Speeches

Mr President, the issue of mental health has for too long been considered a taboo subject, although millions of people are confronted with such situations. The isolation generated by the pandemic, the digital shift and the multiple crises we are experiencing have accentuated many of these trends. The absence of real preventive measures and the lack of digital literacy have led to new problems that we must, and for which we must, find new answers. Digital addiction, online bullying, fake news, born-out, unregulated teleworking and digital violence are just some of these new aspects. The worst thing is that more and more young people and children are facing such difficulties, some even taking their own lives. Among young people in Romania, suicide is the second leading cause of mortality, and about 10% of them experience depression as a result of the pandemic. In this regard, we proposed a pilot project for the development of the network of school and psychological counsellors in schools and the development of programs aimed at providing integrated assistance to young people and families. We need solutions and we need to find a balance at European level to deal with this situation.

Madam President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, the Republic of Moldova deserves the status of candidate country for the European Union, a clear and well-defined status, and in the context of the threat posed by the Russian Federation, it must be said that we cannot afford ambiguities or conditionalities. The efforts of the Republic of Moldova, in the context of the war in Ukraine, the support of the population for the European path and the solidarity shown by the citizens of Moldova confirm their attachment to European values and our vision of the world. That is why MEPs, in all political groups and in particular, I must say, those in Romania, have made it very clear that the Republic of Moldova deserves this status alongside Ukraine and we hope so, even Georgia. But the path to joining the European Union will not be easy. Reforms, but also European financial resources, will be needed. The economic and social effects of the war in Ukraine have affected the stability of the country and led to very high pressure on the population. This is why the financial commitments of the European Union and the international community must quickly become a reality. Through a favourable decision of the European Council, we will take a historic step, both for the Republic of Moldova and for the European Union.

Madam President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, indeed, the European Union must not leave the Member States and Ukrainian refugees alone in the face of this unprecedented situation. That is why we have amended, here, the 2022 European budget to ensure that there is enough money to meet these challenges related to the war in Ukraine. The funds will cover part of the expenditure and efforts made by the Member States and will hopefully help to improve the European response. More attention will also be given to the states bordering Ukraine, including Romania, to finance, for example, the humanitarian hub. Last but not least, the local and county authorities will be able to benefit from additional financial resources. However, we need a concrete plan on future financing needs and financial support for the indirect effects of the war in Ukraine, especially on the states in the region. Around 40% of Europeans believe that the war has affected their standard of living and want the European Union to intervene to keep energy and food prices at an acceptable level. This requires new European resources and urgent action.

Madam President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, the crises we are experiencing and the volatility of the current economic environment mean that the recovery and resilience plans approved last year no longer fully correspond to our needs today. Whether we are talking about agriculture or health, education or energy, pensions or social benefits, the list of priorities has changed profoundly in the case of many European states. This is also the case in Romania, where we had a plan made quickly before, with many shortcomings, allocations of millions of euros for consultancy and targets that affect the social stability of the country. It is therefore important that the European regulation allows for greater flexibility, optimisation according to the needs of the Member States, but also a fair distribution of funds between investment areas and beneficiary areas. Last but not least, I have always campaigned for a significant allocation of funds for education and continuing training, and I was the author of the amendment calling, we, the European Parliament, for at least 10% of the funds for this area. I am pleased to see that most Member States have complied with our recommendation and that this proposal is taken up in the new perspective of the European Parliament.

Mr President, dear colleagues, in the context of the crises we are going through and in the light of the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe, there is a need for the European Union to have new instruments to protect the population. But changing the treaties is not an end in itself. A more united, more humane, more efficient Europe is needed. We talk about such skills in the area of health, social policies, energy or even education. In the same vein, the European Parliament, as the main representative institution at European level, must have the right of legislative initiative in order to be able to fulfil the will of the citizens. Also, on certain specific topics, such as joining the Schengen area or applying the sanctions imposed on the aggressor states, there is a need for an easier procedure. But there's also a red line. We do not want certain European bureaucrats to decide non-transparently. We want the voice of every country and every European citizen to be truly heard at European level. Therefore, in order for our vote on treaty change to reflect the will of the citizens, the Social Democratic Party, of which PES Activists Romania are part, is conducting a public consultation at national level, in our country. I also invite you to do the same.

