Hannah Neumann
Member of the European Parliament · ALE · DE
“Madam President, dear colleagues, you all have your phones with you right now, as you have them at the negotiation table, at the dinner table, maybe even on your bedside table. And for some of you, someone else has been there too. The spyware that hacked Stelios Kouloglou was silent.”
“– Dear colleague, I wanted to ask you how often you check your phone, actually. But as you told us that you do it on a regular basis, could you maybe explain to the colleagues you don't do it how you can check your phone here inside the European Parliament? 3-0521-0000 Hannah Neumann (Verts/ALE), blue-card answer.”
“And this is a collective duty because any one of us can become the Trojan horse. I get my phone checked regularly and I'm glad I know its status. Stelios got his checked and we should all be glad he did. There are certainly more people affected in this Chamber and in national parliaments across Europe.”
“Mr President, dear colleagues, grand statements do not resolve complex crises. It has been nine months since Trump declared a ceasefire for Gaza.”
“Another way to do that is through Citizen Lab. That's the organisation that has worked together with Stelios, because he's no longer a Member of the European Parliament. They can even do it remotely.”
“My question is always 'would it actually make the situation better?' It will definitely close our channels to talk to the Israelis, and that I'm doing all the time. Yes, you can say that raising these issues is not really delivering results, because it's not. I mean the situation is not better, but would it better were we to stop this?”
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“Another way to do that is through Citizen Lab. That's the organisation that has worked together with Stelios, because he's no longer a Member of the European Parliament. They can even do it remotely. So, as I told you, it's easy, it's fast, and I would suggest everybody does it because anyone can hack us, dear colleagues, including the Russians. 3-0522-0000”
“– Dear colleague, I wanted to ask you how often you check your phone, actually. But as you told us that you do it on a regular basis, could you maybe explain to the colleagues you don't do it how you can check your phone here inside the European Parliament? 3-0521-0000 Hannah Neumann (Verts/ALE), blue-card answer. – I'm very happily doing that. We have an agency in the European Parliament – it's called DG ITEC. And we actually made this agency able to check all the phones because of our work in the Pegasus Committee, because we were kind of expecting us to be hacked at one point or another. It's quite frustrating to see it really happened. Call DG ITEC, set up a meeting. They look at your phone, they go through whatever they have to go through, and within an hour or two they can tell you if you have been infected or not.”
“And this is a collective duty because any one of us can become the Trojan horse. I get my phone checked regularly and I'm glad I know its status. Stelios got his checked and we should all be glad he did. There are certainly more people affected in this Chamber and in national parliaments across Europe. So, colleagues, get your phones checked. It is fast. It is confidential. It is very, very necessary. If you have questions you can ask me. And one sentence to the Commission: three years ago, this Parliament wrote down how to fix it. It's your job to finally get it done. Because the greatest threat of spyware isn't what it does to our phones; it's what it does to our democracy and our security. (The speaker agreed to take a blue-card question) 3-0520-0000 Lukas Sieper (Renew), blue-card question.”
“Madam President, dear colleagues, you all have your phones with you right now, as you have them at the negotiation table, at the dinner table, maybe even on your bedside table. And for some of you, someone else has been there too. The spyware that hacked Stelios Kouloglou was silent. He didn't need to click on a link or open an attachment. So how would you know that your phone hasn't also been infected? One minute it's a private phone, the next it's the spy in your pocket. And with the speed at which this technology is proliferating and the total lack of oversight we still allow, dear colleagues, exploits from Pegasus and Predator have already reached Russian government hackers and organised criminal groups. They are now out in the wild for anyone to use. We urgently need to protect our democracy and our families from this threat.”
“The Commission put measures on the table almost a year ago: partial suspension of the Association Agreement, sanctions, trade measures. Let's finally take these steps and stop treating the status quo as a solution. Because it's not! 3-0237-0000”
“Mr President, dear colleagues, grand statements do not resolve complex crises. It has been nine months since Trump declared a ceasefire for Gaza. Since then, more than 1 000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 60 % of Gaza is controlled by the Israeli military – with Netanyahu pushing for 70 % – and families forced to flee again and again. An illegitimate so-called 'peace board' is to govern Gaza, without any role for Palestinians. Rafah never fully reopened, aid deliveries still severely restricted: this is not peace. This is war disguised as peace – and Netanyahu wants to keep it this way. So where is Europe? How much longer will we hide behind constructive dialogue, when all it has delivered is nothing?”
