What Sophia spoke about.

10 Apr

2024

EN Speech

Screening of third country nationals at the external borders - European Criminal Records Information System - Third Country Nationals - Common procedure for international protection in the Union - Establishing a return border procedure, and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1148 - Asylum and migration management - Addressing situations of crisis and force majeure - Establishment of 'Eurodac' for the comparison of fingerprints for the effective application of Regulation (EU) No 604/2013, for identifying an illegally staying third-country national or stateless person and on requests for the comparison with Eurodac data by Member States' law enforcement authorities and Europol for law enforcement purposes (recast) - Union Resettlement Framework - Standards for the qualification of third-country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection - Standards for the reception of applicants for international protection (recast) (joint debate - Migration and Asylum package)

Watch

Madam President, as I stated earlier, I will support the package, but I will do so without joy. Now, every one of us in this room has his or her own reasons for voting in favour or against. And I’d like to say to the EPP: no, Greens and Left are not on the same side of the far right if they vote against. I think that’s dishonest. And no, friends of the Greens and Left, those voting in favour, like…

10 Apr

2024

EN Speech

Screening of third country nationals at the external borders - European Criminal Records Information System - Third Country Nationals - Common procedure for international protection in the Union - Establishing a return border procedure, and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1148 - Asylum and migration management - Addressing situations of crisis and force majeure - Establishment of 'Eurodac' for the comparison of fingerprints for the effective application of Regulation (EU) No 604/2013, for identifying an illegally staying third-country national or stateless person and on requests for the comparison with Eurodac data by Member States' law enforcement authorities and Europol for law enforcement purposes (recast) - Union Resettlement Framework - Standards for the qualification of third-country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection - Standards for the reception of applicants for international protection (recast) (joint debate - Migration and Asylum package)

Watch

Madam President, whether it was an official reprimand or not, Mr Vandendriessche has been told that he cannot use Nazi terminology in this chamber and that he was not allowed to do so. So I expect the Presidency of this House to take the necessary steps.…

10 Apr

2024

NL Question

Screening of third country nationals at the external borders - European Criminal Records Information System - Third Country Nationals - Common procedure for international protection in the Union - Establishing a return border procedure, and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1148 - Asylum and migration management - Addressing situations of crisis and force majeure - Establishment of 'Eurodac' for the comparison of fingerprints for the effective application of Regulation (EU) No 604/2013, for identifying an illegally staying third-country national or stateless person and on requests for the comparison with Eurodac data by Member States' law enforcement authorities and Europol for law enforcement purposes (recast) - Union Resettlement Framework - Standards for the qualification of third-country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection - Standards for the reception of applicants for international protection (recast) (joint debate - Migration and Asylum package)

Watch

Apart from the fact that your speech is full of mistakes and lies, I would like to know the following: Have I just heard you speak of ‘replacement’ and do you mean ‘population’, that Nazi term that you use constantly and for which you have already been reprimanded? Is that what you mean?…

10 Apr

2024

EN Speech

Screening of third country nationals at the external borders - European Criminal Records Information System - Third Country Nationals - Common procedure for international protection in the Union - Establishing a return border procedure, and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1148 - Asylum and migration management - Addressing situations of crisis and force majeure - Establishment of 'Eurodac' for the comparison of fingerprints for the effective application of Regulation (EU) No 604/2013, for identifying an illegally staying third-country national or stateless person and on requests for the comparison with Eurodac data by Member States' law enforcement authorities and Europol for law enforcement purposes (recast) - Union Resettlement Framework - Standards for the qualification of third-country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection - Standards for the reception of applicants for international protection (recast) (joint debate - Migration and Asylum package)

Watch

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, big majority of Europeans want a humane and controlled European migration policy, and that is why we have to end years of chaos and inhumane circumstances, because we will not be able to explain to our voters that we end this term in chaos. We’ve witnessed in recent years the total collapse of trust between the Member States. We’ve seen pushbacks and violenc…

13 Mar

2024

EN Speech

The time the European Commission takes to deal with requests for public access to documents (debate)

Watch

Mr President, Madam Commissioner colleagues, I very much welcome the special report by the European Ombudsman, but it is unfortunate that it had to come to this. I don’t know about you, but I have been here for 20 years now. I’m probably one of the MEPs doing most access to documents requests, and I think never once did I get my documents on time. Never once! If you can find me one instance where …

13 Mar

2024

EN Speech

Rising anti-LGBTIQ rhetoric and violence: recent attacks in Thessaloniki (debate)

