Reinier Van Lanschot
Member of the European Parliament · ALE · NL
“Our principled global outlook must also be consistent where all conflict and war emerges. We will work hard with the Commission and with Parliament in particular, to advance the enhancement of capability and protection and greater resilience, particularly in terms of critical undersea infrastructure, in terms of cybersecurity and the newe…”
“Sometimes trying to navigate the budget negotiations is like trying to reconcile the irreconcilable in terms of different views and perspectives.”
“We understand the balance that has to be struck between facilitating enterprise and new ideas, but also protecting the rights of workers. But neither are mutually exclusive.”
“A Uachtaráin, a Thaoisigh, is maith an scáthán súil carad. 'A friend's eye is a good mirror'. My eyes see a country a little too fond of selling aluminium to Russia and tax benefits to American tech. But I also see a country committed to peace, the best live music in Europe and a beacon of democracy.”
“The savings and investments union is about underpinning that growth by providing the necessary capital to enable growth at scale, because the one weakness that researchers and people are saying to us in Europe is the absence of that capital markets union within Europe and the absence of scale.”
“In terms of a key theme that has emerged, protecting children is uppermost in the Irish Presidency, and I thank MEP Weber for your remarks in that respect and Valérie and others spoke about the importance of the regulation and the legislation. We are looking forward to the expert panel review from the Commission.”
The complete record
Every one of 105 lines we hold for Reinier Van Lanschot, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 3.
“Across societies, genius is divided equally, but opportunities are not. If we create opportunities, our European orchard will grow with massive trees and enough fruit for all Europeans. 1-0082-0000”
“Madam President, dear Commissioner, in Europe we plant the seeds of a business. We water the tree, we protect it from the wind and the rain. And then we let somebody else eat the fruit. Europe ends up with the seeds while the USA gets Apple. For once, let's try and act like founders with a mindset of ambition, innovation and getting things done fast. With a focus on building something truly European, I've travelled to capitals across the EU to talk to founders and they gave me three points. Firstly, create 'EU Inc.': one legal entity for companies to make it easier to scale across borders. Secondly, make company law that offers flexibility and delivers predictability for international investors. And thirdly, rules are fine as long as they are one set of rules, not 27, so this has to be a regulation.”
“We need a United States of Europe now, because that is the key to solving all the challenges of the 21st century. 3-0125-0000”
“Mr President, what do Trump, Putin, Xi and the tech autocrats have in common? They are all afraid of a united Europe and that's why they want to destroy it. The US National Security Strategy says out loud what we have known for years: they want a Europe of 27 weak nations. A classic example of divide and conquer. So we are on our own. President von der Leyen said that this is Europe's moment of independence. I agree with her. So, European prime ministers, this is one of the most important European Council meetings in years. Face reality and do what's needed: use the frozen Russian assets and give them to Ukraine; find new partners; ratify Mercosur; and defend our democracy by cracking down on foreign interference. At the end of the day, we – Europe – are in this together.”
“Colleagues – we are on our own, so we require a fundamental change in the way we organise our defence. Most Europeans want a European army. What does that look like? A European military headquarters with a European commander. A supranational force of 250 000 volunteer soldiers on top of national armies, trained together and led democratically by an elected European government. So what brings real protection? A United States of Europe with a European army that can defend it. Most Europeans want it and Volt is here to make it happen. 2-0217-0000”
“Mr President, finally, some concrete steps on defence readiness. This report has good proposals on how to organise and finance European defence, and Volt is happy to have included three calls to action. Firstly, strategic capabilities like satellites and missile defence must be provided by the EU. Secondly, use the same equipment and make buying it together not the exception but the rule. And thirdly, while we invest in our defence, keep our investments in a climate neutral economy and in the well-being of Europeans going. These are good steps, but it is not enough. Some extra money and some extra equipment will not protect us from Russia, and the US National Security strategy shows, for the hundredth time, that America is unreliable at best, and at worst, it behaves like an enemy that wants to divide us and demolish the EU.”
