Speeches

Mr President, I met her last month in Congo, a 15-year-old girl. At home, a gang member raped her so brutally that she had to be helped and stitched in the hospital. She wanted to return home as soon as possible to go back to school. Mathematics is what she likes best. But she doesn't dare go home anymore. She asks me if I have children. Yeah, I have two kids. She doesn't want any more children, because she doesn't trust men. She doesn't know if she can ever trust them again. Sexual violence is a sign of life. Yet this peace agreement makes no mention of justice and restitution for victims in the conflict. The existence of a peace agreement is an important step, but it does not address the causes of the conflict: the economic inequality, illegal mining and also the responsibility of M23. More humanitarian aid is needed, especially for victims of sexual violence. The international community must also focus on the causes of the conflict and prosecute and bring to justice the perpetrators of war crimes.

Mr President, I met her last month in Congo, a 15-year-old girl. At home, a gang member raped her so brutally that she had to be helped and stitched in the hospital. She wanted to return home as soon as possible to go back to school. Mathematics is what she likes best. But she doesn't dare go home anymore. She asks me if I have children. Yeah, I have two kids. She doesn't want any more children, because she doesn't trust men. She doesn't know if she can ever trust them again. Sexual violence is a sign of life. Yet this peace agreement makes no mention of justice and restitution for victims in the conflict. The existence of a peace agreement is an important step, but it does not address the causes of the conflict: the economic inequality, illegal mining and also the responsibility of M23. More humanitarian aid is needed, especially for victims of sexual violence. The international community must also focus on the causes of the conflict and prosecute and bring to justice the perpetrators of war crimes.

Mr President, Commissioner, South Sudan is a fertile country, rich in mineral resources. And yet it is one of the poorest countries in the world. For many decades, and certainly since independence, South Sudan has been plagued by war and conflict. Civilian villages are being bombed. Girls and women are raped. Sexual violence is used as a weapon and political opponents are locked up without trial. More than 2 million people have been displaced and more than 9 million South Sudanese are dependent on humanitarian aid. Yet even medical posts are under attack, including recently a Doctors Without Borders clinic. Foreign powers and corrupt leaders benefit from this unstable situation, as it gives them easy access to South Sudan's mineral resources. The European Union must indeed secure humanitarian aid and access to it. It must support women's organisations on the ground, step up diplomatic pressure on leaders and work to revive the 2018 peace agreement. South Sudanese do not deserve silence. They deserve solidarity and justice.

Mr President, Commissioner, Tundu Lissu may face the death penalty in Tanzania. And what is his crime? Opposition to the Tanzanian government. There are charges hanging over his head for spreading false information and treason. Betrayal is punishable by death in Tanzania. In October 2025, there will be elections in a country where opposition leaders are now being rolled up in a wave of arbitrary arrests. The EU and Tanzania are partners, partners in development, trade and sustainability. That is why a transparent and inclusive dialogue is needed, for the freedom of expression, the freedom of our fellow politicians and of human rights defenders, journalists and civil society organisations. The EU must speak out more strongly against the death penalty in our partner countries, including in Tanzania. Human rights, democracy and freedom of expression are not non-committal concepts. We call on the Commission and the Member States to follow the case of Tundu Lissu and to ensure that he is given a fair trial and that he is released.

Mr President, in this debate I would have liked to talk about the agreements that we, as shadows also during the negotiations, for example following the reports on the working conditions and contracts of cleaners in the European agencies, agreed on gender equality in staff policy and its implementation or training against cross-border behaviour. But I am going to use my speaking time to speak, precisely in this debate on transparency and the orderly use of European taxpayers’ money – one of our European values – about another essential European value, namely the strength of civil society organisations. The Commission finances and subsidises businesses and civil society organisations in Member States, of all kinds: Left, right, conservative, progressive. Together they form the fabric of our society. That is precisely why it is so bad that Members of this House are trying to undermine it with half-truths and outright lies. For example, it is claimed that the Commission only finances NGOs on condition that they lobby Parliament. Of course, it turned out not to be true. This is an example of how something straight is spoken crookedly. But for the populists in this Parliament – even in the EPP – it does not matter if something is true, as long as it sounds good. This undermines the fabric of our society and undermines our important European values. In these uncertain times, let us strengthen and not undermine Europe in all its diversity.

