misclassified/meps_speeches_with_translation.csv huggingface dataset:
Speaker: Terry REINTKE (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2023-07-12
Debate: Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 29-30 June 2023, in particular the recent developments in the war against Ukraine and in Russia (debate)

  Terry Reintke,  im Namen der Verts/ALE-Fraktion. – Herr Präsident! Herr Weber! Ich muss ganz ehrlich sagen, ich bin ziemlich enttäuscht, denn es gab eine sachliche Debatte zu diesem Thema. Es gab Sitzungen der Schattenberichterstatter zum NRL, aus denen sich die EVP leider zurückgezogen hat. Es gab gestern eine lange Debatte, in der wir hier in diesem Plenum über diesen Gesetzesentwurf diskutiert haben. Wissen Sie, wer nicht da war? Sie! Obwohl Sie sehr häufig adressiert worden sind in dieser Debatte, auch zum Thema Fake News, auch zu der Frage, wie sich die EVP positioniert hat.
Deswegen lassen Sie uns diese Debatte führen. Aber lassen Sie uns dann darüber reden, wenn es auf der Tagesordnung steht und wenn die Kolleginnen und Kollegen auch da sind, um darauf einzugehen, was Sie hier gesagt haben.
And I still believe what is happening in Ukraine and what was happening at the Council is of the utmost importance, because the destruction of Ukraine’s Kakhovka Dam constitutes a new level of aggression in Putin’s criminal war of aggression. This calculated act of terrorism put thousands of people at risk. The floods that were caused were an ecological catastrophe as tons of harmful substances polluted the surrounding area. And the destruction of this dam endangered also the nearby nuclear power plant of Zaporizhzhia. 
This is a new dimension in which we find ourselves, colleagues. Russia is misusing a civilian dam located near to a nuclear power plant as a weapon of war. And I think that the European Union and the heads of state of the European Union have to be clear and take a clear stance to stop Russia on this deadly path. 
But also efforts must now focus on Ukraine’s reconstruction. We welcome the new facility that has been created for this purpose to mobilise more funds. But we don’t need just any money, we need to rebuild Ukraine in a sustainable and renewable way. We need a green deal for Ukraine to bring more prosperity to the country after the horrors of war and a better environment for the people of Ukraine. 
And one last issue, and I think it has become obvious again at the EUCO meeting, we need a coherent and coordinated strategy on China from the heads of states and governments of the European Union. We welcome the clear sentences on the Taiwan Strait. But other than that, the agreement actually lacks clarity on this strategy, which is very urgently needed. So we appeal to the Member States: do what is necessary, act united and act decisively.
Speaker: Terry REINTKE (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2023-07-11
Debate: Nature restoration (debate)

  Terry Reintke,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Mr President, dear colleagues, our rivers are dying, our forests are sick, our nature is in deep crisis. We have to restore our nature, not in a distant future, not when the EPP has got its act together – we have to act now: to preserve nature, the basis of our agriculture, the basis of our economic prosperity; to keep the climate targets, because 10% out of the 55% that we agreed to reduce our emissions by before 2030 are nature-based climate action; to keep our competitiveness to the self-declared business groups in this Parliament. You heard the appeal by major companies like Unilever or Ikea to let the Nature Restoration Law pass.
So dear EPP colleagues, many of your parties are actually based on Christian values, centred on the preservation of creation. Please follow your inner conviction and not what your group leader is telling you and vote tomorrow in favour of the Nature Restoration Law.
Dear Renew colleagues, the Nature Restoration Law is about freedom. The destruction of biodiversity already today is limiting our options and it is going to get worse in the future. Preserve our freedom and vote in favour of the Nature Restoration Law tomorrow.
But colleagues, we also all know that this law has become much more than just itself in the past month. It has become a symbol, a symbol of the Green Deal, a symbol of constructive decision-making in this Parliament. And it has unfortunately become a symbol of political games within the EPP on which strategy they want to go for for 2024. Mr Weber, who is unfortunately not here right now, we can clearly see what your strategy is: going against your own Commission President.
All of this, to me, is a sign of a deep identity crisis within the EPP, a shift in decision—making here in this Parliament, and for me a very dangerous development, especially as far-right parties, groups and movements are gaining ground across Europe.
Colleagues, let us vote tomorrow in favour of the Nature Restoration Law to show that constructive decision-making in this Parliament is still possible. To show that we stand behind the Green Deal and yes, also to restore and protect our nature.
Speaker: Terry REINTKE (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2023-06-14
Debate: The electoral law, the investigative committee and the rule of law in Poland (debate)

