Speeches

Gender equality is a fundamental value of the European Union and must be extended to all our policies. Combating violence against women and gender-based violence is an absolute priority of the Union. Harassment is an absolute form of gender-based violence. There are cases of sexual harassment in the European institutions and that is why we need to combat it. This requires the following: first, a call on Member States to ratify the Istanbul Convention; secondly, the adoption of the Directive on violence against women, so that harassment is considered a Eurocrime and given a common and coordinated definition so that it can be tackled together; and thirdly, to step up all the measures that we have approved in Parliament as regards mandatory training, the strengthening of committees, the network of advisers to be able to prevent and raise awareness, so that the aim is always to break standardised harassment, to report and punish the perpetrators, to support victims, to speed up reporting procedures, to avoid stigmatisation of victims and to apply stricter sanctions. As legislators and employers we must set an example. Thanks to #MeToo we have made progress, but there is still a long way to go.

A European Strategy to tackle Alzheimer’s and other dementias represents a decisive step towards a more supportive and prepared Europe in the face of one of the greatest public health challenges of our time. The aging population will lead more and more families to face these diseases, with a profound human, social, and economic impact. We support this strategy because it promotes research and innovation, which are key to advancing early diagnoses and effective therapies; it encourages cooperation between Member States, ensuring that best practices are shared and that no citizen is left behind due to inequalities in healthcare systems; and it recognizes the essential role of caregivers and families, promoting appropriate support for those accompanying patients. For me, as an EPP member, Europe must be a space where health, dignity, and solidarity are real priorities. This strategy provides a comprehensive response, strengthening not only medical care but also the social fabric that supports millions of Europeans. Our positive vote reaffirms our commitment to a Europe that protects, cares, and acts with a forward-looking vision.

Mr President, Commissioner, every ten minutes a woman is murdered and there is no doubt that the figures are terrifying. We have the right not to be victims of violence because we are women. The Istanbul Convention set the course for combating and preventing violence against women. Consent has to be clear, it has to be unequivocal, affirmative, free and reversible, and this is key to preventing and protecting women. Silence can never mean a yes. This has nothing to do with the "only yes is yes" law that was passed in my country. And Lina Gálvez knows it very well, because that law made it possible for thousands of rapists to see their sentences reduced and hundreds to be seen on the street. And it was the group of Lina Gálvez, the socialist, and my group, the popular, who changed the law so that this did not happen. It is one thing to argue that consent has to be clear - there we are all together - and another thing is a bad legislative technique that sent a very dangerous message to the public, and that releasing rapists was not good for victimization. The path is to follow the path set by the Istanbul Convention. Violence is combated with serious actions and concrete legislation.

Mr President, Commissioner, four years have passed since the creation of the Global Gateway, which was born to encourage public and private investment in projects that will boost the digital transition, the green transition, sustainable growth, healthcare, education, energy and the promotion of European values. There has been visible progress – more than 270 flagship projects – but there are challenges: challenges related to lack of visibility, coordination between institutions, slow and bureaucratic processes and a lack of clarity on actual funding. The selection of flagship projects does not yet follow transparent criteria and, therefore, we need four years later a shift towards a more participatory, more transparent model, with more coordination, more visibility and stronger parliamentary scrutiny. The withdrawal of certain actors in cooperation has left a vacuum that the European Union must fill. Global Gateway is a way to consolidate our geopolitical and geostrategic position, consolidate alliances and export our model based on human rights, democracy and sustainability.

Madam President, Commissioner, as you know, 21.4% of the total population of the European Union is at risk of poverty or exclusion and the trend indicates that the European Union will not reach the target of reducing the 15 million people in exclusion by 2030, since in almost half of the Member States poverty rates have stagnated or, even in some Member States, have increased. Data on child poverty are alarming and particularly serious. One in four children in Europe lives in poverty or social exclusion. Spain, my country, unfortunately has one of the highest rates of child poverty, ten points above the EU average – the EU average is 24.2% and Spain's 34.6% – pointing to a profound failure in my country's social protection system. Persons with disabilities, single-parent families, women or vulnerable groups have a much higher risk of poverty, stemming mainly from discrimination, lack of opportunities and social exclusion. Having a job is no longer a guarantee to get out of poverty, precisely because of the precariousness of work, the increase in the cost of living, the exorbitant increase in housing, etc. All this has generated alarming increases in exclusion. Commissioner, it is clear that we need a European anti-poverty strategy that is ambitious and comprehensive, that puts children and the most vulnerable groups at the centre of public action, and that ensures quality employment, decent housing and essential public services.

