What Sophia spoke about.

7

Jun

2022

EN Speech

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The rule of law and the potential approval of the Polish national Recovery Plan (RRF) (debate)

Madam President, it is right you came here today because this chamber is the place where the Commission is held to account, here and nowhere else. Colleagues, 14, no less than 14 resolutions on the rule of law in Poland have been adopted by this House. They were all ignored by the European Commission. So what magical effects do we expect from number 15? The Commission ignores Parliament, the rulin…

18

May

2022

EN Speech

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Commission’s 2021 Rule of Law Report (debate)

Madam President, first of all, congratulations to the rapporteur. As I was the rapporteur of the initial legislative proposal in October 2016, there is a special place in my heart. Whereas the idea of the annual rule of law report, or the annual rule of law health check, has been very favourably received by the general public, the Commission has been as eager as a toddler about vegetables. It init…

4

May

2022

EN Speech

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Use of the Pegasus Software by EU Member States against individuals including MEPs and the violation of fundamental rights (topical debate)

Mr President, I just heard the Commissioner say something interesting. He said that illegal spying, illegal hacking is a crime, and should be reported to the police. So can I then assume that the European Commission has reported to the police that the phones of Commissioners and civil servants have been hacked? Can we at least have an answer to that?…

4

May

2022

EN Speech

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Use of the Pegasus Software by EU Member States against individuals including MEPs and the violation of fundamental rights (topical debate)

Mr President, I would like to start by pointing out that, as so often, the Council doesn’t seem to think that this debate is worth attending. This debate is an important political debate, but I would like to point out as well that the debate we are going to have 11 and a half months from now will be based on the inquiry. We hope to get all the facts on the table so that we can draw our conclusions…

5

Apr

2022

EN Speech

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Question Time (Commission) - von der Leyen Commission: Two years on, implementation of the political priorities

Of course, support to Poland for the reception of refugees, that is not a debate. But what you’re saying is the that rule of law is non-negotiable, but we can negotiate on the way it is implemented. I have heard in recent weeks too much speculation about what that means in practice. Madam President, three years ago you asked for our confidence. When there is so much speculation, there cannot be co…

5

Apr

2022

EN Speech

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Question Time (Commission) - von der Leyen Commission: Two years on, implementation of the political priorities

Madam President, I say to President von der Leyen: it is very good that you will be triggering the conditionality regulation on Hungary. It’s a bit unfortunate that the door is closed when the horse has bolted. Will you make the same mistake with Poland, despite the fact that the Polish Government has no intention to even meet the conditions? We hear rumours that the Commission is ready to approve…

10

Mar

2022

EN Speech

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Transparency and administrative standards - the treatment of public access requests based on Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 (debate)

Mr President, transparency is essential for accountability, and accountability is the cornerstone of democracy. Now, the Commission pledges allegiance to transparency and indeed we have laws in place, but we all know that the practice is an entirely different one. And I happen to be a veteran of access to document requests, and I can tell you the Commission and the Council are actually not practic…

8

Mar

2022

EN Speech

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The deterioration of the situation of refugees as a consequence of the Russian aggression against Ukraine (debate)

Madam President, Madam Commissioner, Madam Minister, I would like to start by echoing the praise for the frontline states, Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia, but of course also the non-EU countries like Moldova, because in their countries citizens, civil society and local authorities are doing really an incredible job and I take a deep bow to their humanity and commitment. So we welcome the EU…

7

Mar

2022

EN Speech

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Citizenship and residence by investment schemes (debate)

Mr President, I should like to thank the Commissioners and my colleagues for this debate. I very much welcome the statements by the Commission, and I thank the Commissioners for their personal commitment. I also salute the announcement of the initiatives to be taken, but I will also be frank: it still sounds a little bit timid to me, because I think the time for non-binding recommendations is over…

7

Mar

2022

EN Speech

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Citizenship and residence by investment schemes (debate)

Madam President, when governments are selling passports or visas, what is actually bringing in the cash is not those passports and visas, but it’s the little blue and yellow logo on them. These stars of the EU flag, however, are not for sale. They belong to all of us, and governments are essentially selling what is not theirs to sell. Golden passports and golden visa schemes are not about attracti…

16

Feb

2022

EN Speech

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Harmonised EU approach to travel measures (debate)

Mr President, I would like to thank the Commissioner, not just for his introduction, but also his good efforts in this area. But it’s a pity that the Council isn’t here because I think we have to conclude that the Commission is doing its homework, Parliament is doing its homework, we are trying to actually eliminate the barriers for free travel for citizens, but it’s national policies and national…

16

Feb

2022

EN Speech

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The Rule of Law and the consequences of the ECJ ruling (debate)

Madam President, friends, today’s debate is not about money or the budget. Today is about the credibility of the European Union as a community of values and a community of law. This is Chefsache, and President von der Leyen’s absence for today’s debate I find particularly ill—judged, and reflects contempt for Parliament. In the next few months, as far as I’m concerned, the Commission will have to …

15

Feb

2022

EN Speech

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The surveillance of politicians, prosecutors, lawyers and journalists, and other persons and entities in EU Member States using cyber surveillance software(debate)