Mr President, Europe and social policy are not often linked, despite the fact that many of the rights we take for granted came from European policy. These include family leave, the maximum number of working hours and the minimum number of vacation days, pay transparency, anti-discrimination laws and the right to strike. We've already achieved a lot, but we're not there yet. Standstill is backwards. The right is on a collision course in terms of social policy and wants to reverse what we have achieved. We can't let this happen. I continue to fight for the protection of workers and migrant workers by working for fewer temporary employment opportunities and fewer opportunities for subcontracting, which lead to shadowy constructions and exploitation.

Mr President, colleagues, High Representative, the need in the Democratic Republic of Congo remains high. There are still a huge number of casualties in the conflict, many civilian casualties, including religious communities. As in many countries in the region, the Congolese population is mainly the victim of the struggle for rich soil. Everyone wants to benefit from the minerals and raw materials. Groups such as M23 and other rebels use brutal force. Sexual violence is used as a weapon in warfare to tear communities apart. The EU should provide more humanitarian assistance and in particular to the victims, women and children, of sexual violence. Belgium has not remained silent and is now experiencing the repercussions of Rwanda. We as Member States must continue to speak out and we must also support the countries that do so. Finally, we also need to look at ourselves, High Representative, because we need to rethink our relationship with Rwanda when it comes to dealing with those critical minerals. Because those minerals and the money they yield are used to finance and facilitate this conflict.

Madam President, I wanted to make a point of order. Well, actually, I wanted to make probably my colleague's point of order, because I think it's totally outrageous if we disagree and if we disagree, we disagree heavily – that's okay. But we should not accuse each other of antisemitism in this room.

Mr President, on our European roads, 3 million people drive in a cabin to carry freight around day and night. Truckers do their job with love. It is also a wonderful profession, but also a profession with risks, where cowboy companies flout rules at the expense of truck drivers. I was in Venlo on Friday, where four brave drivers from Central Asia protested against inhumane working conditions. Their Lithuanian employers hardly pay and take out identity papers. They are forced to commit fraud, to lie to the police about their driving and rest times. There are even gangs sent to intimidate them. This is modern slavery and it takes place here, in Europe and in the Netherlands. I call for the enforcement of European regulations to be stepped up with a European labour inspectorate that has teeth to put an end to the endless chains of subcontracting, whereby no one takes responsibility and exploitation continues. Mr President, it is time to act!

Mr President, the rich history of Sudan and the rich soil of Sudan are a stark contrast to the situation of the Sudanese themselves. There is also something to get in Sudan, such as gold. Also for our phones, for our jewelry, for our devices. Countries, for example in the Middle East, but also in the European Union, benefit from the raw materials from Sudan and thus continue to facilitate and finance the conflict. The Sudanese community is the victim of this. Millions fled, torn from their homes, tens of thousands murdered. Women and children are being sexually abused with the aim of disrupting communities. Rape as a weapon of war. It is the fourth time in six months that we are drawing attention to Sudan and debating the situation in the country, now with a resolution. The Commission and the Member States must provide more humanitarian aid now that USAID has disappeared. Directly finance women's organisations in particular, hold countries responsible for sustaining the conflict, get a grip on the origin of our raw materials, especially gold entering our market and impose sanctions on those responsible for these terrible human rights violations.

Mr President, Commissioner, industry in the European Union is in dire straits. Factories are closing, and this is reported daily in the news. A recent example is the closure of the Audi factory in Brussels two weeks ago, which we visited. There we spoke to employees who had good ideas about the future of the factory. But often they are not listened to. Millions of jobs are under pressure in Europe, creating enormous uncertainty for the workers concerned. We need to think about the industry of the future, but we can only do that with professionals. For this transition, we need professionals. We need to think about what they need. We have to let them decide on changes within companies. We need to retrain and immediately offer new work. In addition, it is important to protect our employees and industry from cheap imports and unfair competition. We need guarantees for stable jobs, fair wages and safe working conditions. The transition to the industry of the future must do justice to the people who work in it. Above all, let's make sure that no one is left behind.

