unimelb-nlp/MultiEup-v2 huggingface dataset:
Debate: Type-approval of motor vehicles and engines with respect to their emissions and battery durability
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 NOVEMBER 2023
Speaker: Alexandr Vondra
Country: Ireland
Language: EN

I want also to appreciate that the Commission is waking up to a more realistic attitude compared with the original proposal. Yes, it comes under attack from the left. I have two points on that. First, you argue with public health in the big cities. I have a clear medicine solution. You should invest much more in public transportation – like we did in Prague – and then you would not have this kind of problem. Don’t ask the poorer countries to give up their automobiles. Just try to watch the highway connecting Frankfurt, Prague, Bratislava. It’s one light commercial after another, transporting the old, under Euro 6, cars to the east. And this is a disaster for the environment. So that’s the reason why we selected this rational approach. And even you – I read your amendments – moved in the direction of my report. So you recognise that this Commission original proposal was not the best one. Nevertheless, the reality is that you continue to press for unworkable high emission limits and new testing parameters, which will require significant cost. Thus I cannot support that because it would eliminate the smaller cars from the fleets immediately. And it’s not just the most vulnerable people. It’s also the lower half of society. The left, in the past, was defending those people and now I don’t see this. So I think therefore it’s essential to endorse, and I hope you endorse, my report.
Debate: Strengthening the right to participate: legitimacy and resilience of electoral processes in illiberal political systems and authoritarian regimes
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 NOVEMBER 2023
Speaker: Nicola Beer
Country: Germany
Language: DE

Als nächster Punkt der Tagesordnung folgt die Aussprache über den Bericht von Nacho Sánchez Amor im Namen des Ausschusses für auswärtige Angelegenheiten über eine Empfehlung des Europäischen Parlaments an den Rat und den Vizepräsidenten der Kommission und Hohen Vertreter der Union für Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik über das Thema „Stärkung des Rechts auf Teilhabe: Legitimität und Resilienz von Wahlprozessen in illiberalen politischen Systemen und autoritären Regimen“ (
Debate: Strengthening the right to participate: legitimacy and resilience of electoral processes in illiberal political systems and authoritarian regimes
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 NOVEMBER 2023
Speaker: Leopoldo López Gil
Political group: PPE
Country: Ireland
Language: ES

La Unión Europea cuenta con instrumentos de verificación de comicios: las misiones de observación electoral, cuyo objetivo fundamental es disuadir del fraude, proporcionar una evaluación informada sobre el proceso y reforzar la confianza en estas elecciones. La responsabilidad de la Unión para con estas misiones es sobresaliente. Tiene que ser cuidadosa en la selección de dónde observar para que no se la pueda tachar de cómplice y para no ser vista como una fuerza legitimadora que apoya resultados de elecciones no democráticas.  Para mantener la coherencia en la política exterior debemos hacer una evaluación de nuestras relaciones con estos países, haciendo seguimiento de las observaciones recogidas en las evaluaciones de sus procesos electorales y, si fuese necesario, utilizando la Ley Magnitski de la UE contra los responsables de socavar los derechos humanos y la democracia.  Solicito que en el Consejo de Asuntos Exteriores de la semana próxima se desestime la petición del ministro de Asuntos Exteriores de España y se continúe con la imposición de sanciones unipersonales a los funcionarios del régimen de Venezuela, quienes han socavado, con las elecciones, la democracia y el Estado de Derecho en ese país.
Debate: Strengthening the right to participate: legitimacy and resilience of electoral processes in illiberal political systems and authoritarian regimes
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 NOVEMBER 2023
Speaker: Andreas Schieder
Political group: S-D
Country: Germany
Language: DE

