Speeches

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the title of our debate reads 'Restoring migration control: returns, visa policy and cooperation with third countries". Let's try to shift the word "return" from first place to last. We will begin to give a more sensible, humane and useful direction to national and European migration policies. The truth is that any repatriations are a possibility and sometimes, few, a necessity. But the governance of migration flows should be based above all on a strategy of visas and cooperation with third countries, aimed at protecting and enhancing the wealth that men and women are in themselves and that they represent for the societies in which they are born and in which they participate as immigrants. Control and security are never ends in themselves, they are at the service of human life. We must be able to form migration policies, having clear that reform does not mean denying ourselves, denying ourselves, but remaining faithful to the system of values, to the civil, social and economic model that is Europe.

Madam President, Madam High Representative, the human rights system is founded on values that precede and inspire laws and institutions. The United Nations, international courts and the European Union were born like this, we know, and today they are all under attack, like human rights. Overwhelms and wars are multiplying, we would like to archive shared principles and rules, disturbing perspectives are opening up, as the president of the United States does, starting from Gaza, with an alternative body to the UN and reserved for a fee to a few powerful people selected by the most powerful of all. Thus the construction site of multilateral governance is dismantled and the idea of a higher right and of human rights without borders and therefore boundary to arrogance is emptied. Our task is to reaffirm the right that governs every power and the rights of every person. This is why we must defend with disarming force the multilateral architecture in crisis, giving new impetus to our Union, supporting and reforming the UN and all the precious spaces for cooperation between peoples and countries.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, there is a precious, fragile and contradicted ceasefire in Gaza and the hostages still alive in Hamas' hands are finally free. But where is peace? The path is all to be developed with tenacity, patience, vision and – I use an ancient Greek word – with parrhesia, the naked force of truth. And the truth is that in Gaza, as in the West Bank, the overwhelms desired and allowed by the Netanyahu government continue. The Trump plan has loosened the neck grip of those who were mortally suffocated and beaten but leaves collars, leashes and sticks intact. It was shouted by countless people, even in the squares of Europe: we Europeans, for the full respect of international law, for the self-determination of the Palestinians alongside the Israelis, for the liberation, as has already been requested in this House, of Marwan Barghouti, the Palestinian Nelson Mandela. This is the way.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the massacre of Christians in Mar Elias has reopened deep wounds. When lives are extinguished by hatred and fanaticism it is an atrocious common defeat. The European Union, the Member States and the entire international community must therefore support the Syrian authorities in the fight against terrorism – in this case Islamist – so that such horrors become a thing of the past. This also means supporting a process of democratic transition based on respect for human rights, the involvement of Syrian communities and civil society, and international law, which, I recall, also protects the territorial integrity of Syria, unfortunately still violated by neighboring countries, Israel and Turkey use the different Syrian communities differently to split the country. If we want to defend all the people of a Syria that is a mosaic of cultures and faiths, humanity and good law, let them be our polar star.

Madam President, rapporteur Schieder, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, Albania has embarked on its accession path with commitment and incisiveness and with commendable reform work. Real problems persist, but the issues to be resolved are well identified: I witness this as co-chair of the EU-Albania Parliamentary Committee. We must now proceed with a clear assumption of responsibility and an effective convergence of political forces, which, I recall, despite the differences, support the accession process without hesitation. From this House I would like to make an appeal to my fellow Albanian Members, some of whom are here today, and I do so with the utmost respect and confidence that we have built up in recent months: that the legitimate internal controversy does not lead to arguments that are disparaging, caricatured and, above all, harmful to the image of the country of the Eagles and to the ongoing process. We are working for an Albania that is fully part of the European family, so that the goal becomes a reality.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, thanks to the rapporteur, Mrs Mendes, attacks on fundamental freedoms and the rule of law threaten many countries around the world, including - I too stress bitterly - some Member States. Today, more than ever, we must be able to resist the attempts of illiberal forces to transform principles and rights into their reverse. It is a matter of defending the essence of democracy and the dignity of every European citizen, and at the same time of sending a clear and unequivocal message to those who wish to embrace the common European project. I also say this as chairman of the Europe-Albania delegation. We must be able to say forcefully to the leaders of the candidate countries: do not betray the expectations of your peoples, carry out reforms to achieve the European path, anchor them to solid human values. European leaders in this House should be asked to live up to the mandate of the founders. We cannot afford silence, indifference, omissions and removals in what Community Europe is doing to us.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Cameroon has become one of the most dangerous countries for journalists: There is a very high risk for them of being imprisoned, assaulted, accused of falsehood and defamation. Many pay with their lives for having carried out with passion and courage the job that has also been yours, Madam Commissioner, and mine too, for more than 40 years. The right to information is much more than a right: The freedom of journalists is the mirror of the freedom of readers, of citizens, of listeners, of listeners, and it is an essential condition for the development of the human personality and of civil communities. It is revealing and emblematic that the journalists of Cameroon, a country bloodied for nine years by one of the too many forgotten wars of our world, are systematically turned into targets. By defending them, we shed light on the inadequacy of local politics and relations between states, on the sectarian and business pitfalls of democracy, on the atrocities that all this produces. Thank you for wanting to defend them together then, and let's thank them, us, them.