Mr. President, in these weeks, Iranian society has risen up across the country to demand future, dignity, justice and equality. The repression of the tyrannical regime has been brutal: thousands and thousands of fatalities, torture, injuries, detainees and so on. I want to focus on the courage and tenacity of Iranian women: they are on the front line of the mobilisations and are a priority subject of the oppressive regime; Let's remember Mahsa Amini. They are determined to fight for their rights. Gender-based violence is widespread there. Forced and early marriage is a reality. They are paid five times less than men. His word is worth half, just like inheritances. They have no freedom, no political rights and no control over their clothing – I've watched it since the age of nine. It is also a regime that hangs homosexuals. When you attack a woman, you attack all of us. The answer can never be silence. Let's raise our voices. It is not understood how some left-wing parties prioritize the ideological framework over a clear condemnation of the regime. The left goes on tiptoe and the defense of human rights can never be à la carte.

Mr President, a tsunami of cases of harassment of women in the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party has toured my country, Spain. The me too The PSOE is advancing by leaps and bounds. A former adviser to Moncloa – from the team closest to the president – accused of harassment: five months the complaints have been in a drawer; Nothing has been investigated until the press has reported it. A mayor of a town in Andalusia, denounced for harassment: It is difficult to pronounce the testimony of the victims without being ashamed. The secretary general of the Socialist Party in Torremolinos also received complaints of harassment. The victim brought this protocol to his attention in June, but it did not work; She put it back in October, it didn't work either, and she had to go to the Prosecutor's Office alone in November because the PSOE didn't do anything. The secretary general of the Socialist Party in Galicia also went to see him for a complaint of harassment and his response was: And what do you want me to do? They are not isolated cases, it is a way of proceeding that indicates a degraded internal ecosystem. The problem is the answer given by the Socialist Party, always with the same pattern: Initial silence, deliberate inaction, forbidden calculation, looking the other way, no victims... because it matters more to protect the party than the victims after saying to the rest of the women "sister, I do believe you" and "silence is complicit". We do not go to the Prosecutor's Office more than when the aggressors are from the PP and we do not only act when the press takes it out. They try to collectivize guilt. Sanchism has humiliated equality. The forcefulness disappears, the indignation and feminism are diluted...

Mr President, Commissioner, the horizontal anti-discrimination directive has been - as you have said here - for more than 17 years in a drawer, blocked by the Council, to which we ask you to unblock it, because it is imperative to bet on the defence of human rights. I know that the Commissioner has made a superlative effort to be able to put this issue back on the Commission's agenda and I thank her very much. We need it to be unblocked because it guarantees equal protection against all forms of discrimination in the European Union and improves complaint mechanisms and access to justice, facilitates inclusion, increases legal certainty and, in addition, contemplates both direct and indirect, multiple and cross-sectoral discrimination and, therefore, what we do is prepare the anti-discrimination framework throughout the European Union with good armor. They know that there is discrimination on the grounds of religion, age – young people and older people are being discriminated against more than ever before – or sexual orientation. In relation to the latter, there is a very vulnerable group subject to discrimination, because hate crimes have been on the rise and this group is the target of many of them. That has to worry us and, in addition, occupy us with being able to approve this Directive that, together with the Strategy for the Equality of LGBTIQ+ Persons that we approved and that we will now approve again, marks the path of protection of this group. The same applies to the disability sector. It is very important to adopt that directive so that we can protect human rights and make a union of equality.

Madam President, on the verge of 25 November, the day dedicated to the fight against gender-based violence, the commitment of my unequivocal popular formation to equality, women's rights and the fight against violence against women in all its forms is ahead of me. Every ten minutes a woman is murdered in the world. The numbers are devastating and the photo evolves for the worse. We need a political and social commitment, but that commitment cannot be torpedoed by legislating for the benefit of sexual aggressors. In my country it was legislated, and there are still consequences, so that many rapists sexual aggressors were released. Hundreds and hundreds and thousands saw their sentence reduced. This does not combat violence against women. As a minister, she was one of the spokesmen who spoke today and gave us lessons in the fight against violence against women. Nor does it help when the anti-maltreatment bracelets in my country have been without functioning for eight months, violating the right to protection of the victims and having knowledge of this the minister. Nor paying with public money prostitutes - money of all of you - and humiliating women with phrases such as «Carlota se rolla que te shitas», by the Minister of Transport and number two of the Socialist Group of my country.

Mr President, Commissioner, we approved the roadmap for women's rights that will mark the gender equality strategy from 2026. Without equality there is neither competitiveness nor democracy nor social justice. We protect women's rights because we have the right to live in a society without violence against women. In my country, Spain, a poorly approved "only yes is yes" law made it possible for thousands and hundreds of rapists to see their sentences reduced and be on the street, with a colleague from The Left Group who is now a MEP being a minister. Also now in my country anti-maltreatment bracelets have failed for eight months, and that has made it possible for many cases of violence against women to have been dismissed, going against everything that we approve in this Parliament, such as the Victims' Protection Directive or the European Protection Order, because it speaks of the devices having to be reliable. We have the right to work-life balance. In my country, Spain has been fined almost seven million euros because parental leave has not been transposed well, also being a minister one of our colleagues from The Left. We have the right to equal pay, we have the right to equal opportunities. We must all be united in defending these women's rights to achieve true democracy.