“Despite all of this, the Council still shies away, and is blocking every step towards a truly European Defence Union. They are too slow, too national, too late. Dear colleagues, let us finally unite our efforts to prevent war, not wait for war to unite us. 2-0382-0000”
“Madam President, Mr Bielan, Mr Jaki, one cannot build reliable security on unreliable partners. And by now it should be obvious Donald Trump is not reliable. You can flatter him, you can appease him and he will still hit you with tariffs, annexation threats or troop drawdowns. And none of that will make us safer. The alternative, on the other hand, is clear and simple: strengthen our European defence industry; close our capability gaps; support the eastern flank; and finally act as Europeans and not as 27 nervous clients waiting for Trump's mood of the day. Let us also not forget that America needs Europe too, and US senators know it. There is no credible US deterrence without bases in Europe. There is no American defence industry without European buyers, and there is no American global power without European support.”
“Now, the implementation of it is resting with the Member States and there we see very much a difference in how Member States are implementing this. By the way, this is also the same when it comes to other actors like sanctions on Russia and all of these players. On how we can really improve it, I think there is a role for the free media to actually point out those Member States, and if you have information about the Revolutionary Guard actually benefitting from Member States' protection or even them acting in certain Member States, I think the best way is to make it public so that people also know. Then there is also pressure on those Member States to actually implement the decisions that we have made on the European level. 2-0336-0000”
“Maybe it is about time to move beyond good practice on this one, but we face a similar credibility problem on Iran. The EU has finally listed the Revolutionary Guard as a terror organisation, but its networks still continue to work in Europe. They sit in consulates, they run business, and they intimidate and harass Iranians, but also Israelis living here. So, I am wondering: what have you and Member States done in the last three months to enforce the listing, and what will you do next to drain the IRGC's money, influence and reach inside Europe? 2-0335-0000 Kaja Kallas, Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. – You are touching a very important point. It is true that we designated the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organisation.”
“It's not a one person decision. It's not even a Commission decision. It's a European Council decision. And all the Member States need to be on board. Of course, I'm not giving you the list of these Member States because it's not good practice. So we have the confidentiality of our discussions as well. But, you know, it's clear that not everybody is on board. 2-0334-0000”
“My question is always 'would it actually make the situation better?' It will definitely close our channels to talk to the Israelis, and that I'm doing all the time. Yes, you can say that raising these issues is not really delivering results, because it's not. I mean the situation is not better, but would it better were we to stop this? When it comes to capital punishment, of course, we were voicing also what we think about this, but then we also need to treat all our partners in the same way, because we have a list of countries that we have association agreements with. Many of them actually have capital punishment, and many of them are also executing people. So we should also look into these association agreements if we are, you know, to suspend the one with Israel. But there is no willingness from the Member States' side.”
“So to build on the question of my colleague from the S&D, which Member States are blocking the suspension of the Association Agreement, and what is your own agenda to move from concern to consequences in this regard? 2-0333-0000 Kaja Kallas, Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. – You know very well how Europe functions. We have put measures from the Commission on the table for the Council to decide. Some of them require qualified majority and we don't even have a qualified majority for that. Some require anonymity and we don't have unanimity either. So that's where we are now. When it comes to the suspension of the Association Agreement, that needs everybody's agreement. And we don't have that. We just simply even couldn't have a qualified majority.”
“High‑Representative, it's good to have you here, but the Middle East is burning and the European Union is still mostly watching from the sidelines. You often said it yourself: you want the European Union to be a geopolitical actor, yet on Israel the gap between our words and our actions keeps growing. We have leverage, but we hesitate to use it. You mentioned yourself that last year your services concluded that the current Israeli Government is in breach of its human rights obligations under the EU‑Israel Association Agreement. Since then, the situation has only got worse – in Gaza, in the settlements. And now the Knesset has passed a bill that introduces the death penalty for Palestinians only, which is, bluntly said, apartheid legislation.”