Watch

Mr President, Madam Commissioner, colleagues, phobia, like in homophobia, transphobia, literally means fear. And indeed, it seems that some people are frantic about the idea that there are people in the world who are different from them. And I just heard the colleague who’s already left say, you insult biological women. Well, I don’t know. I don’t feel insulted, I’ve got better things to do with m…

12 Mar

2024

EN Speech

European Media Freedom Act (debate)

Watch

Mr President, Madam Commissioner, unfortunately, the Council is not there. I think it is a very, uh, joyful moment that we are here to conclude this, uh, this process. But I would like to make one remark, because the effectiveness of this directive is going to depend entirely on its enforcement. And here we see a weak point – because free media are under pressure, not so much from external forces,…

11 Mar

2024

EN Speech

Definition of criminal offences and penalties for the violation of Union restrictive measures (debate)

Watch

Mr President, I’ll be brief, because this is a fairly consensual file. Two last remarks. One very important aspect that has just been highlighted by the Commissioner is that this law will also enable us to confiscate assets which have been frozen, because now there will be a criminal act, which will allow us to confiscate those assets – which I think is just and fair. But the second aspect is – of…

11 Mar

2024

EN Speech

Definition of criminal offences and penalties for the violation of Union restrictive measures (debate)

Watch

Mr President, colleagues, let me start by, first of all, saying thanks to the Commission for putting on the table a very good proposal and being extremely helpful throughout the trilogues and also thanking my colleagues, the shadows, because I think it was an exceptionally good cooperation, a very strong consensus. I would also like to express my commiserations to the poor Spanish Presidency who h…

28 Feb

2024

EN Speech

Report on the Commission’s 2023 Rule of Law report (debate)

Watch

– Mr President, Commissioner. I will very rapidly respond to some points and cover some countries. First of all on Hungary, there is no need to say very much; it’s in a league of its own. I think that President von der Leyen’s decision to release the EUR 10 billion was spectacularly misguided, but I’m glad to hear that no payments have been made yet. Greece and Slovakia are, as far as I’m concerne…

28 Feb

2024

EN Speech

Report on the Commission’s 2023 Rule of Law report (debate)

Watch

Mr President, Commissioner, it’s a pity, actually, that the Council is absent. It would have been a very educational debate for them, I suppose. First of all, I would like to start by welcoming the annual report – the edition that we are discussing today. I think the next one is already in the making. And having been one of the driving forces behind it – the author actually of the legislative init…

27 Feb

2024

EN Speech

Recent revelations of spying on Members of the European Parliament and the lack of follow up on the PEGA committee recommendations (debate)

Watch

Mr President, I have to confess I feel a little bit like in the twilight zone. In my fairly outdated idea of democracy, it would be a scandal if Members of Parliament are being hacked and spied upon. Yet, in contrast to Qatargate, when third countries were trying to take influence on the decisions of this House, we’re having a late-night debate. The Commissioner, sorry to say so, is not in charge,…

27 Feb

2024

EN Answer

War in the Gaza Strip and the need to reach a ceasefire, including recent developments in the region (debate)

Watch

Well, where to start? First of all, we haven’t seen much action from the side of the European Union – probably none – in order to, let’s say, rein in the extreme actions of the government. I have seen no action, or hardly any action, to aim for a two-state solution. I mean, virtually nothing has been done. And at the moment, there is support for the two-state solution and the Palestinians, but it’…

27 Feb

2024

EN Speech

War in the Gaza Strip and the need to reach a ceasefire, including recent developments in the region (debate)

Watch

Madam President, every person has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – Palestinian people no less than Israelis. That is the principle that we should all defend, including the right, which is now absent. Europe is an ally of Israel, but that does not mean unconditional support to a far-right government, because what we see today is not self-defence, but vengeance – and for so…

27 Feb

2024

NL Question

War in the Gaza Strip and the need to reach a ceasefire, including recent developments in the region (debate)

Watch

Mr Ruissen, I hear you say that even if all Hamas fighters are defeated, taken out of the field, the spirit of Hamas lives on. That almost sounds like you're saying that some kind of endless violence by Israel against the people of Gaza is legitimized. Could you explain that to me? Where is the border for you? When is violence no longer legitimate? And do you not agree with me that this limit has …

17 Jan

2024

EN Question

Rule of Law and media freedom in Greece (debate)

