Speeches

Mr President, I must honestly say that I do feel vicarious shame about this intervention by the European People's Party. I wish Hilde every success with the negotiations; It won't be easy. It is high time that we put down a resolution in this House! The Commission is hiding behind the Council and the Council behind the Commission and behind unanimity. But those who cannot hide from the genocide are the Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied territories. Take action, introduce economic sanctions, suspend the association treaty, stop the subsidies to Horizon. Stop buying weapons. Today I read in the newspaper that there are numerous Israeli companies present at a large arms event in London. We're not going to spend our money in Europe on Israeli weapons, are we? Europeans demand action! And something very important: International law obliges us to act. Anyone who looks away from genocide violates that right and is partly responsible. This applies both to us and to the Commission. Apologies are up.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, for more than a year now Joseph Figueira Martin has been imprisoned in the Central African Republic, kidnapped by the Wagner Group, detained, tortured, threatened with death. And he's still there. He faces a life sentence based on false accusations, without trial, without justice. Colleagues, this is more than a personal tragedy. It is an attack on a European citizen and an attack on international law and human rights. We call on the authorities of the Central African Republic to immediately release Joseph and also provide him with urgent medical assistance. Colleagues, it's time to take Joseph home.

Mr President, dear Minister, dear Commissioner, we are facing a moment of truth in our trade relations with the US. Yes, we've shown patience and we have engaged, negotiated in good faith, as you mentioned. But here we are: deadline day, no deal, no relief, with Trump now even threatening 50 % tariffs on copper and a staggering 200 % on pharmaceuticals. Colleagues, that is not a relationship. That is abuse. And Commissioner, I said it before – I admire your calmness and your determination. And yes, we support your work and we hope you find a deal, but not at any cost, because we don't care about the deal with Trump. We do care about our workers, their jobs, their livelihoods, and about our businesses. So, Commissioner, our group has three messages for you today. One – it's time to set a clear deadline, and with retaliation, if necessary, not only on goods, but also on services. Two – it's more domestic and not always in your competence, but protect workers and business in Europe. Thousands of jobs are at risk, so now take immediate action to protect them. And three – don't let Trump play 'divide and conquer', not with Europe, not with the world. And so it's time to team up with countries like Canada, UK, Japan, Australia and establish a real trade coalition of the willing. It is time for Europe to strengthen up, to lead. Please, Commissioner, don't let the bully win. Push back.

Madam President, you know, Ms Montserrat, we have a sort of joke in the S&D Group. Every time you take the floor in the plenary, you will wait one minute, two minutes before you say the name Pedro Sánchez. But let me come to the Council. Dear Presidents of the Commission, of the Council and of the Parliament, when there is a storm outside, people look for shelter, a place where they can be safe and where they can count on protection. Colleagues, I do not have to tell you that there is a storm outside and that anybody who looks to Europe for shelter will be disappointed today. Just look at the outcome of the EU summit. Genocide in Gaza? Not on the agenda, no action. Further support for Ukraine? Blocked. Sanctions against Russia? Postponed. Ban on the Budapest Pride? Not on the agenda. The Serbian Government's heavy‑handed attack on protesting students? Business as usual. Trump will see. It is very clear who gains from that approach: Putin, Trump, Netanyahu, Vučić, Erdoğan, Orbán, Xi. Dear Council, you mentioned it, international law, multilateralism, rules‑based order are the principles on which Europe is built and they are the strongest weapons that we have to defend people. But it only makes sense when you follow them consistently, if we uphold them every time and we protect them when they are under attack. We need to act by finally confronting Orbán's attack on his own people, by giving Ukraine a clear and committed path towards EU accession, by stopping the appeasement of Vučić, and by finally doing what's right and suspending the association agreement with Israel. Council and Commission, that would be leadership. Please act upon it.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, a thousand. At least. This is the number of victims in Gaza since 26 June 2025, the day on which the Commission and the Council discussed the conflict in the Middle East. Thousands of lives and most of them women and children. With thousands and thousands of lives at stake today due to the hunger and hardship that the Netanyahu government consciously creates and organizes. In Europe there is a report that allows us to exert pressure, to take sanctions and to stop the violence. But nothing came. Well, it is to say, a letter from the Heads of Government kindly asking for humanitarian aid to be allowed. Not a day later, not even a day later, Netanyahu stops the food dispensation in North Gaza. The lack of action from Europe is not only intrigue, it is a disgrace. It is inexplicable, indefensible and irresponsible. How long, Commission? A thousand more dead? Two thousand maybe?

