kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
but they can turn things around if they want to.
and i can tell you that the british people will never surrender.
ms may should immediately resign and hand over to somebody who can become prime minister who really does want to leave the european union and the british parliament has the opportunity to redeem itself.
mr president we've seen two and a half years of an elaborate political charade based on an entirely false premise which is that you can't leave the european union without a deal.
and what is the purpose of it all which has now been extended?
we've seen ms may and her emissaries go back and forward to brussels in order to reach a withdrawal agreement that nobody wants. the remainers don't want it because they don't want to leave.
the commission has proposed a regulation on protecting the union's budget in the event of generalised deficiencies as regards the rule of law in the member states.
effective justice systems are also essential in maintaining mutual trust between member states and their judicial authorities.
after all as the court of justice has recently phrased it prominently effective judicial review is of the essence to the rule of law one of the values upon which the european union is founded.
overall the eu is encouraging member states to improve the independence quality and efficiency of their justice system.
of course as you are right to mention one of the main achievements is the istanbul convention and we hope that the eu too will accede to the istanbul convention soon.
the commission is also using infringement proceedings to address valuesrelated violations of eu law by member states.
these are unprecedented steps.
this has been underlined by the recent case law of the court of justice which stressed that mutual trust is founded on the premise that the national courts meet the requirements of effective judicial protection.
we also use other instruments including audits and investigations related to the use of eu funds as well as measures through the european semester to monitor justice reforms in member states.
with regard to the challenges still faced by women i would like to stress that women's rights were at the heart of the commission's work in two thousand and seventeen with the year of actions and a dedicated colloquium.
national judges are also eu judges. they are together with the court of justice the guardians and the ordinary court of the eu legal order particularly through their role in the preliminary ruling procedure.
the commission also intends to present an initiative on further strengthening its rule of law framework taking due account of the work of parliament including the resolution on democracy the rule of law and a fundamental rights mechanism that was adopted in two thousand and sixteen and the discussion that followed. following the actions of the government of poland we have initiated the article seven procedure.
the rule of law has never been so high on our european agenda as it is today.
however a mental berlin wall still divides us.
mr president ten years ago this parliament concluded that europe will not be really united unless it is able to reunite its history to recognise communism and nazism as a common horrible legacy.
however tackling globalisation is not possible without adjusting social policies.
if you look at latvia my country low birth rates and high levels of emigration are changing the face of our labour industry very rapidly.
but today it is something completely different.
that the dup wants to keep the unity of the country is legitimate.
but there are two small warnings that i want to give.
that jeremy corbyn wants to become prime minister of his country is legitimate.
first of all what we will not let happen deal or no deal is that the controversy in british politics is now imported into european politics.
we do not compromise on certain basic principles like equality and when you say everything's fine in the european union no violence against women ask women how many women encounter violence and harassment in their daily life.
recently in my country we found out that over two hundred christian ministers have signed up to the socalled nashville declaration which is profoundly homophobic and transphobic.
i just heard my ppe colleagues say well why didn't you compromise a little bit more?
i'd be really interested to know who else in this house is aware of the declaration and has signed up to it.
since becoming an mep one of the things that has struck me about the uk eu relationship has been the gap in perceptions between both sides of the channel.
the fact that politics is often about perception is equally true when looking at the withdrawal agreement. on this side of the channel the eu has been very clear while they would not seek to punish the uk for leaving they say that being outside the eu cannot be seen to be as good as being inside the eu.
let me tell you that in westminster opponents of this deal see it very differently. there is once again a gap in perceptions.
some worry that the backstop could give an unfair advantage to uk companies accessing the single market.
they also ask me why we need a backstop at all given that the irish prime minister said that there will be no hard border in the event of no deal.
they see a withdrawal agreement with legal obligations that they believe could bind them to a customs union forever.
but of course there are other reasons for the results of last night's vote.
these mps aim to disrupt the process in the hope that they can reverse the referendum result.
it would be a great pity if no further efforts were made to try to reach an agreement that could help the british prime minister to forge a consensus at westminster.
the eu has been very patient while the ball has been in uk's court but i'm afraid you're going to have to wait a little longer while the government faces the vote of confidence which i expect it to win and the prime minister holds cross party discussions to find a realistic way forward that can win the support of parliament.