Mr President, dear colleagues, dear Commissioner, but mainly, dear citizens of the Republic of Moldova, we are here for you. Parliament is here. The Commission is here. The Member States, Romania and all social democratic groups are here to help the Republic of Moldova in a concrete, practical and pragmatic way in any situation. Suntem aici pentru voi. 600 de milioane de euro pentru planul de redresare economică, zeci de milioane de euro pentru asistență umanitară, securizarea frontierelor, chestiunea refugiaților și mai ales pentru protejarea populației în contextul creșterii prețurilor la energie. Sume consistente promise pentru a ajuta Republica Moldova în contextul efectelor generate de război. Un sprijin fără precedent și nu ne oprim aici. Vorbim de investiții de eliminare a dependenței Republicii Moldova de Federația Rusă. Vorbim de întărirea instituțiilor democratice. Nu pentru noi, ci pentru voi, cetățenii din Republica Moldova. Meritați tot sprijinul și respectul nostru. De aceea, le solicit încă o dată colegilor mei ca împreună să sprijinim aderarea rapidă a Republicii Moldova la Uniunea Europeană.

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, the war in Ukraine has created additional pressure on tourism and transport, severely affected by the pandemic, for which we need to find solutions. In my country, Romania, on the border with Ukraine, there were significant costs in these two areas. We have experienced a decline in international tourism, with foreign tourists being frightened by what is happening in the region. That is why we need new European support instruments and we have asked for a dedicated budget line. In terms of transport, Romania had to take over what was being transported to Ukraine. After the start of the war, freight traffic in the port of Constanta increased by 8%, from 33 ships per day to 50. The Romanian Ministry of Transport has allocated additional funds for these new needs in the transport area, but European support is needed. It's not just the merchandise that's important. We also need solutions for Ukrainian sailors or carriers who have nowhere else to turn. We need more flexibility from the European Commission and additional resources to ensure the necessary transport flows for both Ukraine and the Eastern European countries, on which the resilience and trade stability of the whole Union depend.

Madam President, I have attended the Conference on the Future of Europe and citizens have clearly underlined that they want to contribute more to the European project. Contrary to what has been said, their ideas and proposals are valuable. And also we have to acknowledge the fact that important parts of them go beyond the current treaty framework. I am particularly happy to see that citizens want the European Union to help them get access to quality education and health services and several of our proposals, even of my proposals, have been included in the conclusions. The pandemic and the war in Ukraine show that we need a European Union that protects its citizens and its Member States, and for that it needs the means and the instruments to act by including even a stronger social dimension. We therefore call for a convention and the activation of the procedure for the revision of the treaties according to Article 48 of the Treaty of the European Union. And as a member of the Constitutional Affairs Committee, I support the need to start working on this immediately. Dear colleagues, in these uncertain times, we need to revise the Treaties in order to build a Europe that offers certainty, security and the perspective of a sustainable future for everyone.

Recently, in Transnistria, a series of challenges have emerged, meant to generate potential instability in the Republic of Moldova. We must not fall into the net of those who want to start a new conflict in the region, but we must be cautious and increase both the support for the Republic of Moldova and the presence on the ground. From here, in the plenum of the European Parliament, I convey to all the citizens of the Republic of Moldova the fact that Europe and Romania will not abandon them. As I said before as minister, when I offered assistance for European integration to the Republic of Moldova, its European path cannot be blocked. Because this is the way for the development of the country and a better life for the citizens. Therefore, I ask the European Commission to further assist the Republic of Moldova in order to obtain the status of candidate to the European Union and to implement an accelerated path towards integration. Only in the Union will the Republic of Moldova have guaranteed the security it needs and the chance to develop.

