What Victor spoke about.

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, the European path of the Republic of Moldova is close to becoming irreversible. If the citizens of the Republic of Moldova will vote massively for joining the European Union, at the referendum that will take place on October 20, then the road to accession will become easier and the support of the European Union more consistent. As Vice-President of the European Parliament, who is also responsible for the relationship with the Republic of Moldova, I am glad that through this resolution we once again show the unconditional support of all pro-European political families in the European legislature for Chisinau's European path. It is a support for the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, for their development and security, in a challenging context, generated by the hybrid war and the interference of the authoritarian regime in Moscow, which wants to block this European path. I have to say it very clearly: Moldova is not sold, contrary to what the Russian agents there say. Moreover, we decided to allocate additional funds for the Republic of Moldova, EUR 50 million for the candidate countries and the Eastern Neighbourhood, EUR 3 million for pre-accession assistance. There's a lot of things to do. We are here for the Republic of Moldova. Thank you.

Madam President, French President Emmanuel Macron has recently said that the European Union is at risk of disappearing. Maybe he is right, but what he forgets to say is that the reason Europe is lagging behind is because the European Union has completely turned to the right of politics, forgetting the concept of solidarity and the need for dialogue. Multi-speed Europe is only the embodiment of an anti-European message meant to separate us, although the European project exists to unite us. The latest European barometer shows that 70% of European citizens believe in the European Union, in its key role for peace, security and development. It is time for political leaders to live up to expectations and act, equipping the European Union with the capacity to act directly to raise living standards, create well-paid jobs and improve education and health services. The solution to a better Europe is a united Europe based on mutual respect.

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, temporary border controls are only the result of too long-overlooked problems, which we Social Democrats have repeatedly raised. The subject of Schengen has been excessively politicised by populist leaders. This was the case in the Netherlands and Austria, where, in search of non-existent electoral benefits, certain political parties, without any argument whatsoever, kept Romania and Bulgaria outside the free movement zone, although they complied with all Schengen criteria. It is time to restore the principles of law, protect the right to free movement for European citizens and include in the Schengen area all countries that comply with the rules. At the Justice and Home Affairs Council on October 10, the interior ministers must offer concrete solutions, but also a real perspective that, by the end of the year, Romania and Bulgaria's access to the free movement area by land will be achieved. The decision can easily be formalised at technical level. Pilot projects implemented by the European Commission for border security and good results achieved through enlargement Air Schengen prove the efficiency of European solutions and the fact that, with the integration of Romania and Bulgaria, the Schengen area becomes safer. That is why, as the European Parliament's chief negotiator on the European Union's budget, I have asked for EUR 4 billion for border security, the management of migrants and refugees, and the enlargement of the Schengen area. Let's not miss this moment and make the right decisions.