“Mr President, the EU is in a toxic relationship with Elon Musk. We are treated badly, publicly, over and over again. Musk makes bizarre accusations that the EU is 'killing' free speech, while he manipulates the algorithm to push radical content that supports his own political views, and yet we keep coming back. He breaks our laws, calls for the European Union to be abolished, and even compared us to Nazi Germany – and yet, despite all this, EU institutions are still active on his platform. What more does this man need to do for us to set some boundaries? If we want to build an independent digital Europe, the first thing we have to do is leave this platform. So EU institutions, please delete your accounts. After a break-up, you go your own way and you stop following your ex. 1-0269-0000”
“This resolution is the same routine: it complains about America and Russia, but it mentions almost nothing about what we will do. Ukraine's security is Europe's security. Let us get out of this inferiority complex. We have what it takes to become what the USA no longer is: a united democracy defending freedom. 3-0071-0000”
“Madam President, the 28-point plan was written in Kremlin handwriting while they keep killing Ukrainian civilians every single day, a complete disgrace. The gangsters leading the US and Russia try to impose a modern-day Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact on Europe, a pretext for more war. One minute to midnight, Europe arrived to support Ukraine, trying to prevent a disaster. But European leaders, how much more evidence do you need that dictators don't respect flattery, only strength? How much more evidence do you need that, with 27 little armies, 27 foreign ministers and the vetocracy in Council, we are at the gangsters' mercy? How much more evidence do you need that a peace that lasts will only come if we enable Ukraine to win?”
“Wide consultations are ongoing, so we are collecting feedback and input from our stakeholders as to how we can simplify our digital rulebook in the future. Together, let's make it easier to innovate and invest in Europe while staying true to our values. 2-0508-0000”
“But the discussion today also highlights the importance of maintaining a fair balance between practical action and protection of our safeguards here. I believe that this digital package strikes this right balance. I count on your support in advancing the proposed legislative files, the digital omnibus and the European business wallet as well. And I would also like to stress that this is the first set of urgent measures. These immediate actions are needed to bring a breath of fresh air to our businesses and the EU's competitiveness. But this is not the last step when we speak about simplification. In my confirmation hearing one year ago at the European Parliament, I already announced a digital fitness check for our entire digital rulebook, and we launched this process in the last week.”
“I went to Slush in Helsinki last week, the world's leading start-up conference, and I saw we have an abundance of talent, ideas and potential to scale, but we lack the ambition – the political ambition – to enable it. 2-0506-0000 (End of catch-the-eye procedure) 2-0507-0000 Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President of the Commission. – Mr President, honourable Members, I want to thank everybody who contributed to this discussion for your very valuable inputs. Why are we proposing this package? You are very well aware about the Draghi report and the innovation gap we are facing. We are very committed as a Commission to make Europe faster and easier and simpler for businesses, especially our start-ups and SMEs, to make sure that Europe is the place to innovate and invest and scale up businesses.”
“Mr President, Christmas came early for Trump and the tech bros. The Commission aims to simplify digital rules in Europe, but gave them a digital Christmas package. Europe acts like a digital colony and gift‑wrapped its own economic downfall. We should be saying 'European Tech First', but this package says 'America First'. It creates loopholes that big tech will rip open faster than kids can rip open presents. It cuts our privacy so they can train their AI on our personal data, while European start‑ups are not helped enough. With friends like these, who needs enemies? Colleagues, let's be more confident in Europe's own abilities. We can protect fundamental rights and be a digital power. We can have an innovative economy and tech with European values.”