Madam President, I actually had another speech prepared in Romanian, but I decided to change my intervention because I saw what the extreme right was saying earlier here in the plenary of the European Parliament. They were attacking a group of people, a group of Europeans. They were attacking the Roma community. This should never happen in this House because, when we speak about Europeans, when we speak about Roma people, we speak about human rights. We speak about us being together, and we speak about the need to correct what is not working well, but also to look ahead and identify those policies and those directions that can resolve the issues and the problems, not point out and discriminate like they did. And now they have left the House. They attacked and they left the House. This is not the way to proceed. This is not the way to do things. This is why we have to think ahead. We have to establish a concrete plan, an action plan that will resolve all of these issues. We need to act together and we need to show that the Roma community has a future here in Europe, everywhere in Europe, in all Member States, and we have to identify the solutions to enable this.

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, I have been campaigning for many years for the development of education about the European Union, both as a Member of the European Parliament and as a teacher. It is time to understand that through this kind of education we ensure that our citizens better understand their rights and obligations at European level, that they have more knowledge about the states that are in the European Union, about their history and culture, and that in this way we manage to strengthen the resilience of our societies by developing a sense of belonging to this unique democratic community in the world. To achieve this, we need a common curriculum available in all Member States, teachers trained in this direction, methods and content tailored to different categories of learners, including online, and adequate, adequately funded resources. In this regard, we must involve all institutional actors and all organisations that have contributed and want to contribute to the development of civic education for active European citizenship. This process must be coordinated at European level, including through a responsible structure that assumes this role. I hope that civic education about the European Union will soon be available in all schools in the Member States, because this kind of skills will strengthen the role of European citizens in the European Union's decision-making process and enable them to respond better to global and European challenges. I would therefore like to thank the rapporteur, Mr Devesa, for his efforts and for taking on board our ideas in his report.

Madam President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, in this difficult situation we need an exceptional European budget that truly protects the population. Every euro we put together in the common European basket must reduce the impact of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. That is why our political group has called for the European budget for next year to protect citizens against rising energy and food prices, to finance the affected sectors, in particular tourism and agriculture, and the creation of new companies, to support programmes in the fields of innovation, education, health and culture. In this regard, we have integrated the following proposals into the European Parliament's common position: additional support for Member States bordering Ukraine, but also for the Republic of Moldova; implementing a joint programme to support seniors; the development of the European Emergency Medical Corps; the creation of a compensation mechanism for the effects of the war in order to be able to apply new sanctions against the Russian Federation; settling investments from European programmes for Ukrainian refugees to enable them to access education, health and social services; financing energy investments to reduce dependence on the Russian Federation. Added to this is the need to ensure adequate resources for the protection of the population in emergency situations and for international humanitarian action, preserving our democratic values that define us. But new resources are needed to meet these challenges, including by making existing programmes more flexible and extending programmes and implementation periods. It is not enough just to make transfers from existing resources. People expect us to allocate budgetary resources where they are needed and to produce results quickly. We call on the European Commission and the Council to accelerate the joint response to the current challenges, ensuring that funds reach where they are needed faster.

Mr President, dear colleagues, Commissioner, the situation is very serious. 1.8 million children have left Ukraine. 2.5 million children have been displaced inside Ukraine. In total we are talking about 60% of children in Ukraine. We are talking about destinies, we are talking about people, we are talking about young people, we are talking about children who need our support and we cannot ignore this situation. It is not enough just to talk about access to education, access to health. We have to act. We must act in a unified, common manner, offering a package of minimal services to which these children have access. That's what we need resources for. We need joint action at European level and we cannot leave the burden of these efforts to the Member States alone. Many of the Member States, including Romania, which I represent here in the European Parliament, have made efforts to do so, but we need to go further. We must be able to combine our efforts and that is why we, at the level of the European budget, have called on the European Parliament for common resources to be made available to meet these challenges and to be able to provide integrated support for these children. As was said earlier, whether we are talking about access to education, psychological support or housing, there are many things that need to be done not only immediately, but also in the medium and long term. In this sense, I would like to welcome the efforts of the Commissioner who raised this issue at Member State level and I would like the Member States, especially those that contribute more to the European budget, to continue to do so. We see that today the Council is not present at this important debate and that may be why it would be appropriate indeed to go further. I was at the border, as were other colleagues, and I worked hard to support the children. We must act together because children's rights are human rights.