  Terry Reintke,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Mr President, dear colleagues, Dorota was 33 years old. She died three weeks ago of a septic shock after being denied abortion care in a Polish hospital. She is not the first woman who has died since the introduction of the brutal anti-abortion legislation. Tragic stories, you could say, but what does this have to do with the debate on rule of law in Poland? Actually, it has to do a lot with the rule of law, because what we are experiencing right now is just another step to tighten the grip of authoritarian rule in Poland. After the politicisation of the judiciary, the takeover of public media, attacking minorities, restriction of fundamental rights, including access to life-saving abortion care. 
Now the next attacks on the rule of law and democratic standards are underway in Poland. By meddling with electoral law and trying to intimidate the democratic opposition with an investigative committee that can even prevent candidates from taking up office. Colleagues, when we look around the world right now, we witness a more and more autocratic backlash against democracy, against freedom, and against a rules-based world order. Let us make sure that the European Union, with united effort stands up to this. And with half a million people in the streets of Warsaw last Sunday, I am confident that Polish citizens are at our side in this struggle, not only in Poland but across the European Union, led us, as all democratic parties work together to prevent an authoritarian shift. This is not about left or right. This is about protecting our democracy together. So let us stand up for rule of law and democracy in Poland and all over the European Union together.
Speaker: Terry REINTKE (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2023-05-31
Debate: Order of business

  Terry Reintke,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Madam President, colleagues, first things first. As you said, President, I think it is important that we make clear that this Parliament stands in full solidarity with all people who are affected by these horrible floods in different regions in Italy. We have again and again shown how important, especially in moments like this, European solidarity is. 
We can see – and this is not an isolated event – that climate change is nothing happening in the distant future anymore; it is something that is happening now –with extreme weather events, with droughts, with floods, with forest fires. We in this Parliament should debate what needs to be done now, what the necessary steps are to show solidarity with people in Italy, but also what the long term implications are, so that we avoid situations like this from happening again. 
So, colleagues, please support our request to debate this today in plenary.
Speaker: Terry REINTKE (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2023-05-31
Debate: Sexual harassment in the EU and MeToo evaluation (debate)

  Terry Reintke,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Madam President, 2017: it has almost been six years since reports hit the European Parliament about sexual harassment. Colleagues, I don't know how you feel about it, but I think we have wasted enough time because the demands in this resolution are very similar to the ones that we already adopted six years ago. There are demands to reform and to fight against sexual harassment here in the European Parliament, like, for example, mandatory harassment training, where right now we have a situation where not even half of the members of this parliament have done these harassment trainings, external audits to improve the situation, with independent experts looking at what we can do for a zero-tolerance policy, and a reform of the obviously dysfunctional complaints structures that we have here in the European Parliament. If I'm being honest, I really start losing patience. We have to stop only talking and adopting resolutions and we have to start acting.
Speaker: Terry REINTKE (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2023-04-20
Debate: IPCC report on Climate Change: a call for urgent additional action (debate)

  Terry Reintke,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, my little nephew was born two years ago. Yesterday he had a pretty bad day because he had a cough but, in general, he’s a really happy and lively child. When he’s going to be my age, 35, and that is going to be in 2056, the risk is high that he will find himself in a world that has become hostile to humans: increasing floods, droughts, forest fires, conflicts over resources, devastated lands, infertile soils, millions and millions of people having to flee.
In 2056, our planet may be on the path of no return for humanity or it may not. When you read the IPCC report, yes, there is much reason to panic. But there is also reason for hope – because it shows that we can make a difference, that we can still turn this around. The world that my nephew will live in will be shaped by the decisions that we take today. Everybody in this plenary is in a position of power, and I am convinced that everybody in this plenary loves someone who was born in the last 10 years. We have to use this power. We have to use the trust that was put in us and give a future not only for ourselves but also for the generations to come.
And if I may, I think, when we speak about this this topic in a more abstract way, we have a lot of unity. The disunity comes when we speak about concrete actions, but at the end of the day, it is not abstract debates about climate change that are going to change the world, but concrete actions, so let us take concrete actions, colleagues.
Speaker: Terry REINTKE (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2023-04-18
Debate: Safeguarding labour mobility and social rights of striking lorry drivers from third countries (debate)