Mr President, Commissioner, the Second World Summit for Social Development will now take place in November, thirty years after Copenhagen. It is a good time to analyze the path traveled and to see the challenges of the future. Of course, poverty and social exclusion must be reduced, decent employment for all must be sought, vulnerable groups must be protected and social inclusion must also be fought for. The issue of child poverty worries me extraordinarily. One in five children in the European Union is at risk of poverty, and Spain leads child poverty in Europe, with almost three million children and adolescents at risk of poverty. In addition, the data do not decrease, but have been increasing in recent years. The child poverty rate in my country is ten points above the European Union average. If we add to this four hundred thousand Spaniards more than a year ago who need the minimum vital income to survive, we can see that it is a crucial issue and that we have to worry about as a matter of priority. We will have to establish and implement the European Care Strategy. We will have to fight inequality, eradicate poverty, protect groups of disabilities, immigration, young people, the elderly, immigrants, LGTBI and vulnerable groups in general, guarantee quality health care and lifelong education, the housing plan and labor inclusion for all. In short, to enforce the roadmap of the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan. There will be no democracy if there is no social justice. Therefore, attending to the social is key to restoring trust in the rulers. The new financial framework does not help much. Without the European Social Fund, the group that I represent the most - that of disability - dies. The Commission must therefore take action to restore confidence in human rights.

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, since the Taliban came to power four years ago, the cascade of prohibitions and attacks on human rights and crimes against humanity has been constant in Afghanistan. Women have been erased from public space, they can't study more than until the age of twelve, they can't work or play sports, they can't go out if it's not with a relative, they can't get medical care from men. Even books written by women have been banned. And after the earthquake, with more than two thousand two hundred dead and thousands injured, women and girls have not been treated and have been disproportionately victimized. We add to this, in addition, the internet blackout a few days ago and, therefore, it is absolutely essential that we raise our voices. Where are the activists who have been in so many conflicts and are not in this one? Women have been without rights for four years and we only have debates. Where are the activists to stop this atrocity? Let us raise our voices and be their voices so that they are not invisible, let us stop this atrocity.

Mr President, Commissioner, Victoire Ingabire is a Rwandan politician with a strong technical and intellectual background – I know her personally, I know her mother, her children and her family – who, in 2010, returned to Rwanda to stand for Presidential elections. She was arrested, detained and imprisoned because they said she had conspired against the regime. It was a trial without guarantees and full of irregularities, according to Amnesty International, a multitude of NGOs and also the African Court of Human and Peoples' Rights. We proposed it for the Sakharov Prize in 2012 and the intimidation has been constant: She was sentenced to eight years, then fifteen years, and now, in June, she has been re-imprisoned. She has no communication with her family, she is in a cell with a person convicted of murder, she cannot communicate with her lawyers and her Kenyan lawyer cannot represent her on instructions from the Bar Association under Kagame's instructions. We have to make an appeal so that together we can call for the immediate release of Victoire Ingabire. He hasn't seen his family and children in a long time. The attack on freedom of expression must be strongly condemned. In the party she presides over there are many dead and many missing, and there is a constant attack on freedom of expression and political persecution. I appeal to the international community not to give up trying to make any relationship with Rwanda possible if it does not return to the path of human rights.

Madam President, Commissioner, cultural and linguistic diversity throughout the European Union and respect for persons belonging to minorities are founding values of our Union. Ensuring the preservation and development of Europe's cultural heritage is a priority. Cohesion policy has undoubtedly been an investment instrument – one of the most important in the Union – in order to ensure that there are no differences between regions and to be able to achieve more equitable growth in the Union where economic, social and territorial cohesion is a reality. Cohesion policy is certainly not understood without the regions; it has a territorial dimension and, for this reason, an investment effort is made precisely with the regions that have the most difficulties: island, outermost, mountain and endless. As Commissioner Fitto has already said in the Committee on Regional Development itself and the Commissioner, here, much has evolved since the petition submitted by the petitioners, with great force and, moreover, in times of pandemic. With this evolution, it has opted for inclusive growth, for growth where cultural heritage and regional cultural heritage are a priority along with the participation of all civil society. Cohesion policy is the best antidote against walls, against the fragmentation of our territories. They know that I come from the Balearic Islands, I deeply love the language spoken there, the Mallorcan of the islands, but also Spanish. Languages must always be a vehicle of communication, never of confrontation. There are two enemies of tongues: those who impose them and those who forbid them, and also those who market with them.

