Lukas Sieper
Member of the European Parliament · Renew · DE
“Madam President, I rise under Rule 202(1) and (4), and Rule 180(1) in conjunction with Rule 202(4). On Monday, the President reminded us that there should be no chanting in this Chamber. Yesterday, it happened again. The reaction of the sitting President? Nothing. Later, a colleague requested a personal statement.”
“We need to invest in humanitarian aid, not only because it's a human thing to do, but also for our own interests. If we do not invest properly where needed, we will face the consequences of our inaction in the form of mass migration, global health pandemics or detrimental economic impacts.”
“Mr President, dear colleagues, especially after the recent USAID cuts, the European commitment to humanitarian aid has become crucial for millions of people across the world. Conflicts, climate change and economic factors drive millions of people in various countries into utterly precarious situations.”
“Herr Präsident, liebe Menschen Europas! Ich freue mich, als letzter Redner dem einen oder anderen hier noch ein paar gute Gedanken mitzugeben in die Sommerpause. Herr Bausemer, ich bewundere ja immer wieder die mentale Akrobatik, die Sie hier betreiben in diesem Plenarsaal.”
“Herr Mularczyk, ich möchte Sie darauf hinweisen, dass wir als europäische Abgeordnete Abgeordnete des gesamten europäischen Volkes sind. Wir vertreten hier nicht nur Deutschland, wir vertreten alle Bürgerinnen und Bürger Europas.”
“Θέλετε μόνο να κάνετε πως ενδιαφέρεστε. Λυπάμαι, αλλά σε αυτό το στημένο παιχνίδι δεν θα συμμετέχω. Islam out of Europe! (Η Πρόεδρος αφαιρεί τον λόγο από την ομιλήτρια) 3-0484-0000 Tomasz Froelich, Verfasser. – Frau Präsidentin, Frau Kommissarin! Was für ein Martyrium! Maria Shahbaz, 13 Jahre jung, Christin.”
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“We defended the key safeguards, including the civilian character of Horizon Europe, while allowing target support for where it is generally needed, and we secured flexibility for Member States, including the option to reallocate the cohesion resources towards defence‑relevant projects. But of course, substance alone does not explain the result. The quality of cooperation in this Parliament does, and I really want to thank all the shadows for their professionalism and clarity throughout this process. We did not always start from the same position, but we stayed focused on the essentials and that made our position stronger. I also would like to thank the presidency and the Commission for their engagement during the trilogues.”
“Another one: we are not funding multinationals. We are actually empowering these small and medium enterprises and start‑ups in particular. That is at focus. The US is not being procured, it is actually limited to the EU and EEA countries. So therefore, do not be misled with those who want to you to be misled. The Parliament's most significant achievements in these negotiations was really securing Ukraine's association to the European Defence Fund. This was the Parliament's position from the start. It was not the Commission's proposal nor the Council's mandate. Parliament held its positions consistently until the very end and this House secured the agreement. This is a major strategic gain for Europe and for Ukraine. More broadly, Parliament ensured that this outcome is particular rather than symbolic.”
“So overall, it has shown a broad recognition that this regulation is a significant milestone. Let me conclude by underlining what this finally represents and how we arrive there. From our outset, Parliament approached this work with a clear understanding: Europe cannot afford slow, fragmented responses to its security challenges. Our objective was to make sure the Union's existing tools deliver more and do so faster for defence readiness, and this is exactly what the regulation does. I just wanted to convey a message to the horseshoe political spectrum here in this House, to the far left and to the far right: you have been misled or have not read the regulation. We, the European Parliament and the Commission, we do not create the new funds. Actually, what we do right now, it is existing multifinancial framework, not creating new monies.”
“The European Union is first and foremost built as a Union of peace and I think we have to remind ourselves of that as well. When it comes to defence of this peace and our defence industry in the EU, there are those countries that are small and those that do not know each other. That is why I think it is very important that we move ahead quickly. Mr Cepeda mentioned, as did Mr Zoido, that the reply needs to be European, so the nationalistic way is not the right way to go: we need to work closer together, make the Union of defence work. I think that is the ultimate goal: to deter other forces, like Russian-style aggressors, from doing what they are doing currently in Ukraine. 1-0139-0000 Rihards Kols, rapporteur. – Madam President, thank you colleagues for the debate.”