Denn wir beobachten immer öfter, wie ausländischer Einfluss auf Wahlen ist, aber auch leider, wie in autoritär regierten Ländern immer mehr Wahlfälschungen, Beeinflussungen in negativer Art stattfinden. Desinformation, Fake News, Einschüchterungsversuche und Diskriminierung machen das, was wir unter fairen, freien und geheimen Wahlen verstehen, immer öfter unmöglich. Sehr oft beobachten wir auch geopolitische Einmischung von einigen Mächten – sei es Russland, sei es die Türkei, seien es andere –, die hier besonders versuchen, durch die Dynamik der Social-Media-Plattformen besonders auch noch Einfluss zu nehmen. Und daher sind nicht nur Medienfreiheit, transparente Information, Bildung essenziell, sondern auch Wahlbeobachtungsmissionen und globale Zusammenarbeit, um positive Veränderungen zu bewirken. Die Hereinnahme von freien Wahlen in unsere Beziehungen und Entwicklungshilfebeziehungen mit einzelnen Ländern ist hier besonders wichtig. Aber gerade die Wahlbeobachtungsmissionen, die die Europäische Union und das Europäische Parlament machen, sind hier entscheidend. Denn es sind keine leichtfertigen Aufgaben, es sind sehr detaillierte Arbeiten. Und die sind nicht nur wichtig für die Qualität der Wahlen und der Demokratie, sie sind sehr oft auch ein wichtiges Signal für die Menschen vor Ort, wenn sie bei den Wahllokalen anstehen, dass sie auch internationale europäische Wahlbeobachter sehen – das ist für viele Menschen auch ein Qualitätsmerkmal.
Debate: Strengthening the right to participate: legitimacy and resilience of electoral processes in illiberal political systems and authoritarian regimes
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 NOVEMBER 2023
Speaker: Katalin Cseh
Political group: Renew
Country: Sweden
Language: EN

And as a standard-bearer for international laws and democratic norms, the European Union must push for fairer elections and safeguards to protect affected societies. And we have to put an end to actively assisting illiberal regimes by recognising ridiculous attempts of mock compliance with international standards, or by participating in disgraceful fake observation missions. This report calls for stronger measures to address these challenges, which is an indispensable part of European ambitions to step up as a principal global power. So I invite you to deliver on this commitment and support this report.
Debate: Strengthening the right to participate: legitimacy and resilience of electoral processes in illiberal political systems and authoritarian regimes
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 NOVEMBER 2023
Speaker: Heidi Hautala
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: Poland
Language: EN

So this leads me to the question of fake election observation and behaviour that is not acceptable for observers. And on the grounds of that mission we did together, we actually created a code of conduct for three parliamentary assemblies on code of conduct for election observers. And I think it was an important exercise. Now, unfortunately, we see that even elected Members of this House from time to time participate in fake elections, such as the so-called referendum in Crimea or also another referendum in Azerbaijan. Or they go and pretend to be experts for elections in Russia, whereas they legitimise totally undemocratic elections. Now, I am happy to say that, in fact, here in the European Parliament we have a fresh new revised code of conduct for Members. And it’s much easier now to make those Members accountable for working against any democratic principles.
Debate: Strengthening the right to participate: legitimacy and resilience of electoral processes in illiberal political systems and authoritarian regimes
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 NOVEMBER 2023
Speaker: Thierry Mariani
Political group: ID
Country: Croatia
Language: FR

Notre Parlement feint de croire qu’il pourrait inciter le monde à suivre ses recommandations, alors même que nous sommes un contre-exemple de démocratie. Nous ne parvenons toujours pas à obtenir les SMS de Mme von der Leyen avec Pfizer, nous ne sommes pas vraiment crédibles pour faire la leçon au monde entier sur la transparence. Pire, les institutions européennes ne cachent même plus qu’elles soutiennent certains candidats contre d’autres, comme on l’a vu encore récemment en Pologne ou en Moldavie. Sans parler de l’absence totale de notre exigence démocratique quand cela correspond aux calculs de l’Union européenne. Avons-nous entendu la Commission, par exemple, s’insurger alors que M. Zelensky vient d’annoncer qu’il suspendait les élections en Ukraine? Avons-nous vu le début d’une réaction de la Commission européenne contre l’extraterritorialité du droit américain, qui est la pire ingérence démocratique dans notre siècle? C’est le «deux poids, deux mesures» qui est la règle de ce Parlement. Nous soutenons les accords commerciaux avec le Viêt Nam, mais nous sanctionnons le Cambodge. Nous détestons la Tunisie, mais nous pardonnons tout au Qatar. Et je vous rappelle que l’Égypte d’hier des Frères musulmans soutenait le Hamas alors que vos faveurs aujourd’hui ne cessent au contraire d’attaquer le gouvernement du président Sissi. La meilleure manière pour nous de soutenir l’intégrité de la vie démocratique dans le monde serait d’en revenir à deux principes simples: le respect des souverainetés et le refus de nous ingérer dans les affaires internes des autres États.
Debate: Strengthening the right to participate: legitimacy and resilience of electoral processes in illiberal political systems and authoritarian regimes
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 NOVEMBER 2023
Speaker: Miroslav Radačovský
Political group: NI
Country: Italy
Language: SK