Madam President, I find that this whole situation reminds me very much of a movie that I think many of us know, (‘’), which describes how a government critic was being spied upon by a government agent around the clock, and we all found it a very chilling image. But the point is that it’s not a movie. This has been a reality for millions of Europeans for many decades and I get the feeling that Euro…

15

Dec

2021

EN Speech

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Preparation of the European Council meeting of 16-17 December 2021 - The EU's response to the global resurgence of Covid-19 and the new emerging Covid variants (debate)

Mr President, I would like to start with a sort of procedural remark. I find is rather disturbing that the leaders of the three institutions are not present for the full debate until the end. I feel the leaders of the House, the Commission and the Council should be present for such a debate. Then I would like to call on, in particular the Council, but also the Commission, to do something very orig…

10

Nov

2021

EN Speech

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The escalating humanitarian crisis on the EU-Belarusian border, in particular in Poland (debate)

Madam President, migrants drowning in the western Mediterranean; smugglers are to blame. Migrant victims of pushbacks in the eastern Mediterranean; Erdoğan is to blame. Migrants stuck and dying on the Polish border; Lukashenko is to blame. So maybe, just maybe, we should think about how the European response is part of the problem. Let us not step into the game of the dictators because they are pl…

20

Oct

2021

EN Speech

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Pushbacks at the EU's external border (debate)

Madam President, children are freezing to death on the borders of Europe, and your main concern is border protection and Schengen? Do you remember colleagues at the start of this mandate when a new portfolio was created, the European Way of Life – remember that? And remember the position that this House took about the promotion and the protection of the European Way of Life? Well, compare that to …

19

Oct

2021

EN Speech

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The Rule of law crisis in Poland and the primacy of EU law (debate)

Mr President, the rule of law crisis is the single biggest threat to the European Union, and disintegration has already set in today. And yet the European Council flatly refuses to tackle the matter, which is unsurprising as the main offenders are actually sitting on that same European Council. Even today, government leaders irresponsibly prefer to appease the autocrats, keeping the matter off the…

16

Sep

2021

EN Speech

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United States sanctions and the Rule of law (debate)

Madam President, it’s not the first time that the United States intervenes in European matters in the area of the rule of law, fundamental rights and democracy. They have put pressure on Poland, for example, in the case of the Lex TVN, which we discussed yesterday. They’ve put pressure on Hungary for violation of fundamental rights. But imposing sanctions is actually a whole different ballgame – I…

15

Sep

2021

EN Speech

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Media freedom and further deterioration of the Rule of law in Poland (debate)

Madam President, we’re talking today not about Poland, Commissioner, but about the Lex TVM, which is textbook Orbán. It is a trick using one law which has nothing to do with media in order to eliminate your opponents and your critics. Now I have the feeling, colleagues, with all due respect, that exchanging arguments with the Polish government party is a dialogue of death. We’re not convincing any…

15

Sep

2021

EN Speech

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The Pegasus spyware scandal (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, we’ve been here before. We’re now talking Pegasus, but we’ve been here for PRISM, NSA, Echelon and so many other scandals where we found out that we were being spied upon, basically without limits. And I’m a bit tired of us only complaining and saying it’s terrible, but we can’t do anything because it’s exclusive national competence. Sorry, all the European citizens …

15

Sep

2021

EN Speech

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State of the Union (debate)

Madam President, President von der Leyen has today presented a list of ambitious plans, but in its current state, the European Union cannot deliver. President von der Leyen, we support most of your plans wholeheartedly, but intergovernmental Europe is sclerotic and paralysed, and the European Council has become the graveyard of many crucial initiatives. Migration pact: stuck. Geopolitics: Europe i…

7

Jul

2021

EN Speech

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State of play of the implementation of the EU Digital COVID Certificate regulations (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, I think for a debate like the debates today it’s a pity that the Council isn’t there, because actually I think, the Commission has delivered, Parliament has delivered: the take-up of 200 million certificates! I hadn’t heard it before, but that’s an amazing proof that we did the right thing, and that people are desperate to regain their freedom of movement. And that’s ex…

7

Jul

2021

EN Speech

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Breaches of EU law and of the rights of LGBTIQ citizens in Hungary as a result of the adopted legal changes in the Hungarian Parliament - The outcome of 22 June hearings under Article 7(1) of the TEU regarding Poland and Hungary (debate)

Mr President, we can already congratulate Mr Orbán on winning the European Championship for the most homophobic law on the continent. Last week, the new European far-right alliance has signed up to a common declaration of their values that are profoundly homophobic and sexist. And the only answer to such an alliance is a passionate defence of European values of equality. Yet the European Council, …

7

Jul

2021

NL Speech

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Opening of the sitting

Mr President, I would like to draw attention briefly to the cowardly attack on Dutch investigative journalist Peter R. de Vries yesterday. For the fifth time in less than four years, an investigative journalist is literally under fire for the work he or she does. Peter R. de Vries is currently fighting for his life. I hope, therefore, that this House will show its sympathy and support. I think eve…

6

Jul

2021

EN Speech

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

Madam President, I would like to thank the Prime Minister for setting out an inspiring vision. Europe is indeed facing formidable challenges and as we are still struggling with the pandemic we’re already facing the climate crisis which will be infinitely bigger than the COVID crisis. So we need a strong and united Europe more than ever. But the European Council is paralysed, unable to find a commo…