Madam President, Minister, Commissioner, colleagues, no – the proposal that the Council has made for next year's EU budget cannot be accepted as such. It is too far from what the European Parliament has requested to see in its guidelines earlier this year and it proposes severe cuts that go against what has been agreed in the recent revision of the multiannual financial framework. My role as rapporteur and negotiator on behalf of the European Parliament is to defend the role of our institution as a budgetary authority, but also to make sure that the annual budget addresses the priorities, which we have agreed together with the political groups. The recent European elections have sent a clear message that for more solidarity between Member States and more investment in policies and programmes, we need adequate financing and we need, of course, to use that financing in order to improve people's lives. This call cannot be translated into more budgetary cuts and a reduction in badly needed resources to help our people go through these difficult times. Prudent budgeting does not mean to block the financing of citizens' priorities. It does not mean rebates, and it certainly does not mean cutting programmes to finance high interest rates. We need to do more together and better, not less. Indeed, some errors have been made in the forecast, also by the Commission. It is up to us to find together the best solutions to the current challenges, but we still have a different perspective on how to reach that goal. To be clear, the Council proposes to cut commitment appropriations for next year by EUR 1.52 billion. This translates into a EUR 400 million cut for our research programme, Horizon Europe, and a EUR 110 million cut for the Connecting Europe Facility Digital. We also have cuts for the InvestEU Fund, Digital Europe Programme, the Single Market Programme, including SMEs, the Technical Support Instrument as well as for EU4Health. The Council proposed also a huge cut to Erasmus by EUR 294 million, which is our flagship programme for young people and education. We also see cuts in employment and social innovation, European Solidarity Corps, Creative Europe, Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values and our LIFE environmental programme. Even border protection is affected. These cuts go against what the Parliament has defended in its guidelines, meaning more investments and financial allocations for the programmes that improve people's lives. We also call upon the Commission to be clear on the negative impact of these measures and to act consistently in enabling us to reach a good outcome during the negotiations. Together with my colleagues from the Parliament, we prioritise programmes for health, education and youth, support for agriculture and farmers, the need to improve our infrastructure and have a fair, green and digital transition. Defending gender rights, protecting our values and making our fight against corruption more effective. Improving our action at the global level, in particular in our neighbourhood, both east and south: western Balkans, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. Protecting our borders and ensuring the functioning of the Schengen Area with Romania and Bulgaria joining the freedom of movement zone by land. We also call for a better coordination of our social security system to improve intra-European mobility. Last but not least, we understand the need for solidarity. In the context of the natural disasters that affect our continent, I call together with my colleagues upon the Commission and the Council to allocate additional financial means for all the instruments dealing with such crises, like the EU Civil Protection Mechanism or the EU Solidarity Fund, but also to prioritise investments that enable to reduce the impact of natural disasters. We are confident that the European Union, being based on solidarity, will find the resources for those affected by the floods. At the end, dear colleagues, I count on your support in establishing a strong budgetary position of the European Parliament. I appreciate the work of our shadows and the good relationship we managed to build. Dear Minister, I am confident that our negotiations can lead to a good outcome for the people that have so many expectations from us. So let's not let people down. Dear Commissioner, we do count on your valuable experience in finding the best compromises, hopefully in time, but before the end of the current mandate. We have a lot of work to do together and I'm confident we will find a solution for it.

Madam President, Commissioner, we have all seen the disastrous effects of the massive floods caused by Cyclone Boris in Central and Eastern Europe, which have unfortunately led to the loss of human lives. In Romania, thousands of households have been affected by floods, and the danger has not yet passed. The people in the area are asking us for urgent measures to support them. As the European Parliament's chief negotiator for the European Union budget, I have called on the Commission and the Council to activate the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve and the Integrated Political Crisis Response mechanism so that we can directly help those affected. At the same time, I support an increase in the budget for financial instruments dedicated to emergencies and disasters, both for the Civil Protection Mechanism and for compensation. Last but not least, we need to invest in prevention, and in this respect we have once again called on the European executive to come forward with concrete proposals and financial allocations. We stand with those affected, we will seek immediate solutions and we will do everything we can so that the European Union can support them. We would like to thank all those involved in the rescue and the volunteers who helped those affected by the floods.

The one-minute speeches are over. (addressing the meeting room) As I said earlier, 30 interventions were selected and those who received...(Words that don't get along). It's a procedure, I tell you, I'll repeat the procedure, I said it earlier. The procedure I mentioned earlier was as follows: people who want to intervene in this type of debate, one-minute interventions, register in advance. The Secretariat selects 30 one-minute interventions. It is not a selection that I make, I just preside over the list that is communicated to me. You have normally received an e-mail and that e-mail confirms or disproves your intervention. Colleagues say otherwise. If there's a problem, my colleagues tell me it's the cancellation email, I don't have any more details. It's what's being communicated to me. If any errors or problems have occurred, please report them to the Secretariat and, as far as possible, these will be corrected in the future. I hope that this has not happened and together we can find the way in which we can comply with the procedures.

I want to remind you kindly that you cannot show signs or images, or even wear t-shirts with messages. The Rules of Procedure are clear in this regard; please do respect them as well. (Inaudible comments in the Chamber) This is why it's better to inform us before.