Madam President, Madam High Representative, ladies and gentlemen, unfortunately, we are witnessing a constant and increasingly alarming deterioration in human rights globally. The report that has been prepared gives its meaning and depth: From Palestine to Sudan, from Congo to Haiti, crises, authoritarian involutions and wars are rampant, tragically claiming victims. When we speak and speak about human rights in the world, we must also think seriously about ourselves, about the role of the European Union in defending them, about human rights and common values at international level, especially today when the multilateral institutions under their control are under attack. Thank you for the advice you have given us, High Representative. We have alternated, it must be admitted, ability to affect and defend people and their fundamental rights to inertia: It's bad. And even worse would be to subordinate, or even replace, the priority of human rights combined with development aid with that of combating human migration, at any human cost. We really need to find the compass and get back on track.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I very much appreciated what the Commissioner and the Council representative said. The EU must do its best to ensure that Syria's future is no longer characterised by the terrible lacerations of the last 15 years. A brutal dictatorship, finally over, must not slip back into blood, hatred, sectarian overwhelms and external power games. We have a part to play: We must really support, in political-diplomatic, humanitarian and financial terms, the transition to a democracy that values the cultural, ethnic and religious characteristics of this mosaic country. A transition that does justice to the victims of dictatorships and war and that is based on the strong involvement of civil society, including the diaspora, on respect for international law. The Syrians are asking for our support. Let's make sure.

Mr President, Madam High Representative, ladies and gentlemen, the brutal Assad regime has passed and that is enough to hope for. However, the path to peace, security and democracy in Syria is still steep, uncertain and long, as you said. That is why a strong political and diplomatic commitment from the EU is needed here and now: pressure must be exerted with all the instruments at our disposal on the transitional government, so that a democratic process based on respect for the rule of law, equality between women and men and the affirmation of the fundamental rights of all that Mosaic people – Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen, Circassians, Armenians, Muslims, Sunnis, Shiites, Alawites, Druze and Christians – is initiated, guaranteed and respected. And, if we truly believe in the importance of involving all the people in the transition process in a Syria that does not fall apart, we can only be astonished by the statements and actions of some Member States. Rejecting Syrian asylum claims is madness today: Syria is not a safe and peaceful country. Rather, there is an urgent need for an increase in humanitarian aid, because the situation of people and communities is dramatic and we should wisely give ourselves innovative and flexible regulatory frameworks on asylum, which allow Syrians now welcomed in the EU to be able to return to their homeland to contribute to the transition process, without risking losing refugee status. Finally, rightly, there is much talk of Russian and Iranian influence over Assad's Syria. Yes, certain chains must disappear. I trust that you will also be able to remind the allies of the West, Turkey and Israel, that international law can never make exceptions. May the EU rise to these challenges!

(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Madam Commissioner, defending freedom of association, workers' rights, essential human rights and acting to protect the environment cannot be grounds for prosecution or in any case a pretext for systematic pressure and attacks typical of illiberal governments. It happens, unfortunately, and it continues to happen in Cambodia. The EU must not stand idly by while the government in Phnom Penh holds civil society in a real grip. All the tools at your disposal should therefore be used – and I expect you to provide us with answers in this regard: political-diplomatic, commercial and fiscal, so that the Cambodian authorities withdraw the accusations against the humanitarian trade union organization CENTRAL, seriously and clearly unfounded accusations. Stop once and for all attacks against activists of civil organizations, including Equitable Cambodia, Mother Nature, committed to defend noble causes such as environmental protection, sustainable development, social justice.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty born at the G20 in Rio is a very important step. Now we have to move forward, not backward. We will never achieve the UN 2030 Agenda without an alliance of partner countries that are aware of the cornerstones of fair and sustainable development: international cooperation, combating inequalities through the redistribution of resources and accessible and high-level education, combating discrimination, strong and widespread social and environmental protection measures. In order not to go back we need Europe and therefore we need the next Commissioner for International Partnerships to proceed on this path, which is not that of the extractive and market economy, but is based on collaboration between peoples, social organizations and States. Reducing inequality must be the goal. Here in Parliament we will do our job: We expect others to do their part.

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the massacre and hostage-taking of so many Israelis on 7 October 2023 perpetrated by Hamas is a horrendous crime. It's been said by everyone, here, tonight, again. But no crime justifies another crime. Members of the Netanyahu government display contempt for the lives of Palestinians, empty and violate international law, and concoct provocations. Finally, the change in the status of holy places in Jerusalem. From Gaza to the West Bank, we are witnessing a real "murder", the destruction of places of habitation to eradicate a population. It is time for more decisive choices on the part of the European Union. It is time for personal sanctions against the perpetrators of this policy of war and ethnic cleansing, a total halt to arms exports, a ceasefire and the release of hostages. And, above all, it is time to recognize the State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel: This is where the path of peace begins.