Speeches

Thank you very much for this debate. In fact, I was not surprised by the right side that just came here and spoke about such an important topic for us, and now it just disappeared. Only Mr Terheș remained in office, who also told various lies, misrepresentations and disinformation. Ladies and Gentlemen, Those who have spoken here, I address you who are not here, but perhaps you will listen to this conversation. This is your disgrace, because none of you have read this document. You were talking about things that weren't in this document at all. You really need to read comprehension. I think you can do that when you're in the European Parliament. I would also like to tell you that every sexual offence must be prosecuted resolutely and effectively, regardless of who the perpetrator is and what his origin is. But if we are talking about what the law should look like, then we also need to be based on facts, not political emotions. Data from Poland on foreign immigrants, data provided by our government indicate that in 2024 out of 1100 rapes 48 were rapes committed by foreigners. So it's not that foreigners come and rape European women, because all the data shows - but you don't want to read this data - that the most rape and violence is among families and by loved ones. And one last thing at the end: I would like to thank very, very warmly the two people who worked on this document, their two advisors Elina and Benek. Without them, there would be no report. Finally, a word to the Commissioner: Commissioner, we no longer want more maps, more ways to make laws. We want the right here and now. The Commission must show that it is strong and the Commission must stand on the side of women.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Each and every one of us comes to politics with something that hurts him, with something that he cannot leave behind the door, with something that does not allow us to sleep. And that's the theme for me. Because when we talk about the European definition of rape, I don't see points on the agenda, I just see the faces of women who were silent, women who no one believed, women who were told by the system: It wasn't rape. How many women do you know? One hundred, two hundred women? Think of their faces. They're your friends, your sisters, maybe your relatives. One in three have experienced sexual violence. Not some statistical woman in Excel. Not an anonymous case in this report. The woman you know. A woman whose name you remember. Perhaps you were sitting with her, talking and laughing, not even knowing that she had suffered violence. Therefore, do not think about numbers now, but think about specific women, because the facts are devastating. Let me say it again: one in three women in the European Union has experienced physical or sexual violence. And recently we even heard that there is a platform on the Internet that teaches how to rape women: 60 million views per month! This data is devastating. Sexual violence doesn't come out of nowhere. It grows where, over the years, women's consent, indifference and dehumanization have been at work. The reality is that violence is normalized. The Internet teaches it, and the system too often does not give victims security. And all this changes our report. First, it clearly shows that the victim does not always respond clearly. He does not always shout, fight or say ‘no’. Responses to violence can be very different: from fighting, through freezing, subjugation or fainting. None of these behaviors are consent. Therefore, the law must clearly understand that there is no one proper behavior of the victim. Second, we must finally stop believing that rape is an attack by a stranger in a dark alley. The data clearly show that the perpetrator is very often a person known to the victim: partner, acquaintance, someone close to you, such as the husband of Gisèle Pelicot from France or the husband of Zoe Watts from England, or other women described in a recent report by CNN journalists. Thirdly, the report says that only one in seven women report rape to the police. Victims do not report violence because they do not believe they will be taken seriously. That is why, in this report, we place a very strong emphasis on better preparation of the police and judges. Fourth, the report says that only one in five raped women contacted a doctor or social services. That is why a system of protection and support is so important, because justice after rape does not end in court. Ladies and Gentlemen, this report makes it clear: Sex without consent is rape. And Europe can no longer build rights around the question of whether the victim defended himself enough. If we want to talk about common European justice, it cannot be that the meaning of rape changes after crossing the border. The report makes it clear that different definitions hamper police and judicial cooperation and, above all, undermine the protection of victims. The common law is not only a matter of our principles, but also whether we can really protect people here effectively. This report does not, of course, complete this process. We are sending a signal to the Commission: We, as the European Parliament, are ready. That is why today I say to the Commission and to Commissioner Lahbib: We make our move, now this time is for you. And I ask all of you tomorrow to vote for us to finally change the law.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. The housing crisis is a huge problem. And it is good that we are finally talking about this in this House, even when we hear these silly statements from some people on the right about this crisis. But the truth is that we can no longer turn a blind eye to the pathology of a system in which house prices have risen by 60% since 2010 and rents by almost 30%, taking away the chance for young Europeans to live a normal and independent life. But we also cannot pretend that we do not see how the housing crisis hits the weakest. Every night, 1.3 million people in Europe, including 400,000 vulnerable children, sleep on the streets or in temporary centres in Europe. In Poland alone, in my country, it is about 35,000. It's a shock, but it's also a scandal. Home is the foundation of security, not a commodity in the stock market. Housing is a right, not a commodity. We need to create such a law for people, not a law for developers and market players.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Commissioner, I'm sorry. The new Gender Equality Strategy 2025 makes it clear that women's rights must remain a priority for the European Union. But the time for talking is over, and the time for concrete action has begun. Later this year, Commissioner, we have two important files to vote on. Firstly, the Citizens' Initiative My Voice My Choice, which has collected more than 1.2 million signatures, demanding real support for access to safe and legal abortion for all European women. Second, the EU definition of rape based on consent. In France, Gisèle Pelicot had to go through hell for French politicians to come to their senses. What are we waiting for here in the European Parliament? Let's do it with us, too. Commissioner, we are very much counting on you on these two issues that I have mentioned. The European Union must be a model in protecting women's rights, especially now, in these difficult times when the right wants to take these rights away from us. It is not enough to speak, we must act, we must protect our rights. Let's just do it together and together.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. We are talking about violence against women today – and very well – but let us not talk about it as something that is remote and that does not concern us. The truth, unfortunately, is devastating. According to research, one third of women in the European Union have experienced violence at home, at work or in a public place, i.e. the perpetrator of violence was not a migrant, as the right often shouts in this room, but someone whom the victim knew: partner, acquaintance, husband, uncle, grandfather, colleague. There are 720 people in this room and statistically more than 100 women here have been victims of sexual violence. Most of these women never said anything about it, because it's easier to believe in the victim's guilt than to look the perpetrator in the eye. It's time to end the silence. It's time to stop justifying the perpetrator. This is also happening here, between us. And it's time to stop looking away.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Surrendering to a tyrant will never bring peace. And this simple thesis should be understood by every European. But, of course, Orban does not understand this, because like Trump, he wants to expand the red carpet in front of Putin, but not in the name of peace, but in the name of his particular political interests, because right now his political support in Hungary is falling. You convert the deaths of innocent people in Ukraine, Mr. Orban, into support posts. Shame on you, Mr. Orban. It's a shame. Unfortunately, all this cunning diplomacy of both Trump and Orban only strengthens Putin and Russia. When they wonder where to lay this carpet, we have again an attack on Kiev, on a kindergarten and two innocent victims. Putin is a tyrant and dictator and is responsible for the crimes in Ukraine. And if he ever found himself in Hungary, he should be arrested, brought to justice and held accountable for the crimes he committed.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, I'm sorry. The three-billionth penalty on Google is a very important step, but let's not be delusional. For a company that makes hundreds of billions of dollars every year, it's like a small parking fee, not a real sanction. For years, Google favored its own advertising services and played just not fair. That is why, as socialists and democrats, we welcome the Commission's decision, because it is a clear signal that Europe is finally enforcing its own law. That's a really good step. There should be no equals or equals in Europe. In Europe, we should all be equal before the law. And it's not just about competition. It is a struggle for media freedom, pluralism of information, justice and democracy. The Commission has taken the first step, but I hope that this is only the beginning - the beginning of the enforcement of unfair actions by big-techs, as well as the sharing by big-techs of revenues for which taxes should be paid.