Mr President, Commissioner, EU enlargement – when it's done right – is a game changer. It brings peace, prosperity, strength across Europe. And today, with Russia tightening its grip in the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership countries, the stakes are even higher. The momentum is real and we cannot afford to make the same mistakes we made in the past. So no shortcuts on our values. The rule of law, independent courts, freedom of speech, freedom of media, fundamental rights, democracy: they are non-negotiable. Even now – especially now – if a candidate country slides back on these values, we must act. When Serbia's President shows up at Putin's parade, while silencing democracy back home, the EU must respond. No more appeasement! Our credibility is on the line, and so is Serbia's future. And at the same time – as you mentioned, Commissioner – we need to reform ourselves. We can't demand from others when we ignore it ourselves. We need stronger tools to address democratic backsliding in the EU itself. And let's be honest: enlargement means readiness on our side, too. As candidate countries prepare, so must we, by reforming our institutions in parallel, updating the EU budget, making it fit for a bigger Union and, yes, moving beyond unanimity, as you mentioned. Dear Commissioner, people also need to see the benefits of enlargement – both in the EU and in the candidate and future Member States. So let's act: speed up access to the single market, give candidate countries observer seats in the EU institutions and let them be part of the project as they work towards full membership. And I would like you to convey the message to the Commissioner for Enlargement that she has the backing of the S&D Group to do all that in the coming months and years.

Mr President, Madam High Representative, ladies and gentlemen, the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East is disastrous for stability in the region and in the rest of the world. But as always, it is ordinary citizens who pay the price for this brutal violence. At the same time, the gruesome and genocidal offensive against the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank continues. The question here is: Which side is Europe on? Apparently not to those of the victims. Apparently not on the side of international law and human rights. And apparently not on the side of the 250,000 Europeans who took to the streets in Belgium and the Netherlands this weekend. I do not know if you have seen that, Madam High Representative. They are being silenced by the Commission today, while Netanyahu is being patted on the back by the President of the Commission. That's not just outrageous. It makes Europe complicit. European leaders are hiding behind each other today and the Commission is hiding behind unanimity in the Council. But you don't always need unanimity to act. You can take the initiative, for example, to cancel parts of the Association Agreement. I am thinking of cultural cooperation, research and development, cooperation with universities and cooperation in the field of health. The Commission may take that initiative. It's time to act.

Mr President, dear Commissioner, from your speech just now, I interpret that you still believe that Serbia will join the European Union one day. You nod, but then it is time to step up, because we are losing Serbia today. The rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights – they are all under threat. And imagine this, today's Serbian students are braver than the European Commission, maybe the whole of the European Union. They're the ones highlighting the systemic flaws in Serbian democracies, they're the ones fighting for civil liberties, and they're the ones exposing and condemning widespread corruption. Commissioner, they are fighting for European values and they deserve our full support. It is not compatible with what the European Commission today is doing in their approach of appeasement, which damages European credibility today. I know you know we support you and I know you think alike, but the European Commission needs to be much more forceful in the way they communicate. As we speak, there is a delegation up there, but there is also a delegation running to Brussels, and they will be in Brussels on Monday. And, dear colleagues, when they arrive, will we then, all of us, welcome them with open arms?

Mr President, dear Commissioner, colleagues, the US, once the greatest defender of liberal democracy, is rapidly becoming an authoritarian regime. This is a huge challenge, but also an opportunity for the European Union. It is time to show our strength. That is why we should support the WTO and intensify our contacts and trade with like-minded countries like the UK and Canada, and look for new sustainable partnerships in Asia and Latin America. And, of course, we need to negotiate, but not at all costs. Dear Commissioner, can you guarantee that our legislation is not up for discussion with the US? And why are the tariffs on US services still not yet on the table? I think we need answers to that. Above all, dear colleagues, the 'Trump show' should not distract us from doing what is needed for Europe. That means providing support for workers, implementing the Green Deal and investing in our strategic economy. Because the world, dear colleagues, needs urgently a united and independent Europe to lead the way.

Madam President, dear colleagues, dear Commissioner, today's debate is not only about İmamoğlu. It's about all the people, the journalists, the researchers, the women, the civil society organisations, and the minorities under attack. It's also about the way Europe deals with rising autocrats and dictators – from Hungary to Türkiye, from the United States to Russia. Think about the message we are sending to those who defend the values that we stand for, as we let them slip into the hands of autocratic regimes, while wheeling and dealing with the oppressors on migration, on critical raw materials, on defence? If we fail to act, to be clear on whose side we are on, if we fail to defend democracies, the rule of law and human rights, then ask yourselves, colleagues, when the time comes, who will defend you?

