kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
we're happy to see that climate and environmental issues are a key priority for the new commission and by the way also a key priority for more than ninety of the european population.
we are also happy to see that more women than ever are part of the commission even though it's curious to see that some governments couldn't find any women in their country.
but we also don't want to give you a blank cheque either and that's why our group has decided to abstain today as a head start in terms of trust that we hope will be justified.
and another reason is that we also have to answer to the british public.
besides the inner israeli conflict we should not lose sight of the fact that israel is surrounded by countries let's say enemies who want nothing else than to erase the country from the landscape.
it is our partner and it is our security guarantee also for the european union.
in german we call it that means near east' because it's only.
the eu also has to remain relevant in a future political process between israel and palestine and to be perceived as an honest and balanced broker.
israel as the only democratic state in the region deserves the full support of the european union.
in the digital space.
we must take action and indeed we must be bold in terms of proposing also regulation.
this has to be at the forefront of the commission's political fight in the next five years.
let me just underline three things which we would expect from the commission.
it's something which concerns all of us and which we experienced in every election including the european election in every national contest.
we have across europe in a much larger number today. it also something that we must safeguard and we must take action because we have been under threat.
we can't just keep on talking about who is responsible who is to blame.
we must safeguard the space on the internet.
all this should have been rectified before precipitating yet another election accompanied by profligate spending misinformation and manipulation with the very same individuals in the driving seat.
empowered with these the demos could ostracise anyone who threatened the rule of law isolating him from political office for ten years.
modern democracy too needs a decent tool for this job and it should include exclusion since to the super rich any fine seems just fine.
its sanctions need to match the power of its emerging oligarchs.
bribe millionaire lobbyists with cash for access and avert their eyes from incriminating evidence against their own team over the two thousand and sixteen brexit campaign.
i remain a supporter of dialogue so i very much welcome the announcement of a new joint commission but we must robustly condemn atrocities when they take place.
i do hope her successor can do likewise and won't have to deal with us as a foreign country.
mr president as vicechair of this parliament's iran delegation i'm going to focus on that country and i speak as a supporter of the joint comprehensive plan of action an outspoken critic of illegal us sanctions and one who would encourage rather than undermine moderates within the iranian regime. but all these positions become harder and harder with each infringement of international norms by iran.
the current civilian protests have been met with wholly disproportionate force and we in europe must condemn without reservation the killing of at least one hundred civilian protesters and the arrest of perhaps one zero more.
can i finish by thanking ms mogherini for her impressive respectful and above all patient attendance at this parliament and for all her hard work on behalf of all of us including the united kingdom?
i believe that what colleagues have already mentioned concerning the recent developments in moldova and georgia are very much due to the lack of stability of the institutions.
but you also said that more needs to be done in the area of the rule of law and the judiciary and i couldn't agree more with you because we should not be complacent about what we see happening at the moment.
i have taken note of your growing appreciation of parliamentary cooperation in the eastern partnership and i believe that we have achieved quite a lot during these five years because our colleagues have been very eager to cooperate and the cooperation has reached ever deeper areas of policy making.
from my own experience of being prime minister during the crisis i know how difficult it can be and i simply share the hope that this house will be a constructive partner to you personally and to your commission despite our political differences. let's get back to the serious job.
we understood the importance of this issue and we called for the establishment of a special parliamentary committee on election interference to address the challenges effectively and holistically.
eu campaign in the uk and suspicious online activities during the last european elections in germany.
but this is far from being an isolated case.
so let's unite let's work together and let's ensure that in the european parliament too we take this issue very seriously.
millions of europeans are being exposed to massive disinformation campaigns due to foreign interference.
electoral rules on the financing of political parties by third countries are being breached.
free and fair elections are at the very heart of democracy of our european project and our union but free and fair elections are not a given and should not be taken for granted. election interference challenges the foundations of our democratic systems and risks are growing day after day and they are there to stay unless we take action.
some governments are even hiding the truth from the public.
it recently refused to release the intelligence and security committee report on the russian threat to uk democracy.
this is the case of the uk government of boris johnson for instance.
however eu governments are still failing to act.
this is a major issue in many of our member states and current policies are insufficient to counter this hybrid assault on our democracies.
however sometimes we find that it takes time to come to challenges.