The next item is the one-minute speeches on matters of political importance. This debate is based on Rule 179 of the Rules of Procedure. I also take the opportunity of these one-minute speeches to add my voice to the statement of the President this afternoon, by expressing our solidarity with the people affected by the floods in Central and Eastern Europe, and the families of those who lost their lives in Romania. This being said, I remind colleagues that there can be up to 30 speeches, with a maximum duration of 1 minute. These can only be presented by those Members who have signed up before and have received a confirmation. You have, of course, to intervene from your seats. So based on the list that we received, I will start giving the floor. We start with Mr Tsiodras. Mr Tsiodras? So let's try to be in the room when giving the floor. No, from your seat. This is what I said. From your seat, or any seat now. This is why I underlined the rules at the beginning. You have to stand.

Madam President, colleagues, we are today in front of a key vote for the next European Commission but, I also must say, for how we would like to see the future of Europe. After seeing what happened today in the plenary, our Romanian PSD delegation calls for responsibility, while also underlining the priorities we have for the future Commission. We strongly believe more needs to be done in enabling this year the full accession of Romania to the Schengen Area. We also want to emphasise the need for better policies, allowing Europe to remain an economic leader, competitive, with a strong industry, dynamic SMEs and an adequate budget for the challenges we face. And we believe we can actively contribute to that. Last but not least, we need more support for farmers, rural areas and local investment. Equal pay for equal work also means fair subsidies for our farmers, while the cohesion policy needs to remain at the core of regional development. We want a Commission that is in contact with citizens and providing solutions to their need for better living conditions, and we believe we can work with you in doing that.

Madam President, High Representative. Europe and the United States have shown unity in supporting the independence of Ukraine in front of the Russian aggressor. Beyond the support that has been decided recently by both sides of the Atlantic, indispensable for Ukraine to survive and protect the eastern flank, one of the key measures is related to frozen assets. The EU today applies restrictive measures in respect of 20 individuals and entities. Altogether, EUR 21 billion in assets are frozen in the EU, and more than EUR 300 billion in assets from the Central Bank of Russia are blocked in the G7 and EU countries. Despite this fact, Russian oligarchs and entities still escape the imposed restrictive measures and more needs to be done in order to make sure that they are being applied effectively across Europe, including to those working or doing business with Russia. Now we need to make full use of these assets by using them to protect and reconstruct Ukraine, compensate the victims and support the frontline countries affected by the war. Those responsible for this war have to pay the cost, and we have to make sure, as legislators, that this happens as soon as possible.

Madam President, dear colleagues, European leaders are currently negotiating the strategic agenda for the next five years. It is time for them to understand that for a better future of the European Union, they need to get out of the chancelleries and talk to the people. Europeans want Europe to protect them, but they also want to be consulted by European leaders when decisions are made. We want Europe to prosper and live in peace, and this requires a strong economy and sustained entrepreneurs, investment in local development, education and health, increased local production and support for farmers, but also clear and simple mechanisms, respected by all, so that no one is left behind. We therefore need a European budget that has sufficient resources for all these challenges and solutions to fight poverty and reduce inequalities. For the Romanians I represent, it is crucial that this agenda of European leaders provides for Romania's full accession to the Schengen area. If we want a strong Europe, we need to bring the entire Union together in the Schengen area, and Romania's accession by land would bring a useful economic and competitiveness bust to all Member States.

Mr President, access to quality water is a right recognised at European level. Unfortunately, water has become a luxury for the inhabitants of Alba County. Considering the overvalued costs of the construction materials used, the huge salaries of the management of the county water company and the politicization of the management, it has come to be that in the beautiful Alba County, with many water resources, the prices for the population are higher than in the big cities, where the incomes are much higher. I decided to talk about these things in the plenary of the European Parliament, because local politicians erroneously blame the European Union, although I presented concrete solutions to all these problems, from the digitization of the company to the creation of a solidarity fund facilitated by European Union legislation. These things happen in the context in which the works performed are of poor quality, the water contains impurities that make it impossible to drink, and the rivers in the county are the victims of the polluters protected by the local mafia. We have asked the European Commission to verify these aspects and restore the right to quality water to the people of Alba.