Pani predsedajúca, súhlasím s tým, že voľby sú nevyhnutné pre fungovanie každého štátu. Súhlasím s tým, aby medzinárodné pozorovacie misie, OBS, OSN, Európskej únie zúčastňovali sa pozorovania volieb v každom štáte. Aby sa zúčastňovali pozorovania volieb aj v štátoch, ktoré označujeme ako štáty s neliberálnym politickým systémom, ako štáty autokratické. Nie je predsa možné, aby voľby v Ruskej federácii prebiehali 17. septembra 2021, a Európska komisia prijala alebo Európska únia prijala rezolúciu 16. septembra, že voľby budú nedemokratické. A pozorovateľov sme tam nevyslali. Takto sa to predsa nerobí. A takto postupujeme vo vzťahu aj k štátom ako je Bielorusko, Venezuela, referendum na Kryme. Nezúčastníme sa volieb ako pozorovatelia, pretože vraj budú nedemokratické. A potom sme prekvapení z toho, že v takýchto štátoch sa vytvárajú domáci pozorovatelia, kde sú tam predvolávaní pozorovatelia z neštandardných zahraničných misií. Nemôžem predsa tvrdiť, že za mnou sedí Julia Roberts, a nie pani Metsola, keď sa nepresvedčím o tom, či tam skutočne sedí pani Metsola alebo Julia Roberts.
Debate: Strengthening the right to participate: legitimacy and resilience of electoral processes in illiberal political systems and authoritarian regimes
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 NOVEMBER 2023
Speaker: Lukas Mandl
Political group: PPE
Country: Portugal
Language: DE

Frau Präsidentin, liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen! Nur eine Demokratie ist eine Demokratie. Und das bedeutet viel mehr, als einen Wahltag zu haben. Ein Wahltag, darin gipfelt zwar Demokratie, da sind alle Bürgerinnen und Bürger eingeladen und aufgefordert, ihre Stimme abzugeben. Sie ist das starke Zeichen der Demokratie, dass es diesen Gipfel gibt, aber die Voraussetzungen, die wurzeln viel, viel tiefer. Es braucht nicht nur das aktive Wahlrecht, es braucht das passive Wahlrecht, und zwar für jede und jeden ohne Druckmomente durch ein falsches Justizsystem, das diesen Namen nicht verdient, durch eine Einschränkung von Meinungsfreiheit beispielsweise oder durch den Versuch, einige zu bevorzugen und dadurch unweigerlich andere zu benachteiligen. Das alles ist es, was die Europäische Union als leuchtendes Beispiel nach außen auf der Welt zeigen soll und worin sie andere Teile der Welt unterstützen sollte. Und das ist nicht selbstverständlich, denn Demokratien kommen unter Druck – überall. Demokratien werden durch systemische Rivalität unter Druck gesetzt, aber jeder Mensch ist gleich viel wert und nach der Philosophie der europäischen Zivilisation verdient jeder Mensch ein solches demokratisches System. Ich möchte auch jenen Bürgerinnen und Bürgern in der EU, die oft kritisch im Hinblick darauf sind, dass in der Demokratie gestritten wird, sagen: Es ist doch besser, dass gestritten wird als dass es die Ruhe eines autoritären Systems gibt – die Qualität des Streits, die ist entscheidend.
Debate: Strengthening the right to participate: legitimacy and resilience of electoral processes in illiberal political systems and authoritarian regimes
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 NOVEMBER 2023
Speaker: Matjaž Nemec
Political group: S-D
Country: Greece
Language: SL