“The tragedy of appeasement is not the intention, but the illusion. 1-0137-0000 (End of catch-the-eye procedure) 1-0138-0000 Christophe Hansen, Member of the Commission. – Madam President, thank you very much for this very important debate. At a moment of great geopolitical danger, we are finally taking action and together we are equipping the Union with the instruments needed to protect our citizens. The 'mini omnibus' is small in name, but a big step forward for our defence readiness. Let us move forward together on our other defence proposals as well and let us do so swiftly, because we cannot afford any further delay. Our goal is to deter Russian aggression, prevent war and preserve peace. Our policy is more production, less dependency – which would represent a huge weakness – but our purpose remains peace in the end.”
“Madam President, dear people of Europe, history teaches us a hard but necessary lesson: appeasement does not fail because it is evil; it fails because it is naive. In the 1930s, Europe believed peace could be preserved through accommodation. In 1936, Hitler remilitarised the Rhineland and Europe hoped that restraint would calm him. In 1938, Austria was annexed and Europe hoped it would be enough. At Munich, Czechoslovakia was sacrificed in the name of peace. Within months, Prague fell. In 1939, Poland followed. Appeasement did not prevent war. It taught an aggressor that there would be no consequences and this matters today. Across the political extremes, we hear calls for peace that ignore the reality of Russian aggression. That is why, even if we do not want to, we cannot listen to these people and we must rearm.”
“As I said in my opening remarks, the Commission's assessment around fur farming is ongoing and we will publish our communication on the next steps by March next year based on that assessment. We have taken careful note of your views as we continue to work, and we look forward to sharing the communication with you. 4-0210-0000”
“Allo stesso tempo, dobbiamo sostenere i settori economici coinvolti, aiutandoli a creare nuovi mercati alternativi, più sostenibili e più rispettosi del benessere animale. Care colleghe e cari colleghi, auguro a tutti un buon fine settimana! 4-0208-0000 (Fine della procedura "catch the eye") 4-0209-0000 Maria Luís Albuquerque, Member of the Commission. – Madam President, honourable Members, thank you again for your oral question and for sharing your perspectives. I think we have had a very constructive debate today. From across this House, I heard strong support for high standards of animal welfare, and the Commission remains committed to animal welfare.”
“Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, care cittadine e cari cittadini d'Europa, l'iniziativa dei cittadini europei "Fur Free Europe" è un esempio molto importante di democrazia diretta nella nostra Unione. Più di un milione di persone da tanti paesi diversi hanno usato questo strumento per chiedere una cosa semplice: rispetto per gli animali e un'Europa più etica. Questo meccanismo merita il nostro massimo rispetto, ci dimostra che i cittadini non sono solo osservatori ma una parte attiva del progetto europeo. E quando così tante persone parlano con una sola voce, noi dobbiamo ascoltare. Per questo credo che sia arrivato il momento di abolire l'allevamento di animali da pelliccia nell'Unione europea: non è solo una scelta morale, ma anche una scelta di salute pubblica e di protezione dell'ambiente.”
“At the same time, I'm going to immediately acknowledge that this is not going to be easy, because changing a design in multilateral fora is always complicated – just think about the UN as a system itself. So it will not be easy. But what Europe will try to do is improve the design and make it fit for the future. Mr President, once again, thank you very much and thanks to this House for the debate. 4-0136-0000”
“I am the first to acknowledge that it is hugely complicated to do stuff in this type of multilateral forum, and it takes a lot of time. Because actually everyone needs to agree, you always get a watered down version of what you might actually aspire to have. At the same time, with a problem that is clearly this indiscriminate, that is clearly this global, it does make sense to seek to achieve doing things together. Having said that, I do think at least to some degree we are a bit at the end of the arc of the recipe of this COP. Therefore I very much do agree with Bas Eickhout and others who say we need to look at the very design of the institutional way we're approaching this.”
