Siedlce, in cooperation with Russia and Belarus, organized a conference on Poland-Russia relations, including in the field of security. Its rector, a colonel of the former Military Information Services, is the promoter of the doctorate of the head of the Military Counterintelligence Service, i.e. services responsible for counterintelligence protection of the Polish state. The fight against Western civilization continues on many fronts. Open takes place in Ukraine, invisible through influence and influence. Universities must remain free, but the role of the state is to provide security in the protection of thought, technology and influence on the minds of the young generation.

Mr President, thank you very much. History teaches us that dictators can gain power through democratic elections. However, if they stand by it at all costs, they become a threat not only to their own people, but also to the international community. In 2012, Bidzina Ivanishvili gained democratic legitimacy and President Saakashvili peacefully handed over power. However, since 2016, and especially after the 2020 elections, Georgia has been moving towards authoritarianism, and state institutions have been subordinated to oligarchs with assets gained in Russia during the years of wild privatization. Today we are dealing with the uncontrolled power of a man with mafia connections, which is unacceptable. So we have to draw conclusions. I therefore call, Commissioner, for the current Georgian authorities to be completely isolated by freezing European programmes, introducing visa sanctions and creating a cordon of sanitation around the regime's representatives on the international stage.

Mr President, thank you very much. In Poland, the right to abortion is granted to women in a situation of danger to life or health and in the case of pregnancy resulting from a prohibited act. A lot of lies have been told here on this issue. I would also like to remind you that the last attempt to liberalize this law, already under the rule of Donald Tusk, has failed. And this best shows the attitude of the Polish society to this issue. The fact that measures are being taken to protect animals and the defence of the fundamental human right, i.e. the right to life, is overlooked speaks volumes about the state of Europe today. Significantly, the unborn child has legal capacity and, meanwhile, his or her right to life is being undermined. Instead of fighting for the legalization of abortion, we should focus on how to help single mothers, how to make men aware of not leaving their partners in the face of unwanted pregnancy. How to motivate society to care for the fate of children who are our future? Discrimination against women who are not yet born, because they also have a right to life, should be addressed better.

Madam President, thank you very much. This is a formal request under Rule 202 of the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament. 19 October marked the 40th anniversary of the kidnapping and martyrdom of Blessed Father Jerzy Popiełuszko, patron of Solidarity, a movement that brought freedom to Poland and Europe. Here are his words: "Solidarity is the unity of hearts, minds and hands rooted in ideals that are capable of transforming the world for the better. It is a cry with a loud voice for respect for human dignity, it is at the same time a recognition of the other person and his problems. It's caring for the imprisoned, demanding freedom for them, it's caring for their families. It is a fraternal concern for all those who are persecuted and discriminated against for our common beliefs." It was for proclaiming such values that Father Jerzy suffered a martyr's death at the hands of the communist authorities. Blessed Father George, intercede for Poland and Europe. I kindly ask everyone to commemorate with a moment of silence the steadfast priest and blessed priest George.

Mr President, thank you very much. I have been supporting a democratic Georgia on its path to the European Union for years. I admired the development after the Rose Revolution and the reforms that brought the country closer to European standards. After Bidzina Ivanishvili took power, I watched with pain the gradual collapse of the country and its subordination to Moscow's policy. One of Ivanishvili's political prisoners is former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili. It is to him that I would now like to give the floor. Here is a letter I received from you yesterday. Dear Members of the European Parliament, In a few weeks, on the eastern edge of Europe, in Georgia, there may be a great victory for Europe, democracy and peace, or a great tragedy. In this struggle, the public mood in Georgia is unequivocal. The vast majority of citizens support Europe and freedom, not wanting to return to Russian influence. On the other side is a Russian oligarch. He is willing to do anything not to give up power and will prepare to rip off the upcoming elections, just as he has taken control of the whole state. Democracy in Georgia is in grave danger. In just over two weeks, we will face a regime that lost the election but won't recognize the results, possibly suppressing hundreds of thousands of protesters, arresting thousands, and perhaps using lethal force. It's a classic déjà vu from Belarus and Venezuela. Do not allow a country that once delighted the world with the Rose Revolution to be tragically separated from its true dream of belonging to Europe. These are the words of President Saakashvili. Come and observe the election. Express your support for the Georgian people. Make your voice sound louder than before...