but the proposal did not pass due to the opposition of fifty two renew colleagues.
last month at the initiative of the sd group the european parliament adopted a resolution in which we called for bold action here in parliament.
both parties agree that the future development cooperation framework should be based on the two thousand and thirty agenda and the paris agreement on climate change and must reflect and adapt to the changing global context new challenges and opportunities.
the eu's aim is to arrive at a more operational text compared to the cotonou agreement.
the eu aims for an agreement that ensures universal access to quality and affordable comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information education including comprehensive sexuality education and healthcare services.
economic partnership agreements help regional economic communities by providing necessary expertise technology and experience for trade integration.
negotiations are ongoing and until now five negotiation rounds took place at political level the latest one in september in new york.
the work done so far on these agreements should inspire the future trade arrangements between the acp and the eu. the eu negotiating directives are very clear when it comes to nondiscrimination based on sexual orientation and sexual and reproductive health and rights.
these directives aim to strengthen regular political dialogue at all levels enabling the active engagement of a wide variety of actors including civil society in dialogue and cooperation processes.
they are tools to enhance trade and investment value addition and industrialisation and economic integration.
they aim to commit the parties to the promotion protection and fulfilment of the right of every individual to have full control over and decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality and sexual and reproductive health free from discrimination coercion and violence.
our eu negotiating directives clearly stipulate that the parties shall pursue an inclusive and open multistakeholder approach including by strengthening the role of national parliaments local authorities civil society and the private sector.
the next meeting of the chief negotiators is foreseen to take place in december.
the eu negotiation mandate also stipulates that all elements of migration cooperation would be addressed in the regular political dialogue which would ensure regular discussions with our partners on this important topic.
the ambitions are high on both sides to use the relationship for joint positions in international fora.
high level regular dialogue is also necessary and more concrete goals are needed for post. two thousand and twenty finally special attention still should be on georgia ukraine and moldova which have shown keen interest to move closer to the european union.
the new european commission should have as one of its priorities working towards finding solutions to these frozen or not so frozen conflicts so that the eastern partnership countries can focus their energy on the much needed reforms and development.
it is in the interests of the eu to have a stable and safe neighbourhood. of course we must continue to encourage eastern partnership countries to move forward with their much needed reforms and help them on their way.
five out of six eastern partnership countries have conflicts on their territory.
but what is hampering most the progress in all these countries is still russia's wish to hold them in its sphere of influence.
this is what prevents these countries from moving forward.
it is imperative for the eu to support the territorial integrity of the eastern partnership countries. also we must guarantee adequate funding in the new mff to help them continue with reforms.
high representative let me also on behalf of the sd group thank you for the last five years.
we expect from all political parties that dialogue is initiated on how to solve the current deadlock.
this promise was given to the georgian voters and we expect all georgian parties to deliver on this promise.
well i believe that already happened a long time ago and now we see unfortunately the confirmation.
only last month authorities have violently dispersed peaceful rallies of opposition parties and dozens of participants were detained beaten and mistreated.
let me start with recent developments which are to my group's concern in georgia.
illegal wiretapping of eu diplomats in private conversations with opposition and civil society makes their job impossible and the failure of the eu to confront all this is sometimes tied to a fear that azerbaijan may turn to moscow.
while georgia did come a long way in democracy during the last few years the current political crisis risks great instability in the country and that's something that georgia can simply not afford.
we have always been proud to see you heading our foreign service being the face of the eu's foreign policy and we only wish you all the best in the future.
it's allowed for important discussions on issues such as freedom from discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity and sex and relationship education as well as provisions for corporate social responsibility and assistance to tackle tax evasion.
we must emphasise the importance of the parliamentary dimension of the future agreement in order to ensure democratic accountability at all levels and to promote the legitimacy and visibility of the partnership. we must also scale up the involvement of civil society and ensure any new agreement is rooted in the two thousand and thirty agenda with a peer review mechanism for sdg implementation.
two thousand and twenty negotiations for the successor to the agreement are still ongoing and we must remember why this partnership is important.
the eu and the acp are collectively a strong global voice and we can tackle shared challenges and the new partnership agreement must reflect this.
it's fostered key political dialogue strengthening relations between us and the acp countries via frameworks based on human rights democracy and the rule of law.