Mr President, Europe was, is and always will be a peace project. But choosing peace and freedom means taking our security into our own hands. That is why the Commission's and the Council's proposals are an important first step. However, a new European peace architecture includes many more 27 Member States that are investing additionally. It also requires coordination and strategy. Safety is so much more than just bullets and tanks. It is also about infrastructure, technology and reducing our dependence. Think of energy, raw materials for example also medicines. Security also does not mean cutting costs, but rather investing further. Yes, in defence, but also in sustainability, infrastructure and social policy. After all, our social model is unique in the world and that is what makes Europe so different from what Putin and Trump stand for. This is what the Ukrainians are fighting for: peace, freedom and security. That's what we need to protect now, more than ever.

Madam President, colleagues, let me thank M Warborn for his short history lesson. Of course, we agree very much with the fact that geopolitics has changed dramatically in the last five-to-ten years and the EU-Mercosur agreement is, in that light, important. For the S&D, it is important also that, in the next coming months, we will fully scrutinise this deal up to the very detail. We need to make sure that this deal works not just for our economy, but for the environment and for the workers on both sides of the world. We hear the sincere concerns, Commissioner, from the unions, from the environmental NGOs and from the farmers. It is important, as you mentioned, that the Paris Agreement is now an essential element. But many questions, Commissioner, on deforestation, remain. And we need answers on these. Let it be clear: this Mercosur agreement cannot water down the EU Deforestation Regulation. So we need answers. The S&D will be a fair partner in this process, but we need answers to make sure that the impact of the agreement on climate, workers' rights and European farmers is clear.

Mr President, Commissioner, we have all known this for a long time. We've been dependent and naive for too long. Depending on imported raw materials, imported gas and oil from Russia and imported security. We have also been naive – naive, I hope – thinking that we could afford to be and remain dependent. Today, more than ever, that time is over. We have to stand on our own feet. This ambition should be reflected in the Commission's work programme and initiatives. International trade – which you have the power to do – is a very strong lever for this. So yes, we are open to trade, but in our opinion it must be based on human rights, on workers' rights and on sustainability. All of this must also be enforceable. This is the benchmark for us. We must also eradicate poverty, both within the European Union with the Social Compass and, of course, in the rest of the world. We will have to develop a strategy to effectively fill the gap that USAID is dropping. Unfortunately, the Global Gateway is too much of a black box. We expect much more parliamentary scrutiny and transparency from the Commission. Finally, something about enlargement. We must reunite with the countries of the Western Balkans, Moldova and, of course, Ukraine in the long run. You can count on a strong S&D Group that is committed to the necessary reforms to also work on that enlargement.

Mr President, it is almost unimaginable, but it is indeed three years. Three years of continuous Russian aggression against Ukraine. Three years of deliberate attacks on towns and villages and critical infrastructure, with at least 12 000 civilian casualties and 20 000 kidnapped and deported children. The numbers are terrible. But fortunately, it is also three years of unity and a strong European response, a strong European condemnation of this illegal and brutal war. Three years of European solidarity and support for Ukraine and – on this we are very united in this Parliament – we will continue to give this support, as long as it takes. The future of Ukraine is European, that much is clear. And so, after three years of war, we have to start thinking about rebuilding and strengthening democracy in Ukraine, even though the war is not yet over. Fair and free elections are probably not yet for tomorrow, but we must prepare them, so that after the war we are really ready to make Ukraine a free, open and progressive country, a Ukraine with strong democratic institutions and a strong rule of law, and ready with our help, so that Ukraine finds its way to European membership.

Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues. I think everybody knows that you don't stop a bully by giving him what he wants. He will only bully you more. Trump's tariffs are a blatant attack on multilateralism, on basic WTO principles and on the transatlantic partnership. No, we are not interested in a trade war. Trade wars only hurt people and businesses, and they push prices up and purchasing power down. So of course we're open for dialogue, but let it be clear: when tariffs hit us, we must take immediate retaliatory action. So, Mr Commissioner, it is important that we take countermeasures both within the WTO and with our trade defences. And let it also be crystal clear: we will not respond to blackmail, and we will not change European legislation to please the United States, because giving Trump what he wants will hurt Europe and European citizens, and it will only leave him wanting more.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, it goes without saying that Donald Trump's second term will put a lot of pressure on transatlantic relations. The impact on our economy, international trade and geopolitics will be enormous. But there's no point in us staring blindly at Trump or Elon Musk. We must not make the mistake of making our actions depend solely on their actions. More than ever, we must stand on our own feet, invest in our own security, stand behind Ukraine and invest in our economy, our industry and our prosperity. But not by shutting us off from the rest of the world. On the contrary. Where Trump and Putin choose confrontation, we must dare to choose cooperation more than ever. For example, with South America and the countries of the Indo-Pacific, through diplomacy, dialogue and international trade. For more than ever, we must start from our own values, our own strength. And that means working together where possible, but also drawing clear boundaries where it needs to be done. Just think of the terrible claim that is now being made in Greenland – ¡No pasarán!, we have to say – the fight against fake news or import tariffs. That is a red line for us, because, and probably to the great regret of the extreme right in this hemisphere, the future of Europe is neither American, nor Russian, nor Chinese. The future of Europe is European and it is best that we take that fate into our own hands.

Madam President, Mr Commissioner, in the world of Trump, Putin, Xi Jinping, the G20 in Rio was presented with a very clear choice: work together for a safer, fairer, rule‑based world, or let inequalities and conflict grow furthermore. For the S&D, the answer is crystal clear – we need a strong, rules‑based international community to fight global inequalities, climate change and rising aggression. That is why the so‑long‑called 'billionaire tax' is so important. Wealth is more concentrated than ever, and it's time for the super‑rich to contribute to the fair share. We can invest then in housing, education, healthcare for everybody in the world. Dear colleagues, there is still a long work ahead of us. Today, only 70 % of the SDG targets are on track and some are even backward. This should alarm us, and it means that we especially in the EU must step up our efforts to achieve the SDGs by 2030. So, colleagues, let me be crystal clear – the time of doubt is over. We must act decisively. And as you said, Commissioner, the declaration was what we could get. But it remains words, and what we need is action: enforce fair taxation, fight climate change and make the world a much more just world for everybody.

I do the opposite, because I think we all agree that the impact of the elections in the United States will be huge when it comes to Europe. And my example of Elon Musk is, I think, a very good example. There is no problem. They can, of course, install a department for efficiency. But if you can buy yourself into a job like that, it will have huge impact, also on what will happen on AI in the in the European Union, what will happen on privacy of data in the European Union, what will happen with social media in the European Union. And there we need to be ready and for that we need a united Europe.

Madam President, dear colleagues, what a world we live in today. Even before the new term started, the outlook of the Trump administration paints a dark picture – a dark picture for multilateralism and for international trade, putting hardliners and hawks in key positions, outlining just a single clear message: America first. What better example is there than the choice to appoint Musk of all people to be at the helm of a new department for government efficiency, giving Musk the knife to cut and undermine government services where he wants to exploit them privately. This sort of efficiency is nothing less than privatisation, deregulation and the imposition of checks and balances. That would be an unprecedented concentration of power with tech giants and the private sector in that power, and the erosion of democratic control. But I agree with you, Mr Borrell. Let's not waste time on what we cannot influence, but let's focus on what we can do.

Madam President, I would like to thank Commissioner Dalli for her introduction. The S&D Group welcomes the outcome of the G20 ministerial meeting attended by Commissioner Urpilainen. The fight against hunger and extreme poverty worldwide should remain an absolute priority for the EU, especially since Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, which had severe negative effects on food security and poverty around the world, and this on top of the still ongoing negative effects of the Covid‑19 pandemic and poverty. Against that backdrop, I absolutely welcome the new Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty launched by Brazil and the G20. It's crucial that the EU officially joins this alliance as soon as possible. Moreover, the EU should lead the fight against inequalities and double its efforts to implement the SDGs ahead of the 2030 deadline. We need to keep the SDGs high on the political agenda and not allow the political momentum to achieve them to be lost. At this moment, only 10% of the countries worldwide are on track to achieve the SDGs targets on reducing inequalities. This is very alarming and should be a wake up call for us to step up our efforts and invest more. The EU's first inequality marker showed that 59% of all new projects funded from the international partnership budget have a substantial focus on reducing inequalities. This is a huge success of Commissioner Urpilainen. We are glad that the new Commission will continue – well, we hope – to have a Commissioner responsible for international partnership, so that the focus on international partnership and fighting inequality is not lost. I thank you very much for all the work you have done, Commissioner Dalli, and and I call upon the Commissioner‑designate SIkela to continue the excellent work done by Commissioner Urpilainen.