“Oh Menschheit, steh' in Brand und Regen, auf steilem Pfad, in schweren Wegen. Doch deine Hoffnung stirbt dir nie. Aus Asche wächst die Energie. Und wo die Mächtigen verweh'n, wird Mut der Jugend weitergeh'n. 4-0134-0000 (Încheierea intervențiilor la cerere) 4-0135-0000 Wopke Hoekstra, Member of the Commission. – Mr President, thank you to all the speakers for their contributions. Could I start by thanking the last speaker for his poetry, but also remind him of the famous words of Winston Churchill, who once said that campaigning is poetry, but actually governing is prose. Ladies and gentlemen, my view on the debate we are about to finalise is that the foundation of what I've shared in the first term is pretty much accurate and to a large degree supported by everyone taking part in the debate. Well, maybe not everyone, but a vast majority.”
“Herr Vizepräsident! Dank Ihrer umfassenden Deutschkenntnisse werden Sie dieses Mal feststellen, dass ich mich sehr eng am Thema der Debatte bewege – nicht so wie vorhin. Zwischen Kälte und Glut, in kühlen Sälen, glatt und still, wo Worte wandern ohne Will', tagen Sie bei sanfter Luft – vergessen Hitze, Rauch und Duft, der Wälder, die im Feuer stehen, der Täler, die im Schlamm vergehen. Klimaanlagen summen leis', als wär's ein sanftes Weltverzeihen, und kühlen jene kalten Herzen, die ungerührt bei fernen Schmerzen, der Erde sitzen, stumm und träge – und dennoch meinen: So sei's, es gehe. Doch jene Trumps, die Orbán-Macht, die bleiben fern bei Tag und Nacht, verstecken sich vor Pflicht und Fragen, vor Stimmen, die die Wahrheit tragen. Sie schwänzen Zukunft, schwänzen Pflicht – denn Dunkel scheut das klare Licht.”
“Thank you, Mr Mazurek, for accepting my blue card. You talked about people in this House enriching themselves and not working for the people. And I was thinking about the fact that you have – let me count – six local assistants working in your home country, but only one APA working here in Brussels under sufficient oversight of the Parliament. So I was just wondering, could you explain a little bit to me how your six local assistants work for the people, what they do every day, and how they are not enriching you? 4-0092-0000”
“Words without consequence protect no one. If Iran denies recognition and basic rights, the EU must answer with real pressure, access to UN mechanisms and clear accountability. We do not police belief; we defend freedom. And that defence must be firm, measurable and consistent – and definitely not selective, not comfortable and not silent. 3-0513-0000”
“C'est important: quand on vient chez quelqu'un, on s'adapte à son mode de vie, à sa culture, à sa langue, à ses traditions. Moi-même, issu de l'immigration espagnole, quand je suis arrivé en France, ma famille s'est pleinement intégrée au pays qui avait eu l'honneur de nous accueillir. Donc, si nous voulons réellement protéger les Baha'is, les femmes iraniennes ainsi que nos propres citoyens, il faut enfin s'attaquer à la cause, à l'islamisme, et non, comme toujours, à ses conséquences dramatiques. Je pense à Mahsa Amini, qui a payé de sa vie sa volonté d'ôter son voile en Iran face à l'islamisme, à la liberté de cette femme, de ces filles, de ces femmes qui peuvent être éduquées, qui doivent être éduquées comme tout le monde, avoir la liberté de s'habiller comme elles le veulent, de vivre en toute liberté.”
“When you silence one woman, her voice returns through millions, through Kurds, Baloch, Baha'is, Azeris, women and men across Iran and in Europe – all those who refuse to be divided, all those whose hearts beat for freedom. Iranians say: 'from heart to heart there is always a path'. Our solidarity is with the people of Iran, and our pressure on this regime will only increase. 'Woman, life, freedom'. My heart goes out to my Baha'i friends up there. 3-0509-0000 Matthieu Valet, auteur. – Monsieur le Président, chers collègues, Mesdames et Messieurs les membres de la Commission, je soutiens pleinement ce texte et je condamne avec la plus grande fermeté la persécution systématique des Baha'is en Iran. Cette communauté, comme tant d'autres, paie le prix de son identité et de sa liberté de conscience.”
