Speeches

I'll switch to English to be clearly understood. The way the world is today started when Putin attacked Ukraine. That was the flame who burned the world in this moment. And Putin attacked Ukraine without any excuse. This the main problem and this is why we are discussing today exactly this topic.

Madam President, for more than four years, the Kremlin has been treating the Geneva Convention as a mere suggestion and not as an international law. From Romania we do not see these horrors only on the news, on TV ‑ 44 drones or fragments of drones have crashed in our country. The last drone fell, not long ago, in a big city. Hundreds of people were evacuated. Justice can no longer be a post-war luxury. She must be our immediate priority now. We must overcome the rhetoric of condemnation and ensure that accountability is inevitable. This means concretely setting up the Special Court for Aggression Crimes, in order to close the jurisdiction gaps and put the architects of this terror in the defendants' bank, and Russian assets must be confiscated and reused to compensate the victims and rebuild what Putin's missiles destroy. Impunity is the oxygen of dictators. If we allow the massacre of civilians to become a new normal this year, 2026, we are not only failing in front of Ukraine, but we are dismantling the very edifice on which Europe's security rests.

Mr President, the multiannual budget debated today must support a vision for a truly resilient Europe in the current geopolitical context. We cannot afford to sacrifice cohesion, we cannot afford to sacrifice agriculture, we cannot afford not to support competitiveness, we cannot afford, in fact, to allocate too little funds to the next budget. In order to ensure our role as a credible global player in an increasingly volatile world, an ambitious increase of the instrument is needed Global Europe to EUR 225 billion. Parliament’s report provides vital support for Ukraine. We have a real chance, through this budget, to become an undisputed leader in global development and humanitarian aid for countries in need. We need dedicated budget lines for each enlargement country coupled with strict conditionality requiring the suspension of programmes in case of degradation of the rule of law. But European funds must also have a geopolitical dimension that contributes to Europe's economic security and by no means finance entities whose objectives compete with the European Union's economy or seek to destabilise its democracy.

Mr President, in a geopolitical environment increasingly defined by a great power rivalry and rising protectionism, the European Parliament highlights a critical truth: strengthening our bond with Canada is no longer just a choice, it is a strategic necessity. As we face an unstable transatlantic relationship with the US, marked by shifting priorities and economic friction, Canada remains our most reliable, like‑minded ally on the North American continent. We share more than values. We share a commitment to a rule‑based order and economic resilience. A vital pillar of this renewed partnership is our energy security. This report emphasises the urgency of deep cooperation in the nuclear energy sector, specifically with a modernised Canada-Euratom agreement. By collaborating on nuclear reactors and securing stable supply chains for nuclear fuel and critical minerals, we can break our dependencies on hostile actors and power our green transition together. In an era of fragmentation, let us choose the partner that stands with us. For a secure, sovereign Europe, we must look to Canada. Thank you, and I want to thank Tobias and the other fellow shadow rapporteurs for the very constructive approach in this debate. Thank you, Tobias.

Mr President, enlargement is no longer just a European policy today - it is our most powerful geopolitical tool for peace and security. For the Republic of Moldova, whose future is inextricably linked to the European Union, the path of accession is a historical necessity that we must support with utmost urgency. But we have to be honest: Enlargement can no longer be a one-way street. It is a moral necessity for the European Union to reform in parallel with the candidate countries we want to receive. We cannot simply demand transformations from others, while our own institutions remain in the romantic 90s. This adaptation means removing the ‘unanimity trap’, which has paralysed our ability to move and adapt. By removing the unanimity requirement and introducing qualified majority voting in enlargement matters, we are thus ensuring that no Member State can take our collective security hostage any longer, as is the case today. We must respond to the courage and aspirations of the Moldovan people - and of the other candidate states - with an agile, efficient and truly ready to lead Union. Our future depends on a European Union as bold as those who aspire to be part of it.

Madam President, this report, which was adopted today by Parliament and which I voted for with all confidence, is also a response that the European Union must address to the need for humanitarian support that humanity is facing. In the context of the United States that has withdrawn from most markets with humanitarian crises, in the context in which crises no longer come as they did in previous years, let us say, one after the other, giving the possibility of reaction to European states and institutions, we are in a situation of multi-crisis, exactly as the title of the report says, in which the adaptability and life expectancy of many communities depends, unfortunately, in many cases at present only on the European Union and its response capacity. This report seeks to build the framework for a response that is as tailored and structured as possible to the most diverse needs. That we are talking about Ukraine, that we are talking about Gaza, that we are talking about Africa, there are areas where the European presence is necessary and where an adequate response can make a difference. A necessary report, I voted with full confidence.