Mr President, Commissioner, they isolate our houses, they build our windmills, they take care of our people, they repair our trains and build our roads. They help us in our stores. People with practical skills are indispensable. They are essential professions and yet we often do not value them. A secondary vocational education student receives a bouquet of flowers or a book voucher during an – unpaid – traineeship. Of course, you can't pay the rent. An internship fee is also necessary for MBO students. MBO students often cannot go to a student pub and cannot use student insurance. Incredible! No wonder many of them drop out. There is also no room for MBO students in the European institutions. Their knowledge and skills are of great value, but they cannot do an internship here, and that really has to be different. MBO students shape the Europe of the future. They nurture and build the Europe of the future, and let us give these students the recognition and opportunities they deserve.

Mr President, Commissioner, we are celebrating International Women's Day this year, as we see the deterioration of women's rights and gender equality. Young men find violence against women more often than older generations. More women have died unnecessarily in the EU because of restrictions on abortion opportunities. Women still earn 13% less than men for the same job. Also, one in ten men is fine if a man occasionally beats his wife or girlfriend. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and remains the most progressive and comprehensive global agenda for gender equality. And many of the rights from that statement are now on the chopping block. This year I felt the urgency at the Dam, at the demonstration at the Feminist March, together with twenty thousand others, because after decades we are deteriorating again. The Commission's roadmap should put us back on the path of gender equality, for girls and for women worldwide and in Europe. Women's rights are human rights.

Mr President, every night more than 900 people in the European Union do not have a roof over their heads: They sleep on the street or in shelters. 15% of young people are unemployed. Too many women end up in poverty, often after a divorce. As many as one in four children in the European Union grow up in poverty. Child poverty is not decreasing, but increasing. Te veel mensen komen niet mee en hebben geen perspectief. Social exclusion has terrible consequences and can lead to social isolation or worse. We need to tackle this issue together, at European level. Tomorrow we will vote on the future of the European Social Fund, which has existed since the Treaty of Rome. It is one of the oldest programmes in the European Union and a fund that we can be proud of, because it stands up for people in vulnerable circumstances. It is intended for everyone in Europe: for people with a basic job in Groningen, for Ukrainian refugees in Poland, for women who are victims of violence and for migrant workers who sometimes find it difficult to get along with our society. Let us also not forget that social policy contributes to social cohesion and thus to security. This is the time to make our priorities clear as a Parliament. At a time when we are mainly talking about how companies can become even more competitive, we say: Don't forget about people in vulnerable situations. That is why we propose that at least 25% of the fund should go towards social inclusion, so that everyone can participate in society. The Fund should play a role in tackling homelessness and youth unemployment and special attention should be paid to refugees, regardless of their status. The fund should focus on combating child poverty. Now that the Commission is cutting through many social and progressive laws under the guise of simplification, it is also extremely important that the European Social Fund remains an independent fund, which is not merged with other funds that pursue other goals. If not, the focus and priorities will fade if there is a large fund of funds for the next financial framework. Our message is clear: keep the European Social Fund out of these plans and ensure that the money is spent on the right goals. This is to ensure that children do not grow up in poverty. That is why we make it very clear that at least EUR 20 billion must be made available to combat child poverty through the Child Guarantee. The EPP Group is now trying to remove this from the report through amendments. This is incomprehensible, especially as so many children grow up in poverty and poverty and inequality only increase. This is also dangerous. Security in Europe can only be achieved if we achieve social inclusion and provide perspective for children. We owe it to the current and future children to link an amount to these ambitions. Not just words, but actions as well. Butter with the fish, so that we can guarantee that the money will also be available for this and to make it clear that we take our priorities seriously in this area. So tomorrow we have to vote for the ESF, including the child guarantee and the necessary financial resources. I count on the support of everyone.

