What Victor spoke about.

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.

Madam President, European leaders must show responsibility and act in accordance with the agreement that was reached in the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The cuts proposed by the Council prevent us from delivering on the objectives we have for Europe, implementing the policies agreed upon by the leaders, and planning for a strong social recovery for the future of Europe. In the view of the European Parliament and of our political Group, we believe it is important to show more ambition when it comes to next year’s budget. We need to provide adequate resources to deal with the health crisis, but also with the social and economic challenges it raises. We call for an increase in the EU budget of EUR 2.7 billion, while preserving sufficient margins and resources for the special instruments. These funds will enable the EU to do more for each European, each Member State and each European policy. For that, we need the Commission to also make sure that 2022 will be a full implementation year for the budget. We cannot lose any more time. 2021 was a lost year for the current MFF, and that is not our fault. Member States and the Commission should have done more to speed up the implementation. The Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament have three key priorities. We support the social recovery with a special focus on youth, employment, education, cohesion, SMEs and start-ups, for which we request EUR 1.2 billion. We want to invest in a sustainable future, including climate, research, innovation, health, digitalisation, transport and agriculture, for which we believe an extra EUR 2 billion is needed. We believe that Europe should promote solidarity and democratic values within the EU and across the world and, for that, the Parliament calls for more than EUR 600 million in additional funds. These priorities are reflected in the reinforcement increase of all the EU programmes. We also call for the rapid implementation in 2022 of the European Child Guarantee, making sure no child is left behind and suffers the negative effect of the pandemic. Our demand for an additional allocation of EUR 700 million for the Child Guarantee represents a key achievement of our political Group. We are also happy to see several of our requests being integrated in the proposal, like, for instance, the new tourism line of EUR 42 million, an additional EUR 24 million for SMEs and start-ups, EUR 5 million for social dialogue, EUR 7.5 million for employment, and EUR 90 million for the Eastern and Southern Neighbourhoods. Our discussion today is key. If we want to do things better at local, national and European level and match our priorities, we need to allocate adequate resources for the EU budget. In this respect, our proposals are constructive and clear and can represent the starting point of a new European budget fitting citizens’ priorities.

Mr President, dear colleagues, partnership with the United States is extremely important for the future of Europe and for ensuring a climate of global peace and stability. The United States is not just a partner, but a strategic ally, with whom we share common democratic values, with whom we need to find solutions to security challenges, those generated by the pandemic or by new digital or environmental developments. For this, cooperation with the United States, and in particular with the new American administration, must be expanded by identifying new methods of collaboration. But for this development of cooperation to be a success, it is central that all Member States enjoy the same rights. That is why I call again in the European Parliament for Romanians to be able to travel to the United States without visas. This depends on the political will of decision-makers on both sides of the Atlantic and is a right to total reciprocity, actually guaranteed by European mechanisms. I am confident that the current international political context can allow this and that the partnership with the United States will enter a new period of development.

Madam President, dear colleagues, in order to discuss the state of the Union, we need to really know and understand the state of European citizens. The pandemic, widening discrepancies, falling living standards and rising energy prices are making life harder for many citizens. Unfortunately, political instability and weak governance, as is the case in Romania, a country that you ignored in your speech, require concrete and prompt actions. That is why the European Union needs to be involved in new areas. In this context, education must become a priority. All European citizens must be able to learn in decent and quality conditions. No child or young person can be left behind. As you want to focus on the future of Europe, I am asking for your support to build a Europe of education. An educated Europe means a stronger Europe, capable of responding to new challenges and projecting itself as a global leader. I propose that we organize a global summit on education, in which we focus on increasing investment in the field. I count on your support to put education at the top of the European agenda.

Madam President, the European Council meeting in June represented an opportunity to make an assessment of the current situation at European level, but European leaders should do more in addressing the present challenges. Indeed, we are at a better moment right now when it comes to the pandemic, but the danger has not disappeared. We need to implement the necessary preventive measures in order to avoid a fourth wave. Some countries are incapable of implementing the target of the vaccination campaign and are completely ignoring the need for a recovery that takes social aspects into consideration. The recovery plans should be about doing things differently, but some are promoting austerity measures. The approval of 12 plans is good news, but this is not enough. Some governments – this is the case in Romania – presented weak recovery plans that failed to provide adequate answers to citizens’ needs. We have to intervene to make sure no one is left behind. We need to work together in helping each Member State to develop strong recovery plans and making sure our common targets are reflected in the measures adopted by European governments.