Your statements are shocking, because the fact that you are here in this room, it is thanks to women. Thanks to women you could be elected to the European Parliament, thanks to women you could learn, thanks to women you are here and you talk nonsense. My question is specific: The greatest amount of violence against women is in families. What will you do to save those women who are being abused by their loved ones?

Mr President, thank you very much. Thank you, Commissioner, for having this new declaration for women's rights and gender equality. And thank you for finally doing what my group of socialists and democrats has been doing for years. I would like to remind you that in the previous term, as socialists and democrats, we have developed a very important document, the only one that has emerged in this House – the Charter of Women's Rights, which is a set of all fundamental rights that should be guaranteed to every woman in Europe, regardless of which country she comes from. I am glad that some of these rights are included in this document. But as we all know, in politics, words are not everything. Many things can be promised, but what matters is what we can prove. And you will have a chance as a Commission, as we have a debate on the My Voice, My Choice initiative, a debate on Parliament’s report on the definition of consent-based rape and a new strategy for gender equality. And this is an opportunity for the Commission to show that women's rights are not just an empty declaration, but a real priority for the Commission. I am counting on you very much.

(beginning of speech outside the microphone) ...It's a shame and a disgrace that you're sitting here in this room talking such nonsense. You haven't been here before, I haven't seen you. It was clear and unambiguous what the money was going for and what security was like. Didn't you see how Europe united when there was a drone attack on Poland? Are you blind? Don't you see that? I think you're Putin's agent, and you don't want to see it. And you don't want to see it.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Every time we talk about Russia, on this side of the room, like mushrooms after the rain, Putin's agents grow up. I really don't know how to say it any more easily. Russia is an aggressor. Putin is a threat. But I'm not just talking about an attack by drones or planes over Europe's airspace. Let's also focus on what's going on in the web. Poland is one of the most attacked countries in the European Union: more than 100 000 cyber-attacks last year, 170 000 cyber-attacks by October and 2330 by the end of last day. These are facts. These aren't dreams. If you do not see this, wake up, because you are working for Putin, not for our security.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Thank you for all the voices that are in solidarity with the Poles, but also that make it clear that Russia is a threat – not only to Ukraine, not only to Poland, but to the entire European Union. But I am outraged by the voices of all far-right MEPs who speak Putin's language. Mrs. Zajączkowska, will you tell us when Putin is paying you? Do you know that every drone shot down in Ukraine will not reach your home? Do you know that any destroyed tank will not reach your home? Do you know that every drone or tank shot down and destroyed will not reach home in Brussels, Berlin, Madrid and Strasbourg? Are you fully aware of this? Ladies and Gentlemen, as Europe we must be united, we must be together and we must show Putin not only strength, but our unity. And that's what this is all about.

