Speeches

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.