  Terry Reintke,  im Namen der Verts/ALE-Fraktion. – Frau Präsidentin, Frau Ministerin, Herr Kommissar! Wenn ich das sagen darf: Ich bin ein bisschen überrascht, dass die liberale Fraktion keinen Redner oder keine Rednerin in dieser Debatte aufgestellt hat, weil ich eigentlich finde, dass wir hier über Dinge reden, die fraktionsübergreifend von diesem Parlament gefordert werden sollten. Denn es geht in der Tat um Rechtsdurchsetzung. Es geht darum, dass alle sich an Regeln halten müssen. LKW—Fahrer, die wochenlang keinen Lohn bekommen, in Streik treten, von Gewerkschaften in der Einforderung ihrer Rechte unterstützt werden und als Antwort dann von brutalen Schlägertrupps bedroht werden, geschickt von der Spedition, die ihnen den Lohn vorenthält.
Kolleginnen und Kollegen, wir müssen der Realität ins Auge blicken. Es gibt Speditionen in der Europäischen Union, die die Ausbeutung ihrer Fahrerinnen und Fahrer zu ihrem Geschäftsmodell gemacht haben. Und erstens – das haben die Kolleginnen und Kollegen schon gesagt: Das sind keine seltenen Ausnahmen. Ausbeutung im Transportsektor ist an der Tagesordnung. Und hier im Europäischen Parlament haben wir immer wieder Berichte von Fahrerinnen und Fahrern gehört, die gesagt haben, dass sie monatelang nicht nach Hause gehen konnten, dass sie zum Teil zur Geburt der eigenen Kinder nicht zu Hause sein konnten, dass sie von unfassbaren sanitären Umständen betroffen waren, dass Lohn zurückgehalten wurde und so weiter und so fort.
Und lange Zeit ist in der Tat nichts oder viel zu wenig passiert. Und erst durch die Unterstützung der Gewerkschaften – gerade von Projekten wie Faire Mobilität – kommen diese Missstände ans Tageslicht und werden die Fahrer unterstützt, sich gegen solchen Rechtsbruch zu wehren. Denn was da passiert, liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen, das ist nicht irgendeine Form von Marktwirtschaft. Was da passiert, ist einfach nur kriminell.
Und zweitens: Diese Speditionen fahren nicht für no name. Ikea, DHL und VW haben in diesem Fall Aufträge an die entsprechende Firma gegeben. Und auch das muss sich ändern. Aber auch die Politik muss endlich handeln, und wir brauchen in der Tat viel engmaschigere Kontrollen, auch von der Europäischen Arbeitsbehörde. Denn die Europäische Union kann bei diesen massiven Missständen nicht die Augen verschließen.
Aber ja, selbst die besten Gesetze bringen nichts, wenn sie nicht durchgesetzt werden. Und offensichtlich fühlen sich viele Unternehmen immer noch ziemlich sicher in dem, was sie da tun – auch wenn es Rechtsbrüche sind –, weil sie nicht kontrolliert und sanktioniert werden. Und das ist nicht nur ein Problem für die betroffenen Fahrer, sondern für die gesamte Branche und am Ende für uns alle. Deswegen, liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen: Unser Kampf gegen Ausbeutung muss weitergehen. Volle Solidarität mit den Fahrern. Das Europäische Parlament steht an eurer Seite.
Speaker: Terry REINTKE (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2023-03-29
Debate: Formal sitting - Ceremony on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement

  Terry Reintke,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Madam President, dear colleagues, today we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. The Good Friday Agreement came after long conflict. 3 500 people have lost their lives in decades marked by violence, by insecurity and by hatred. This agreement is a symbol of committed peace-building, and 25 years later we acknowledge the hard work, the political will and the commitment that was put into making it happen by so many people. 
Colleagues, we all know that Brexit has shaken the political situation in Northern Ireland and made many of the questions that still need resolving more difficult, and this is not going to go away for a while. But, with the Windsor Framework, the European Union and the UK have recently shown that constructive negotiations based on trust and understanding have a good outcome even in difficult situations. We will continue to do everything in our power to secure peace in Northern Ireland and to support the Good Friday Agreement. 
Let’s also never forget, peace is not only the absence of armed conflict. Safeguarding fundamental rights of all citizens is a crucial part of a sustainable peace, and that is why the European Convention on Human Rights has played such an important role for peace—building in Northern Ireland and the Good Friday Agreement. That is why defending the European Convention on Human Rights is absolutely crucial, especially now that we see it being put under attack. 
Colleagues, the European Union was built on promoting peace. On the ruins of violent conflict, millions of people came together. So let us not only remember the great effort it took to achieve peace and the Good Friday Agreement, but let’s build on this spirit for the future – for a peaceful, a just and a democratic Ireland, United Kingdom and Europe built on understanding, on trust and on human rights.
Speaker: Terry REINTKE (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2023-03-29
Debate: Order of business