“– Mr President, dear colleagues, in Iran, repression against Baha'is has reached a new level of cruelty: raids, arrests, confiscations, even executions. Picture this scene repeated a thousand times across in Iran today: a woman – Baha'i, Kurdish, Baloch, Azeri – standing in her doorway, her door forced open by men who fear her voice more than she fears their violence. Her crime? She teaches, she believes, she simply refuses to disappear. Doors shattered, bodies beaten, families torn apart: all that only to preserve the power of a small circle of clerics who build their rule on repression and fear, on erasing identity, belief and freedom. But the state that imprisons people for their faith or gender is not strong, it is terrified. A regime that seizes Baha'i homes is not powerful, it only shows how fragile its own worlds have become.”
“Sie erleben Folter, unfaire Prozesse, jahrzehntelange Haftstrafen. Friedhöfe werden geschändet, Eigentum konfisziert, Familien zerrissen. Das System der Mullahs – ein System, das auf Hass und Angst aufgebaut ist. Aber wir schauen nicht weg, wir verurteilen auch – ich glaube, wir sollten das wirklich machen – die Terrororganisation der Revolutionsgarde. Wer Unschuldige verfolgt, wer Folter und Hinrichtungen als Werkzeug der Unterdrückung nutzt, darf nicht weiter ungestraft bleiben. Unsere Botschaft ist sehr klar: Die Baháʼí sind nicht allein! Die Frauen im Iran sind nicht allein! Die Prinzipien der Baháʼí sind Harmonie und Freiheit – das wünschen wir allen Menschen im Iran. 3-0508-0000 Hannah Neumann, author.”
“Iran may be a great country. We love Iran. But no, we do not love the Mullahs. They don't deserve it. They are a shame to their country. 3-0507-0000 Helmut Brandstätter, Verfasser. – Herr Präsident! Zunächst möchte ich eine Delegation von Baháʼí hier bei uns im Europäischen Parlament begrüßen: Frauen und Männer, die nicht mehr im Iran leben können. Es ist ein Mann dabei, der bis vor Kurzem auch im Gefängnis war. Vielen Dank, dass Sie da sind. Vielen Dank, dass Sie unsere... (Applaus) Vielen Dank, dass Sie bei uns sind und dass Sie auch Ihre Geschichten mit uns teilen. Verfolgt wurden die Mitglieder der Baháʼí schon früher, aber so systematisch, wie es das Mullah-Regime macht, so ist das erst jetzt. Über 1 200 Menschen wurden 2024 allein wegen ihres Glaubens verfolgt, eingeschüchtert, inhaftiert. Zwei Drittel der Inhaftierten sind Frauen.”
“Europe must stand with Baha'is and with all those in Iran whose faith identity and very lives are under attack. 3-0506-0000 Nikos Papandreou, author. – Mr President, to the Mullahs of Iran: enough with 40 years of prosecuting, killing, executing and arresting the community of Baha'i. One has to wonder why 300 000 members of the Baha'i are such a threat to the Iranian regime. I think it's clear: they preach love; they work in society, in the community; they have charitable acts. And the other thing that the Mullahs can't stand is the equality of gender. That's very dangerous for the sick men in power in Iran for 40 years – especially for women. And let me mention two who have been particularly singled out by these sick men in power. I call for the immediate release of two women in particular: Fariba Kamalabadi and Roya Sabet.”
“– Ďalším bodom programu je rozprava o siedmich návrhoch uznesenia o stupňujúcom sa útlaku bahaistov v Iráne (2025/2987(RSP)). 3-0505-0000 Danuše Nerudová, author. – Mr President, dear colleagues, imagine losing someone you love, not being able to mourn them in peace, and even being forced to bury them in a place that is itself a crime scene. The Iranian authorities have installed security cameras and built concrete walls around the burial grounds. These acts are not isolated incidents, they are part of a continuing pattern of tyranny that has targeted the Baha'is for decades – from arbitrary arrests to denial of education, confiscation and systematic exclusion from public life. Colleagues, this is more than persecution: it is an attempt to erase the history and identity of the whole community.”