“Madam President, Russia is at war with us. The US is treating friends as enemies and enemies as friends. Meanwhile, our defence is fragmented into 27 small parts. In the past four years, Ukraine's heroic fights bought us time – time to get our defence in order – and now, we finally have a result. The European Defence Industrial Programme is good, but it's not enough to keep us safe. It's too small and we are too slow. Colleagues, it took us four years to do the easy part. Now we need to finish the most important to-dos for creating a strong European defence union: our own command and control, a European pillar in NATO that can operate without the US, and a European army at its core. For our safety, we need to sacrifice the belief that national sovereignty is sacred, and create a real United States of Europe. 2-0067-0000”
“Mr President, Europe will never truly be united if Cyprus remains divided. For more than half a century, Cypriots on both sides have lived on a divided island. And now, after years of stalemate, a small window of opportunity has reopened with the landslide victory of Tufan Erhurman, Turkish Cypriots sent a powerful message: they want peace, unity and a shared future in a federal Cyprus. Let me be clear: Europe hears you and we stand by you. All external actors, especially Türkiye, should acknowledge and respect the will of the Cypriot people. Give peace, reconciliation and democracy a chance. Volt is a political party working on both sides of this divide, together for a common European dream. We believe it's time for two Cypriot leaders in Nicosia to come together and start building the future all Cypriots deserve. 1-0227-0000”
“Dames en heren, in "gelul" kun je niet wonen. We hebben actie nodig. Het heeft heel erg lang geduurd voordat de Europese Raad eindelijk ging vergaderen. Laten we zorgen dat het niet zo lang duurt voordat er eindelijk actie volgt. We hebben actie nodig. Mensen hebben huizen nodig. Dus: in "gelul" kun je niet wonen. Actie alsjeblieft! 3-0065-0000”
“Voorzitter, je hoeft maar naar buiten te lopen en met iemand in gesprek te gaan om te horen wat nu het grootste probleem is dat bij mensen speelt: ze kunnen geen huis vinden. Er is te weinig aanbod. Er zijn geen koopwoningen, geen huurwoningen, en wat er wél is te duur. Nu gaat de Europese Raad voor het eerst vergaderen over het woningtekort. Voor het eerst! Wonen is een fundamenteel mensenrecht, en niemand kan een huis vinden. Hoe lang moet een probleem duren voordat het groot genoeg is en jullie het aanpakken? Burgemeesters zijn nu gelukkig met een plan gekomen: er is 300 miljard EUR aan directe investeringen nodig om het woningtekort in ieder geval voor een deel op te lossen. En dat zal helpen. Doe het net zoals bij Covid: begin met een noodpakket, en maak het daarna structureel onderdeel van de begroting.”
“If you don't start a war, destroy millions of homes, bomb hospitals, torture soldiers, kill civilians and abduct children, then you have nothing to fear. 2-0499-0000”
“Madam President, it is time to make the aggressor pay. I have been calling for it for years and now the moment seems to finally be there: EUR 250 billion of Russian State money is frozen in European banks. It's so much money – using it can change the outcome of the war! This is our chance to help Ukraine rebuild what Russia destroyed without European taxpayers having to pay a single cent. This is our chance to make sure that Ukraine stands strong in upcoming peace talks. This is our chance to show Putin that Europe has no war fatigue – that when the US retreats, Europe doubles down. Opponents of this plan say that it's too risky, that it sets a dangerous precedent if we use money from an aggressive dictatorship. But this is exactly the precedent we need to set.”
“The European Union is ready to work with partners to provide support, and we will allocate a dedicated support package for Gaza's recovery and reconstruction – this is part of my mission letter. Thank you for your for all your support and let us continue working together. 2-0087-0000”
“We don't want to use military force, so it is important to convince them to lay down arms. The European Union stands ready – we as the Commission, but also, I hope, all components of the European Union – to contribute to this effort. We will continue supporting the two-state solution, and this is our long-standing goal. We will continue to support the unity of the West Bank and Gaza, and we want a reformed Palestinian Authority to play a central role in the revival of Gaza. To conclude, the recovery and reconstruction of the Strip must be a Palestinian-led process, and this is what we are aiming for. Once again, thank you for all your engagement, not only this morning but all the time.”