Madam President, this 28th regime is finally Europe's response to one of the most important crises we have faced in recent years. The fact that those successful European companies that were becoming profitable, that needed growth, had to leave the European market, going to America or to other European markets, to the UK, precisely for the difficulty of doing business in Europe. This regulation comes as a response to this challenge by setting up a new legal vehicle, a new European company, the possibility to set up for an entrepreneur, for an innovator, the possibility to set up a company in 48 hours, digitally, a company to be recognized in all European states. A company that can grow, adapt, stop running into bureaucracy and those bureaucratic bottlenecks that existed in one state or another. It is a necessary answer, it is a response through which the economy, European entrepreneurs receive an oxygen bubble and have the chance to develop their companies here in Europe. A response we've all been waiting for, a very good decision.

Madam President, I voted for this report because it is a tool through which patients across Europe will henceforth have access to basic medicines. Basically, states will now be obliged, European states, to provide stocks for those fundamental medicines that, in one country or another, over time, have been lacking, creating tremendous pressure on people and patients dependent on these medicines. Another important news is that the Republic of Moldova has been introduced into the European mechanism for the purchase of medicines and has reduced the number of community purchases from the standard of 9 states to 5, which makes the whole mechanism much more, more efficient, so that the risk of a patient running out of a medicine on which his life depends is very small. A necessary report, a report to be welcomed. The quality of life of European patients is getting better now.

Madam President, the 2025 report reveals a stark 'deterioration of the global human rights landscape', nowhere more visible than in our Eastern Neighbourhood. We witness 'territories under military occupation' and Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, where sexual violence is brutally deployed as a 'weapon of war'. Simultaneously, we see a proliferation of 'foreign agents laws', including in 'countries with EU candidate status', designed to silence the very civil society we aim to support. We must honour the courage of persecuted journalists like the 2025 Sakharov laureates from Belarus and Georgia. How must the EU act? First, we must aggressively counter the 'disinformation campaigns' targeting our candidate countries. Second, our financial support requires strict adherence to values; we must implement a 'human rights and democracy conditionality rule' in the Global Europe instrument. Finally, we must end impunity. This means full support for the International Criminal Court and the expansion of the 'EU global human rights sanctions regime' to target those who destroy democracy on our borders.

Mr President, the reports are clear: an arc of instability has formed around us, from the Zapad military exercises on our borders to airspace violations in Poland, the Baltics and Romania. Regarding Ukraine, we must establish a defensive European-led Integrated Air Protection Zone, employing combat air patrols to intercept Russian projectiles over uncontested areas. We must also use frozen Russian assets to fund the direct integration of the Ukrainian defence industry into our own Single Market. We must physically secure the neighbourhood. This requires extending military mobility corridors, such as Rail Baltica and the Black Sea Highway, directly to the eastern flank, and fully operationalising the Eastern Flank Watch to secure our borders. On democracy, we must be decisive. We should impose targeted sanctions on the Georgian Dream leaders responsible for democratic backsliding, while reinforcing the EUPM mission in Moldova to counter the hybrid war being waged by Russia there. As Europeans, we must provide security, not only consume it.

Madam President, the Cypriot Presidency rightly identifies Europe's urgent need for security, competitiveness and strategic autonomy, but almost none of these priorities can be achieved without the enlargement of the European Union. Enlargement remains one of the Union’s most transformative and geostrategic instruments for ensuring the prosperity of the European area. A safe, resilient and integrated European area depends on the integration of our neighbours who believe in the European project. We need to open negotiations immediately with candidate countries, respecting the established methodology and its character based on individual merits. We have the excellent example of the Republic of Moldova, which confirmed our trust last year and received the highest rating from the Commission for the progress made. But we must recognize these merits. However, wisdom and strategic ambition also require financial support. As we move forward with the negotiations on the new 2028‐2034 multiannual budget, it is imperative that we allocate increased funds to accession countries. We cannot build a European Union open to the world without investing in future members who want to join us in defending it. Mr President, I wish you a successful and successful mandate!

Madam President, I voted for this report because it is a citizens' initiative. More than one million citizens have agreed to this initiative and it is the duty of the European Parliament to listen to the voice of citizens. This is a first argument. A second argument for which I support this report is that a woman's right to her destiny, to the way she wants to live her life, is a fundamental human right that must be defended in every context and against every argument. It is a necessary report and today's result in Parliament shows that indeed the European Parliament is responding to the expectations of European society as it is today.