Mr President, almost half of us have quite rightly recalled the figures: 40,000 innocent victims, more than 30,000 of whom are children, young people and women. Behind these anonymous figures are human lives and families. Since the beginning of the conflict, a large majority of Parliament has always supported these innocent victims, on both sides. We continue to do so with our call for an immediate, unconditional, permanent ceasefire and our call for faster delivery of humanitarian aid. However, action is also needed. We always say that we don't work with two sizes and two weights. I hope that the Commission agrees. We had a debate on Ukraine this morning and are quite proud of the considerable unity we have shown both in Parliament and in the Council when it comes to Ukraine. A year after the illegal invasion of Ukraine, there are rightly ten packages of sanctions from the European Union ready. Soon, this conflict will also exist for a year. However, no package of sanctions has been adopted against the far-right Netanyahu government. It is high time that we deed add to the floor and invoke the human rights clause of the Association Agreement in order to immediately suspend it and proceed with the adoption of several packages of sanctions. Let's stop supplying weapons to a regime that targets innocent people. Let's finally take action and show our teeth.

Dear colleague, it wasn't really a question, but let me assure you that this Parliament, up until the beginning of this illegal war against Ukraine, has been quite united to make sure that we both military, but also in infrastructure and financially support the people of Ukraine, who clearly stated they want to be part of a free Europe and not to be part in the future of a Russian Federation where there is no democracy and no freedom of speech.

Mr President, I am sure everyone remembers as yesterday how defeated and horrified we were on Thursday morning, 24 February 2022, when war broke out again on European soil. In the aftermath of that day, we stand united and united behind Ukraine. We will never accept that a people chooses freedom and democracy and that they are simply taken away from them. We do not tolerate this in Europe. Our continued support to Ukraine is therefore essential. We must continue to give Putin the signal that fighting on is pointless. In this context, military, infrastructural and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine is crucial. In my words there is a lot of conviction, but also uncertainty. More and more, it seems that we are heading towards a frozen conflict. Is Europe ready to deal with such a long-term security threat at Europe's borders and in Ukraine? In addition, we must ask ourselves whether, even in a worst-case scenario, we are ready to continue and increase support for Ukraine, for example if Trump is elected President of the United States. The discussion on the frozen Russian assets is essential in this context. We must deliver on our commitments to Ukraine. After all, these will be desperately needed to fill the gap if American support falls away. This requires not only unity, but also a clear strategy. In French there is the saying "les extrêmes se touchent". In Parliament, the extreme right and the extreme left stand united behind Putin. Unity in Parliament is under threat and we must do something about it. Against a strategy that every year condemns us to the blackmail and political poker of Orbán and his associates, against it ... (the President interrupted the speaker) ... we clearly say no. "United, we stand and divided, we will fall..

Mr President, Commissioner, when I saw the Energy Charter Treaty in the Committee on International Trade at the beginning of this legislature, I was quite surprised. How could it be that we were members of such a club with old methods such as ISDS, of which we had clearly said: “We don’t want that kind of private dispute resolution anymore.” But even worse: It was the beginning of the Green Deal legislature. There was one way forward. This ensured that we would be zero-emission by 2050 and that the energy sector would focus on renewable energy, energy efficiency, etc. This agreement was and is completely at odds with that. At the time, I thought we had to get out, but we had the Commission working on a possible modernisation. That has not led to anything, so I am very pleased that we will have that important vote at the end of this legislature tomorrow. And then I assume that the Council is working very quickly to withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty. Because that hangs like a sword of Damocles above us, the Member States and our energy sector. Let's get this over with now.

Mr President, colleagues, 34 000 lives have already been claimed by the horrific war in Gaza, including 12 000 children, and thousands more are at risk of starvation as Israel continues to block humanitarian aid. And the horror goes on. The lack of action, including from Europe, is unacceptable. What signal do we give to the families of the more than 280 dead who were found in a mass grave last weekend, to the young girl who has to drink water from a downspout or to the families of the aid workers and the journalists who lost their lives while trying to save lives? What do we say to these people? We need to take action. And that, of course, means an immediate, permanent and unconditional ceasefire. But we have something else we can use: Our economic power. It is high time we put the Association Agreement on the table, suspend it and make sure it really becomes a lever to force Israel to do what it has to do: Stop this war.