“– but also against blackmail in Iran. Because while we debate geopolitics here, millions of Iranians live a different reality: more brutality, more executions, more censorship. And yet some in Europe speak of sanctions relief in return for opening the Strait of Hormuz, which would give the very wrong signal that blackmail works and that Europe turns a blind eye on repression. Dear colleagues, these sanctions were imposed for massive human rights violations, and they must remain until these violations stop. So no handshake, no deal, no lifting of sanctions as long as people are silenced, executions continue and political prisoners remain behind bars. This is what Europe must bring to the negotiation table. (The speaker concluded her speech in a non-official language). 3-0028-0000”
“Mr President, obey or we will make your life miserable, resist and we break, you flee and we find you even in Europe, speak up and we come after your family – this is how the Iranian regime has ruled for decades. Now, they are expanding this model from holding their own people hostage to holding the world hostage in the Strait of Hormuz. You sanction us, we close the strait. You want negotiations, we make you wait. You resist, we create an economic crisis. Pure blackmail! And if they get away with this, dear colleagues, others will follow. This is not only about Iran, it is about freedom of navigation and whether blackmail wins, and this is why Europe needs to get engaged: for a reliable solution for freedom of navigation, against blackmail on the international stage –Trump is not going to get this done!”
“Therefore, I urge you, President Metsola, as you announced, to convey this Parliament's deepest outrage to the Iranian regime and to formally demand Nasrin's immediate release and the release of all political prisoners. Dear colleagues, let us send a clear signal to those negotiating in Islamabad right now: no deal, no handshake will get our blessing unless this regime opens the internet, stops the executions and releases all political prisoners, including Nasrin and Narges. 1-0037-0000”
“Madam President, this is a point of order in line with Rule 202 of the Rules of Procedure. Nasrin Sotoudeh was awarded the Sakharov Prize in 2012, and she was abducted by the Iranian regime just 25 days ago, and is now held in an unknown location. She was abducted because she denounced the January massacres. She was abducted because she spoke out against executions, because she protested against mandatory hijab, and because she defended those in court who refused to support the tyranny of the Islamic regime. Nasrin is also a mother of two, and she has already spent too many years in prison. And yet she never bowed, and nor should we.”
“The only question is when, and how many will it drag into the abyss before it does, in Iran and across the region? So to those still supporting this machinery of repression and death, choose Iran over ideology. Defect and end this madness. Dear colleagues, this is not our war, but its consequences are already ours to deal with. So Europe must engage, in close coordination with partners in the Gulf, in support of the Iranian civil society and the diaspora, to stop escalation and prepare for a day after. Our Union was built on the ashes of the most brutal war in human history. It is proof that freedom and peace are possible. The people in the region deserve nothing less. For freedom. (The speaker concluded in a non-official language) 3-0040-0000”
“Madam President, dear colleagues, the people in Iran did not choose this war, the regime did. Yet they are the ones paying the highest price, trapped between missiles from above and repression from within. Trump and Netanyahu are gambling with the lives of 90 million Iranians and with the future of an entire region. How are we supposed to endorse a war when the goal is unclear and the strategy changes by the hour? A war in which desalination plants and historical sites are considered legitimate targets. A war in which the death of 150 schoolchildren is not even worth an apology. The Islamic regime chose this war, and the regime should be its sole target. This regime will fall. It is politically, economically and morally bankrupt.”
“So if capitals continue to say that Europe does not deliver, let me be clear: we do. You only need to walk your talk. And please hurry up. 2-0557-0000”
“Madam President, dear colleagues, everyone says Europe needs to become more independent in defence, and I agree. For years now we have been putting forward concrete ideas at the European level on how to get there, like these reports that show, for example, how flagship projects can strengthen European security by building a European drone defence, by reinforcing the eastern border, by developing European air defence capabilities. All of these are good proposals. At a time when Trump is firing more missiles in the Middle East than he has delivered to Ukraine, flirting once again with Russian oil and threatening to throw Ukraine under the bus, Europe must move forward together. Many times in this House we have set the direction only to be faced with hesitation from Member States or ignorance, as their absence today shows.”
“In the face of such brutality, let us at least speak their names, tell their stories, keep up the world's attention on their fate because the day will come when the world will need their persistence, their knowledge and their courage to rebuild a free Iran. 1-0226-0000”
“Mr President, in the shadow of war, danger for political prisoners does not disappear. It grows. Iran's prisons are full of protestors, from Nobel Peace Prize laureates to tens of thousands whose names we may never know. Bombs are falling and they are locked in. Reports suggest chaos inside Evin prison: food is running out, prisoners are being transferred to unknown locations, families have no contact. Outside the prison gates, they wait, desperately hoping for the smallest piece of news, fearing the worst. Dear colleagues, we have seen this before. During the Iran‑Iraq war, this same regime ordered the killing of thousands of political prisoners.”