Madam President, together in this House we are called ‘the European Union’. We are safe and our citizens feel that they have a future. The Union can continue to develop, despite sometimes being hesitant. However, decision makers have ignored what might happen and did not engage enough in investing in modernising the common project. They locked the doors and the windows to our house, hoping no one would ever get in. But now our neighbourhood is on fire and the flames might reach our house soon. They are in our backyard and, together with our strategic partner, the United States, we need to put out the fire by moving forward at a faster pace, meaning we need to: consolidate our defence in partnership with NATO; protect our population against energy and food crises; financially support Ukraine, EU border countries and partners like the Republic of Moldova; make European funding more flexible; reform the EU. I call on all the international leaders present in Brussels to consolidate this House, defend our values by investing in education, our democracy and culture, and listen to our citizens. Keep the door open and be courageous enough to protect our neighbourhood.

Commissioner, dear colleagues, we have been to several border points with Ukraine. That is why I start by congratulating the staff dealing with border protection, especially the border in Romania, for their professionalism. Romania ensures border protection as well as any other country in the Schengen area. I thank the hundreds of volunteers who got involved to help the refugees, including my colleagues from PES Activists Romania for what they are doing for the children in Ukraine. The situation, however, is difficult and risks getting worse. We have over one and a half million refugees, but the total estimated figure is more than five million. There is a need for an integrated European response ensuring the extended support of Frontex also in the Republic of Moldova, increased funding and better coordination, the implementation of specific measures for children, the creation of security areas in the border area in coordination with local authorities and civil society, a more flexible status for refugees, a medium and long-term plan for migrants from Ukraine and, last but not least, the unitary implementation of measures by all Member States.

Mr President, dear colleagues, today we are debating in the plenary of the European Parliament about young people and how we can concretely support them in order to have a better future in every Member State of the Union. But we don't just have to talk about it, we have to act. For example, Ana-Maria, 25, a graduate of two faculties in my city, Alba-Iulia, told me that she is thinking of moving to a larger city because she does not have the same opportunities in a small community. Stefan, one of my students, wants to take advantage of European mobilities, but his family cannot afford to give him extra money to go to the desired faculty abroad. Clemence, an Erasmus student, has difficulty finding a traineeship suited to her training. These are just a few real and concrete examples of the problems faced by many young people in the European Union. Discrepancies are increasing, youth unemployment is increasing, access to quality education is uneven, poverty and the pandemic have caused many young people to have psychological problems, and unfortunately, we in the European Parliament cannot reach a minor consensus leading to an end to unpaid traineeships in Europe. Unfortunately, there is no real political will at the level of some European political groups and this translates into a low level of ambition, including in terms of the outcomes of the European Year of Youth. The social-democratic group has struggled and obtained funds dedicated to the European Year, but, unfortunately, we do not see any concrete perspective. My call today is to build a European Union where young people and every European citizen can reach their potential anywhere in Europe.