“14.2 TC "14.2 - Ескалация на репресиите срещу бахаите в Иран" \f 1 TC "14.2 - Escalada de la represión contra los bahaíes en Irán" \f 2 TC "14.2 - Stupňující se represe vůči baháistům v Íránu" \f 3 TC "14.2 - Den eskalerende undertrykkelse af bahaierne i Iran" \f 4 TC "14.2 - Verschärfte Unterdrückung der Bahá'í in Iran" \f 5 TC "14.2 - Bahaistide üha suurem represseerimine Iraanis" \f 6 TC "14.2 - Κλιμάκωση της καταστολής των Μπαχάι στο Ιράν" \f 7 TC "14.2 - Escalating repression of the Baha'is in Iran" \f 8 TC "14.2 - Recrudescence des répressions contre les Baha'is en Iran" \f 9 TC "14.2 - An méadú ar chur faoi chois an phobail Baha'i san Iaráin" \f A TC "14.2 - Eskalacija represije nad pripadnicima bahaističke zajednice u Iranu" \f B TC "14.2 - Crescente repressione dei bahài in Iran" \f C TC "14.2 - Represiju eskalācija pret bahājiešiem Irānā" \f D TC "14.2 - Represijų prieš bahajus eskalacija Irane" \f E TC "14.2 - Az iráni bahá’í közösség súlyosbodó elnyomása" \f F TC "14.2 - L-eskalazzjoni tar-repressjoni tal-Baha’i fl-Iran" \f G TC "14.2 - Toenemende onderdrukking van de Baha'i in Iran" \f H TC "14.2 - Eskalacja represji wobec bahaitów w Iranie" \f I TC "14.2 - Agravamento da repressão sobre a comunidade bahaí no Irão" \f J TC "14.2 - Escaladarea represiunii împotriva comunității Baha'i în Iran" \f K TC "14.2 - Stupňujúci sa útlak bahaistov v Iráne" \f L TC "14.2 - Stopnjevanje represije nad bahajci v Iranu" \f M TC "14.2 - Bahá'í-yhteisöön kohdistuvan sorron kärjistyminen Iranissa" \f N TC "14.2 - Upptrappning av förtrycket av bahaier i Iran" \f OStupňujúci sa útlak bahaistov v Iráne 3-0504-0000 Predsedajúci.”
“Muutaman päivän jälkeen heidät heitettiin lähelle rajaa ja uhkailtiin pahemmalla, jos vielä palaisivat. Myös muilta tahoilta, kuten toimittajilta, on evätty pääsy Tansaniaan. On sanomattakin selvää, että tällaiset teot ja hallinnot, jotka niitä harjoittavat on tuomittava. Ei lisättävää.”
“Ďalšou témou rozpravy na dnešnom programe je Stupňujúci sa útlak bahaistov v Iráne. Na úvod poprosím ako prvú spoluautorkou pani kolegyňu Nerudovú. Písomné vyhlásenia (článok 178) 3-0502-5000 Sebastian Tynkkynen (ECR), kirjallinen – Tansania on yksi niistä maista, joissa demokratia on ottanut rajusti takapakkia. Vuonna 2017 opposition edustaja Tundu Lissu yritettiin salamurhata kansallisen parlamentin istunnon jälkeen. Tänä vuonna häntä vastaan nostettiin syyte maanpetoksesta, hänet vangittiin ja oikeudenkäyntiä viivyteltiin. Myös hänen tukijoitaan on peloteltu Tansanian viranomaisten toimesta. Kaksi demokratian puolestapuhujaa Keniasta ja Ugandasta saapuivat Tansaniaan tukemaan Lissun oikeudenkäyntiä. Heidät pidätettiin, raiskattiin ja heitä kidutettiin.”
“In conclusion, the EU values its long-standing partnership with Tanzania. Democracy, human rights and the rule of law are universal values enshrined in Tanzania's constitution and are always important considerations in the EU's mutually beneficial relations with third countries implemented through political dialogue and economic cooperation. Although discouraged by these recent events, we still count on the Tanzanian Government to demonstrate a genuine commitment to and deliver concrete results of the national policy of reconciliation, resilience, reform and rebuild, which made the reputation of President Samia Suluhu Hassan. The EU is ready to engage on assisting Tanzania in this process. 3-0502-0000 Predsedajúci. – Rozprava na túto tému sa týmto skončila. Bolo mi doručených šesť návrhov uznesení. Hlasovanie o nich sa uskutoční zajtra.”