“The objective is to have an EU-led Palestine Donor Group of like-minded partners, donors and so on together; I do not want to expand on this because I already talked about this. It will allow for discussions on the future engagement of Gaza, and we also invite Israel to join us because without them, we cannot have lasting stability. This is something which we have to admit, unfortunately, but this is true. In the meanwhile, we continue to emphasise the necessity of urgent humanitarian aid delivery – this is what my colleague Lahbib is working on. Achieving demilitarisation and the transitional governance will be vital and will require careful coordination of the engagement of all stakeholders. Who will convince Hamas? Let's talk about it – they should be convinced to lay down arms.”
“What we would like to do with this 20-point plan is: to continue the reform of the Palestinian Authority; support the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza; ensure a neutral third-party presence at the Rafah crossing with Egypt; support the capacity of a future international stabilisation force; ensure Palestinian governance from day one; and mobilise all relevant Commission tools at our disposal. To recall President von der Leyen's State of the Union speech when she announced a support package for Gaza – we have not forgotten this. As I mentioned in my introduction, we will set up a Palestine Donor Group and the first meeting is convened for 20 November at the margins or on the eve of the November Foreign Affairs Council – I don't know now exactly.”
“As I said when you mentioned the European Union, it is all of us. So we have to, as you said, speak with one voice, which is not the case at the moment, but we are coming closer to consensus, I think. This is the reason why I read my conclusions from the Foreign Affairs Council. To finish with closing remarks, I know that I have exceeded my time, but since the topic is very important, I am trying to reply to all of your questions. I want to underline, and I think all of us agree, that the European Union is ready to have a strong role to play along the principles of the US peace plan. We are ready to support Gaza's recovery and reconstruction, and we know that it will require enormous international effort with strong coordination among partners.”
“All of you are prudent and, of course, it will be critical to lead to a permanent ceasefire and to offer guarantees or security and governance in Gaza. So details on the second phase are not clear yet. This is something which I have to say here, something which is very important for the Palestinian Authority too – we urge Israel to release the clearance revenues collected from April 2025 by Israel and due to the Palestinian Authority, they owe this money to them. So this is something which we urge them, as well as the continuation of correspondent banking services and the issue of access to Israeli shekels. Just to make you aware – if we were not the biggest payers for the Palestinian Authority, they would not have survived. Just to understand what the European Commission is doing at the moment.”
“We gave EUR 2.5 billion to Syria, over the course of time, and we have given, at this moment, EUR 500 million to Jordan. So we are acting now before the Middle East strategy is on the table because that is only the document – this brings stability. On the future, on the Middle East strategy – of course, first of all, consolidating durable stability, supporting inclusive democracy in Syria and Lebanon, which is connected. Of course, Gaza's reconstruction will be a priority and, of course, as I already said, we have to strengthen EU missions on the ground. Now a few words on sanctions – as you know, we will regularly assess how the situation evolves both in Gaza and the West Bank, and we will report in relevant Council formations on this. In Gaza, as the first phase of the ceasefire has been agreed, the second phase will be critical.”
“We use our PEGASE programme that is under my remittance in DG MENA, so we are following this closely. Someone asked: when will the Middle East strategy come out? It is part of my mission letter to work on the Middle East strategy together with the HR/VP, but, as you know, firstly we have to try to solve the situation on the ground. We are acting already and setting the base for peace through support to the Palestinian Authority. All of you know that our actions in the Middle East speak loudly; we stand for peace, I do not see anyone who is not in favour. We stand for stability and we stand for Palestinian and Israeli children. We gave EUR 1.6 billion to the Palestinian Authority for this year, next year and 2027. We gave EUR 1 billion to Lebanon – this is about the Middle East strategy.”
“We allocated EUR 10 million for 2021–2024 under the NDICI programme and EUR 5 million for 2025–2027 is in the pipeline now for supporting peacebuilding initiatives via Israeli and Palestinian civil society organisations. On Hamas, we have to be clear, as I emphasised here on 7 October, there is no role for Hamas in the future of Gaza and we need a strong Palestinian Authority. We do not need to repeat this, I hope all of you agree on this here. Hamas has been on the terror list, as all of us know, since 2001 with a dedicated sanctions regime. The Commission implements rigorous safeguards to ensure that no person or entity receives EU funding if they are involved in criminal and unethical practices, including terrorist financing and terrorist offences.”