Mr President, thank you very much. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. The data that has been published in The Lancet is indeed devastating. 14 million people around the world could die from Donald Trump's disastrous and bad policies. This is, of course, a great tragedy, but for us, for Europe, it is a truly extraordinary opportunity to stand on the good side of history. We can become a leader in development policy because we know that investing in global development is an investment in the future for all of us. I was in Seville and I would like to draw attention to one more thing. During the meeting I took part in a conference on feminist foreign policy and it was very symbolic that there was an extremely great interest. In a very small room, a lot of people sat on the floor, including me. I'm talking about it so as not to give in to trends from across the ocean and not to turn away from women, because even if there is no room for us at the table, we will still enter through doors and windows and sit at this table. We know that without women, we will never achieve any of the goals we have committed to. And that is, I think, also crucial and important.

Mr President, thank you very much. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. The data that has been published in The Lancet is indeed devastating. 14 million people around the world could die from Donald Trump's disastrous and bad policies. This is, of course, a great tragedy, but for us, for Europe, it is a truly extraordinary opportunity to stand on the good side of history. We can become a leader in development policy because we know that investing in global development is an investment in the future for all of us. I was in Seville and I would like to draw attention to one more thing. During the meeting I took part in a conference on feminist foreign policy and it was very symbolic that there was an extremely great interest. In a very small room, a lot of people sat on the floor, including me. I'm talking about it so as not to give in to trends from across the ocean and not to turn away from women, because even if there is no room for us at the table, we will still enter through doors and windows and sit at this table. We know that without women, we will never achieve any of the goals we have committed to. And that is, I think, also crucial and important.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, I'm sorry. I listened to the debate and what the right side was saying. And basically, their screams and calls that they do not like this act testify only to the fact that it is good that this act was created at all. But Commissioner, in a recent report by Liberté, we read that a very large number of countries, including my country, Poland, have not prepared to implement this act. And I believe that in its activities, the Commission must lead to the implementation and to the requirement of nation states in the European Union that this act be implemented as it should be. We often repeat here such slogans as freedom of speech, freedom of information, we talk about truth, we talk about facts. It is our duty as parliamentarians, but also the Commission's duty to ensure that this act is implemented, but also that we are already thinking about how to deal with this disinformation and manipulation that is in the digital space.

Madam President, I'm sorry. I am very sorry that I cannot address Mrs Ursula von der Leyen face to face. During your speech, you said several important issues about military and economic support, about moving away from Russian energy sources. All of this is crucial. But you forgot two important things. That there will be no just peace without the Russians being held accountable for their crimes against Ukrainian women and the entire Ukrainian population. There will also be no good and just peace at a time when decisions about the future of Ukraine will be made only by men, without the voice of women. On 19 March, I wrote a letter to President von der Leyen, signed by 38 MEPs from five political party clubs in the European Parliament, precisely highlighting these two important issues. I am about to hand this letter over to the Commissioner, but please be the voice of those who have been harmed. Do not forget that crimes must be accounted for and victims must be compensated.

Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner, I'm sorry. You can't pretend you can't see or hear something. Nor can we pretend to take shortcuts in the accession process. Erdoğan's Turkey will never enter Europe, because it is not normal for people who protest in the streets to be arrested. It's not normal for journalists to be arrested for telling the truth. It is not normal to arrest local government officials who have won local elections. These are not normal situations when women are murdered: 394 women last year, and 259 died in unknown circumstances. These are not normal situations. Erdoğan's Turkey will never join the European Union, but Turkey without Erdoğan has that chance. And as a Polish woman, I would like to say to all Turks and Turks: Erdoğan will not be forever. The day when it will not be there will come and then you will definitely be in the European Union.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Commissioner, I'm sorry. The truth is that the situation that is now in Turkey is a gruesome one. Before our eyes, the most basic foundations of democracy are falling. The arrest of opposition candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu is the apogee of Erdogan's illegal attacks on his political opponents. Recently, Swedish journalist Joakim Medin, who came to Turkey to report on anti-government protests, was arrested. He was arrested at the airport on charges of belonging to a terrorist organization and insulting President Erdogan. And what did he do? He took part in a legal protest in Stockholm against Erdogan. Commissioner, I am asking you to intervene in this matter too, and I am addressing all the Turks and Turkish women. Dear ones, for 8 years I was on the street in Poland and protested against dictatorial governments. Persevere! Dictatorships end someday. We support you very much, even such symbolic gestures as the refusal of our arrival in Ankara, our European Union-Turkey delegation as the refusal of the Commissioner to come to Turkey, these are the symbols that must also take place, but persevere.