Speeches

Madam President, the recent elections in Romania have shown a major and very real danger to our European democracy: unregulated and unsafe use of social networks such as TikTok explicitly, but also Facebook, X or Instagram. We are just discovering at this time that these platforms, when left unattended, become very fertile grounds for disinformation and manipulation, and threaten the very integrity of the idea of fair elections. The very real interference Romania has faced is a stark warning about the vulnerabilities in our digital landscape. This idea that it was a passing incident, a mere chance, algorithms used more inspired and for which there should be no responsibility and no consequences, is unacceptable. Romania is still awaiting these responsibilities today. The European Union must act quickly and decisively, and I welcome the announcement made today by the Commission, thank you, announcing the start of these checks. We cannot afford to allow such interference to spread to other countries in Europe. Our democratic institutions and the trust of our citizens are at stake. We need to rigorously apply the DSA (Digital Services Act) to ensure transparency and accountability of social networks. In addition, we need to invest in robust cybersecurity measures and encourage collaboration between Member States to defend European democracy, that is what this is about.

Mr President, the fall of the Assad regime in Syria is an extremely important moment for the country and the region. I myself was born in a time of dictatorship and respect, and I admire the determination of the Syrian people in the face of hardships impossible to imagine for all those who were lucky enough to live only in democracy. However, while we are at this crossroads, we must recognise that Syria's future today remains very fragile, especially since the somewhat similar examples in the region are not exactly encouraging. The end of tyranny is only the first step on a long road to a peace and stability so desired and awaited. The European Union today has a crucial role to play in this process. We must engage in smart regional diplomacy, promoting dialogue and cooperation among neighbouring states to support the reconstruction of Syria. Our commitment to provide humanitarian aid and rebuild the country's infrastructure is binding. There are not a few examples from recent history that show us how important it is to prevent a slide of Syria back into chaos. Together we can help build a society based on justice, democracy and human rights, even if these words seem utopian today. It is the first test of the new European diplomacy and I trust that together we can be united in our efforts to support the Syrian people.

Madam President, it is a sign of responsibility and maturity towards European citizens that the political negotiations have come to the result that we can say today that we have a committee and that it will take office on 1 December. The electoral architecture after 9 June was not at all and is not a simple one, so I congratulate all the negotiators for the endurance to achieve a result at this time. But now, Madam President and ladies and gentlemen of the Commissioners, it is time to start meeting expectations and delivering results. Now, not in two years, not in five years. I demand from this Parliament's desk a genuine concern for the rule of law. I call for a strict and clear application of the legislation on social networks. They demand tougher mechanisms to combat disinformation and more effective measures to respond to hybrid warfare, which is increasingly coming to us. Otherwise, democratic elections, as we know them and want them in Europe, could become history. We are a union of people, not of algorithms, so I ask this Commission that an operation like the one in last Sunday's elections in Romania can no longer be possible. We have to act. Now.

Mr President, the importance of this debate today is so great that I find it difficult to find the words to describe it. From all the statistics related to Romania and violence against women, I chose a sad and painful one. This year, between 1 and 15 July, so in just two weeks, 6 843 women turned to the phone line dedicated to victims of domestic violence. Only 57 then agreed to report it to the police. The stigma associated with violence against women is the biggest obstacle we have to overcome. Speaking of domestic, sexual or verbal violence, this scourge must disappear from our society and I want to express my respect and admiration to the USR candidate in the presidential elections, Elena Lasconi. Freshly arrived, just a few hours ago, in the second round, Elena struggled with a misogynistic and miserable campaign. A female president could be the signal of profound change in Romania.

Madam President, we are reading and hearing these days that Donald Trump's victory is a wake-up call for Europe, from both his supporters and his opponents. But few people say that Europe didn't need Donald Trump or anyone else to wake up. Europe's competitiveness, security, industry and technology sectors must be developed regardless of who is in the White House, and the partnership with the United States will last because there is no reasonable alternative. That it will unfold perhaps more difficult, we will see and adapt, both we and our partners in Washington. We are not experiencing the end of the world, nor is it the beginning of an Enlightenment era. We are simply continuing on a path on which the European Union had to continue to walk anyway, a path on which to become a stronger, stronger and more united actor. It is, first of all, for the benefit of our citizens, but also for the benefit of the transatlantic relationship, for the benefit of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, the Western Balkans, all our partners.

