Speeches

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, enlargement policy is and must remain a priority for the European Union, which, without the countries of the Western Balkans and the Republic of Moldova, would be incomplete. Enlargement is not only an opportunity for these countries, but also for the European Union itself. Enlarging the European project must contribute to strengthening security and guaranteeing peace on the continent. However, the benefits of membership for the Western Balkan countries can only exist if the whole process remains merit-based and reforms are implemented irreversibly and not in half-measures. Democracy, the rule of law and fundamental values are non-negotiable. They must remain the main pillars of accession to the European project. Accession to the European Union must be a strategic commitment, not a reaction to geopolitical pressures or influences from Russia or China. Enlargement is not a race against time, but a marathon of real reforms, and together we are stronger.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, democracy and freedom have been killed in Romania. Thirty-five years after the 1989 Revolution, we are now experiencing the restoration of dictatorship. The neo-Marxist globalist network is desperate for the democratic loss of power and shows us its true totalitarian face. More than two million Romanians voted in the first round of the presidential elections in favor of the conservative, sovereignist and patriotic candidate, Calin Georgescu. This panic led to the abusive cancellation of the first round of the presidential elections and threw Romania into a situation of unprecedented political instability. Freedom of speech is censored. Simple people, farmers, farmers are raised by masked men by means that remind us of the Stalinist period. These are the habits of those who say that by canceling elections they have restored democracy. Romanians have been and are consistently deeply pro-European and committed to the transatlantic alliance. We are dealing with an obvious struggle between globalism and sovereignism. Romanians demand free elections and need your support. Stand in solidarity with the Russian people!

Mr President, dear colleagues, the critical infrastructure of a state must be protected, not sold. Unfortunately, the Romanian politicians who went through leading positions of the state did not understand that our country should not be plundered. Since the fall of communism, Romania has given up much of its natural resources, which eventually led to an explosion in gas, electricity and even water prices. We are talking today about the concession of reservoirs for the development of energy storage capacities in Romania. Yes, we need a legislative framework that stimulates both the obtaining of energy from more resources, as well as investments, because this contributes to the country's energy security, but the state must retain strategic control over their exploitation. Energy must not become strictly the monopoly of profit-seeking private individuals. We need strategic and appropriate investment, not to hand our country over to foreigners.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, cohesion policy remains the cornerstone of sustainable and equitable development in the European Union in order to reduce regional disparities. More than 28% of Europeans live in regions where GDP per capita is below 75% of the European Union average. Less developed and peripheral regions must be at the heart of cohesion policy, so as not to leave any European citizen behind. It is also necessary to provide tailor-made solutions according to the specific needs of each region and Member State. We have learned from previous periods that administrative delays and the complexity of implementing European funds have prevented the necessary support from being delivered quickly and efficiently. It is essential that budget allocations are more flexible and allow for rapid responses to new challenges. That is why I strongly believe that cohesion policy must remain under shared management in order to be effective, and that the European Union budget should reflect this basic principle.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I strongly condemn the serious shortcomings and slippages that Azerbaijan is facing today in the area of fundamental freedoms and respect for minorities on its territory. It is sad to see this state increasingly departing from democratic norms and international standards in the field of respect for human rights. While we want to privilege trade and energy relations with Azerbaijan, it is clear that we need to be much more vigilant about where the gas that is delivered to Europe comes from. We cannot accept Russian gas in Europe by coming in other ways. At the same time, we must be careful not to jeopardise the energy security of the Member States of the European Union. I wish to express my deep solidarity with the Armenian people, Orthodox Christians and in particular with the more than 120 000 Armenians who have been forced to leave their homes in the Nagorno-Karabakh region because of Azerbaijan's repeated aggressions. Finally, I call on the European Union and the international community to ensure that Azerbaijan preserves the cultural, historical and religious heritage of the Armenian people. This conflict requires a solution based on balance and respect for human rights for the stability of the region and the neighbourhood of the European Union.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, it has often been mentioned in this Parliament that it is not normal to have a multi-speed European Union and that we cannot have European citizens treated unequally. However, we continue to face double standards for products marketed in the EU. It is unacceptable that Romania or other Central and Eastern European countries receive, under the same brand and with the same packaging, products of inferior quality compared to those of the West. Whether it is food or other goods, European citizens are entitled to the same quality standards. This is neither normal nor fair. European producers must eliminate these disparities, while the EU must be vigilant and sanction market abuses in order to protect the rights and health of all its consumers. Romania and Europe deserve respect and fairness.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, today we are at a crossroads where the very essence of our identity as Europeans is in jeopardy. We value our freedoms and rights, freedom of thought, conscience and religion, as they are core values of the European Union. Unfortunately, however, these freedoms, together with our Christian traditions and values, are seriously threatened by the trend of uniformization and secularization forced by this top-down dictatorship. Europe's Christian heritage is the cornerstone of our civilization. We must not allow the forces of secularism or globalism to undermine these vital principles that have defined us as European peoples. I want a Europe that remains anchored in its Christian roots, a union of sovereign nations, each contributing to a magnificent mosaic of cultural, spiritual and historical richness. We must defend the integrity of our Christianity, lest we risk losing the soul of Europe, its faith, its traditions and its freedoms. So help us God!