Mr President, Romania has recently taken an important step towards joining the Schengen area. Romanians can now travel freely by plane, Romanian goods can be transported more easily by air and sea, our country can issue Schengen visas, and Romania has become a de facto member of the decision-making structures in the free movement zone. A moment expected for over 13 years, for which I actively campaigned alongside my colleagues from the Social Democratic Party and PES Activists Romania. We have submitted petitions supported by tens of thousands of signatures, generated resolutions of the European Parliament, discussed with all major European leaders and even protested in front of the Council. We are happy with this victory and continue to support full accession to the Schengen area, requesting a decision by the end of the year. In recent weeks, together with Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, I have discussed with the German Chancellor, the future Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU, the Austrian Chancellor and the Head of the European Commission, to support Romania's accession to the Schengen area by land. Austria's right-wing government must stop politicizing the issue. I am confident that we will be able to achieve this goal by approaching this topic with professionalism.

Mr President, I would like to thank my fellow Members once again for all their contributions. This demonstrates the importance of this debate for the European Parliament, but also the complexity of the topics related to budgetary issues. It is clearly impossible to have a sufficient budget to cover all points. However, we need to define the priorities well in order to have the greatest impact. As many of you have said, the situation in the European Union, and therefore our budget, is influenced by the conflicts taking place in our neighbourhood. We are not the ones who started the war in Ukraine, but if we do not help Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, our lives will forever be changed and threatened by the barbaric attitude of the Moscow leadership. We help Moldovans and Ukrainians not only to save lives, but also to save our lives. Therefore, we must continue to show the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia, the Eastern Balkan countries that we are here to help them become members of the European Union. The situation is just as complicated in the Middle East, and indeed there is no easy solution. What is clear is that our report tried to take into account all concerns in a consensual way in order to show that the European Union is present, without however turning into a foreign policy debate. Together we have managed to show that dialogue remains the best solution to give strength to our Parliament. By endorsing the priorities this afternoon, we are restoring credibility to our institution and demonstrating, before the elections, that we are able to live up to the justified expectations of our citizens, to work with them, to work for them, to take serious decisions in their interest and that of the Member States of the European Union.

