kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
we need to keep up with the effect this is having.
grace millane twenty two years old was recently murdered in new zealand and her killer's version of events has gone unchallenged.
fifty six women in the uk have been killed by men who claim it was merely the result of rough sex'.
this is the message it sends out if you kill a woman during sex you can get off with a lighter sentence.
if we don't name this crime accurately we can't fight against it properly and not only does this mean no justice for murdered women but no deterrent for those that would murder them.
my thoughts go out to her family.
the description of killing during sex as being rough sex' or sex game gone wrong' is being used as a defence in uk courtrooms and across the world.
in the last five years the defence has been used successfully in six out of fourteen cases that's almost half.
as online porn tries to shock for more clicks scenes are becoming more violent.
this is particularly true for young people who often led the protests whilst coming under attack from the security forces and with the siege at polyu being particularly worrying and as yet still unresolved.
finally i'd like to thank the fifty plus meps who signed my letter to federica mogherini on the issue.
the stunning landslide victory for pro democracy candidates in the hong kong local council elections at the weekend is testament to that.
madam president at its foundation democracy is about freedom and with that should come equality for all men and women to use the franchise at the ballot box to change their lives.
i look forward to the commission's response outlining their engagement with all sides to ensure that peace and fundamental freedoms are maintained.
i believe we must safeguard the sino british joint declaration which is key to the prosperity and stability of hong kong.
the lithuanian judges and prosecutors are judges and prosecutors of the european union. we strongly believe in the importance of letting lithuania's justice system conduct its work in full independence.
the european commission stands in support of an independent judiciary without which the union cannot function.
any attack against the judiciary of an eu member state is an attack against the rule of law of the whole european union.
we need to protect the integrity of our judicial system.
as the commission underlined in its communication published in july this year on strengthening the rule of law within the eu upholding the rule of law in the union is and must remain a key objective for all.
lithuania has been constantly targeted by russian disinformation efforts and a wide array of false narratives have been employed to this end.
as proven in the work of the eu strategic communication task force kremlin media have been and continue to be engaged in a process of historical revisionism.
what exactly does new green deal' mean? using this term we must go back in history and we must recall the real significance of the term.
was it a list of prohibitions?
it was a large scale public and private investment programme aiming at ambitious development innovation new infrastructure new businesses new models of growth new jobs.
and our new green deal in europe shall be a deal for growth and jobs for new opportunities for the regions in transition for new hope for those affected for a new clean technology for science for innovation for investment in precisely the regions
respond.
the finnish presidency like the previous ones has invested a lot of effort into making progress towards the conclusion and ratification of the istanbul convention.
the challenges and possible solutions to ratification of the convention both by the european union but also by those member states that have not ratified the convention should be openly discussed.
our presidency has striven to keep such a discussion on the agenda and engage in dialogues concerning the ratification of the convention.
this debate and the debate on women's rights in general is not just a matter for women it is our common cause.
women's rights are human rights.
over this past weekend tens of thousands of people took to the streets in paris in rome in brussels and other cities.
the message of our citizens is clear violence against women has to stop. everyone should feel safe.
everyone should be safe.
our presidency will continue working in any possible way towards this aim and as the presidency we welcome the willingness of the incoming commission to take the lead on this issue.
thank you again for this very important and valuable debate.
but you also have the potential to do them serious damage. if the european system is going to prevail with importing material from outside of europe at the expense of food producers in europe i don't think that has to be the way forward.
we are going to put small farmers and small producers out of business if cheap' is the law that rules every day.
of course there's cheaper production available from outside of europe because they're getting paid peanuts in the production process but that is no reason commissioner for you to go down that track.
we all agree that we need to do something about climate change but how?
now we want to raise the bar.
mr president we've probably all seen the reports about the china cables outlining how hundreds of thousands of people are put into camps in china being mistreated being tortured being put there against their will and this is something where parliament should speak up and raise its opposition to such a
i would really like to ask colleagues for their support.
the reason is of course that this house needs to give a strong message and some support at a very critical moment when our colleagues in some of our member states are facing a very very harsh reality.
i think if the european union to be serious about climate change it has to make sure that all policies are inclusive that not only do they send out a strong message but that people actually buy in and support what needs to be done to change how we live how we work and how we commute.