“The EU has supported this role through a broad range of programmes benefiting directly the population, and an ambitious Global Gateway approach with investments in key sectors of interest for the EU. We acknowledge the communications received from the honourable Members of the European Parliament concerning the situation in Tanzania, which we are following very closely. Given the gravity of the situation, the EU has put on hold the adoption of the implementation decision for the Tanzania annual action plan 2025. The EU also takes note of the setting up of an inquiry commission by the Tanzanian authorities. Credible investigations to establish accountability for the events before, during and after elections are key to heal the wounds, rebuild trust and social cohesion in Tanzania.”
“The EU has expressed our serious concerns in the High Representative's statement on behalf of the EU 27 Member States. Our thoughts are with the families of those who died and suffered injuries. The pre-election period was marked by a shrinking civil and political space, and there are reliable reports pointing to abductions and disappearances. The pre-election period did not provide a level playing field for political parties. This was marked by the arrest and, according to some, politically motivated treason charges against Tundu Lissu, the leader of the main opposition party Chadema, who remains detained for more than seven months. Over the last years, the EU looked at Tanzania as a partner who could project stability and prosperity in its region.”
“Herr Präsident, liebe Menschen Europas! In meiner Heimatstadt gab es bei den lokalen Wahlen über Jahrzehnte ein wiederkehrendes Phänomen. Der Amtsinhaber gewann die Wahlen mit 92 %, 94 %, 96 %. Und nach diesen Wahlen gab es keine Proteste, es gab keine Unterdrückung der Opposition, es gab keine Verhaftungen. Solche Wahlergebnisse, wie wir sie jetzt angeblich in Tansania gesehen haben, sind in einer funktionierenden Demokratie möglich. Aber wenn man seinem Volk Gewalt antun muss, wenn man die Führer der Opposition, so wie Tundu Lissu, einsperren muss – und das unter furchtbarsten Bedingungen –, wenn man sich vor dem Willen der Menschen verstecken muss, dann ist das ein klares Zeichen für nichts anderes als Wahlfälschung. Und das in einem System, das mit blutigen Repressionen auf jede abweichende Meinung reagiert.”
“It is proportionate, it is minimum harmonisation and it is something fair and asked for by our citizens. I really hope that you will support this proposal tomorrow. And again, thank you very much to all those who have worked to bring forward the directive in this latest form. 3-0427-0000”
“It's just about the entities who are paid to lobby by sponsors originating as foreign governments or other organisations in which a foreign government has a direct interest. So it is not aimed at solving all the problems around foreign influence. We have an ecosystem of institutions in Member States, at European level, which are going to deal with the legal representation. This aim of this directive is just to open a window to show people who is paid by whom to influence policy‑making. It's legitimate, it's simple, it's something we can count on, and it's not targeting specific entities. It's just going to ask all those individuals, NGOs, companies who are conducting such activities to register and show exactly who they are representing.”
“– Madam President, Madam Commissioner, dear colleagues, thank you for all your contributions to this debate. I have noticed once again that the challenges we had when we started to discuss this directive regarding the representation of the interests of third countries remain. The fact that it created a lot of expectation, a lot of people imagine that this is going to solve the illegal interference, or it is aiming to do so. It is not that: it is just an exercise of transparency in a European Union in which we have too little transparent information about who is paying for lobby activities meant to influence policy‑making. At the beginning, the Commissioner said that fewer than 1000 entities are going to be affected by this directive, because this is what we know. It is just a niche.”
“Accountability is necessary for those who seek to influence public decision-making, and we should strive for a common EU approach that upholds EU values, fundamental rights and proportionality. With this proposal, the co-legislators have the opportunity to contribute to setting standards – not only in the European Union, but also on a global scale – on how to address covert foreign influence in a coherent, balanced and proportionate way, fully respecting fundamental rights and democratic values. I am convinced that the best way to protect democracy is through democratic means, transparency, accountability and informed and empowered citizens. The Commission is looking forward to continuing the common work to achieve these very important objectives. 3-0426-0000 Adina Vălean, rapporteur.”