Madam President, we need a better common European framework that could enable the Union to act on defence, security and foreign policy. The current treaty has given the EU the possibility to have a bigger impact at global level, but we are not using the existing potential for cooperation within the Union, with NATO and our strategic external partners. We need to reinforce the European capacity on several levels, including cyber—threats and cyber—security, while at the same time deploy the necessary measures that could ensure the protection of all our Members and our external borders. The Schengen enlargement towards Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia is therefore needed. The current situation in Ukraine and the Black Sea needs an adequate and common answer from the Union, in terms of defence and security actions, but also in deploying an efficient sanctions regime and protecting potential refugees. We need to learn faster from what didn’t work, enhance the elements that proved efficient, and use the momentum of the Conference for the Future of Europe to identify the best means to go forward. The key is to build synergies involving all Member States, and not replicate what already exists.

Madam President, Commissioner, in recent weeks the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union has proposed the reform of the Schengen area and the creation of a specific council modelled on the euro area. Before we discuss this, it is important to talk about the enlargement of the Schengen area, namely the completion of Romania's accession process to this area of free movement. Our country has fulfilled and complies for many years with all the technical criteria. We are de facto part of all the mechanisms specific to the Schengen area, but we do not benefit from equal treatment, whether we are talking about Romanian citizens or the access of Romanian goods to the European market. We are not asking for anything as a gift, we are only asking for European norms and the rights of Romanian citizens to be respected. That is why we launched the European campaign ‘Romanians Deserve in Schengen’, calling on European leaders and national governments to vote this year to welcome Romania. Tensions at Europe's eastern border reinforce the need to strengthen the Union's cohesion, and Romania's accession to the Schengen area becomes essential for the protection of common borders and the safety of citizens.

Mr President, dear colleagues, I have some photos of some of the thousands of young people and children I have met and supported together with the Romanian press over the past eight years. They have never heard of Erasmus, the guarantees for young people and children, ALMA. All these things are very far from the problems they have. Their concerns are to have proper clothes and food every day, to have a tablet to connect to online classes, to find a job or a job for a more decent living. The pandemic made their existence more difficult. Their homes have become increasingly scarce and their quality of life has declined exponentially. In this difficult context, the authorities in my country, in Romania, ignored these problems last year, ignored the increase in youth unemployment to 20%, ignored the psychological effects of the pandemic and forgot about youth programmes. We have to go beyond speeches because real life is what we have shown in photographs, and if we fail to do something concrete, then our functions are irrelevant. The European Commission must act now and push Member States not to ignore these realities.

Mr President, dear colleagues, Commissioner, next year will be a key moment for young people across Europe. We have the opportunity to move from beautiful speeches to concrete solutions. No young people should be left behind, whether we are talking about the young people here in Strasbourg or those in my city, Alba Iulia. The European Parliament, and in particular our political group, has called for funding for the European Year of Youth. As a member of the negotiating team on next year's budget, we have obtained a special allocation of EUR 8 million, but in order to increase the impact, the amount needs to be increased. Financial resources must be accompanied by a clear agenda of measures and policies for young people, built together with young people and organisations with expertise. The equivalence of studies and qualifications, the implementation and extension of the Youth and Child Guarantees, the inclusion of funds for young people in recovery plans, support for inclusive and quality education in all Member States, the development of youth entrepreneurship, civic, environmental or digital education and the management of the effects of the pandemic on young people are just some of the points to be addressed next year. Young people should no longer be treated by politicians as a mass of electoral manoeuvre. Young people must have the chance to build their own future and influence the world from now on. The worst thing would be to see each other next year without being able to present any concrete results. Today's Europe must no longer be bequeathed to future generations. It must be built together with young people so that Europe once again embodies hope for a better future.