if we don't we will simply end up continually talking about it as if the discussion itself will have an outcome.
we have to be honest with ourselves we need policies now not next year or in five years' time.
we need to act now with inclusive imaginative policies allowing industry to adapt to address the issues.
they offered important reflection new perspectives courageous thinking and a space for civil society to be nurtured and grow.
the playwright vclav havel was a key figure in the peaceful transition of what was a one party communist state to a fully functioning european democracy.
other inspirational leaders have stood up against authoritarianism and dictatorships all around the world providing a light in the dark when there was none.
without those brave creative muses where would we be now?
in this moment of profound reflection i'd like to ask ms von der leyen once again if she will amend the portfolio title of the commissioner designate gabriel to innovation youth and culture.
and believe me there is a strong majority in the committee on civil liberties justice and home affairs which stands for fundamental rights democracy rule of law and values and principles in which the independence of the judiciary impartial judges and autonomy of public prosecutors are an outstanding principle a founding principle of the very foundation of the european union.
that is why i think we must care about these judges and public prosecutors being prosecuted for having fulfilled their jurisdictional role which is completely unacceptable.
we are committed to monitoring this important topic and we shall make sure that it is regularly addressed in particular during eu meetings of senior officials with interpol.
the presidency stands ready to explore with interpol what support the eu and the member states can deliver to avoid possible abuses and is ready to inform the european parliament on the outcome of these discussions.
sadly it took the council and the commission as much as two years to effectively tackle this problem.
we welcome however the new tariff agreement reached between the commission and ukraine.
we have to remember however that our rules need to be more precise with regard to future trade agreements and that the european authorities have to act more efficiently in monitoring and acting on the implementation of our agreements.
it's a motorway project from letterkenny in the north west of the country right down to cork in the south west of the country.
a lot of that was eu supported over many many years but there are large sections of this particular motorway which have not been completed yet.
this is an integral part of the development of ireland in the context of making sure we have proper structural and regional balance in place;
that all the activity isn't just funded into the capital in dublin and that the south and south west in particular would have opportunities to grow and expand and increase its population;
and the road structure and investment that is required from limerick to cork and the north ring road in cork is a critical infrastructural part that is required to ensure we have strong regional balance across the island of ireland.
so i'm calling on people to support me in my efforts to get the irish government with assistance from the european union to complete this integral infrastructural development.
it was a massive turnout what an exhilarating result! after tens of thousands have taken to the streets to fight for their freedoms against violent clampdowns it's so inspiring to see that support now demonstrated at the ballot box.
does it sound familiar?
i hope colleagues here at parliament won't make the mistake you made with the uk when we voted brexit by telling the hong kong freedom fighters that they voted the wrong way go back and vote again.
we democrats should stick together in solidarity and recognise that whether it's in hong kong or the uk democracy and freedom are worth fighting for and should be celebrated and congratulated not condemned.
let me ask you what kind of leaders are we if we fail to listen and if we are stuck miles behind those people we are supposed to represent?
with this resolution we can send a clear message to these youngsters;
let's vote for this resolution declare climate emergency in europe and show to the world that the european union is the global leader in climate action and that this house is ready to treat the situation with the gravity it deserves so that our citizens have the future they deserve.
the discussions here today underline once more the importance of the work we are undertaking on the protection of the rule of law within our union.
you mentioned here also the aspect of disinformation distributed by the pro kremlin media.
i can confirm that the new commission will work intensively on the action plan on democracy which contains a chapter related to the fight against disinformation and fake news where i plan to come with proportionate and necessary measures to fight effectively against the disinformation which is considered to be a part of hybrid threats against the eu.
one would think it is the west that should defend christians because christianity is a vital part of our civilisation.
this is an official number the unofficial number is twice as many.
i would not say so.
two hundred zero in lebanon we have one million christian refugees from syria.
all these numbers are terrifying. so why is the reaction of the eu and the entire western world so inadequate?
two thirds of christians have left syria. are they safe in lebanon?
the fact that this meek reaction by europe can be explained does not make it less shameful.
the number was down by half in comparison with the previous years.
without christianity we would not have existed.
their future is uncertain to say the least.
if we do not defend them no one will.
even in syria we were discussing this a few minutes ago in the middle of the most violent conflict of our times we hear stories of christian and muslim neighbours helping each other to make it through the war.