“For some reason that I don't get, the services said that our amendment in this regard is inadmissible. This, dear colleagues, is a political question and not a bureaucratic one, so I call on you, President, to allow us to vote on this one today, and on the subject matter, dear colleagues, for God does not show favouritism... (The President cut off the speaker) 4-0141-0000”
“Madam President, this is a point of order on our urgency that we will vote on later regarding the situation of Christians and journalists in Türkiye. When we usually work on human rights resolutions – urgencies – in this House, it is common practice when we talk about certain human rights defenders, opposition figures, to extend our solidarity in the text to other persons and groups at risk. For example, three months ago we had an urgency resolution on Baha'i in Iran. And of course we also addressed the repression against Christians in Iran. So I thought it would be a normal thing, if we discussed the situation of Christians and journalists in Türkiye, that we also extend our solidarity to other religious groups, or at least that we are able to vote if we want to do so.”
“Together, we are 500 million people with one of the world's strongest economies. Either we defend every inch of the European project together or there will be no more European project. And when that happens, by the way, your handy European scapegoat will be gone as well. 3-0042-0000”
“Madam President, dear colleagues, we are no longer at peace, and Putin moves us closer to war week after week. Drones shut down our airports. Russian fighter jets cross our skies. Disinformation divides our societies. And the US? A shaky ally at best. This challenge is far too big for any Member State to face alone. Whenever national governments feel overwhelmed, they call on the EU to fix the problem. Strategic autonomy, European serenity, a true defence union – the speeches of heads of states are grand. The actions? Not so much. Transfer the necessary powers to the EU? No. Provide the budget we need? A sure no. But when Europe then can't perform miracles with this non-support, the same capitals are the first ones to point the fingers. Dear colleagues in the Council, we don't have time for these games anymore.”
“Mr President, as we speak, families in Israel mourn the victims of 7 October while hostages remain in captivity, enduring hell. As we speak, families in Gaza cannot grieve. More bombs are falling and settlers terrorise those in the West Bank. As we speak, Jews in Europe face anti-Semitic attacks, racism against Muslims is rising and Palestinians worldwide wonder on which they their victims will be mourned. Dear colleagues, we all hope for a deal to end this suffering. But negotiations do not feed the starving. We need to increase pressure for more humanitarian aid to reach Gaza. And even if an agreement comes, our work will not be over. Rebuilding will need resources. Peace will need protection. Healing will need specialists. And justice will need accountability. Europe was too divided to pressure ceasefire.”
“Before the summer, High Representative Kallas, you announced another such deal. But people in Gaza are still starving. Isn't it time to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement, then? For months, Israeli ministers have incited violence and pushed new settlements to bury a two-state solution. Isn't it time to sanction them, then? So instead of shouting at each other in here, let's unite behind a simple truth. From the river to the sea, all people should be free. Free from hunger. Free from bombs and missiles. Free from hostage-taking and terror attacks. Free from repression, antisemitism and racism. Free to love, live and to raise their children in peace. 2-0091-0000”
“Madam President, dear colleagues, famine has reached Gaza City. People are told to leave but have nowhere to go. Children are starving. Families are bombed. While Trump and Netanyahu dream of turning Gaza into the Riviera, the European Union is paralysed by shameful infighting. While we debate, they create facts on the ground. And yes, it's above all the German Government that blocks action in the Council. That is unacceptable. Because if we are serious about ending the suffering, about offering a real alternative to the Trump-Netanyahu alliance, we must stand united, and with our regional partners, and with the hundreds of thousands in Israel demonstrating for an end to this brutal war. The Israeli Government has promised again and again to let in more humanitarian aid.”
“While we all tailor new imaginary suits of statistics to flatter the emperor, hybrid attacks, military conflicts, climate risks, and authoritarian threats only grow. Yet no one dares to lift the veil and say he's actually not wearing any clothes. Dear colleagues, we don't need kings; we need security. If the ruler from Washington needs to be told that he wears the best of all dresses, fine. But let's make sure that before all, we need a dress of real security for our citizens and our friends in Ukraine. 3-0037-0000”
“Madam President, as we discuss next week's NATO summit, I can't help but think of the old fairy tale 'The Emperor's New Clothes'. A vain ruler parades around in invisible garments, and everyone nods along, too afraid to point out the obvious. Welcome to The Hague, 2025. Enter Donald Trump, emperor extraordinaire, complete with 19th century parades and self-glorifying AI videos. The summit lasts just one day, because that's his attention span. Everything is carefully choreographed so he won't be bored, or worse, offended. No talk of climate, gender or disinformation – too risky. Real security threats – too complex. Instead, capitals around the alliance are called in a bidding war over percentages. Simple numbers may be Trump's favourite dress, but they for sure won't make us safer.”