Mr President, for decades, Moldova has endured Russia's relentless campaign to undermine its democracy and sovereignty. Moscow's tactics have included disinformation, cyberattacks, economic pressure and support for anti-European forces. These actions threaten not only Moldova as a state, but the entire European security order. If we look today at all the countries confronted with Russia's interference, it becomes obvious that Moldova was the laboratory, the testing ground for Vladimir Putin's current actions. Despite a continuous assault in 1992, when there was the war in Transnistria, Moldova showed remarkable resistance. Today it is a candidate country for membership and the first country to sign a security and defence partnership with the European Union. In the context of the elections and the integration referendum, the European community, its institutions, the member states must offer Chisinau all possible assistance, political, economic and security, which is needed. From here, from the heart of European democracy, we must send a clear message to Putin: This aggression can no longer be tolerated. We stand with Moldova and support its right to choose its own destiny. I want to thank my colleagues from the other groups who took part in the negotiation of the resolution last night. It is a robust text, it is a text that puts and will represent the arguments of support in the communication in the coming period, because the Moldovan citizens are waiting to see the extended hand from the European Union and this resolution I hope will contribute to this endeavour.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to see the support of pro-European groups for the release of political prisoners in Belarus. I come from a country where the memory of the communist dictatorship is as vivid as possible and so is the struggle of courageous dissidents who have spent decades in communist prisons. Lukashenko must be tried by a court for these illegalities, for the life of every person who is endangered or lost during this period, as well as for his complicity in the war in Ukraine. We must not forget that the invasion of Ukraine was also made from Belarus. Russian troops are still there and they are receiving ammunition, equipment and assistance from Lukashenko and his government. And we must not forget that Russia's terrible information war against Europe and every state on the eastern border is equally supported by Belarus. Stronger sanctions against the Lukashenka government must be taken forcefully in the coming period and are an emergency.

Madam President, on Saturday, for five hours, my father-in-law was nowhere to be found in a commune in Galati County, in eastern Romania. Neighbors told me he had tried to escape by car, but he didn't make it and the car was 200 meters from the house, under water, from the flooded house as well. I found out later that he had managed to get out of the car and found shelter on a hill. In a panic, his phone fell into the water. We have all seen images of disasters in all the countries affected. But when your family is hit, the dimension of knowledge is different. We were actually talking about the damage the other day. The text of the resolution we are debating today will by no means work wonders. We need to look at it as a necessary foundation. Yes, we need to look at areas prone to natural disasters also from a safety and public health perspective and allocate funds for these regions to be supported also by cohesion policy, not only or only by the Solidarity Fund after disasters strike. Just as we have successfully asked, for example, industry to tie glass stoppers to save millions of tonnes of waste, so we must ask governments to invest in dams and flood protection systems, even if they do not have immediate electoral potential. And we have to do all this now, because my father was lucky and survived. Others, we know very well, have died just these days.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, one thing must be said clearly and unequivocally in the context of the war in Ukraine: The fight of the Ukrainians against a bloody dictator is also the fight for the freedom of Europe. Putin will not stop and Russia's neighbours in Eastern Europe know this very well, because history has this bad habit of repeating itself. Now, in Ukraine, brave soldiers defend the freedom of a continent, the right to decide for their own future and the entire European way of life as we know it. Solidarity with Ukraine and military, financial and humanitarian support are both a responsibility for survival and a moral duty, and no one and nothing is allowed to undermine this endeavour. If we are talking about solidarity, I say very clearly, the government of Viktor Orbán, the holder of the rotating presidency, is sabotaging Europe's joint efforts and it is a disgrace. Viktor Orbán, through his blockages, is Vladimir Putin's accomplice and this must stop.