Gospa predsednica! Spoštovani visoki zbor!  Svobodne in poštene in legitimne volitve so predpogoj za zdravje vsake demokracije. Ta je eden izmed temeljev, na katerih je nastala tudi naša Evropska unija. A pogosto so lahko volitve v neliberalnih in avtoritarnih sistemih zlorabljene ali pa so te le zgolj formalnost in pesek v oči javnosti in sistemu.  Mednarodna skupnost, vključno z Evropsko unijo, ima lahko ključno vlogo pri preverjanju integritete in legitimnosti volitev. A najpomembnejši je nadzor domačih institucij, ki morajo biti seveda močne in neodvisne.  Predpogoj poštenih volitev so zagotovo še svobodni mediji. Še posebej pomembno vlogo pa igrajo civilna družba in nevladne organizacije, ki jih je potrebno ustrezno opolnomočiti. Vsi ti akterji si morajo skupaj prizadevati za vzpostavitev mehanizmov za zaščito volilnih pravic in svoboščin tako pred domačimi kot tudi drugimi grožnjami. Spoštovani kolegice in kolegi! Evropa mora pri svojem delovanju po svetu podpirati legitimne demokratične procese in volitve, a mora pri tem paziti, da v svojem delovanju ni pokroviteljska ali celo vzvišena.  Odnosi, spoštovani, s prijatelji in partnerji morajo zato temeljiti na medsebojnem spoštovanju navkljub morebitnim razlikam v stališčih in pristopih. Kolegu Nachu čestitam za odlično opravljeno delo.
Debate: Strengthening the right to participate: legitimacy and resilience of electoral processes in illiberal political systems and authoritarian regimes
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 NOVEMBER 2023
Speaker: Tatjana Ždanoka
Political group: NI
Country: Italy
Language: EN

Madam Chair, Madam Commissioner, I would like to congratulate the rapporteur for this AFET report for creating very nice formulas of good behaviour. I just want to ask Mr Sánchez Amor: are you ready to offer your know-how to Mr López Aguilar for the similar LIBE report? The formulas you proposed to non-EU countries do not need to be changed and are more than relevant for a number of EU Member States. For example, Latvia, Estonia and Bulgaria need a recommendation not to restrict the enjoyment of the right to participate of minorities, including ethnic and religious minorities. This concerns problems with electoral rights for non-citizens and the use of languages other than the state language in election campaigning. A call to monitor hate speech by public authorities and elected officials and to advance towards a zero-tolerance approach to racism and discrimination is extremely important for Latvia as well. In particular, regarding the discrimination of my pro-minority party in receiving state financing and in standing for elections, I call for a zero tolerance approach. So we have to give up the habit to notice the speck in one eye, but to ignore the log in our own.
Debate: Strengthening the right to participate: legitimacy and resilience of electoral processes in illiberal political systems and authoritarian regimes
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 NOVEMBER 2023
Speaker: Eugen Tomac
Political group: PPE
Country: France
Language: RO

Doamnă președintă, stimați colegi, suntem cu toții aici pentru a apăra drepturile și interesele cetățenilor care ne-au ales. Suntem aici să apărăm drepturile acestora de a ne alege sau de a ne trimite acasă, dacă am eșuat în datoria de a-i reprezenta cu cinste. Suntem aici pentru a apăra democrația în Europa și peste tot în lume.  Prin urmare, este cazul să vorbim deschis, să spunem lucrurilor pe nume. Vorbim despre promovarea alegerilor libere și corecte în timp ce avem printre noi suporteri ai statelor ce folosesc alegerile exclusiv pentru a-și conserva puterea și intervin în procesele electorale din alte state democratice.  Dreptul de participare la alegeri este, bineînțeles, un drept fundamental, care nu are nevoie de explicații, însă asigurarea lui nu este suficientă. Este esențial să asigurăm cetățenilor dreptul la informații corecte și echidistante.  Problema reală este în continuare dezinformarea, propaganda, manipularea, instrumente folosite pentru a controla cetățenii și pentru a le spune ce sunt interesați cei care manipulează.  Uniunea Europeană are obligația de a reacționa ferm și de a contracara campaniile ample de dezinformare.
Debate: Strengthening the right to participate: legitimacy and resilience of electoral processes in illiberal political systems and authoritarian regimes
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 NOVEMBER 2023
Speaker: Mick Wallace
Political group: The Left
Country: Germany
Language: EN

Madam President, I don’t really recognise the world that this report describes. The values it claims it is based on don’t exist. How can we lecture non-EU countries about human rights and democracy when we go around the world fuelling wars and sanctioning countries to death? How can we pontificate about democracy and human rights when we not only call the fascist apartheid state of Israel a democracy, but are prepared to support it to the point of the genocide of the Palestinian people? Human rights and democracy – these words have lost a lot of meaning when spoken by many European leaders and politicians. Over 10 000 Palestinians murdered, over 4 000 of them children. A textbook case of ethnic cleansing and genocide happening before our eyes, and we can’t even condemn Israel. How can you talk about European democracy and human rights when you outlaw protests and brutalise people protesting about their families being massacred by Israeli bombs? The EU’s credibility is dying.
Debate: Strengthening the right to participate: legitimacy and resilience of electoral processes in illiberal political systems and authoritarian regimes
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 NOVEMBER 2023
Speaker: Helena Dalli
Language: EN