“If we don't act now, the problem will be a hundred times worse in a year's time. And we know how to stop this – we spelled it out in the Pegasus report two years ago. So to the Council: get your act together and fix this before it is too late. You in Poland above all should know this. 1-0084-0000”
“Mr President, dear colleagues, spyware abuse is a massive threat to our fundamental rights, it corrodes democracy from within – we all know it. Yet, Member States again and again say they need it for 'national security'. Well fine, then let's talk national security, because spyware companies claim they make us safer, while evidence proves the opposite. The exploits they use are later on picked up by Russia and others and used against us. The highest number of targets are lawmakers, military officials, even governments – the odds are high that people in this very room are infected right now. This is absurd, dear colleagues, given the security threats Europe is already facing. And AI is just turbocharging this danger: combining, analysing, exploiting data at a scale we have never seen.”
“Madam President, dear colleagues, Europe has been too cautious for too long. What we see in Gaza is unbearable. Every day, children are dying from hunger, journalists shot for doing their job, doctors and nurses killed trying to save lives, entire neighbourhoods turned to dust. Netanyahu's war has long past the bounds of self-defence, yet we still deliver weapons – also weapons used in Gaza and to expand illegal settlements – and this needs to stop. The review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement is long overdue, and it has to lead to the suspension of programmes. Criticising a government, dear colleagues, is not the same as attacking a country and its people. And I want the people of Israel to know: we remain committed to our friendship and our partnership, but the horror in Gaza is damaging our relationship with your government.”
“We have to deepen Ukraine's EU integration, starting with defence, and ensure that significant amounts of SAFE and EDIP money are used to build this win‑win cooperation, and we must support Ukraine consistently in its path to get closer to EU membership fast. Europe has always been stronger together and it will be even stronger with Ukraine. 3-0044-0000”
“Madam President, Donald Trump claimed he would end the war in Ukraine in days. One hundred days later, he didn't get anywhere except that we in Europe now see how dangerously dependent we are on a man who wants Europe to fail. But we can stand up to this, dear colleagues. We need to strengthen Ukraine militarily and close our own capability gaps, and I urge all Member States to get behind Kaja Kallas' initiative. We must further weaken the aggressor, Russia. The initiative by the Commission to end Russian gas imports by 2027 is a good start. Dear colleagues, let's make it bolder in this House.”
“But what credibility do we have if we only help the most vulnerable when their governments accept forced returns? When the same people that demand the ICC to act more forcefully against Putin attack it over its arrest warrants against Netanyahu? When the Commission deepens security cooperation with Türkiye while Erdoğan jails his main opponent? Like many, dear colleagues, I am ready to defend this Union with weapons if need be. Not the territorial notion, but the vision of its founding fathers and mothers, the values enshrined in the first articles of the Lisbon Treaty: freedom, justice, democracy. Dear colleagues, let's not lose sight of what we are here to protect in the days, weeks and years to come. 2-0176-0000”
“Madam President, colleagues, what a time to shape European foreign policy. Russia and China are launching one hybrid attack after another on the one side, the US Government preoccupied with weakening us through trade wars and bullying on the other – both trying to tear European unity apart. And here we stand between a rock and a hard place, or we finally wake up and become a power of our own. We hold all the cards, dear colleagues: the people, the money, the skills. We are seen as the reliable, the predictable partners. So many governments, so many individuals are waiting for us to rise to the challenge. So let us stand united – united in our commitment to the values this Union is built upon: democracy, international law and the burning desire for freedom.”