“I hope you go through your notes at the end of this evening, and maybe tomorrow you will wake up enlightened, filled by the feeling and the joy for democracy. 3-0424-0000 (Koniec zgłoszeń z sali) 3-0425-0000 Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President of the Commission. – Madam President, honourable Members, thank you for the debate, for keeping the protection of our democracy so high on our public agenda. An EU response to the commonly shared threat of third country interference is needed. A level playing field is necessary for economic players to carry out their activities in the internal market with a stable and predictable framework. Transparency should be ensured with common standards across the Union. This is essential to avoid forum shopping and loopholes which can be abused.”
“Madam President, democracy needs education, so let me first take this opportunity, Mr Uhrík, to tell you about the concept of indirect legitimacy in democracy. Mr Mazurek, I told you this last plenary already, so you can share your notes with Mr Uhrík, maybe. In a democracy, it is possible that the people elect a body that then elects other institutions. That's indirect legitimacy within a democratic system. And this is not undemocratic, because there is no democratic system in Europe that does not have this system of indirect election of government bodies. Indirect legitimacy, Mr Uhrík. Mr Mazurek: with regard to the application of EU law, the Member States of the European Union democratically gave up their right to have laws, and even constitutional laws, that are higher than the European Union law. I hope you take this home.”
“Madam President, dear people of Europe, Fidias, what the hell? Accusing us of hypocrisy – because we talk about the hybrid war that Putin and his henchman Lukashenka wage against Europe and not about the infringement of Greek and Cypriot airspace by Türkiye – makes no sense at all. I respect the grief of the Cypriots for the situation of their country and the relationship with Türkiye. But Türkiye is a NATO member like Greece, and Cyprus is a NATO partner. Türkiye is not right now waging a war of aggression against a European nation, and it's not threatening us with nuclear destruction on a daily basis. This talking point is either uninformed or deliberate Russian propaganda. I get it – being young, being inexperienced in this House – but before you speak, please do your goddamn homework. 3-0286-0000”
“So we face a choice: either we fight for real reform of the Security Council, or we begin to build a new kind of peacekeeping force – this time with dark blue helmets – that can actually act when it's needed the most. 2-0354-0000”
“Madam President, dear people of Europe, dear Commissioner, we must enforce the arms embargo. We must sanction all external sponsors from both sides. We must shut down gold financing routes, guarantee humanitarian access and support the civilian‑led transition with accountability. But let's be honest, what is happening in Sudan cannot be solved by peaceful diplomacy alone. The RSF is committing the most heinous crimes we have seen in a generation. The SAF is also violating international law themselves and these crimes will not be stopped by peaceful means. In a functioning world, this is the moment when UN peacekeepers, the only truly neutral force built to defend human dignity, would intervene to protect civilian life on both sides. But they are blocked by a Security Council that no longer fulfils its function.”
“Now, unfortunately, because we have in the near vicinity of that country, another country, also a partner of ours, that slides down into this direction – also the suppression of human rights, the imprisonment of journalists, etc. – their court proceedings also have to be watched. We needed to shift our personnel from one embassy to the other because we did not have the budget and we could not change the budget. In this time of political turmoil, we need to be able to change the budget within the year, not just decide it once and then let it go. 2-0312-0000 (Încheierea intervențiilor la cerere) 2-0313-0000”
“Mr President, dear people of Europe, I would like to congratulate the two rapporteurs for their work on this file. This is more or less everything that I have to say. I would like to take the opportunity to shed light on a fundamental problem with our budgetary procedure. Not so long ago, I visited a partner country of the European Union. It is a state that is an important energy supplier for us, an important trading partner, and has a questionable history of human rights and imprisoning critics, opposition and journalists. We had people from our embassy watching the court proceedings of those people who fought for democracy, of those people imprisoned.”
“This agreement shows that progress doesn't belong to one side, to one ideology. It belongs to those willing to work together, and in times of polarisation that is more than a policy achievement – it's a sign of hope. 1-0225-0000”
“Madam President, dear people of Europe, in a time when conservatives and Greens are often portrayed as political opposites, even as enemies, today's agreement sends an important message. The report is not just technical work – it is living proof that cooperation is possible in the democratic majority of this House, even when political priorities are divided. Here, an EPP rapporteur and a Greens rapporteur worked side by side. They showed that when Europe's farmers need safer, faster, science-based solutions, and when our environment needs real protection, we can build bridges instead of walls. That matters, because over 100 biological control applications are expected in the coming years, and without reform, many would take more than a decade to reach the field.”
