Speeches

Madam President, Commissioner, men and women in several African countries – from regions suffering from severe unemployment and social instability – are targeted for work in Russia. But when they arrive, their passports are confiscated and they actually have to participate in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Through social media and intermediaries, they are lured into Russia with false promises of employment and education. Once in Russia, they are coerced, threatened and transferred to military facilities. Men end up at the front lines and women are made to work in factories under extremely dangerous circumstances. Testimonies show the especially inhumane treatment of African recruits: they are subjected to racial abuse and discrimination and are forced to do the most dangerous duties on the front lines, many of them losing their lives or being seriously injured. This constitutes a serious violation of international human rights and possibly crimes against humanity. With the European Union, the Member States and the African states, we must increase the cooperation to protect these citizens and to make sure we can repatriate them.

Mr President, Commissioner, ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all girls and women – that's the topic of this year's Commission on the Status of Women. Because justice to all is not a given. Too often, women and girls face hurdles accessing justice systems, and they are not taken seriously. This takes place everywhere. In my country, the Netherlands, only 15 % of women that experience rape or sexual assault go to the police, and convictions are very rare. In situations of conflict and war this is even worse. Sexual violence and rape are used as a weapon of war. The lives of women and girls are devastated, as are often the lives of their communities. When justice does not prevail, it means that impunity thrives and perpetrators go free. The EU must promote sexual and reproductive health and rights, and bodily autonomy, in its external policies, but also in the European Union. Improving the status of women should be a concern for all of us.

Madam President, Commissioner, poverty is not inevitable – it is the result of political choices, and today we can choose differently. We will work with people who experience poverty. They must be involved from the start in shaping measures; no policy should be made without them. And let's get this straight: if we do not tackle poverty, no defence plan, no market reform and no competitiveness strategy will make people feel secure. Security means also to pay your rent and to be able to pay for your groceries. A strong Europe starts with people who live, not survive from paycheque to paycheque. That is why I urge all of us to support the EUR 20 billion for the Child Guarantee. Children do not decide our budgets, but they live with the consequences. And finally, in the European Union, no woman or girl should miss school or work because she cannot afford basic hygiene products. We provide toilet paper as a standard in public places; menstrual products should be just as normal. Again, poverty is not inevitable – it is a result of political choices. Let's choose differently.

Mr President, education provides knowledge and skills for your later work and participation in the labour market. And education also gives you a social basis for your entire life. You will learn about history, geography, social skills and how society works. Learning experiences that will benefit you for the rest of your life. That is why it is also important that sexual education and knowledge about contraception is part of the educational strategy. Some may think: What does that have to do with it now? Well, 70% of girls who get pregnant young drop out of school prematurely. And that has enormous consequences for their own potential, for their income and for their possibilities later. But it also has consequences for their children. The social and economic opportunities for their children are becoming less and therefore they are entering a negative spiral. That is why we need to break through this with good education on reproductive and sexual health and rights for all girls in Europe and in the world.

Mr President, the European Pillar of Social Rights can be called the Constitution of Social Europe. It contains 20 principles that we, as the EU, are fighting for. A not insignificant principle is: everyone in Europe should receive a fair minimum wage. And let it just suspend it in the Netherlands. Because when you are 18 or 25 years old, you get a different salary for equal work and experience. The Netherlands is one of the few countries that uses a minimum youth wage and therefore structurally underpays young people. Why should you earn less for the same job? That's ridiculous, isn't it? That's what we think. That is why the EU Minimum Wage Directive states precisely that: Exemptions from pay should never be discriminatory. It is high time that the Netherlands will also comply with that law and abolish a minimum youth wage for adults. I therefore ask the Commission to open an infringement procedure against the Netherlands.

Madam President, High Representative, in the context of this debate, I would like to shine a light on three islands – Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao – that lie a mere 30–80 km off the coast of Venezuela. These islands are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and part of the EU overseas countries and territories. It is needless to say that what happens in Venezuela worries the people and the authorities of these islands, and it affects them – politically, economically and in migration. Therefore, I would like to ask the High Representative if there is already contact with representatives of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, either directly or via the Dutch Government. And if not, are you willing and planning to do that? Because it is important to listen to the representatives of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao in shaping the policy of the EU in the region – in general, but specifically now. We should not forget them.