Madam President, I voted for this report on military mobility, because flexibility is the key word at a time when Europe's security and safety are being put to the test. This military Schengen, which is mentioned in the report, is actually the necessary and mandatory answer for Eastern Europe, mainly, given the flank's position vis-à-vis Russia, to be able to move in real time military units from all over Europe, to be able to defend ourselves in this defense construction which, in the new geostrategic context, is a less America. Big BrotherWe have to adapt. In this context, this facility on military mobility is a mandatory requirement and an important theme for the period ahead, which is why I supported this report.

Madam President, the gradual abandonment of Russian gas is a necessary strategic necessity for the future of the European Union. We see in the history of this century and of the last one an aggressive Russia, a Russia that continues to be a danger to Europe and which has been fueled, financed by European money. This dependency must end. The fact that this resolution that I voted on proposes a timetable for phasing out these gases is more than necessary, because energy autonomy is strategic for the future of Europe. An autonomous, energy Europe, a Europe that no longer depends on Russia, has a hard say in what the security and stability of the European continent means.

Madam President, since the beginning of 2025, the number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan has surged to nearly 400, targeting activists and researchers alike. We are witnessing a disturbing trend where academics are sentenced to 15 or 18 years in prison on charges of high treason. Their alleged crimes consisted solely of maintaining academic contacts with scholars from neighbouring countries. These trials were held behind closed doors, largely violating international standards. We strongly condemn this misuse of national security provisions to criminalise academic freedom and peace advocacy. We call for the immediate release of these detainees. Furthermore, the EU must consider sanctions against the officials responsible and make it clear: any future partnership agreement must depend on tangible progress in the rule of law.

Mr President, we are currently witnessing a systematic assault on democracy in Georgia. The ruling regime is actively dismantling independent institutions, silencing the media and undermining judicial independence. We strongly condemn the brutality we have seen, including the use of chemical agents against peaceful protesters. This violence must stop. We demand the immediate release of all political prisoners and opposition leaders who have been unlawfully detained. We call for the repeal of all repressive legislation and for the full restoration of civil liberties, but words are no longer sufficient. We urge Member States to impose targeted bilateral sanctions against the officials responsible for this backsliding, while simultaneously stepping up EU support for the country's independent media and civil society. Democracy will prevail, must prevail, as long as it is defended.

Mr President, we are all aware that geopolitical realities have changed. The new U.S. national security strategy is not just an update. It is a final warning in writing after numerous statements in which Washington tells us plainly: The age of unlimited dependency is over. Europe urgently needs to take responsibility for its own security. For this, the program ReArm Europe It must be fully funded. But we have to be very careful how we do this. I see proposals to finance our frigates through cuts to cohesion, agriculture and blocking expansion. This is a strategic error. We cannot secure our borders by weakening the communities behind them. We need new resources, not painful and discouraging reallocations. Defense is paramount. Yes, but we must defend our European social model as firmly as we defend our territory. We must build a secure Europe while keeping the promise of a prosperous Europe.

Madam President, just days ago, we saw Russian aggression directly endanger our citizens and our critical infrastructure. The drone strike on a gas tanker on the Danube forced the evacuation of Romanian villages. This act of brazen economic sabotage is not an isolated incident. It is part of a continuous, hostile pattern of airspace violations and hybrid warfare originating from Russia. Romanian air defence systems were activated multiple times near the border, scrambling jets to monitor threats. These are not mistakes; they are deliberate, reckless provocations designed to test our resolve and wear down our defence. When will we stop reacting and start deterring? We must move beyond condemnation. I call on this Parliament, the Commission and the Council to adopt a robust and unequivocal response to these continuous violations. We need a faster, more effective joint mechanism to secure our skies and our critical ports, energy, and communication infrastructure. It is time to move decisively on using the seized Russian assets – not just the income, but the principal – to fund the defence and reconstruction of Ukraine. History offers a brutal lesson: weak responses will always invite more aggression.