Mr President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, I will start my intervention today by saying very clearly, the European Parliament must have guidelines for the next European budget, and our priorities are important and must be taken into consideration by the Commission and the EU Council. We have managed, after long discussions, to build a document that has clarity, that sets a vision for the upcoming EU budget and puts forward a clear direction for the negotiations that will take place between our institutions. I want to thank everyone involved and to reiterate my appreciation for the strong vote in favour of the report in the Budget Committee of the European Parliament. Our institution must show unity in saying that we need to allocate adequate financial resources for the priorities that are important to our EU citizens, for the development of our businesses, for a fair Europe that does not leave anyone behind. We need to support the creation of quality jobs while protecting our industry. We must help our farmers and continue to invest in our rural areas. We can develop our infrastructure while preserving the quality of our air and of our forests, at the same time as – this is important – protecting people against floods and droughts. For all of that, there are three key directions that need to be followed: using more effectively the funds that we have available; fighting against corruption; and focusing on the impact of our policies. We need to make full use of the unused funds from the previous financial period and allocate them to the beneficiaries and programmes that have a high absorption rate. We must allocate sufficient resources for our strategic priorities and for our new objectives. We need to make it happen. We can ensure adequate financial support for Erasmus students while investing in our economy. Finally, we need to keep the democratic control over the EU budget with a strong role of the European Parliament in order to deliver what people expect from us, by better including our social objectives in funding our programmes, or developing, for instance, the Civil Protection Mechanism. Sunt în mod particular mulțumit de introducerea în documentul nostru a unor aspecte care privesc direct zona pe care o reprezint și mă refer aici la România. Mă refer la apelul nostru pentru suplimentarea fondurilor în vederea aderării complete a României și Bulgariei la spațiul Schengen. Intrarea pe cale aeriană și maritimă în zona de liberă circulație la finalul acestei luni o să fie un succes și ne dorim să folosim acest moment pentru o decizie favorabilă pentru o aderare completă până la finalul anului. Totodată, subliniez importanța solicitării noastre privind sprijinirea sectorului agricol și a mediului rural. Trebuie să întărim programele de sprijin pentru fermieri, să îi ajutăm pe tinerii care activează în agricultură, să dezvoltăm satele folosind banii europeni și să ne asigurăm că subvențiile sunt distribuite echitabil și că ajung acolo unde trebuie. Toți cetățenii europeni trebuie tratați corect și trebuie să beneficieze de aceleași drepturi și oportunități. Am solicitat în document alocarea de fonduri suplimentare, astfel încât fiecare cetățean să aibă acces la tratamente și aparatură medicală de ultimă generație. O Europă puternică își protejează cetățenii și este evident că doar împreună putem să ne asigurăm de acest lucru. O dimensiune importantă a acțiunii europene constă și în facilitarea mobilității cetățenilor europeni. Îmbunătățind transferul drepturilor sociale și al pensiilor, reușim practic să ajutăm și mai mult diaspora europeană chiar să revină acasă. În final, Parlamentul European este ferm în a spune că ne dorim un buget orientat către cetățeni, care să conducă la creșterea nivelului de trai și la îmbunătățirea infrastructurii din orașele și satele noastre. Uniunea Europeană trebuie să utilizeze fondurile cât mai eficient, în așa fel încât să crească calitatea serviciilor medicale și educaționale, să se asigure că infrastructura devine un motor al dezvoltării și să faciliteze crearea de locuri de muncă bine plătite. Avem instrumente la dispoziție pentru a face acest lucru, dar este important să le folosim într-o manieră adecvată. Mesajul nostru către cetățenii europeni înaintea alegerilor pentru Parlamentul European trebuie să fie că putem să construim o Europă pe care ne-o dorim: democratică, socială și sustenabilă. Finally, I want to express our discontent when it comes to the recent positions expressed by some of the political groups, in particular the EPP, on some key topics for the European Parliament, including border management. There is no excuse for not respecting the agreement reached at the committee level with everyone’s support. We have one of the strongest languages on border management and security ever mentioned in the European Parliament budgetary guidelines. If we do not keep the line, if we do not keep the compromises, we cannot ensure a better and more secure Europe. I am confident that we are not going to lean towards the far right, but also focus – and this is a priority on the common – on the common objectives that are explicitly mentioned in the text.

Madam President, recently, a child in Blaj died as a result of not having access to the medical services she needs. As a father, I know there are no words to ease the pain. Unfortunately, this is not the only case. The number of medical problems has increased from year to year in Alba County, as health has been ignored or treated superficially. We don't have enough doctors, the funds allocated go to concrete and not to the right place. Although I am not responsible, I will apologize to the citizens of Alba County for the fact that the patients in the county are not treated as they deserve by the county and local authorities. I entered politics to change things for the better in the area of health and education, after I personally faced such injustices in the family. I discussed directly with the Minister and those responsible for obtaining additional funds for health for Alba County, for medical equipment, for the radiotherapy section, for supporting doctors, and as chief negotiator of the European Parliament for next year's budget, I called for increased funds for health and for the implementation of a principle whereby all states will have access to the most innovative treatments and medical devices.

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, in order to meet the current challenges, an adequate budget is needed now. We cannot have new generations of sacrifice. As the European Parliament's rapporteur for the European Union budget, we have proposed to invest massively in the development of our industries, in agriculture or innovative sectors, in the security and resilience of our societies or in the proper training of citizens. There are many positive examples of using European money. For example, through the efforts of the government in Bucharest, 96% of the funds available from the previous period were accessed and I am convinced that for the current multiannual budget we will be in the first place, having already managed to have projects worth over 20 billion euros. At the same time, we must allocate the necessary funds so that Ukraine does not lose this war. If Russia reaches Romania's borders, the situation will become more difficult. If we do not demonstrate unity, the current costs will seem insignificant compared to the price we will pay if Putin is allowed to win, in violation of international law and human rights. Without using big words, I say clearly: our common future depends on the European budget.