you can gamble that brexit could somehow be stopped or you can attempt to address some of the concerns expressed.
many of them quote the song hotel california you can check out any time you like but you can never leave.
they see the text on the future agreement as a list of aspirations with no legal obligations to move towards a future trade relationship or future relationships quickly.
let us see when the prime minister comes back if we can turn that flexibility into concrete proposals to address the concerns that arose in the lead up to last night's vote. only then can we stop looking back at the past move on from the present negotiations and look to build a more honest relationship for the future.
they are concerned that while the eu treaties have an exit clause in terms of the infamous article fifty under the backstop they worry about being trapped in a customs union possibly forever.
so as a consequence today we find ourselves in a critical phase of the process.
at this point the eu will face a choice you can do nothing and prepare for no deal;
as the official opposition the labour party will seize every opportunity to seek to defeat the government and as you see they've already called for a vote of no confidence.
but then there are other politicians who think that the public was smart enough to vote for them yet somehow too stupid to understand what they were voting for in the referendum.
for example you could convince british mps that you have no intention of keeping the uk in the customs union forever and that the backstop if ever applied would only be temporary. i understand that you see this as a lot to ask given that you believe the uk has been offered a good deal but just as in two thousand and fifteen when a few tweaks to the renegotiation sought by david cameron might have been enough to change the result of the referendum
for those westminster opponents many of whom are normally loyal and considered moderate no deal is better than this deal.
they refer to briefings from commission officials who have told the press that the customs union will form the basis of the future relationship.
we must never forget that this should be about people not politics. whatever our views we should remember that our decisions in the coming days and weeks will affect people's jobs the success of companies and the growth of our economies.
you in the eu have taken a tough stance in negotiations not only because it is a good thing for negotiators to do but also to make sure that any deal acts as a disincentive to other countries that might be thinking of leaving. most people in this parliament are happy that these negotiations or these objectives have been met but have also stressed to me that compromises have been made along the way.
others are concerned that it may affect the ability of the eu to conclude future trade deals with other countries and they tell me that they hope that a backstop is never needed a sentiment often repeated by speakers here.
let me speak today as someone who has observed the debate about the uk's membership of the eu from both sides of the channel over the last few years as someone who has regularly spoken to individuals on both sides of the negotiating table and at times suggested solutions to unlock some of those difficult issues and as the leader of the ecr group that not only tells you what we are against but offers alternative solutions.
money. two we want to write a law that is the same for all member states. the rule of law could be in jeopardy in any member state. three we want to protect the final beneficiaries of eu funds researchers civic organisations and ordinary citizens must not suffer due to the freezing or cutting of funds. four we are talking about generalised deficiencies as regards the rule of law. there would have to be clear and widespread undermining of the rule of law before the budgetary consequences could be launched. and finally five our report puts parliament on an equal footing with the council through a codecision procedure of a transfer to a budgetary reserve. with these words i sincerely hope that every member of this chamber takes a close look at this report. when you do i trust that you will consider it of the utmost importance to support this proposal and give us a strong mandate for
that is why we need additional instruments in order to uphold the rule of law and fundamental rights of our citizens for example an expert group constantly monitoring developments when it comes to the state of the rule of law to have constant debates about exactly that and if there are breaches to have a sanction mechanism so that we can do something about that.
they are waving eu flags because they are addressing us because the rule of law and fundamental rights are under attack in many member states in the european union and they want to see action from our side.
the european parliament is the only directly elected institution of the european citizens and the fight for fundamental rights and the rule of law has to be at the core of this chamber. this is not a nationally bound fight and this is not a partisan fight.
article seven has proven to be a powerful tool but at the same time in implementation to be very impractical from time to time.
four fifteen in the morning to fly to meet you and in the run up to the deadline she signed up to the principle of the irish backstop.
it has been throughout a total failure of leadership.
we will be even more defiant if we have to fight a second referendum and we will win it by a bigger majority.
the british may be a very placid people very laid back but i promise you if they get pushed too far it's a lion that will roar.
there is a great tradition here isn't there we've seen it with denmark and with ireland where you make people vote again.
you might be surprised how quickly public opinion is changing.
i would say to you what price freedom?