Mr President, if there is a fundamental mission for the European Union, it is the unification of our continent. But in order to receive new members we must first clean our own house, make renovations as necessary in any house after a few decades. We cannot build Europe's future with the tools of the past. An enlarged union with more than 30 member states simply cannot afford to be paralysed by the veto right of a single government, and the enlargement process cannot require unanimity at every technical step. The cost of inaction is too high and too risky. That is why, with this report, for which I congratulate colleague Sandro Gozi, we propose a path towards a more efficient, democratic and stronger European Union, one capable of acting faster, speaking with one voice and empowering its citizens. Enlargement requires reform on the part of candidate countries such as Moldova, Ukraine or the Western Balkan states, but also on our part. By reforming the Union's institutions and procedures, we are preparing for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

Madam President, Minister, I am speaking to you today not as a Member of the European Parliament, but as a Romanian citizen concerned about the future of Europe. In recent weeks, the airspace of my country and of the states on the eastern flank, practically the space of the European Union and NATO, has been repeatedly violated by the drones of the Russian Federation. And we have to be clear: These were not and are not accidents. These are deliberate actions and challenges, calculated to test our resolve and responsiveness. Drones are no longer a fantasy. feature from the video game Counter Strike. They're very real. They are drones that violate our sovereignty and are a direct threat to the safety of our citizens and an attack on the stability of the entire Black Sea region. Russia demonstrates once again that it is a very present and very concrete threat to peace on our continent. Naively optimistic passivity is no longer an option. We welcome the rapid response of our allies with the launch of NATO's Eastern Sentry mission. It is a clear signal of unity and solidarity, but we must do more as the European Union. We need to accelerate the financing and implementation of a European drone wall, using our common defence programmes, to develop technologies capable of neutralising this very real asymmetric threat. Romania is among the frontline countries, but this border belongs to the whole of Europe. Now is the time to show that our solidarity is not only declarative, but an effective and impenetrable shield. We must act together firmly to protect every inch of our European territory.

Mr President, the resolution we are debating today addresses a real and serious threat to a European democracy. Moldovans are called on September 28 to elect their Parliament, and the outcome of these elections will determine whether Moldova continues its path towards joining the European Union or is again destabilized by Russia. Moscow is waging a fierce hybrid war to bring Moldova back into its sphere of influence. In these months, Moldova is the testing laboratory of Kremlin-developed hybrid warfare strategies, which inject hundreds of millions of euros into Moldovan society to buy votes and poison democracy. They use cyber attacks. deepfakeMassive disinformation campaigns and campaigns to manipulate the good faith and fears of citizens and use everything from energy to religion. President Maia Sandu warned us just a few hours ago from this microphone. Moldova is today the testing ground for this new offensive, but the real target is Europe. We stand in full solidarity with the Republic of Moldova, which has preserved its democracy in the face of terrible pressures, and we will continue to support its efforts to defend its democracy and anchor its future where it belongs, within the European Union.

Madam President, let us set the scene in the streets of Belgrade: what we are witnessing is a Government, a candidate for EU membership, unleashing brutal violence against its own people. The Vučić regime’s crackdown on peaceful, democratic protesters is an affront to everything this Union stands for. The images of police beating students, of citizens being tear-gassed are a stain on the conscience of Europe. Let me be clear: a government that attacks its own youth, that silences dissent with batons, is walking away from Europe, not towards it. The principles of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law are not negotiable talking points; they are the very foundations of our community. To the brave students and citizens of Serbia: we see you. We stand with you. Your fight for a democratic future is our fight. This Parliament will not look away. Serbia’s place is in Europe, but a European Serbia cannot be built on fear and violence.

Madam President, I stand before you not just as a European, but as a Romanian as well. My country shares the longest EU border with Ukraine. We are not just neighbours; we are brothers and sisters who have sheltered millions from the storms of Russian aggression. We have seen their fear in their eyes and heard the sirens first-hand. We talk of peace, and we must. But let us be clear: a peace dictated by the aggressor is not peace, it is surrender. And a 'just peace' is not a negotiation over how much of a sovereign nation is fed to the wolves. That peace will never hold without real ironclad security guarantees. Vague promises are an invitation for future aggression. Ukraine needs more than our resolutions. It needs our resolves. So I ask you, look east from this Chamber. See the courage of a people fighting for their very values we represent. History will not forgive us if we answer their sacrifice without hesitation. Let our legacy be that when tyranny challenged our continent, we did not flinch. We acted. We secured a just peace.

Mr President, as we face challenging trade talks with our American partners, we must not forget the vital importance of our transatlantic bond. For over 70 years, the partnership between Europe and the United States has been the foundation for global prosperity and security. This is about more than just tariffs. It’s about our shared democratic values and our joint responsibility to tackle global challenges, from climate change to cybersecurity. Choosing protectionism now would be a huge error, undoing decades of shared progress. We must work towards a fair-trade relationship that strengthens both sides, guided by a spirit of cooperation. Let's be inspired by President John F. Kennedy, who said, 'We must seek a world where peace is not a mere interlude between wars, but an incentive to the creative energies of humanity.' In that spirit, let's use our energy to build a stronger, safer future for both the European Union and the United States.