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, schools, parents and young people in Romania are facing an extremely serious social problem: Alarming drug use among schoolchildren. Nearly three thousand students were declared drug users last year, and the average age at which young people start using drugs is only 13 years old. But the statistics capture only a small part of the reality, and behind the numbers there are many more unseen victims, including stigmatized parents who do not have the tools to get their children on the right track. What do we do to protect young people? We need a profound reform of the education and health system, including measures to prevent and combat drug use. We need to join forces at national and European level to provide support to parents and real solutions to young people affected by this scourge.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, together with my colleagues in the ECR, I voted today in favour of the resolution on the situation in Venezuela, a country where anti-democratic abuse has reached its peak. We have to take a stand! Under President Maduro's totalitarian regime, Venezuela has been driven into chaos. Under the aegis of communism, Maduro continued to destroy what was once the pride of Latin America, a thriving and vibrant Venezuela. Now, instead of prosperity, we see only an oppressed population, silenced, deprived of rights and freedoms. More than 7.7 million Venezuelans have been forced to flee their country in search of a dignified life. The recent elections, declared undemocratic by independent observers and defrauded by the National Electoral Council, only confirmed the desire of this regime to cling with power, at any cost, to power. The illegitimate president, Maduro, effectively subjugated the country's institutions in the service of his own interest. The international community, including the European Union, cannot recognise this regime. After decades of totalitarian rule, Venezuela is now a failed state. These are the fruits of communism. We can't let history repeat itself.

Madam President, dear colleagues, dear Romanians, the situation of 1 347 political prisoners held in inhuman conditions in Belarusian prisons shows that the fight for freedom, dignity and justice is not just a matter of the past. The situation of political prisoners in Belarus reminds me of the situation of those during the communist regime in Romania. I know how hundreds of thousands of Romanians, labelled as enemies of the people, were imprisoned or killed and their families persecuted. Brilliant students were kicked out of universities, guilty only because they had a supposedly unhealthy social origin. Among them, my father, priests, teachers, doctors or simple peasants. Guilty of conspiring against the social order, they were arrested, tortured by the security and thrown into prison without the right of appeal. Unfortunately, history is repeating itself, and we must oppose the actions of totalitarian regimes in Europe.

Mr President, Minister, ladies and gentlemen, while respecting the sovereignty of our Hungarian neighbours and the fact that Hungary is legitimately able to decide who it accepts or does not accept on its territory, we cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that, once again, Mr Orbán's policies are contrary to the spirit of European cooperation and solidarity. All Europeans, including Romanians, want to bring peace back to the continent. So what exactly do we do for the security of the Schengen area? Romania is a deep European fund state and certainly not on Putin's friends list. In addition, we are also a country that has been fully compliant with the Schengen regulations since 2011. However, we are still kept at the gates of Europe. Why do we forget about Romania, when the security and stability of the European project is at stake? It is time to further strengthen the European free movement area that unites us, and this means that Romania must be fully part of the Schengen area in the shortest time, without half measures.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, one of Romania's biggest problems is the demographic one. We have a Romania outside of Romania. Of Romania's entire population of 19 million citizens, almost eight million of them live and work abroad. More Romanian children are born abroad than in the country, and at this rate, if we do nothing, Romania will die. Those in charge of Romania do nothing to prevent young Romanians from leaving the country and those who have left to be motivated to return home. Due to a lack of vision, one in three young people under the age of 20 has come to want to leave Romania. In 20 counties of Romania, the number of pensioners exceeds the active population. It is time for Romania to regain the trust of its young people. So help us God!