Mr President, next year’s European budget is crucial for the success of the Multiannual Financial Framework. Its implementation will enable us to meet the European targets. Therefore, the S&D Group in the European Parliament called for an ambitious EU budget, supporting a strong social recovery. And we delivered, with EUR 479.4 million added to the 2022 budget at the request of the European Parliament. That means more funds for health, for education, for the environment, for SMEs, for tourism, for social policies, for internal and external solidarity. The Parliament stood united in the negotiations with the Council despite some difficult moments. But the debate is not over; we still believe more could be done, and are calling for the full implementation of the MFF and the recovery plans, using any unspent resources, savings or available decommitments. Funds should be used to make sure no-one stays behind, like it is the case for the European Child Guarantee. Our group is particularly supportive of the EUR 211 million directed to the European Solidarity Fund, the resources target in the European Year of Youth, and those addressing social policies and rights. For my country, it is important to make sure that the additional EUR 86 million for health, EUR 30 million for SMEs, and EUR 35 million for education also reach Romania, and contribute to reducing regional disparities. From the European Parliament, we will supervise the implementation of the budget and make sure the funds are spent in the interests of European citizens.

Ms President, sport fulfils a dual role, one of social, integration and public health and one of promoting the performance and success of the community. The European Union must therefore have a policy in place to ensure that all Member States and citizens have equal access to high-quality sports infrastructure, new sports technologies and adapted educational methods. To do this, we must ensure that sport does not become an exclusive activity in Europe. In this respect, we must balance competitions, stimulate investment in the field, but also support grassroots sport, including in rural areas. Sport is ignored in many European countries, as is unfortunately the case in Romania, where the performances of exceptional athletes are treated with indifference by the authorities. That is why we have called for sport to be given more visibility in European programmes, including in the recovery and resilience plans, in the context of the impact generated by the pandemic. The European Union has a duty to support athletes who have brought performance and to protect the traditional sports and sports heritage of each Member State, as is the case, for example, with gymnastics, sheep, fencing or rowing for Romania. Dear colleagues, being an athlete is not a simple thing, it requires a lot of work and a lot of sacrifices. I had the pleasure to meet exceptional athletes who succeeded, but also young people who failed along the way, for various reasons. For this, we must develop, together with all those involved in the field, policies designed to make sport an opportunity, but also a mobilizing factor for a developed and healthy society.

Mr President, Commissioner, all Europeans must have access to state-of-the-art COVID-19 treatments. Unfortunately, this is not happening today. Every day, hundreds of Romanians die in hospitals in the absence of adequate treatments. This situation cannot continue. The European Union must intervene especially where such problems exist. The approval at European level of new medicines, including monoclonal antibodies, is a good solution and paves the way for saving many lives. That is why I propose to jointly purchase these treatments at European level, as was the case for the vaccine. This will ensure that all Europeans have access to these treatments in a fair manner and at a decent cost. Let us show the human face of Europe and quickly carry out this Europe-wide procurement procedure for all state-of-the-art treatments!

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, Europe needs a common education policy in order to reduce the gaps between Member States and ensure that all children have access to quality education. The pandemic has shown that a united response is needed in the face of common challenges. Unfortunately, the lack of European mechanisms has left millions of pupils without access to education, as is currently the case for many children in Romania, where 40% of schools are still closed. The European Union must intervene when the right to education is not respected. That is why we urgently need a European area of education, to make Europe a leader in the field, but also a space where studies are recognised, teachers are supported, social inequalities are corrected and social partners are respected. This would pave the way for a European plan for education and a dedicated European budget, ensuring additional investment for skills development. That is why I also believe that it is time to prioritize education on the European agenda.

Madam President, dear colleagues, the pandemic has not passed. There are still many Member States that have problems managing the medical crisis. That is why this topic must be high on the agenda of the European Council. In Romania, due to the incompetence of the right-wing parties, today we have over 500 deaths per day. Every two minutes one person dies, and this risks bringing the whole of Europe back to the red zone. The European Union must intervene, it cannot leave things to chance, especially since the Romanian executive has missed both the vaccination campaign and the purchase of tests with European money. The negative effects of the pandemic on the economy and society are just beginning. The Council needs to be more active in responding and is valid, including for the energy price crisis. Profits are rising and the European population is cooling, and beyond the cynicism of some political leaders, there is a need for active measures and European action to provide solutions to the challenges and hardships faced by citizens. I expect the next European Council to come up with clear solutions and decisions, because indecision costs lives.