Speeches

Madam President, Commissioner! Let's talk plainly: This is an attack on women's rights. A woman is only free when she can decide about her body. Free to decide about the body, that is, any woman can decide for herself to voluntarily terminate a pregnancy. Free, that is, free from any compulsion, from any psychological pressure, from any pressure from the outside. If pictures of fetuses are attached to a woman on the way to the abortion clinic, if a woman has to listen to the heart sounds before the abortion, then this woman is not free. When this happens in Castile and León, it affects us all. This is reminiscent of Orbán's Hungary, it is unacceptable. They are manipulative and patronizing measures with drastic effects on women's lives, and they cause fear and coercion, but not that there are fewer abortions, only more dangerous ones. The extreme right-wing Vox plays with the lives of women and their political supporters of the Conservatives as well. Spain's government has achieved so much good for women. A genuine voluntary choice – we must defend that. France shows us the direction in which the debate must go. The right to voluntary abortion is part of the constitution. In so many European countries, voluntary abortion is regulated in the Criminal Code. Thus, every single woman is told and given: You do something forbidden, but we are gracious and free you from your guilt. I want every woman in Spain, as in every European country, to know: You and only you can control your body on your own, and we have to support you.

Before we come to the list of the group speakers, I just would like to ask colleagues the following: we need to be very disciplined concerning speaking time; the next point on our agenda is the Sakharov Prize ceremony and everybody should speak in this round, otherwise we have some problems with the catch-the-eye, so really stick to your speaking time, please.

The next item on the agenda is the debate on the Council and Commission statements on the EU response to the US Inflation Reduction Act (2022/2997(RSP)).

The next meeting will be held tomorrow, Wednesday 14 October. December 2022, at 9 a.m. The agenda has been published and is available on the European Parliament's website.

The next item on the agenda is the debate on the Commission statement on relations with ASEAN ahead of the EU-ASEAN Summit in December 2022 (2022/2999(RSP)).

I have to be strict now. Wonderful speeches, all full of passion. But nevertheless, I really ask everyone to stick to the speaking times. Of course, it is always particularly unfair when I say this in front of the next speaker, if someone has just exaggerated before. Nevertheless, my request, dear Ms Grace O’Sullivan, to abide by the speaking time.

All Members, without exception all, have the right to speak here in front of this lectern. In this respect, I can only apologise for this House for having done so only now. It is a matter of course.

Dear Ms Pelletier, I regret to interrupt you, as interpretation is not yet available. I do not know how the other Members are doing, but for the time being I have not received any interpretation. Ich versuche, das zu klären, und würde Sie ersuchen, dann nochmals mit Ihrer Rede zu beginnen. A little moment, please. I have to inform you from the Dometsch booths that I have been told very politely, but clearly, that there is no interpretation from sign language into the European languages into which it is translated. And for that reason, I must ask you to give your speech in one of the official languages. However, I understood your message very well that this is a wonderful occasion to include sign language in the catalogue of official languages. Intermediate question by Anne-Sophie Pelletier: And what do I do? Am I talking, or what am I doing now? I would ask you to give your speech in one of the official languages of the European Union, as listed in our catalogue. But your message is well received.

First of all, I would really like to underline every single sentence, every single word of the President. This House stands for transparency, it stands for democracy. The next item on the agenda is the debate on the report by Anne-Sophie Pelletier, on behalf of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, on Equal rights for persons with disabilities (2022/2026(INI)) (A9-0284/2022).

The next item on the agenda is the debate on the report by Martina Dlabajová, on behalf of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the 2030 Policy Programme ‘Path to the Digital Decade’ (COM(2021)0574 – C9-0359/2021 – 2021/0293(COD)) (A9-0159/2022).

The next item on the agenda is the debate on a topical issue (Rule 162) – A truly interconnected internal energy market to keep prices low and businesses competitive (2022/2961(RSP)). I would like to draw Members' attention to the fact that there are no spontaneous interventions in this debate and that blue cards are not accepted.