“My first meeting was with the civil society organisations, so we heard both sides – it is not only about the government, we are very cautious. But at the same time we have to assist them, we have to help them. The new opportunity will be the days of dialogue, which are organised for 15 November in Damascus and in some other cities in Syria. So we are trying our best, but it is not easy. Sorry – this was not the topic, but everything is connected with the Middle East. On supporting peace initiatives, I agree: peace remains to be built, as all of us know. The Commission suspended our bilateral support to Israel – this is within our remit and we suspended this – but at the same time, we continued working with Israeli civil society.”
“Sanctions linked to Hamas are on the table, while restrictive measures against Israel will not be removed but kept on the table for now. These could be used either for NGOs, for media access or to push for tax revenues. Lastly, the European Union will look into how to use its leverage, how to be part of the Board of Peace and the European Union will continue diplomatic efforts with all sides. So everybody is doing what is under the remit of their role. Now, before my concluding remarks, I will try to reply to some of your questions. On Syria – although it is not the topic today, I have to reply to Ms Langensiepen. I was there four months ago, spoke with different components, I am still in contact with different components of society, not only with the government.”
“All of the ministers insisted on the enhanced role of the EU, and that we need to have a role in the future peace plan and reconstruction effort. It was agreed to ensure more humanitarian aid and access to NGOs, as well as journalists, to Gaza – both CSDP missions need to be properly utilised and it needs to be seen how their role can be enhanced. As the European Union is the main supporter of the two-state solution, they stressed that it is up to the European Union to keep the Palestinian Authority alive, while there remains a need to support and push their reform efforts, as I said in my introductory remarks. In the dialogue with Israel, it needs to be stressed that Israel should not undermine the Palestinian Authority, notably linked to withheld tax revenues.”
“Let's start with pressure on the Israeli Government to let humanitarian aid reach Gaza. 2-0085-0000 (Brīvā mikrofona uzstāšanos beigas.) 2-0086-0000 Dubravka Šuica, Member of the Commission. – Mr President, I was listening carefully to all your interventions, but I can agree with the last speaker: yes, I agree that we should speak with one voice, but let us clarify. First of all, everybody was mentioning the European Union; what is the European Union? All of us are aware the European Parliament is very important, but there is the Commission, which I represent here today, and there is also the European Council. So the European Council – yesterday, I was present at the Foreign Affairs Council together with HR/PV Kaja Kallas and, if I have enough time, I will try to summarise the discussion in the Council just to be on the safe side.”
“Mr President, we are Europe. We should speak with one voice globally, especially when the topic is difficult. We should defend international law even when it interferes with our interests. And we should celebrate peace, no matter who helped achieve it. However, the ceasefire has already been violated, and this deal is incomplete. So, what can we do to help turn an incomplete ceasefire into lasting peace? Well, for peace, the root causes of the conflict need to be addressed, with Palestinians at the table. And peace requires justice – that means, instead of standing ovations for Netanyahu, we bring him, Hamas terrorists and other war criminals before the International Criminal Court. And it means rebuilding Palestine and supporting an independent, democratic Palestinian State. And we, Europe, can contribute to making that happen.”
“Mr President, so, if a thief steals EUR 60 and after a long trial a judge tells the thief 'okay, you now have to pay back EUR 3' – is that fair? Is that going to make the thief less likely to steal again? And is that going to prevent other thieves from stealing? For years, Google made a fortune knowingly breaking our laws at the expense of journalists. The recent fine of barely EUR 3 billion will simply be the costs of doing business for a company that makes USD 60 billion in revenue every year in Europe alone. It's a small drop taken out of an ocean of profits. The US Government puts pressure on the Commission to give no fines at all, so it's good that something is being done. But what we really need is an independent digital enforcement authority and higher fines.”