she has behaved like a leader of a nation defeated in war and that is why this withdrawal agreement looked more like a surrender document and it was smashed to pieces in the house of commons last night. she of course believed that she'd get some concessions from you today but it's perfectly clear from what you've said that there are no concessions to come.
she is still our prime minister and that of itself is quite remarkable.
and that was backed up of course by the act of parliament the withdrawal act which once again says unconditionally that we leave on twenty nine march. mr president you say there's no support for no deal but then you all thought there was no support for brexit in the first place.
mr timmermans you say this would cause great harm but if we leave on no deal if we stick to the law as it is we become an independent country.
i disagree completely because you've got us now exactly where you want us and that is despite the fact that five hundred mps voted for article fifty which of course makes it very clear that there are two years in which to negotiate a withdrawal agreement or we just
i'd be the first to admit that i doubt this will happen because working in cahoots with you we have mr blair and many other leaders of the british establishment who treat the brexit vote and treat voters in general with total and utter contempt.
but perhaps more significantly she hasn't learned or heeded the historical lesson that if you appease bullies they always come back for more.
all i can say is that if we finish up with an extension of article fifty we may well finish up fighting the next set of european elections and we will fight them. if the betrayal becomes complete and we are forced to vote in a second referendum you may be in for a big surprise.
in contrast to the frustrating and infuriating circus at westminster the eu is committed to supporting the good friday agreement in all of its parts.
no positive resolution for ireland will ever come from a british parliament.
the part of the british establishment that the dup supports has always been opposed to the good friday agreement.
the irish government needs to take more account of what the european council statement of april two thousand and seventeen stated which was in the event of a successful democratic vote on irish unity the north of ireland would remain part of the eu'.
james connolly's words grow in significance day by day. he said the british government has no right in ireland never had any right in ireland and never can have any right in ireland'.
daily the british government shows contempt for the people of ireland and a complete disregard for the good friday agreement.
we want a true social union and for that we need more effort in the council and in every single member state so i really hope that others will follow your example.
prime minister you mentioned european values and how all of us need to stand up for them.
let me congratulate you specifically on some of the measures that have already been taken in spain which reflect the commitments you were voicing here.
we need these concrete steps.
women's rights are human rights and we're still far from real gender equality but we need to take progressive steps here.
let's not do that. use all the powers that you have in your hands and you have those powers to end that deal.
we support the women who are protesting right now for gender equality because machismo and violence against women have no place anywhere in the european union.
now the issue is on your desk and it's very clear that only a democratic political solution can open the way forward and this includes a solution for the prisoners.
secondly your decision to make sure that families who put up solar panels on their roofs will actually benefit from doing so is a way not only to combat climate change but also to reward people for their own initiative and make sure that everyone will contribute in this big quest to save our planet.
affecting smaller businesses fear that prevents businesses from using the rights the directive has granted. fear forces businesses to accept unfair payment conditions from larger counterparts and this is the case for seventy of small and medium enterprises. so abuse becomes habit
let me focus a little bit more on this issue. lengthy administrative procedures result in extending the payment deadlines artificially and again this is especially damaging to smaller companies who are more dependent on contracts with public authorities. in fact i have to tell you that i find late payments by public authorities even more inexcusable than those by private businesses because we should remember that these are the same public authorities who have very limited tolerance for late payments in the other direction so from businesses to the tax authorities. again this is very dangerous. the report describes the fear factor
last year the commission put forward a council recommendation on promoting common values inclusive education and the european dimension of teaching.
this was a real milestone.
understanding our past is crucial if we are to live together and to build a better future for our continent.
take for example the project courage which stands for cultural opposition understanding the cultural heritage of dissent in the former socialist countries. this project has created the first digital database highlighting various forms of cultural opposition in former socialist countries.
finally we can raise awareness and understanding through our cultural heritage and i am proud that the european heritage label has been awarded to sites of historical significance.
in the field of education the union supports and complements national policies aimed at better understanding our history and shared values.
the commission strongly believes that education is also the most effective means of preventing antisemitism.
knowing about our past is also critical for building the future of our continent and our countries.
these projects gave pupils and students the chance to learn about the past in a direct way and make changes in their own lives as a desired result.
it is important to include all totalitarian regimes be they fascist communist or others as we do on the europe wide day of remembrance for the victims of these regimes on twenty three august each year.