Mr President, when we think of democracy, we often think of elections. Democracy is so much more than that. Democracy is freedom of expression, feeling safe on the streets, being able to love who you want and a strong civil society. Democracy also gives people the power to question power critically. Democracy also includes the rule of law, which means that a country that does not adhere to those important values will suffer the consequences. That is why it is so important that we have systems "with European money". That we can freeze that European money if governments misbehave, for example when they want to control universities or when judges can no longer speak their law independently. This system could be significantly strengthened in the next Multiannual Financial Framework. It is also important for the Commission to use this system. We will continue to question the Commission on this.

Mr President, Commissioner, I think we all feel sympathy and solidarity with the people of Sudan, with the people of el-Fasher who were besieged, where rape as a weapon of war took place, where starvation as a weapon of war took place. And unfortunately this is not only in el-Fasher, this is also in other places in Sudan. The RSF, the Rapid Support Forces, commit these atrocities, but the SAF also commit atrocities. And it's good that we have humanitarian assistance, and it is good that our Commissioner has also said that we need more access for humanitarian assistance. We need more funds for humanitarian assistance because we need to support the people of Sudan, and we need to support the organisations in Sudan. However, solidarity and empathy alone are not going to end this war and are not going to end the suffering of the people in Sudan. We know what fuels this war. We know the richness of the soil of Sudan fuels the war. We know the illicit trade in gold fuels the war. So we must also act. We must stop block minerals from entering into the European Union. And we also must call a spade a spade: I think we must call the UAE and must make sure that they do not continue their support to RSF and to other actors. We must ask the Commission to stop the trade negotiations with the UAE as long as this is going on.

Mr President, thanks to the colleagues that have worked with me on this report. Gender equality is an objective that is enshrined in the primary law of the EU, and a principle that should be at the core of all EU policies, and that is what we will be voting for in a minute. Some of you asked why gender mainstreaming is necessary in all EU programmes and funds. What does gender have to do with the development of medicines? Well, if medicines are designed for the average person, which is still a man, they will work less for women and might even overlook dangerous health consequences for women. What does gender have to do with human resources? Well, the average pay gap in the European Union is still 13 % and the average pension gap is a staggering 29 %. And what does gender mainstreaming have to do with the building of roads and of bridges? Well, my colleagues, we want roads and bridges to be safe for everyone that uses them. Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and we have talked about the dangers for all women. Therefore, there should be light on the roads and safe havens when we need to stop. And, when it is safe for women, it is safe for everybody. Medicines for all, safe roads, safe buildings, comfortable safety belts, honest wages, liveable pensions – I can continue. These are all important reasons for gender mainstreaming. And if that does not convince you, improving gender equality would lead to an increase of the EU GDP per capita by 6.1 % to 9.6 %, which amounts to EUR 1.95 trillion to EUR 3.15 trillion. And that, my friends, is something that I would vote in favour of.

Mr President, this week there was a report from GREVIO, and that was hard work. The Netherlands does far too little against violence against women. Ten years ago, the Netherlands signed the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women, but in practice it is doing far too little to combat it effectively. The consequences are immense. Women and girls are not safe on the street, at home, at school or at work. Every week eight women are murdered in the Netherlands and every day there are six in the European Union. Women who are killed because they are women. What is needed is more money, more policies and more actions to effectively combat violence against women. For example, criminalizing psychological violence, but also pro-actively prosecuting offenders. I expect the Commission to come up with real policies in the coming period, and I also expect the Member States to come up with real policies against violence against women, and with legislation. Just signing a treaty is very nice, but it does not prevent violence. We need action.

Mr President, we are talking about the renewal of the EU-Africa partnership and it is impossible to talk in the menu about how important this relationship between the EU and Africa is. That is why I would like to highlight two points. Firstly, there is the importance of people-to-people exchanges, getting to know each other and working together, especially young people going to study in Africa or young people coming to study in Europe. Researchers working together to address today's challenges, such as climate change, poverty reduction and gender equality. Programmes such as Erasmus+ and Horizon should therefore be strengthened. The second is the importance of fair trade and fair investment. We need the raw materials and minerals from the African soil for our energy transition and for our digital transition. But we must take much more action to ensure that the mining that goes with it does not harm people and nature, and that blood minerals do not enter the European Union. Africa is our neighboring continent and in the Netherlands we say: ‘Better a good neighbour than a distant friend.’ Let that be the spirit of the renewed EU-Africa partnership.

