Speeches

Even as we debate in the European Parliament the measures adopted by the Commission on joint European action for more affordable, secure and sustainable energy, fuel prices at the pump have reached record levels. The same goes for energy and gas. The European Union must react urgently to this crisis. Household consumption accounts for almost 30% of the EU's energy consumption. These citizens find it most difficult to switch to new renewable energy sources, and more than 35% of them still rely on natural gas. Ambitious measures must be taken swiftly to combat energy poverty and protect the most vulnerable citizens and SMEs who risk suspending their activities because they no longer have the money to pay their bills. We need a strategy at European level, we need joint stocks and procurement, a policy of energy independence, and we need to find financial resources so that no European citizen is affected by this crisis and next winter.

Some 72% of young individuals considered that the most important success factor of the European Year of Youth would be if their demands would be better listened to by decision-makers. For this, we called for EYY outcomes to be mainstreamed across all related EU policies and we proposed to introduce a youth test by which we can measure the impact of all actions and policies on youth and the next generations. Access to quality and inclusive education, developing civic education modules, as well as youth entrepreneurship and environmental education are key points that we must act upon. At the same time, young people from vulnerable categories should be better supported in order for them to have a decent standard of living and more opportunities in regards to education, skills and labour. As S&D rapporteur on the EU budget, we obtained 8 million additional euro for the European Year of Youth in 2022, 123 million euro for Erasmus+ in the 2023 budget and requested financial allocations for the follow-up activities of the EYY. With almost 2000 youth activities organized in Romania, for example, I strongly believe we have to ensure continuity and coherence in our approach so that we can deliver on our commitments towards the young generation.

The next item is the debate on a Commission statement on 'the situation of the rule of law in Greece, following the Court decision on Predator spyware' (2026/2648(RSP)).

I would like to thank everyone for respecting the Rules and, of course, understanding also the responsibility that each of us has beyond this House.

Mr Tynkkynen, I would remind you that you are part of this House as well. I will refer to the President based on Rule 10, due to the words used in your intervention.

This is valid for all speakers in any session. There are specific rules on how we can address colleagues, and I take note of how colleagues have been addressed. So we also forward this to the President.

So first of all there is a blue‑card procedure. And when I kindly ask you to interrupt because there is no interpretation, you have to wait for the interpretation, sir. It was not a blue card. So if you want to reply, or you don't want to reply.

The next item is the debate on a Commission statement on 'the rise of political violence, notably by far‑left organisations' (2026/2638(RSP)). Before starting the debate, I want to inform all colleagues again of the fact that we will need to comply with the time available, so I will be very strict on the timing. Please do respect the timing that has been allocated to each speaker. If we are going to have blue cards also, we will be respecting the procedures accordingly. Also, please colleagues, respect the Rules of Procedure when it comes to the blue‑card procedure.

Madam Vice-President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, education is the main tool by which we fight poverty, but also by which we can increase our competitiveness. Education is not supported by good words, but by adequate budgets and policies. That is why we tabled an amendment co-signed by the Members of the Education Intergroup, calling for 20% of the future multiannual budget of the European Union to go towards education and skills training. I ask the European Commission to support this approach and to show that it treats education as a strategic priority, not as a fiscal adjustment variable. Now we only have 14% for education and mobility, so such an adjustment is possible. We have also offered the solution of identifying new resources through a European education tax applied to companies in the online betting industry. At the same time, we have to say things by name: in Romania we are witnessing cuts that affect the quality of education. These decisions strike precisely at the children and young people most in need, at the teachers and local communities who get involved. We cannot demand more for education at European level and ignore when it is threatened in the Member States. Education must be protected everywhere, because when you attack education, you attack the future of a society.

Colleague, please respect the rules of this House when it comes to referring to people that are present or not present, and also respect the topic. This issue will be referred again to the services.

The next item is the debate on the Commission Declaration on the urgent need to address the humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan and achieve lasting peace (2026/2603(RSP)).

Mr President, I am calling for a European tax on online gambling and betting, to finance education. Today, the online gambling market is one of the fastest growing digital industries, generating dozens of billions of euro, yet a significant share of these profits escapes fair taxation. My proposal is simple and responsible: a European levy on the online gambling and betting industry, applied equally on top of the existing national turnover taxes, while fighting for a clear EU directive against illegal and unlicensed platforms. This could generate between EUR 2 to 4 billion every year, and could go up to almost EUR 28 billion for the entire EU long-term budget. The strongest argument in favour is that this industry fully benefits from the EU's single market, digital infrastructure and cross-border access, but operates under fragmented rules, unequal taxation and insufficient enforcement. A coordinated EU‑level tax would enable us to find a solution for the lack of EU resources by providing dedicated funding for education, skills prevention, addiction treatment or mental health.