Madam President, together with 60 Members of the European Parliament, I wrote a letter to you, Commissioner Lahbib, your colleague Commissioner Síkela and the Polish presidency. The decision of the administration of Trump to freeze billions of development assistance does not only have an impact on vulnerable populations and on aid workers worldwide. It also directly threatens the values that we hold at core here in Europe. But the reform of USAID does not take place in isolation. It is a trend, a global trend to cut development assistance, and also in the EU and in the Member States we see this. A country like the Netherlands is cutting billions of dollars on ODA, and thereby we create fertile ground for authoritarian and destabilising powers. Therefore, Commissioner, I ask you again to address these issues at the highest level to make an inventory of the present and potential global impact of the full package of the announced cuts, and share that with this Parliament. Urge Member States to follow through on their commitments, such as the 0.7 GDP for ODA and present concrete steps on how to do this, And finally, increase efforts to bridge the global financing gap on development assistance and to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Mr President, Commissioner, Minister, a month ago Goma fell. We have already talked about this: More than 3,000 people were killed in the city. Five hundred thousand people are on the run, five hundred thousand people on top of the seven million people who are already on the run in Goma. Sexual violence is used as a weapon in warfare. All this because M23, supported by the Rwandan government, has invaded Goma. We know that M23 also finances its actions with minerals that they illegally obtain from Kivu, from the region around Goma. We also know that the European Union is investing in Rwanda. More than 900 million from the Global Gateway to get critical minerals, including from that region. We ask the Commission to speak out against M23, to advocate for a humanitarian corridor, for more humanitarian aid from the European Union and improved care for victims of sexual violence. We also ask that we reflect on our own role, the role of the European Union. That means suspending the deal on critical raw materials, the memorandum of understanding with Rwanda, and no more military support for countries that finance and feed this conflict.

Mr President, Commissioner, in the Netherlands, the shortage of people in care has risen to 50,000 over the past year. In ten years' time, there will be 190,000. For the people of Amsterdam among us, for the Dutch among us: That's four times a full Amsterdam ArenA. This has consequences for the quality of care and for the employees in the care sector. The pressure on employees is too high. These people do their work with passion and the result is often a burnout. Healthcare workers are modest, but they are indispensable. At the same time, we see that people are looking for other solutions, such as informal care, arrangements within families, with neighbors or friends who take on the care responsibilities. That happens with love, but that is not the ideal solution and also not the best care solution. We need to solve the shortages in care by making jobs more attractive and not hesitate to take real measures and invest more. This not only improves the lives of the people who need care, but also that of the care workers.

Mr President, the case of Jean-Jacques Wondo, who was not given a fair trial and was sentenced to death along with 36 others, was discussed. The European Parliament must speak out against this and advocate the swift release of this Belgian Congolese/Congolese Belgian. Parliament must work hard to ensure that human rights defenders, journalists and other experts have free speech and can speak and say whatever they want anywhere. If they are threatened, we must support them. Parliament, together with the European Commission, must guarantee freedom of expression for these people, support them and let the Congolese government know that it is seeking support and wants these people to be released as soon as possible.

Mr President, the situation in Sudan is rapidly deteriorating. 3.5 million people have fled the country and 11.5 million people have been displaced within the country. That is half a million more than three months ago, when we also talked about Sudan. Half of the country is at risk of acute hunger. Hunger, as the Commissioner said, is used as a weapon of war, as well as sexual violence, particularly in the form of the rape of girls and women. The United States has sanctioned two of the leaders responsible for these human rights violations: the leader of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, and the leader of the Sudanese Armed Forces, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. The European Union should also extend sanctions to those responsible for these human rights violations. Let's bring more help to victims of sexual violence and fund organisations such as women's organisations. Let us lift the blockade on humanitarian aid and address the countries that are ensuring that this war can continue. External inputs are being provided to sustain this war.

Mr President, that is a very good point, because you see that many workers who, for example, work in the industries that I have just appointed, are brought to the Netherlands from Eastern European or Central European countries under false pretexts by temporary employment agencies that they imagine everything and anything that is not true, and that they then work under working conditions and with salaries that are really insufficient and also under the Dutch collective agreements. So yes, a lot is going well, but there is also a lot going wrong and we have to work very hard on that.

Madam President, Commissioner. In the Netherlands, 9000 distribution centres are spread over 40 million square meters. And in those distribution centers, Christmas packages are now being sorted. That sounds very nice. And that would also be nice if the companies behind it do not hide behind chains of subcontracting and cut down on working conditions and the salary of the workers who work there, often migrant workers. It is work that the Dutch do not want to do because the wages are too low, too many irregular hours have to be worked and the employees are too dependent on, for example, temporary employment agencies. We need to protect this group, including at European level, people who work in the distribution centres, in the meat industry, in glass and horticulture or on construction sites, by looking at a maximum number of layers of subcontracting, sending out a maximum number of times and then simply being employed permanently. And more money and manpower during the inspection, so that we can actually check this.