Mr President, Commissioner, as many as 50 million people today live and work in modern slavery. There are also people in Europe who work in deplorable working conditions and are being exploited. At the same time, we are organising a summit in a country like Qatar, a country known for the exploitation of workers. Is it fair, then, to hold this summit in Qatar at the very least, when we know that there are gross human rights violations taking place there? We are talking about social development. We need to work on this World Summit on Social Development. At the same time, we note that more than a hundred countries are so deeply in debt that they have to cut back on social development. They have to cut back on care and education and the result of those big cuts is a global economy. Gender Poverty Gap. Indeed, we see that it is often women who work in the care, social security and education sectors – and they lose their jobs. We need to increase funding from social development programmes to women’s rights and women’s organisations so that we can quickly achieve SDG 5, the Sustainable Development Goal for gender equality.

Mr President, Commissioner, imagine the following: you have been working for years at a beautiful, large company with branches in the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and perhaps in many other countries. However, the workload is increasing, while decisions are made elsewhere. No one listens to the people who actually do the work. Until the works council intervenes and makes clear: We also have a voice and we want to make it clear what the employees think. Then there will be a policy, for example against the increasing workload or to promote training and further learning. There is room for consultation and mutual respect. This is exactly what works councils do: They bring democracy and co-determination to the workplace. They ensure that employees are not ignored, that their concerns are not dismissed, that they are actually heard. This becomes even more important in companies that operate internationally. Because what good is participation in the Netherlands if the decisions are taken in London or Frankfurt? That is why we need strong European works councils.

Mr President, Commissioner, how can you ask for help if your voice cannot be heard? How can you be helped if you are not allowed to receive medical help from a man, but women are not allowed to work? There are no more options for many women in Afghanistan. The earthquake, which caused hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries, revealed that women's protection had been crumbling for a long time. So yes, we have to stand up for the affected areas, but that does not solve the problems of women’s rights, which lie beneath the rubble. The EU must speak out more strongly against the ban on women continuing to learn, the ban on women going to a park, the ban on women working, also working as humanitarian workers. That has to disappear. It is good that the European Union has funds for humanitarian aid, but we must make sure that it reaches women as much as men.

Madam President, dear Prime Minister, dear colleagues, the cooperation between Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Belgium is special. For decades, the Benelux have seen economic, political, cultural and social cooperation and integration at our border regions and between our countries. And that cooperation ensures that these three founding Member States have a strong say in the European Union. Also thanks to this Prime Minister. I would also like to thank this Prime Minister for something else: 'My body, my choice' – the right for women to make our own decisions on bodily integrity and bodily autonomy. As a Christian Democrat leading a centre‑right coalition, you support embedding abortion into the Constitution. Christian Democrats and conservatives in this Parliament can learn from the Luxembourgish Prime Minister, and so can the Government of the Netherlands, where abortion is still officially a criminal act. Abortion should be decriminalised. Access to safe abortion should be acknowledged as a right in my country and in the European Charter of Fundamental Rights. Thank you, Prime Minister. My body, my choice.

Mr President, Commissioner, in Rwanda it is safe on the streets, but it is not safe to speak out. There are leading sporting events, there is economic progress and security, but these are a stark contrast to the political situation in Rwanda. Victoire Ingabire is one of the many political opponents of the regime who is stuck for her political opinion. And now for the second time. After her first arrest, she received an amnesty after eight years. But now she is stuck again and her children are also here to plead for her, because they cannot have contact with her either. It is a trend of oppression and of threat to political opponents that we see in Rwanda. And that is why we also ask the European Union and the Member States to ensure that Victoire, and also the nine other leaders of her party, are released and that they can have a fair trial in freedom, that politicians can express themselves, can participate in elections and that everyone, journalists and civil society, has freedom of expression in Rwanda.

Mr President, Commissioner, cohesion policy is an essential part of the European Union and ensures that all regions can continue to develop economically and socially, and that everyone benefits from that very important European single market. Cohesion policy plays an important role in developing jobs – job creation – and social inclusion. Cohesion policy must be able to continue to do so in the future. To this end, we must also commit ourselves in the future to a separate European Social Fund, with its own budget, in the next multiannual financial framework of the European Union. The next European Social Fund should be more than just a wash-up; it should be a fund that people can use, whether it is to develop skills for the next job, or to socially participate in the European Union and in society. Because with an anti-social Europe, we are lost.