“Colleagues, Ukraine is helping us, but we don't say thank you enough. So let me say it: Mr Zelenskyy, thank you. And let's back our gratitude up with actions. 3-0065-0000”
“Madam President, how many Russian drones did it take to shut down European skies? About five. How many drones are over Ukraine? About 500 every night. If we face that, we're not prepared at all. Ukraine learnt the hard way how to defend itself against drones, and they understand you should not shoot down a cheap drone with a million-euro missile. Their technology is cutting-edge and Ukrainian instructors are in the EU right now, training European soldiers. Putin exploits our weakness and depletes our air defence on his terms. We've let a war criminal drag us into a boxing match and made him the referee. But if we stop being afraid to act, we can respond on our terms. Protect our skies. Build the drone wall. Stop buying Russian gas. Give all the frozen Russian assets and set up a no-fly zone in western Ukraine.”
“Madam President, dear Prime Minister, you said it's up to us to dream about the future, and I agree. 40 years ago, European leaders dreamed of the future in a tiny village in Luxembourg. They decided to do something new. They opened borders. And what started in Schengen proved to be a massive success: the freedom of movement. You also said too many Europeans have lost faith in the EU. But polls show that nine out of ten Europeans want more European integration. From Portugal to Romania, from Greece to the Netherlands, people realise we are Europe. It is not the people who have lost faith, it is the political leaders. The new ideas are here. A European Defence Union, foster EU enlargement, a digital Single Market. But every European Council meeting ‑ no decisions. Today everyone knows Schengen. So I ask you, what future do you dream of?”
“Madam President, Russian drones in Poland – a major escalation. Drones in EU and NATO airspace are not only another Russian escalation, but also another warning for us. There is a clear pattern: destroying our communication cables in the sea, the attack on the EU embassy in Kyiv, and now drones invade our airspace. Russia is testing us. Colleagues, how we respond today will determine how Putin acts tomorrow. Every Russian escalation is an invitation to another escalation if it is not met with a strong response from us. We need forward defence: I have called for a no-fly zone in western Ukraine to intercept Russian air attacks close to NATO many times before. Let us finally do it. Colleagues, we need a strong and united European deterrence. The drones were shot down by a collective European effort. It shows that we ...”
“Madam President, while Trump rolled out the red carpet for Putin in Alaska, the largest air strike on Ukrainian civilians happened. It seems that the more we talk about peace, the more aggressive Putin becomes. The more the US bows, the more bombs he throws, and the more we are paralysed, the more he prolongs this war. We want this war to end as soon as possible and to prevent it from ever restarting. So make sure that Putin realises that he will not gain anything. Conversations about security guarantees are good, but should never become a substitute for making Ukraine win, and the coalition of the willing should never become a substitute for building a true European Defence Union. 2-0061-0000”
“Madam President, dear Prime Minister, Denmark has great stories to tell. It gave Ukraine all its artillery so they could fight back. It launched the Danish model for defence investments to help Ukraine win. Now Denmark is targeting Orbán's veto so Ukraine can take steps towards its European future. Denmark holds the rotating presidency for the next six months, and your Minister of European Affairs has said she wants to take away Orbán's veto and voting rights. A unique opportunity to blast through Europe's paralysis with a little Danish dynamite. It's time to do what millions of Hungarians, tens of millions of Ukrainians and hundreds of millions of Europeans have asked for: stop this wannabe dictator. The least corrupt country on the planet going after the most corrupt leader in Europe. Isn't that a story we would all like to hear?”
“They are not even present at this debate, only thinking about the next election, not thinking about the next generation. 4-0037-0000”
“Mr President, dear colleagues, what could the EU look like in 2030? A new European Union from Greenland in the Atlantic to Ukraine in the Black Sea, a new Union with more countries. For the countries joining, it means new opportunities, new freedoms and new responsibilities – 35 countries collaborating together. But we know the EU is already dysfunctional. There's only one solution: reform, treaty reform. Let's create a Europe 2.0 with a European Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, free from the oppressive veto, a Europe that speaks with one voice. This could become a reality by enlarging and reforming the Union – in other words, a new Europe that is bigger and better. Parliament voted for treaty reform already, but the Council refuses to act.”