public advocacy is not always sufficient but it reminds all these community groups that they are not alone in this struggle.
in the fourth field of action the eu special representative stavros lambrinidis is doing an amazing job and keeps raising these issues in all his official visits and dialogues most recently to egypt just to mention one country.
it belongs to the middle east.
we can and must preserve the space for people of different backgrounds to be fellow travellers sharing their land and their lives.
sixth we are providing very concrete financial support to local communities and minorities through the european instrument for democracy and human rights.
the phenomenon is not new but what is new is the trend that is now more worrying than ever.
in this work we also have a duty to get the narrative right and also to represent the best face of the middle east the face of diversity the face of those muslim young people protecting christian churches.
but we are not alone in this task and we look for cooperation with our partners.
we are also providing support to christians in countries where they are facing a precarious situation. in iraq for example we are making sure that our projects for stabilisation also deliver on the needs of christian communities.
the protection of human rights is always part of our own priorities.
for this reason the european union is engaged on a daily basis to protect all minorities and every person's human rights with concrete actions in several fields.
in the fifth field of action we are seeking the broadest engagement of relevant regional actors and international organisations.
first we systematically raise freedom of religion and belief at different levels of our political dialogues including in our human rights dialogues with countries in the middle east. together with a number of partner countries we have developed what we call our partnership priorities in order to promote common interests.
they show the real face of the middle east and they honour hundreds of years of peaceful coexistence of different religious faiths in the middle east.
in may two thousand and sixteen as a follow up to the european parliament's resolution on the systematic mass murder of religious minorities by daesh we appointed mr figel' as the first special envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the european union.
when pope francis embarked on his historic visit to egypt last month he described christians muslims and people of all faiths as fellow travellers. for thousands of years people of different religions have been fellow travellers in the middle east in europe and in the rest of the word.
this is not only causing great human suffering to christians as well as to many other minorities in the region but if the middle east loses its incredible diversity that is a problem in itself it would also lose its greatest richness.
we must give voice if i can quote pope francis in italian.
preserving diversity is first and foremost a middle eastern interest so we will not stop working to protect all minorities.
religious or ethnic groups christians and others are being forced to flee from lands they have inhabited for centuries.
last but certainly not least we are fighting terrorism through security cooperation with our work to end the conflicts in our region and by addressing the social economic and cultural roots of radicalisation.
yet we know that entire christian communities have been forced to leave their home countries and their region.
christianity was born in the middle east.
the two thousand and sixteen global call for proposals addressed the rights of persons belonging to minorities and the new call on freedom of religion or belief will be launched in two thousand and seventeen aiming at supporting local and international civil society organisations in promoting mutual tolerance and understanding.
just a week later on easter sunday in jordan tens of muslim youths stood guard to protect churches and christian believers to make sure that they could celebrate their holiest festivity in peace and respect.
in the second field of action we always condemn violence against religious or belief minorities with public statements and with private demarches.
in the third field of action we work to ensure that freedom of religion and belief remains prominently on the global agenda and specifically on the un agenda featuring a strong human rights approach.
the syrian civil war has tragically seen tens of thousands of christians displaced and fleeing for their lives as isis has deliberately targeted them both there and in neighbouring iraq where on a visit two years ago i met a number of assyrian christian idps. i would like to take this opportunity to praise the efforts of the krg in providing shelter for christian refugees housed within its territory.
our efforts should therefore concentrate on establishing safe haven autonomous regions within the middle east such as in the nineveh plains in iraq and supporting communities to rebuild their lives and defend themselves in the places that their civilisation has been rooted for over two millennia.
there are around thirty million christians living in the region the largest numbers based in egypt lebanon and syria.
whilst i of course also welcome the support from eu member states that has been given and offered to christian refugees from the middle east i believe that it is important that we recognise that such expulsions of christians is precisely the aim of groups like isis who wish to see a middle east free of all non sunni muslim religious minorities.
for those of us who have been following the story of christian persecution this news does not come as a surprise.
until they are wiped out in other parts of the world?
instead it serves as a sad confirmation of what we have been witnessing over the past few years.
we must ask ourselves how long will we allow christians to be the most persecuted people in the world?