this must be one of the first examples in world history of a nation working hard for less influence shouting for a smaller voice lobbying to be silent.
but can i say that i too am embarrassed and saddened that the united kingdom has broken eu rules and so far failed to nominate a commissioner?
madam president president von der leyen thank you for your declaration that you are a remainer. i am too and so are tens of millions of britons who will warmly welcome your words. now we've completed a thorough process of democratic scrutiny i welcome the opportunity to vote for the commission today and see it get down to work on the huge issues that face our continent climate change trade wars
exploitation injustice and discrimination.
while twenty seven other countries compete for portfolios and put their brightest and best forward to serve all of europe our government has chosen to leave its seat at the table empty.
both literally and metaphorically the old rules cease to apply as our legislation falls woefully behind reality.
i would look at nigel farage but he hasn't turned up this week.
there are those within our own member states who are more than happy to accept the help of these external actors in their quest for power.
it's fair to say that citizens all over europe are at the mercy of anyone with a sinister agenda and a computer.
we know that dominic cummings who is advising our own government spent time in russia.
there must be a parliamentary response to this unacceptable behaviour and there must be decisive action both in member states and in europe and yet politicians have so far come up short.
for instance in the uk we know that russian oligarchs have paid huge sums of money to play tennis with boris johnson.
we have seen this in the uk france and spain too.
we must take stronger action against fake profiles and accounts.
with over fifty national regional and local elections due in europe before the end of two thousand and twenty we must start taking this threat seriously.
if not we will be forever at the mercy of any authoritarian at a keyboard.
the proper regulation of platforms such as facebook is not an infringement on freedom of speech.
two thousand and sixteen he knows what is in that report.
madam president in the last few years we have seen a sea change in the way politics and elections are conducted.
we know what is in that report but he refuses to release it because the truth stands in the way of his personal ambition.
we may still deliver leaflets knock on doors and transmit party political broadcasts on tv but increasingly our voters are getting their information online through social media platforms and cleverly targeted advertising that takes advantage of ever more effective algorithms to target them individually from thousands of miles away.
things have got so bad that in the uk electoral campaign the government is now impersonating fact checking websites to spread misinformation.
those who detest the idea of democracy and view the messy process of elections as a charade to shore up their positions vladimir putin chief amongst them pour millions in economic and human resources into targeting european voters.
we must strengthen the eu code of conduct on disinformation and we must reform electoral laws to cater for the modern era.
hostile governments are taking advantage of the digital space to interfere in our elections to further their own political goals.
the time has come for this new parliament for this new commission for this new reality we live in to get serious.
but it's not just putin who is playing this sinister game.
facebook still operates as the trojan horse into our democracy.
we must investigate the financing of political parties by the kremlin.
i welcome your opinion colleagues and i hope you sense the same danger that i do.
the stubborn refusal of companies such as facebook to take clear and decisive action to police their platforms opens a door into our elections that any foreign actor can waltz through unimpeded.
i also look to the prime minister of the united kingdom who has refused to disclose a parliamentary report on russian interference in the brexit referendum of.
this must be investigated and there are many in this house who are here because of the darling of the us alt right steve bannon.
we are undergoing a quantum leap in our electoral processes one that eclipses the advent of the printing press the newspaper the radio and the television but the gap between this evolving technology on the one hand and regulation and legislation on the other has now become a great digital chasm.
he doesn't even need to interfere any more. that one of the oldest political parties in europe is willing to do this says much about how foreign electoral interference takes root infects our society and becomes the norm.
however in december two thousand and seventeen the then uk foreign secretary boris johnson said that he had seen evidence of russian interference in uk democratic processes.
with my acp colleagues who expressed their regret and concern that the post cotonou negotiations are taking longer than anticipated.
we agreed that the greatest future potential of the acp countries lies with the youth and we should promote it now.
therefore my question is have youth organisations and associations been involved in the consultation on the post cotonou negotiations?
we need to take action to increase trust in our democracies our governments media and online platforms themselves.
we must be also vigilant with regard to foreign actors using domestic proxies which the commission has identified as a growing threat. we need to reinforce our resilience. the european democracy action plan should be a positive step towards combating electoral interference but in developing it we must ensure that we strike the right balance between targeted action and protecting our democracy.
therefore we must have the right tools at our disposal to take action against disinformation.