“Let us look to what puts us together – to what makes us strong as one European Union, as one European Parliament. 1-0170-0000”
“Madam President, dear people of Europe, what you have heard today here in this debate is not contradictory. It is not contradictory to have respect for the work and the commitment of policemen and policewomen, and for the fear of migrants that leads them to turn to smugglers and human traffickers. It is not contradictory to call for a safe Union that protects its border and for a dignified way to migrate to this Union. It is not contradictory to care for the people inside this continent and the people outside of that continent. History books will judge us on the question of migration, because migration will only grow in the next years, due to war, climate catastrophe and economic collapse that we see around the world. Let us not look to the contradiction.”
“Da werden jene, die Ungarn für seine offensichtlichen und gerichtlich festgestellten Brüche der Rechtsstaatlichkeit von unseren Kolleginnen und Kollegen, wie der Frau Khan, unserer Freundin aus Österreich, beleidigt und in den Schmutz gezogen – einfach nur, weil ihnen keine besseren Argumente einfallen, weil sie sich nicht mit der eigentlichen Frage auseinandersetzen und weil sie ihre Politik auf dem Hass, auf der Wut und auf dem Frust der Bevölkerung aufbauen – nicht auf der Hoffnung, nicht auf den Werten und nicht auf dem Glück! Sie sind Gift für unseren Kontinent, Sie sind Gift für Ihre Länder und es wird der Tag kommen, da werden die Menschen aufwachen und Sie und Ihre Kumpane aus diesen Parlamenten rauswählen. Und auf diesen Tag freue ich mich. 1-0115-0000”
“Herr Präsident, liebe Menschen Europas! Wenn man sich damals im Kindergarten gestritten hat und man nicht mehr wusste, was man sagen soll, dann hat man sowas gesagt wie: Du bist doof! Weil einem etwas viel Besseres nicht eingefallen ist, als den anderen zu beleidigen. Genau das Gleiche haben wir heute hier in dieser Debatte von den Populisten und Extremisten dieses Hauses gesehen.”
“Madam President, unfortunately, yes. I will be very brief because I did not plan to do this. It's on Rule 10(1), first sentence: mutual respect. I would like to ask our colleague Mr De Masi not to speak in the name of the non-attached. Respecting the decision to be non-attached also means that other non-attached don't speak for other non-attached. We are not one. There is not 'the non-attached' and, I think, especially regarding what Mr De Masi said, this is quite important. 1-0049-0000”
“A Union cannot function with a patchwork that rewards complexity and punishes clarity. That is why I voted in favour. 2-0165-0000”
“Madam President, dear people of Europe, our corporate tax system has long been like a puzzle where every Member State kept its own set of pieces. The picture on the box says 'single market', but when you try to assemble it, you discover 27 different shapes that don't quite fit. In the gaps between those pieces, profits quietly slip through. BEFIT doesn't solve the puzzle, but it finally gives us one set of pieces that belong to the same picture. It helps ensure that economic activity and taxation match, instead of letting profits wander to places that had little to do with creating them. And it brings a bit more coherence to a system that has asked companies and citizens alike to trust rules that never fully aligned. For me, this is about making Europe understandable again.”
“Madam President, I would like to ask the audiovisual service to move the speech that I hold in the wrong topic to the topic where it belongs in the live stream recording. Honourable Members, dear people of Europe, climate protection is not ideology. It is infrastructure; it is energy; it is every euro that we invest today in clean technology as a euro we do not need to pay tomorrow for floods, fires and bad harvests. Every day, Europe records unusually high temperatures. Every week, scientists identify ecosystemic imbalances. Every month, we see a natural disaster happening. We have been warned for over 50 years. Now is the time for responsive science-based legislation. That is why, today, I supported the setting of the new target, even though, in my personal opinion, it is a little bit behind what we actually need. 2-0173-0000”