Mr President, Commissioner, I would also like to thank all colleagues for their valuable contribution during this important debate and also during the negotiations and the process towards it. We have seen time and time again that the ESF+ is indispensable for developing the European Union in the way we want it to be. A European Union where physical safety and social security go hand in hand. We cannot give in to one of the two, because without social resilience, our society is lost. Tomorrow we will vote on the outcome of the negotiations of the ESF+‑ review. But for me, this marks the beginning of the next challenge. Ensure that the future Multiannual Financial Framework and thus the next European Social Fund is one for all. That people can be retrained with ESF+‑ money. That we ensure that people who do not automatically come along in society get a boost. That we fight child poverty. That we fight homelessness and that we see that the mantra of competitiveness should not lead to free money for large companies. We demand a ring-fenced budget for the ESF+ with goals that we can take seriously. I want to get to work on this, because a strong Europe is a social Europe.

Mr President, dear colleagues, dear Executive Vice‑President, dear Roxana, today we are discussing the already much discussed European Social Fund Plus. The ESF+ is the core fund for the European social agenda and is so important in achieving skills development, social inclusion and in ending, for example, child poverty. Just before the summer, the Commission proposed a revision of the ESF+ to address today's strategic challenges. What we see happening everywhere, when it comes to the Commission agenda, is what we also saw here. The revision paved the way to add the so-called competitiveness agenda by increasing the possibilities for large companies to receive funds, especially in the defence sector. This should happen in an urgent matter, something we still oppose. As the S&D, we stand for a Europe that defends its external safety and, at the same time, ensures that we leave no one behind within our European common ground. The ESF+ does exactly that, making Europe more social, as we promised our voters. Together with the colleagues, during the negotiations with the Council and with the Commission, we achieved great successes in this matter. We ensured that the money that will be allocated for the defence industry will be for skills development in dual-use, and ensuring that people possess the right skills to have a place in our society. We also ensure that smaller beneficiaries should have a priority in access to the funding, ensuring that our civil society can still access the funding. I want to thank not only the shadow rapporteurs, but also the Council for ensuring this good achievement. On the rule of law. As the Commissioner already mentioned, we ensure that all funding that could possibly be reprogrammed to the new programmes will be checked by the rule of law mechanism, the Common Provisions Regulation and the horizontal enabling conditions. We have it in black and white from the whole College of Commissioners that they will do so, and we will hold them accountable. For this, the Executive Vice-Presidents Mînzatu and Fitto take the responsibility. Let me make one thing clear: when the rule of law is not respected, we cannot accept showing any flexibility. So far, we have managed to safeguard the main mission of the ESF+, supporting people and children in the most vulnerable situations, and supporting smaller beneficiaries in civil society. What we want for the future of the ESF+ is clear. It must be said that what we have seen for now is worrying. The ESF+ should be a separate, independent fund with a dedicated budget. The aim of the fund should always be to help people – to help people find a place in the labour market and to to promote social inclusion. It should be a fund that has a clear objective and that ensures that no one is left behind, that has earmarked funding for specific objectives, like the Child Guarantee, like the Youth Guarantee, for the most deprived and, of course, to support the much‑needed skills development. I am ready to fight for the ESF to be of meaning for the coming period in the future of Europe, because we cannot have a European Union without a strong social foundation. The social foundation is also the security that we have in Europe.

Mr President, at least six women have been murdered in the Netherlands this summer because they are women. Six women are killed every day in Europe because they are women. One-third live under physical or sexual violence. That's more than 50 million women in Europe. Living with fear is the reality for girls and women in Europe, for millions. And that has to stop. Not by teaching girls and women to defend themselves with pepper spray or with keys between the knuckles, but by teaching men to stop bullying, raping and killing women. Feminicide – femicide – is not an isolated phenomenon. It is part of a culture of sexism and intimidation, and that has been ignored for too long. That is why European countries must do everything in their power to speed up legislation and policies for the safety of girls and women in Europe. All girls and women in Europe have the right to safety – at home, at school, at work and on the street.