and their holy sites are legitimate targets in a war against infidels and tyrants.
if this total contempt for human dignity does not end the discussion about whether the christians can live under jihadi salafists as long as they pay a penalty tax i do not know if anything will because the threat against christians in egypt is fully in line with the barbaric acts of isis in other parts of the middle east.
last february a majority of this parliament passed a resolution that defines the persecution of christians in iraq and syria as genocide.
this is of course important but in view of the constant threats against christians it is imperative that further steps are taken.
the commission must act for a legally binding genocide recognition in the un security council.
efforts for legal action against the perpetrators must be intensified.
respect for freedom of religion must be a top priority.
middle east governments terrorist groups alike should always know violation of the universal right to believe and worship will be punished.
the christians as the indigenous people of the region creating a much needed balance between religion and ethnic groups are expelled or killed or persecuted.
with no christians left the european union loses a reliable and perspective partner for reconstructing the middle east. madam high representative it should be our foremost priority to protect people who are culturally and civilisation wise close to europeans.
we should support these groups both in the humanitarian and political ways but not only in syria and iraq but also in the southern region of turkey and other countries in the middle east.
it is a shame we let these atrocities happen but thank you very much for the things you expressed in your statement at the beginning about the ways we support the minorities and the groups there.
another example is the palestinian authority.
churches under their authority are not able to register even though they fulfil all requirements set by the law.
i have these examples;
i can bring them.
mr president madam high representative this is not the first time that i have stood in this chamber to draw attention to the terrible suffering of christian communities throughout the middle east.
it would appear that far from major moves being made to alleviate that suffering it is doomed to continue. only this easter speculation increased over whether or not christianity had a future in the middle east.
these are ancient communities existing since the earliest foundations of the faith and it is a daunting prospect that we could let asian communities wither in the face of the growing radical islamism throughout the region.
whilst the bombings of the coptic church in egypt by islamic state were a tragedy the support by the egyptian government is a model that should be emulated throughout the region.
the attack was not just on a community but on all egyptians.
we must continue to draw attention to the situation of christians and to make sure that more is done to prevent the destruction of these ancient communities.
madam president i want to express my admiration for all the people and politicians of ireland from all different sides who have managed to show the maturity and amazing strength of character to bring that awful conflict to a point where we can start moving past it.
twenty one please let us help these people get some closure and find out what happened.
they still do not know what happened to their relatives. they still do not know! nobody will come forward with the truth on this.
some people need to know what happened if nothing else. i refer again to the justice for the twenty one group who are the families of those killed in the birmingham pub bombings some forty years ago.
i implore anyone out there all of the good people of ireland all the politicians please if you will not speak to me speak to justice for the.
birmingham is in my constituency of the west midlands and the families of the justice for the twenty one still have no closure they still do not know who committed that bombing and they still campaign regularly for it. would you join with me in helping to try and bring some closure for those families please?
republicans who once engaged in terrorism having failed to achieve their goals now share power with unionists in a northern ireland assembly based on an exclusively peaceful and democratic basis.
all recent surveys demonstrate that there is a greater level of support for northern ireland remaining an integral part of the united kingdom than at any time in our history. indeed such support is based on strong support from both traditions in northern ireland. as we continue with political talks aimed at resolving some of the outstanding problems
including the functionality of government unionism does so in a positive way.
political stability the effective functioning of our democratic institutions is fundamental in building this reality.
as we face threats from dissident irish republicanism we must again ensure that politics and the power of democracy wins through.
we have naturally emphasised support for the next generation through projects that seek to provide young people with the skills and confidence needed to avoid sectarian violence.
continued divisions within communities remain despite efforts to address them particularly in the areas of schools and housing.
as winston churchill put it so well jaw jaw is better than war war' and in northern ireland talking together has been the way towards peace. huge steps have been made by individuals and organisations from all parts of a torn society to work together for an inclusive and lasting peace. it is their peace on their terms.
eu regional funding has also supported economic development.
but with fighting so raw in the memory these young people are drawn down the route of violence.
the eu's northern ireland peace programme has played and continues to play an important role in promoting reconciliation between communities and over the next five years the eu must continue to help lay the foundations for a true and lasting peace.
the terrible violence in society has become a thing of the past and political institutions are now in place with representatives of all the parties to the troubles.