“Madam President, dear colleagues, without America, NATO doesn't work. NATO's commander: American. NATO's intelligence: American. NATO's weapons: American. And Trump's big betrayal of Zelenskyy in the White House showed us that, at best, the US is unreliable. So how can we make NATO work for Europe? That depends on next week's NATO summit, which only seems to be about how much money each country will spend. A percentage. This is so shortsighted. Spending more money will not protect us. It's about how we spend it. Because if we do what we always did, we get what we always got. We need a European supreme allied commander. We need a European intelligence service. And we need a European nuclear deterrent. Putin will only attack us if we are weak. A European army makes us strong. 3-0070-0000”
“Mr Costa, please prove me wrong and transform this black hole into a North Star that guides our way to a brighter future. 2-0040-0000”
“Madam President, dear colleagues, dear Mr Costa, the EU has a black hole: it's called the European Council. If this Union were a galaxy, that is where bright ideas go, pulled in by its gravitational force, never to be seen again. Enable Ukraine to win, remove Orbán's veto, create a European army, Treaty change – for years, the European Parliament has sent ideas your way only for them to vanish. The list of things stuck in the Council is long. Hiding behind unanimity. Afraid of breaking taboos. And the strange thing is that these taboos only exist in the Council, not in the minds of the European people. The threat of war is on our doorstep. Ten years from now, government leaders will regret that they held on to the national past instead of embracing the European future.”
“But every time there is a scandal – a Qatar-, Huawei- or Le Pen-gate – our Parliament becomes more famous for its weakest links, and I'm sick of it. So to my colleagues on the right who block new transparency rules, I say: Do not stop these rules. Stop corruption instead! 1-0194-0000”
“Madam President, dear colleagues, the biggest corruption scandal in the history of the European Parliament: for over 12 years, Marine Le Pen and 24 others systematically stole more than EUR 4 million from the EU. They used it to grow their far-right party in France. Today they faced justice. It's a great day. Not because a far-right politician can no longer run for the French presidency, but because an independent judge was able to rise above all the political considerations to make sure no one is above the law. In today's world, where more and more wannabe dictators attack judges, it shows that the separation of power still stands strong, and that in Europe the law applies to everyone equally.”
“Madam President, dear colleagues, Moldova chose Europe. Recently, Moldova was at a crossroads and in its history, and despite all the Russian interference, they chose to walk the path that leads to Europe. In the quickly changing world order, we need to start backing words with deeds. And this growth plan shows that we will invest to lift people out of poverty, build solar panels, schools and hospitals. This growth plan shows strong reforms will make Moldova ready to join the EU. And this growth plan shows Europe chose Moldova. And it tells it tells those that want to join our Union, if you walk the path to Europe, Europe will walk with you. We did this in four months, which for the EU is as fast as travelling at the speed of light. And the Moldovans are not wasting time either. Last week they joined the Single Euro Payments Area.”
“We need the financial resources and military equipment, but more important is a strong will and commitment, not only in response to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, but also to other threats, challenges and emerging conflicts around the globe. Our unity is what makes us strong. Thank you very much. 3-0169-0000”
“As co‑decider of the next EU budget, the European Parliament has a significant impact on our level of ambitions at the European level, and in particular in ensuring an ambitious defence budget in the next MFF. Once again, Ms Strack‑Zimmerman, because you didn't hear it at the beginning, I want to thank you in particular for initiating this debate. We are looking forward to this Parliament, relying on you, but also to the Member States. 3-0167-0000 PREȘEDINȚIA: VICTOR NEGRESCU Vicepreședinte 3-0168-0000 Adam Szłapka, President-in-Office of the Council. – Mr President, Honourable Members, Commissioner, thank you very much for bringing this debate. It's exactly about the priorities we set during the Polish Presidency. The debate today illustrates the importance of continuously strengthening our security and defence.”