the second one is russia's will to subordinate them and to destabilise them.
i think that political crisis is extremely dangerous.
in georgia that is a matter of real concern.
my support for the nations of our eastern partnership is unequivocal since my time spent in the foreign department of solidarnosc.
i'm really concerned by recent developments.
despite our efforts there are still very difficult issues that we have to raise. many dynamic things are very positive. yes we have successes in our policies for sure but there are some matters for concern
after all these years i think that two issues are stable there. one is the very stable western vocation of societies and their will to stay with us.
one thousand nine hundred and twenty two no other internationally legally binding agreement has ever superseded that and the west bank is part of israel in that agreement.
this racist law reminding us of an earlier periods in european history will not lead to peace in the region.
someone once said if you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it people will eventually come to believe it'. you know who that person was. and it's time europe moves on. peace can only come if it is based on truth.
it is never been a separate sovereign state.
the eu should be ashamed of itself for perpetuating the myth that settlements are illegal under international law when that ruling lacks legal evidence.
so those who say the settlements are illegal are completely misinterpreting article forty nine of the fourth geneva convention. two weeks ago the eu passed a law forcing jewish owned businesses in the west bank to label their goods differently to non jews.
the budget is important but it has become urgent as well.
let's not start with small discussions on figures because those would be divisive.
we need to continue to invest there but of course we need to invest in digital climate and so on.
if we agree that europe should do more this needs to be reflected in the budget of the european union and the position of parliament is clear fresh priorities require fresh funding.
and we have to be honest with the people of europe.
we have all seen the people of europe come out and vote students farmers smes people expecting more on security expecting us to deliver more on tackling climate change.
we cannot do more with much less.
my second point which areas should we invest in?
please join us presidentelect von der leyen in convincing the council and the member states to put their money where their statements are.
firstly a political agreement on what we expect and then to put the money where our statements and our expectations are.
we are ready to work with you on this.
let us work together to achieve in the european council in december a common understanding on what we expect from europe and what we expect from the budget.
even a distant perspective of membership is a powerful tool to promote democratic transformation in peace in our neighbourhood.
so we're not bothering a decision by my country which confirms that we are indeed leaving the european union.
the eu has warned that it's going to take legal action against my country because we refused to name a commissioner.
we're leaving anyway and two that we've already had kinnock and mandelson have used it as an opportunity to feather their nests to the tune of gbp ten million.
they are extreme eu federalists with no intention to stand up for their people but merely to comply and feather their nests.
and remember if we're causing you too much trouble you can always kick us out prematurely.
we failed the demonstrators of the arab spring in two thousand and eleven and we should not let them down once again. we are all human beings and we are human beings with human rights.
a tear gas canister fired at the head of a seventeen year old in baghdad a mother in jail for posting on facebook in cairo protesters greeting security forces with flowers and met with live ammunition in shiraz in iran.
we have supported with humanitarian aid.
what is new in this protest is that they don't care anymore about sectarian or regional boundaries.
they were not organised but they were united in one claim we are the people'.
we actually have a mission on security sector reform in the very same country where medics are shot in the back when treating the wounded where snipers are firing at peaceful protesters.
and the eu is issuing statements without commitments.
the un has lost its credibility and protesters are clearly clearly calling on us the european union to fill the void to organise dialogue to stop the killing to investigate the abuses to do a proper security sector reform and to just teach them crowd control.
and those in the streets of iraq they refused the interference of iran and the us and they are very clear about that.
in all of these uprisings we see people taking their claims to the street against corruption and for participation against repression and for democracy.
mr president thirty years ago people took to the streets in europe and they stood up for freedom and for democracy.
we have had reconstruction projects.
lebanon a prime minister stepping down and an old elite clinging to power.
we are all iraqis is what they shout in the streets of baghdad and that is apparently scaring the old elites.
two weeks ago in this house we congratulated ourselves on the successful demonstrations and how they have changed our lives for the better.
and we the european union the ones that have just celebrated thirty years of peaceful revolution we are bystanders once more. in iraq we have been present for years.
in the context of the two thousand and nineteen elections the commission has taken a number of concrete steps to address the challenges including with the election package of measures to secure free and fair elections in europe with the code of practice on disinformation which has been signed by facebook twitter google and microsoft