the project concluded that education and research on cultural heritage are crucial to support open pluralistic democracies.
this is why the commission is co funding a study entitled the holocaust in contemporary education a joint initiative with unesco.
further in the field of research in two thousand and fifteen and two thousand and seventeen the commission published calls under the horizon two thousand and twenty programme to support research on cultural opposition in the former socialist countries and on improving mutual understanding among europeans by working through troubled past.
the commission is also supporting the largest ever eu funded research initiative on the holocaust with eur eight million through the horizon two thousand and twenty project.
let me reassure you that the commission will continue to promote remembrance of totalitarian regimes whatever their ideological basis.
member states agreed on it after only several months;
preserving the memory of europe's totalitarian past is one of the core themes of the current europe for citizens programme which supports activities that encourage reflection on european cultural diversity and on common values.
never before has the eu said so clearly how important it is to promote our common values to create a sense of belonging to teach about the functioning values and origins of the eu and most importantly learn about the complex cultural and historical experiences in our member states.
learning about our history and analysing the complex forces at play between and within our societies is the basis for understanding the world we are living in today.
that's the way forward.
that is for me the key question and i hope that in your reply in a few minutes time you will go into it.
good institutions create good results.
the problem and i want to repeat this again and again and again and will continue to do so together with a number of you is the unanimity rule that exists in our union and especially in the european council that is the main problem which has to be solved. that's the main problem. the imbalance that exists between the european parliament deciding by a majority and the european council that continues to act unanimously.
why do we still not have an agreement on the reform of dublin for example after so many years of tragedies in the mediterranean?
even though we aspire to a united ireland we know that to be calling for it at this time is divisive and that is not what we want.
i want to say as well though to my colleague martina anderson that this is not the time to be calling for a referendum on irish unity.
i must take issue though with a comment made by arlene foster yesterday when she said there is no need for the backstop as we never had a hard border'.
madam president the mind boggles with some of the things that are being said here today. having said that i just want to say that the vote in the house of commons last night though disappointing was entirely predictable.
the big worry now for most people is that there will be no deal that the united kingdom will crash out of the european union and preparations are in place in case that is the outcome. but i think it's important for the united kingdom to make a decision that that is not what it wants. i have no doubt that the good people of the united kingdom do not want that scenario and if given the opportunity
it's not the irish government's position.
the role of educational staff and their continuing professional development plays a key role in this respect.
this subject is closely tied in with the priorities of our presidency.
its aim is to uphold and promote these values which as we are all well aware have been increasingly challenged in recent years.
the gothenburg discussions were followed by the conclusions of the european council of december two thousand and seventeen which highlighted how education and cultures are key to building inclusive and cohesive societies.
they remain a cornerstone of our democratic societies and they need to be safeguarded and constantly nurtured.
we are also all well aware that the union's competence in the field of education is limited and that member states remain fully responsible for their education systems and for the design of their curricula.
this recommendation was a follow up to the paris declaration of two thousand and fifteen in which education ministers stressed the importance of the role that education can play in this respect. the commitments of the paris declaration are as relevant today as they were then.
if we are fully to understand the present an awareness and understanding of the past is crucial.
on the other hand knowledge about the diversity heritage and traditions within the union and its member states promotes mutual respect understanding and cooperation which in turn can strengthen a common sense of belonging.
they need to be aware of the need to identify correctly and use reliable sources of information and of the risk of disinformation.
we need to provide our young people with the skills and competencies to become active informed and responsible citizens.
our young people need to develop the critical analysis and understanding needed to cope with the evergrowing volume of information.
media literacy and critical thinking are crucial skills in today's society.
as our prime minister outlined yesterday one of our main pillars is the europe of common values.
a lack of knowledge about the origins of the union and about the way in which it works increases the risk of discrimination.
in addition to our efforts in this area at national level we need to make the best use of the union's instruments and programmes such as erasmus horizon creative europe europe for citizens and the european solidarity corps the support initiatives that serve to promote our common values.
to conclude i can assure you that this issue will remain high on the council's political agenda.
today we face a number of challenges that put our open societies at risk be it through xenophobia divisive nationalism discrimination disinformation or violent radicalisation to name just a few.