unimelb-nlp/MultiEup-v2 huggingface dataset:
Debate: The use of Russian frozen assets to support Ukraine’s victory and reconstruction
Date: TUESDAY, 23 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Domènec Ruiz Devesa
Political group: S-D
Country: Malta
Language: ES

Señora presidenta, muchas gracias al alto representante de la Unión para Asuntos Exteriores y Política de Seguridad y vicepresidente de la Comisión, Josep Borrell, por su presentación. Yo creo que, a la vista del debate, podemos concluir que hay una amplísima mayoría en la Cámara a favor de utilizar los beneficios de los activos congelados para la defensa y la reconstrucción de Ucrania —como ha señalado el alto representante y como la gran mayoría aquí apoyamos—pero que también hay que ir a la utilización de los activos subyacentes.  No se puede, en mi opinión, invocar en Derecho un derecho absoluto —en este caso la inmunidad de jurisdicción— particularmente por un Estado agresor que está condenado en esa calidad por la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas.  Soy de la opinión de que la doctrina de las contramedidas ofrece una base jurídica más que suficiente para actuar también sobre los activos subyacentes y no solamente sobre los beneficios, como —por otro lado— acaba de aprobar el Congreso de los Estados Unidos.
Debate: The use of Russian frozen assets to support Ukraine’s victory and reconstruction
Date: TUESDAY, 23 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Mick Wallace
Political group: The Left
Country: Germany
Language: EN

Madam President, (start of speech off mic) ... will only contribute to further lawlessness and a complete breakdown of multilateralism. Perhaps that’s the point. It looks like the US would rather burn the world to the ground than see the end of their dominance over it. Even the IMF and Christine Lagarde have warned that the US bank proposals to use the frozen assets to finance the war risked breaking international law. You say that you’re only taking the revenue and you’re not taking the capital of the assets, but this recklessness will open a Pandora’s box, and just like the sanctions, this could easily rebound on the EU. This recklessness will undermine your own Western capitalist financial system. Now, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers are dead. Russia is gaining territory against the demoralised and exhausted, ageing army of conscripts. More reports are coming out detailing how close we were to a peace deal in April 2022. Why are we still pushing for war? How many more Ukrainians must be sacrificed in this stupid, avoidable war?
Debate: The use of Russian frozen assets to support Ukraine’s victory and reconstruction
Date: TUESDAY, 23 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Josep Borrell Fontelles
Language: EN

Well, for the time being, we are going to take the revenues of the capital, which, according with the legal services, is in full accordance with international law. We can do that. That’s what I’ve been advised to do. And for the time being, we are not going to seize the capital because there is not enough clarity about what we can and cannot do.  And certainly if we say that everything has to be done in accordance with international law, and the aggression against Ukraine is against international law, we cannot do something that is against international law unless we are sure that it is not against international law, because international law is international law, for one thing and for the other, and I cannot support the international law when it is on my side and not support it when it is not on my side. Otherwise it would be double standards – have you heard about double standards?  So we do what we believe we can do, and we will continue studying and requiring legal advice in order to see what else we can do. Certainly, we would be very happy if we could take EUR 300 billion, but we have to act according with what we believe we could do.  I understand there are differing opinions – it’s life. Thank you very much for your interesting contributions and for the permanent attention that you have been paying to this debate, staying in the chamber until the end of this debate in order to be able to listen to my final intervention.
Debate: The use of Russian frozen assets to support Ukraine’s victory and reconstruction
Date: TUESDAY, 23 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Eva Maydell
Political group: PPE
Country: Portugal
Language: EN

Russia clearly has the imperative to pay for this on international legal and plain moral grounds. However, the aggressor will not pay willingly for the near future. The EU has a unique duty and opportunity to bridge the gap between Putin’s obligations and his actions. Over 260 billion euros of frozen Russian assets lay unused in several Western banks. The EU can and should tap into these funds to counteract a small bit of the inhumane destruction of this war.  At the very least, we must redirect the profits of the assets to help Ukraine as quickly as possible. Moreover, we must seriously consider using the actual funds to help our neighbours defend themselves. Nothing we can do can fully right the wrongs committed by Russia. We must, however, do what we can - including using Russia’s funds.
Debate: The use of Russian frozen assets to support Ukraine’s victory and reconstruction
Date: TUESDAY, 23 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Pirkko Ruohonen-Lerner
Political group: ECR
Language: FI

Euroopan on osoitettava päättäväisyyttä. Putinille on näytettävä, että EU ja sen jäsenmaat ovat sitoutuneet Ukrainan voittoon. Meidän on tehtävä kaikkemme, että Ukraina lyö miehittäjän ja palauttaa hallintaansa kansainvälisesti tunnustetut valtiolliset rajansa.  Putinin terrorijoukot ovat saaneet suunnatonta tuhoa ja hävitystä aikaan. Ukrainan jälleenrakentaminen on välttämätöntä sodan jälkeen. Selvää on, että maa tarvitsee paljon apua palauttaakseen maansa ja ihmistensä elämän sotaa edeltävälle tasolle.  Venäjän on maksettava aiheuttamansa hävitykset täysimääräisesti. Siksi pidän moraalisesti tärkeänä, että Venäjältä jäädytettyjä varoja ja niiden tuottoja käytettäisiin Ukrainan voiton ja jälleenrakentamisen tukemiseen. Olen tyytyväinen, että Yhdysvalloissa on otettu askelia tähän suuntaan ja toivon, että Euroopankin pääkaupungeissa riittää rohkeus toimia samansuuntaisesti.
Debate: Delegated acts
Date: TUESDAY, 23 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Heidi Hautala
Country: Poland
Language: FI