Madam President, Commissioner, cultural and linguistic diversity throughout the European Union and respect for persons belonging to minorities are founding values of our Union. Ensuring the preservation and development of Europe's cultural heritage is a priority. Cohesion policy has undoubtedly been an investment instrument – one of the most important in the Union – in order to ensure that there are no differences between regions and to be able to achieve more equitable growth in the Union where economic, social and territorial cohesion is a reality. Cohesion policy is certainly not understood without the regions; it has a territorial dimension and, for this reason, an investment effort is made precisely with the regions that have the most difficulties: island, outermost, mountain and endless. As Commissioner Fitto has already said in the Committee on Regional Development itself and the Commissioner, here, much has evolved since the petition submitted by the petitioners, with great force and, moreover, in times of pandemic. With this evolution, it has opted for inclusive growth, for growth where cultural heritage and regional cultural heritage are a priority along with the participation of all civil society. Cohesion policy is the best antidote against walls, against the fragmentation of our territories. They know that I come from the Balearic Islands, I deeply love the language spoken there, the Mallorcan of the islands, but also Spanish. Languages must always be a vehicle of communication, never of confrontation. There are two enemies of tongues: those who impose them and those who forbid them, and also those who market with them.

Madam President, Commissioner, our Union is a Union for freedom, equality, dignity and non-discrimination. There can never be justice without the protection of the most vulnerable. The right to non-discrimination is never optional. We cannot be neutral in the face of hatred. Prohibiting and limiting expressions of diversity is a direct attack on fundamental rights, which are not concessions of any State, they are constitutional guarantees that no one can ever suppress. I want to make very clear our unwavering commitment to protecting the rights of LGBTI people around the rainbow world around the world. Restricting their rights violates the rule of law, destroys democracy, undermines freedom of expression, attacks human dignity and further stigmatizes the rainbow collective, exposing it to further discrimination. It is an attack on all of us, because it is directed at our core values. It is an attack on all humanity. That is why, Commissioner, there is an urgent need to present this European anti-discrimination rule. We trust you.

Madam President, Commissioner, our Union is a Union for freedom, equality, dignity and non-discrimination. There can never be justice without the protection of the most vulnerable. The right to non-discrimination is never optional. We cannot be neutral in the face of hatred. Prohibiting and limiting expressions of diversity is a direct attack on fundamental rights, which are not concessions of any State, they are constitutional guarantees that no one can ever suppress. I want to make very clear our unwavering commitment to protecting the rights of LGBTI people around the rainbow world around the world. Restricting their rights violates the rule of law, destroys democracy, undermines freedom of expression, attacks human dignity and further stigmatizes the rainbow collective, exposing it to further discrimination. It is an attack on all of us, because it is directed at our core values. It is an attack on all humanity. That is why, Commissioner, there is an urgent need to present this European anti-discrimination rule. We trust you.

Mr President, Commissioner, the core task of the Committee on Petitions is to defend the fundamental rights of citizens, protect them and follow up on their petitions so that they can take an active part in the life of the European Union. The examination of this 2023 Committee on Petitions has been done effectively, attentively, impartially, fairly and transparently. Citizens have sent petitions on many topics, as the rapporteur has commented, but I would like to refer in particular to the concern about the rule of law situation in Spain: more than 40 petitions have been submitted on this subject, mainly for attacks on judges, the colonisation of institutions and the reduction of penalties for corruption offences. Among the missions carried out, I would like to highlight those of Ireland, Romania and Spain and, more specifically, the latter, of which I must highlight and regret the attacks and tensions that were experienced there. I was present and they insulted us saying: Out, fascists, out of these neighborhoods. Do not stick your noses where they are not called. I don't think this should be the attitude. I am also concerned that the recommendations we make are not being followed up, as we are doing so in order to be able to protect citizens' rights. Finally, I would like to highlight the magnificent work that has been done since this committee.

Mr President, Commissioner, rare diseases affect millions of people: between 27 and 36 million in the European Union; three million in my country, Spain. Many of these diseases manifest themselves in childhood and can be life-threatening. They cause significant suffering because they are usually complex, chronic and degenerative. 95% of these rare diseases have no approved treatment and 50% have no approved diagnosis either. In fact, it can take an average of six years to identify them. We certainly need, Commissioner, this European plan on rare diseases in order to be able to bet on much more research, better access to early diagnosis - this is essential - and also to orphan medicines, which are those that can cure these diseases. They generate a lot of economic impact and, therefore, this aspect should also be addressed. And attention to caregivers: families and carers, at a very high percentage, at more than 65%, are women and therefore become very vulnerable. It is a challenge not only health; It is also an economic but also a social challenge. We must also work to ensure that patients are not discriminated against. Rare diseases were prioritised in the new Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe because they represent a huge unmet medical need. I therefore encourage the Commissioner to prioritise this European plan over rare diseases to achieve a much stronger Europe of health.