Mr President, Commissioner, a collective agreement, a collective bargaining agreement, protects workers. Employees know what their salary is. They know what the working hours are. They know how much pension they are accruing. But that legal protection can be crumbled in turbulent times, with a lot of pressure from the right – as we have already heard here. And that while the minimum wage directive specifically requires that we cover 70% in all European Member States, sorry 80% of our employees are covered by that collective agreement. In the Netherlands it is now 70%. The Dutch government must also go to jail. Social dialogue is important here. But if employers and trade unions do not agree, then there is the right to strike. And that right to strike is also important, because we now also see that under pressure, under right-wing pressure, for example, the right to demonstrate can be restricted. This can also happen with the right to strike. That is why, Mr President and Commissioner, it is so important that this right, which is included in the European Social Charter, is really protected and continues to be protected.

Mr President, High Representative, ladies and gentlemen, sexual violence against women, rape, is being used as a means of war. Women and girls are used as a means of warfare. With these women and girls, entire communities are being punished, humiliated and disrupted. Sexual violence in conflict is a war crime and women and girls are disproportionately affected. 95% of registered cases concern women and girls. It causes physical, emotional and psychological scars in those involved, as well as in their communities. Victims and their family members run the risk of being isolated, of being placed outside their community. Today we are talking about the DRC and Sudan. But let's be honest, this happens in all situations where there is war, also on other continents at the moment. It involves rape, gang rape, sexual abuse, sexual slavery, forced prostitution. The armed forces are responsible for this in the DRC and in the Congo, on both sides. It is important for the EU to work to protect women and girls, but also the men and boys who are victims of this, in order to protect international law. Zero tolerance when it comes to sexual violence. Removing obstacles to humanitarian aid. I therefore call on the EU, together with the Member States, to step up humanitarian aid to ensure that there is targeted assistance for the victims, to ensure that there are targeted sanctions against the commanders of the armed forces who make this possible, but also to ensure that these women and girls are not only protected, but are given a place at the table. That they are not a means of warfare, but that they contribute to peace. Because that is the most important task that women and girls can tackle well.

Mr President, rapporteurs, thank you for your contribution. Mr President, 2024 has the dubious honour of perhaps becoming another year of natural disasters. We have just seen it again in Mayotte and all the support for the population there and for the victims. The consequences of climate change are becoming increasingly clear. We also see them here in Europe. The terrible floods recently in Valencia, but also in other countries in Europe, such as the Czech Republic, Germany, Romania, Poland and Slovakia. And that while climate skeptics continue to deny that those consequences are here. These consequences are undeniable here in all Member States. We have to do something about that! That is why it is good that we are now making money available to help the victims, the people involved in the disasters and the Member States. These funds come from the cohesion funds and from the European Social Fund. However, it is also important that these funds continue to serve their primary purpose. That is why it is so important that, in times of crisis, the European Union can mobilise money, preferably from a separate fund. In this way, on the one hand, the cohesion funds can continue to do what they have to do, namely reach people with the policies for which they were created, and, on the other hand, mitigate the effects of natural disasters, which are no longer isolated and very common, and help people, victims and the Member States to do so.

Mr President, Commission, despite Mozambique's abundant natural resources, 73 % of the population lives in poverty; 670 000 people are displaced by armed conflict. Young Mozambicans calling for change are met with violence and human rights violations. Forty people have died in the post-election violence. Internet restrictions, including blockades of social media platforms, constitute violations of freedom of speech and access to information, and affects young people disproportionately in their livelihoods. We need to stand with the young Mozambicans fighting for common values of democracy and prosperity, including the right to protest and to peacefully assemble. Therefore, I ask the Commission, can you commit to investing in programmes with a main priority to advance the position of citizens? Will you sanction those committing human rights violations under the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime? Will you refrain from supporting investments in Cabo Delgado, which violate the social and economic rights of the Mozambican population?