The EU will continue to use all the tools at its disposal in support of the right to participation in public life and democratic elections. This includes supporting the work of electoral observers as what they truly are: human rights defenders. The EU and its Member States will continue working with international partners to uphold international standards in election observation, while we step up support for genuine domestic observation. The comprehensive and coherent follow-up of the EU Election Observation Mission reports remains crucial. Our actions need to be tailor-made, be efficient and, above all, serve to support national-led solutions. These can range from providing technical support to strengthening the resilience of the institutions or media actors, to supporting dialogue between an autocratic regime and the political opposition, or even imposing restrictive measures as a last resort. This is what we have done, for instance, in the case of Belarus. We need to remain vigilant and adapt our actions to the new, sophisticated strategies that autocratic regimes have adopted to undermine the rule of law at home and abroad. The creative solutions that you suggest in your report will be highly considered in this process.
Debate: Strengthening the right to participate: legitimacy and resilience of electoral processes in illiberal political systems and authoritarian regimes
Date: WEDNESDAY, 8 NOVEMBER 2023
Speaker: Nacho Sánchez Amor
Country: Poland
Language: ES

Cuando nosotros vamos a hacer una observación electoral lo hacemos por invitación del Gobierno, de tal manera que es difícil plantear que esto es una interferencia con la soberanía de un país o es una intromisión en los asuntos internos. De hecho, el problema que tiene ahora la Unión Europea es que estamos dejando de recibir invitaciones porque estos regímenes iliberales no quieren testigos de sus prácticas en torno a las elecciones.  Y es verdad, como decía el señor Wallace, que a lo mejor aparecemos como alguien que quiere actuar de una manera paternalista, pero lo hacemos a invitación de los países, y los países nos invitan y nos piden que les hagamos recomendaciones para mejorar su sistema electoral, que es a lo que nos dedicamos.  Y yo querría recordar que nosotros ejercemos esta función de observación electoral, junto con otras de promoción de la democracia, no solo por una convicción sobre la universalidad de los valores que defendemos, sino también por un interés. Esto no es solo exportación del mundo occidental, de sus valores, a veces tildados de neocoloniales.  Yo lo que les recuerdo a sus señorías es que un mundo de democracias es un mundo más seguro porque las democracias son previsibles, porque las democracias tienen sistemas de controles y equilibrios, tienen prensa libre y tienen una opinión pública crítica y, por tanto, sus decisiones generalmente son bastante previsibles.  Y, sin embargo, los sistemas autoritarios se caracterizan porque el humor de una sola persona puede provocar una guerra o un desastre. Por tanto, quiero recordar que esas recomendaciones que emitimos (y que yo creo que deberían ocupar un lugar más destacado en la agenda de la política exterior de la Unión Europea) las hacemos por invitación de los propios países que visitamos.  Gracias a todos los negociadores. Yo creo que la Recomendación ha quedado muy bien. Y gracias por el excelente debate.
Debate: Outcome of the EU-US summit
Date: THURSDAY, 9 NOVEMBER 2023
Speaker: Rasa Juknevičienė
Political group: PPE
Country: Germany
Language: EN

The EU and the US are capable of acting together strategically. We need to be united not only in a military NATO alliance; we also need a kind of economic NATO, by reviving the idea of TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership). We must not only agree on the response to Russia and Iran; we both face the same complex challenge of China. There is no alternative to a strategic partnership between the US and the EU.  I fully agree with Ursula von der Leyen as she said in her speech in the Hudson Institute last month – I quote: ‘What Europe and the United States are fighting for together is about freedom and democracy.’
Debate: Outcome of the EU-US summit
Date: THURSDAY, 9 NOVEMBER 2023
Speaker: Tonino Picula
Political group: S-D
Country: France
Language: EN

We do share the feeling on how our relations got restored with the current administration, especially while joining together to assist Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. However, other challenges are emerging: escalation of conflict and humanitarian crises in the Middle East; our relations with China and the Global South; how to defend our democracies and make our economies more sustainable and resilient. While we share the basics, we must also work closely to align our policies further to achieve them while strengthening ourselves. The European Union has to match its ambition with concrete reforms and investments, because a strong Europe is the best partner to the United States, and vice versa.