Watch

Dear colleague, indeed, we’ve been discussing the rule of law in Greece several times. Each time, you dismiss all the criticism and accuse those who are asking questions of being partisan and motivated by elections and campaigns. I would like to ask you: can you imagine that politicians would actually do something because they believe in something, because they stand for something? Is that somethi…

17 Jan

2024

EN Speech

Rule of Law and media freedom in Greece (debate)

Watch

Madam President, colleagues, Commissioner, this debate is long overdue, as the rule of law in Greece is in steep decline and press freedom is in dire straits. Rule of law corrosion and political capture pervade all government sectors. Independent oversight bodies are being neutered. EU funding is conditional on serious efforts to prevent and detect corruption, which is evidently not the case in Gr…

17 Jan

2024

EN Speech

Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 14-15 December 2023 and preparation of the Special European Council meeting of 1 February 2024 - Situation in Hungary and frozen EU funds (joint debate - European Council meetings)

Watch

Mr President, colleagues, I’ve already made my remarks about the absence of President von der Leyen, which I consider to be unacceptable. But in her speech, she defiantly claimed that Orbán had delivered on the rule of law conditions. Now she knows that’s not true. She’s not fooling anybody, not even herself. But she did set a precedent, because Prime Minister Fico of Slovakia is already rubbing h…

17 Jan

2024

EN Question

Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 14-15 December 2023 and preparation of the Special European Council meeting of 1 February 2024 - Situation in Hungary and frozen EU funds (joint debate - European Council meetings)

Watch

Mr President, actually it’s more a remark and Mr Papadimoulis also referred to it. We’re having a debate here on the European Council. The President of the European Commission – as she always does – listens to the first round of speakers and then disappears. I find that utter disrespect to the European Parliament and to her Treaty duties. She’s a member of the European Council and her College is a…

16 Jan

2024

EN Speech

Fight against the resurgence of neo-fascism in Europe, also based on the parade that took place in Rome on 7 January (debate)

Watch

Mr President, let’s not forget that our European Union arose from the ashes of extremist rule. We said at the time ‘never again’. Let’s make sure that those dark days never return. Let’s speak out before they return. We see the first signs. I hear the European Commission say ‘yes, but the Foreign Minister has condemned this’. Yes, but there has been a conspicuous silence on behalf of the Italian P…

16 Jan

2024

EN Speech

Humanitarian situation in Gaza, the need to reach a ceasefire and the risks of regional escalation (debate)

Watch

Mr President, I wish that we could see the suffering and trauma through the prism of our humanity. The images of children in particular are unbearable. And this is not a matter of being on one side or the other. It’s human suffering. Human trauma. We need an immediate and lasting ceasefire, and long-term peace and security will not be ever achieved without a two-state solution. That is an illusion…

16 Jan

2024

EN Speech

Presentation of the programme of activities of the Belgian Presidency (debate)

Watch

Madam President, it was actually about the intervention of Mr Vandendriessche, but my my request wasn’t noticed. This is the umpteenth time that I hear Mr Vandendriessche using Nazi terminology in this Hemicycle. I have requested repeatedly that it is investigated whether or not the use of Nazi terminology is acceptable in this Hemicycle. He is using the term ‘omvolking’, which is also a term whic…

15 Jan

2024

EN Speech

Order of business

Watch

Madam President, we have indeed decided to have a debate this week, but given the seriousness of the rule of law concerns in Greece, we feel that it would be proper to have a resolution. There are many different concerns, but I would like to highlight just one, because it compares to resolutions that we have adopted on other countries: the fact that almost three years ago, journalist Giorgos Karai…

13 Dec

2023

EN Speech

Planned dissolution of key anti-corruption structures in Slovakia and its implications on the Rule of Law (continuation of debate)

Watch

Mr President, Commissioner, Minister, the first activities of the Fico government are an alarming echo of the recent past – high-level corruption investigations suspended, the investigators removed and their whistle-blower status lifted, judicial reforms to be rolled back and the office of the Special Prosecutor to be closed and, maybe the worst of all, attacks on journalists and their access to g…

13 Dec

2023

NL Question

Jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition of decisions and acceptance of authentic instruments in matters of parenthood and creation of a European Certificate of Parenthood (debate)

Watch

Mr President, my first question to Mr Ruissen was: You are talking about an undesirable interference in national law. But isn't what you're proposing just unwanted interference in private lives and our wombs? But I pressed the button for your last comment about healthy and stable families. Can you explain which families you think are covered? For I think that every family of loving parents who car…