  Terry Reintke,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Madam President, ‘if you are a parent in one Member State, you are a parent in every Member State’ – these are the words of our Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Yet in the last weeks, we witnessed yet another attack on rainbow families in Europe, this time in Italy. 
The practice to recognise certificates of same-sex parents has been restricted by the Interior Ministry and actually one person who is affected by this is sitting in the tribune, Giuseppe Sala, the Mayor of Milan. It’s great that you are here. We stand with you defending the LGBTI community. 
I want to be crystal clear: we are not surprised by these attacks but, still, we are outraged. And we will stand in solidarity with the community in Italy and everywhere in Europe. And this is why it is absolutely important that we have this debate right now, because for this Parliament, all EU citizens and all families are worth the same and deserve fundamental rights. 
And if I may say, Madam President, we have, together with other groups, come up with a compromise for the title. The title would now read ‘The rights of children in rainbow families and same-sex parents, in particular in Italy’, to be discussed tonight with an extended session by one hour and to be voted by RCV.
Speaker: Terry REINTKE (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2023-03-15
Debate: International Women's Day

  Terry Reintke,  Co-President of the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance. – Madam President, dear colleagues, today we are celebrating women. We are celebrating women in the fight for their rights. We are celebrating women in their fight against patriarchy.
But let me say this: women are for long already not only carrying the fight for women’s rights. They are carrying across the globe the fight for democracy and freedom – values that the European Union is founded on. If we look at Iran, if we look at Afghanistan, if we look at Argentina, there are brave women who are fighting for what we hold dear and they are a source of inspiration to all of us.
One of the women that we should be celebrating today, and for International Women’s Day, is Justyna Wydrzyńska, not only because she has shown bravery and commitment, but because she has helped others. She has helped people in need. She supported women who needed access to abortion in a country like Poland, where the right and the access to abortion has been heavily restricted over the past years.
This form of compassion and solidarity is what makes our society strong. She has stood up for our values and very concretely provided support. But instead of celebrating her, she is being criminalised. She was convicted to eight months of community service yesterday for caring for others, for defending our rights.
Colleagues, we cannot stay silent on this – full solidarity to Justyna and all the women in Poland and elsewhere in the world who are standing up for their rights, who are standing up for care and solidarity. I do not want to live in a Europe where women who are helping other women are being criminalised. So let us take this day and let us take action together. Let us put the right to abortion into the EU Charter on Fundamental Rights. Women in Europe deserve it. Let us be a beacon of hope and inspiration for all women across the globe.
Speaker: Terry REINTKE (Germany — Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2023-03-14
Debate: This is Europe - Debate with the President of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda (debate)

  Terry Reintke,  on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Madam President, first of all I wish to welcome the President to the European Parliament and, most importantly – even if we are a bit late – to say ‘Happy Independence Restoration Day’ to Lithuania, of course.
More than anything, colleagues, the full—scale invasion of Ukraine has confirmed the need for European unity. And it is true that only together, as Europeans, can we stand up against the brutal imperialism of the Russian regime. We have shown here in the European Parliament that we stand for unwavering solidarity with Ukraine, be it financial, humanitarian, or military support, paving the way for Ukraine to become a member of the European Union. 
But of course, and you have mentioned it, Mr President, we need full energy independence of the brutal Russian regime. For too long politicians also, and especially from my home country, Germany, have ignored the alert for from our eastern neighbours, like, for example, Lithuania, and now we are paying a high price for this. 
But colleagues, one thing has to be understood. Simply switching from one energy dependency on one dictatorship to another will not solve any of our problems. Nor does the shift from one fossil fuel dependency to another non-renewable energy source. The only sustainable answer that will prevent us from having the exact same problem that we have been facing in the last year again, in two, five or ten years is to make our energy consumption 100% renewable. That is possible and we have no time to lose. No country in the European Union will manage this alone. Only a strong European Green Deal can make that possible. 
You are absolutely right. The Green Deal for long already has not only been a measure that we need to protect our climate or to stimulate our economy, it has become the most crucial measure also for strong security in the European continent. But, Mr President, the fight against authoritarianism does not only happen, unfortunately, outside of the European Union. We also have to stay vigilant inside because we can see attempts of undermining our democracy, of undermining separation of powers, rule of law and fundamental rights in the European Union, brutal attacks on press freedom and journalists. 
We cannot stay silent in the European Union on these developments because the EU is not only a community of trade – we share fundamental values. If we want the EU to be strong and true to its own values, we have to protect all our citizens from these attacks, no matter whether they are from Lithuania or Portugal, no matter their gender, their skin colour or their sexual orientation. Because safeguarding freedom and human dignity means safeguarding freedom and human dignity for all.