What Peter spoke about.

19

Jan

2022

NL Speech

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Violations of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong

Mr President, this week the World Economic Forum started and one of the main speakers there – who was also allowed to open it – was the Chinese leader, Mr Xi. I have to tell you honestly, I found it incomprehensible that this dictator was brought in as the main speaker at that World Economic Forum. Because, Mr Xi's China is a rogue state, and I hope, in particular, that Mr Pineda and Mr Wallace ar…

22

Nov

2021

NL Speech

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One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Mr President, religious freedom is increasing worldwide. It was therefore also a wise decision by the Juncker Commission to appoint Ján Figel’ as Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion worldwide in 2016. Figel’ has done his work with great passion and excellence. It was therefore also obvious that a new envoy would be appointed when the von der Leyen Commission took office in December 2019, but – u…

19

Oct

2021

NL Speech

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EU-Taiwan political relations and cooperation (debate)

Mr President, thank you very much to Mr Weimers for his historic report. And I fully agree with him that the European Union and Taiwan share the common values of freedom, democracy and human rights. So let us not underestimate the intentions of communist China. China wants to become a world leader and the incorporation of Taiwan seems to be one of the first goals. Remember that Chinese President X…

19

Oct

2021

NL Speech

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The Rule of law crisis in Poland and the primacy of EU law (continuation of debate)

Mr President, Mr Morawiecki, four years before you were born, it has already been established that European law takes precedence over national law. That was in the 1964 Costa versus E.N.E.L. judgment. The fact that the Polish Constitutional Court, with the support of your government, is now putting national law above European law is therefore a hard kick against the shining leg of European law. Yo…

5

Oct

2021

NL Speech

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The future of EU-US relations (debate)

Mr President, the cornerstone of American policy is still the speech that Abraham Lincoln gave at Gettysburg on November 19, 1863. And in it he said: “In America, all people are equal” and “The government must be there for the people, for the people and through the people.” And we share that cornerstone with the United States. That is why they are one of our most important allies, despite the diff…

14

Sep

2021

NL Speech

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Direction of EU-Russia political relations (continuation of debate)

Mr President, they are lying, we know that they are lying and they know that we know that they are lying. These historical words from the Gulag Archipelago still apply to the reign of terror in Moscow. Russia, where lawlessness and arbitrariness prevail and where plays are staged in the courtroom with a prosecutor in uniform and a judge in an official garb. "When the foundations are destroyed, wha…

14

Sep

2021

NL Speech

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Situation in Afghanistan (debate)

Mr President, now that the Taliban are back, there is great fear among all the Afghans who have worked with and for Western troops in recent years. Think, for example, of interpreters, drivers and cooks. We must not abandon these people. The European Member States must evacuate and decently accommodate those who are not yet here. Moreover, the European Union should not allow itself to be packed by…

5

Jul

2021

NL Speech

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The impact on the fishing sector of offshore windfarms and other renewable energy systems (short presentation)

Mr President, the energy transition is necessary, so we must, among other things, switch to the clean energy of wind turbines. However, more and more people on the European mainland do not want windmills in their living environment. "Not in my backyard!" he said. And then the sea is quickly looked at. Put the windmills there. Parliament's Committee on Fisheries is almost unanimous in its view that…