Mr President, thank you very much. As Moldova approaches key presidential elections and a decisive referendum on integration into the European Union, we are facing a critical moment. We must act decisively to protect this democratic process from external interference, from Russia, whose relentless attempts to destabilise Moldova threaten its sovereignty. Moldova's courageous progress towards European integration is under constant attack. This is not only Moldova's struggle, it is also our struggle. The European Union must stand shoulder to shoulder with Moldova, providing solid political, financial and technical support to ensure that Moldova’s elections are free, fair and resilient to external manipulation. Poland has been actively participating in these processes for years, both through development cooperation with the use of EU funds and within the framework of bilateral cooperation. Strengthening Moldova is not just a matter of solidarity. This is a strategic imperative for the stability and security of our entire region. Let's send a clear signal. Moldova's path to Europe will not be stopped by Putin.

There is poverty in every country affected by the Soviet Union and Vladimir Putin. In every country affected by Vladimir Putin, there are prisons, starving children and human rights violations. Not Americans – Russia is the evil we must fight, the evil we must confront. And that's the truth.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I express my deep concern about the human rights situation in Cuba, in particular the fate of José Daniel Ferrer, leader of the Cuban Patriotic Union. Arrested on 11 July 2021, he is still in prison in scandalous conditions, without access to medical care, cut off from contact with the world. However, Cuba is not only about prisons and violations, the suppression of civil liberties. I spoke to a clergyman who serves in Cuba. His work is not only spiritual support, but also daily help for families in humanitarian matters. There is a lack of medicines, medical supplies, electricity, milk for children, even bread in Cuba. It is the result of communist rule, dictatorship and dependence on Russia. Poverty and hopelessness allow Russia to recruit mercenaries from Cuba to fight against Ukraine. The young Cubans sign a pact with the devil and become Russian cannon fodder. Silence against this tyranny is complicity in crimes. Cooperation with this regime is complicity in crimes. Cubans, we admire your courage, we support your struggle, we are with you.

Ladies and Gentlemen, today we are obliged to express our firm condemnation of the brutal actions of the Lukashenka regime. From here in the European Parliament, I address all political prisoners and their families in their language, in Belarusian: (Speaks in a language that is not an official language). Particularly appalling is the case of Andrzej Poczobut, a man of steadfast character whose life is in danger today. I know him personally, and I won't rest until he's free. There is also a Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski in prison, but also many Christian clergy. Six Belarusian political prisoners have already died or been murdered. It is an act of terror against one's own people. We call on the regime to immediately release all political prisoners. If you don't, we'll make sure you end up in The Hague, that your power doesn't last forever, and that your guilt is punished. Lively by Belarus.

Madam President, thank you very much. Ladies and Gentlemen, Western Europe is struggling with increasing crime, which is the responsibility of immigrants, or rather those who invited them to Europe. Groups of young, unemployed, aggressive men are an increasingly common sight on European streets. And what does that mean? Each of you knows perfectly well, because as an MEP you get warnings, where in the evening in Brussels you probably shouldn't go. It is a pity that in this way only parliamentarians are protected, forgetting about ordinary citizens. Spain – one in two perpetrators of sexual aggression is a foreigner. Immigrants from Africa, although they make up 2.5% of the population, are responsible for 20% of the country's sex crimes. Sweden – around 33% of prisoners are immigrants. Germany – The crime report shows that immigrants are overrepresented in murder, murder, serious bodily injury and rape. The German interior minister herself stressed that Germany remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world. We firmly reject the further arrival and reception of immigrants. We demand safety for our families...

Dear Madam President, Ladies and Gentlemen, The situation in Venezuela reminds us of Belarus. Belarus, where the usurper Lukashenka, ignoring the will of the voters, forcibly maintained power, suppressed social opposition and forced Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya, the real winner of the elections, to emigrate. At that time, Europe did not recognize this act of violence and enslavement. And rightly so. The cooperation of the Russian and Belarusian regimes with the dictatorial regime in Venezuela shows how deeply criminal systems can support each other. We Poles have experienced dictatorships many times and we perfectly understand the pain and suffering of authoritarian rule. So let us support the opposition and civil society in countries like Venezuela, which are facing inhumane regimes that are causing poverty and forcing millions of people to emigrate. The people of Venezuela have the same aspirations, dreams and rights as we Europeans, as evidenced by their protests, demonstrations and proof of electoral fraud. Europe should stand in solidarity with all peoples who want a better fate, freedom and the rule of law. Solidarity on such fundamental issues is a test of our credibility as a community based on values and should not be subject to any political relativisation.