“And if there will be no serious answer, no fair contribution from industry, then yes, expect our calls for an excess profit tax to grow only louder in this House, across party lines, as it does in the UK already. 2-0032-0000”
“Madam President, dear colleagues, Europe needs to spend more on defence. And we, Commission, Council and this House, need to make sure that more spending actually leads to more security – security for European citizens and for Ukrainians – and not to higher profits for the defence industry. Let me be clear, we, Greens, are ready to support the defence industry where it matters: access to finance and raw materials, securing supply chains, less bureaucratic hurdles, more skilled workers. But this isn't a one-way street. I expect you, in the Commission and the Council, to make this very clear in the strategic dialogue that you are going to have with the defence industry. All this extra money must result in extra security and not in extra shareholder returns.”
“So let's roll out the red carpet, launch a new blue card for a new era, a fast-track visa for skilled professionals from the US who want to work in Europe and build a future based on ethics, sustainability and fair growth. And to the scientists, engineers and innovators in the US: come to Europe. When autocrats embolden autocrats, democrats stand with democrats. 2-0379-0000”
“Mr President, I guess you all remember those painful images from the Oval Office when Trump and Vance openly joined the autocrats' camp, bullying and humiliating President Zelenskyy in front of cameras? If this, dear colleagues, is not the world we want to submit to – and I certainly don't – then we must be the alternative. We must defend the rules-based international order, basing decisions on facts, treating partners with respect, and we must finally stand on our own feet. This means weapons and funding, but most crucially, it means attracting the brightest minds in science, tech and engineering. And here, dear colleagues, is the perfect match because many in the US also reject this administration's agenda – they too, are desperately looking for an alternative.”
“And one last thing: we cannot fix every Trump mess, but one we must, and we can, is supporting and protecting human rights defenders and free journalists wherever they are under threat, be it in Russia, Venezuela, Iran or in exile in the European Union. USAID has long led the way. Now, we need to step in. These people aren't just activists. They are our biggest allies in the fight against bullies, autocrats and warmongers. 3-0084-0000”
“Madam President, Commissioner, that is quite a poor start – 10 minutes for the whole work programme, no President here, no Kaja Kallas, again. My colleagues were polite, but let's spell it out: this is disrespectful, disrespectful to European citizens and to us, their elected representatives in this House. Now, in foreign and defence policy, you announce plenty of good strategies – we stand with Ukraine, we push for enlargement, a European Defence Union, cyber security, Middle East strategy and, hidden in the fine print, finally a review of our Iran policy. But the main strategy is missing, Commissioner – how do we make Member States understand that they are weak if alone in a world of bullies? That these are joint European strategies and not papers that they can bluntly ignore, like they are ignoring us today, by the way.”
“For years, Nasrin and Reza have tried to shield their children from the horrors of the regime, but in that moment it all collapsed. Yet Nasrin's message is clear: she will not surrender. She will keep fighting for a future beyond this darkness. And we will stand with her. We will stand with Nima, with Reza, with the countless families shattered by this regime. Until the mullahs open the doors of Evin. Until no child goes up into the shadows of prison walls anymore. (The speaker concluded in a non-official language.) 1-0208-0000”
“But they need our support, financially and politically, to fund Syrian civil society working for truth, justice and reconciliation, to press Syria's new rulers to make transitional justice a priority, to strengthen the UN mechanism on missing people, to ensure independent investigations. Because this is the only way to hold perpetrators accountable, to help families find out what happened to their loved ones, and to support Syrians rebuilding a country that heals its wounds and will be a free country for everyone. 1-0169-0000”
“Mr President, 'Bring out the dead dogs'. That's how prison guards ordered inmates to carry out the bodies of those who died overnight in Sednaya Prison in Syria. What happened to those bodies? Nobody knows. For decades, the Assad regime has used forced disappearances as a tool of repression. More than 100 000 people have disappeared under his rule. Over 100 000 remain missing today. Now, for the first time in decades, there is a real chance to uncover the truth. Syrian experts are already on the ground, documenting crimes, exhuming mass graves, protecting evidence.”
“Madam President, you put security and defence at the heart of the Polish Presidency, Prime Minister. Quite timely, I would say. I have been working on these issues for more than ten years. You even longer. And all this time, we have heard countless heads of state showing up here, speaking of European autonomy, strengthening European defence, a true European defence Union... Well, let me tell you, this House is ready. And we both know that the problem is political will in the Member States. So I'm asking you what I have been asking all these previous heads of state. What competences are you willing to transfer from the national to the European level, so that we will finally walk tangible steps towards this end? And a little spoiler: so far the answer has always been silence. So maybe today is a good moment to change that.”