Minulla on joitakin ilmoituksia täysistunnolle. Ensinnäkin kansalaisvapauksien sekä oikeus- ja sisäasioiden valiokunta on jättänyt käsiteltäväksi suosituksen päätökseksi olla vastustamatta delegoitua säädöstä. Suosituksesta ilmoitetiin eilisen istunnon alussa, eikä sitä ole vastustettu 24 tunnin määräajassa, joten työjärjestyksen 111 artiklan 6 kohdan mukaisesti suositus katsotaan täten hyväksytyksi ja se julkaistaan istunnon hyväksytyissä teksteissä.
Debate: Corrigenda
Date: TUESDAY, 23 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Heidi Hautala
Country: Poland
Language: FI

Ja sitten toinen ilmoitus. Työjärjestyksen 241 artiklan 4 kohdan mukaisesti saatetaan tiedoksi, että eilen istunnon avaamisen yhteydessä ilmoitettujen IMCO- ja LIBE-valiokuntien sekä ECON-valiokunnan oikaisujen osalta ei ole pyydetty, että asiasta äänestetäään. Näin ollen oikaisut katsotaan hyväksytyiksi.
Debate: Attempts to reintroduce a foreign agent law in Georgia and its restrictions on civil society
Date: TUESDAY, 23 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Heidi Hautala
Country: Poland
Language: FI

Esityslistalla on seuraavana komission varapuheenjohtajan / unionin ulkoasioiden ja turvallisuuspolitiikan korkean edustajan julkilausuma pyrkimyksistä esittää jälleen ulkomaisia agentteja koskevaa lakia Georgiassa ja lain kansalaisyhteiskuntaa koskevista rajoituksista (
Debate: Attempts to reintroduce a foreign agent law in Georgia and its restrictions on civil society
Date: TUESDAY, 23 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Janez Lenarčič
Language: EN

We have seen impressive scenes from Georgia last year already: citizens of all ages holding Georgian and European flags, showing their strong attachment to democracy, to our shared European values and to Georgia’s path towards the European Union. At the time, the ruling party and the government made a public pledge to the Georgian citizens that such legislation would never come back. I urge the political leaders of Georgia to withdraw the draft law. As it was the case last year, it is clear that this legislation is incompatible with EU norms and values. If adopted, it would jeopardise Georgia’s progress on the EU path. Georgians have a future in the European Union. The candidate status that was granted last December has brought our relations closer than ever before. Our door is open. So I urge the Georgian leaders to mirror the expectations of the citizens and not derail the country from the EU path. The work of civil society and media organisations is crucial to any democracy. Georgia has a vibrant and diverse civil society that has contributed to the country’s successful progress towards EU membership. The proposed legislation would limit the capacity of civil society and media organisations to operate freely. It would limit freedom of expression and unfairly stigmatise organisations that deliver benefits to the citizens of Georgia. This would also impact the EU’s support to the Georgian people, as a part of it is channelled through NGOs. Transparency should not be used as an instrument to limit civil society’s capacity to operate freely. The Commission stressed in its enlargement report the work that Georgia needs to undertake and in particular the nine steps. As an EU candidate country, Georgia is expected to comply with the Copenhagen criteria, which specifically require adherence to principles of democracy, the rule of law and human rights. Only meaningful and irreversible progress in these fundamental areas determine the opening and the overall pace of accession negotiations. Finally, the EU urges the Georgian leaders to foster national consensus around the goal of joining the European Union. It is imperative for all political leaders to reduce polarisation and engage positively and constructively with each other and with civil society. Enlargement is a success when the whole country is behind this goal. It is also a strategic choice of any country that decides to embark on this path. It is a commitment to align not only with our norms, but also with our values.
Debate: Attempts to reintroduce a foreign agent law in Georgia and its restrictions on civil society
Date: TUESDAY, 23 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Miriam Lexmann
Political group: PPE
Country: Spain
Language: EN

Rather than strengthening transparency and the fight against the malign influence of Kremlin and other authoritarian regimes, the proposed law will undermine the work of civil society and independent media. Should this law be adopted against the aspirations of Georgian people, and in violation of the Commission recommendations, then our response should be clear. First, we must freeze any opening of accession negotiations of Georgia. Second, any future financial assistance to Georgia must be made conditional on scrapping this damaging law. And finally, I once again call on the Council to impose targeted sanctions against the oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili and free Misha Saakashvili.
Debate: Attempts to reintroduce a foreign agent law in Georgia and its restrictions on civil society
Date: TUESDAY, 23 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Urmas Paet
Political group: Renew
Country: Italy
Language: EN

The actions of the Georgian Government show that it is not taking seriously its ambition to join the European Union. The Georgian Government should focus on the immediate implementation of all the measures that are necessary in order for Georgia to continue moving towards EU membership, which the Georgian people overwhelmingly support. Unfortunately, this law will derail Georgia’s bid to join the European Union. The Georgian people need to be supported in their European aspirations and to be able to live in a country free of corruption and respecting fundamental freedoms.
Debate: Attempts to reintroduce a foreign agent law in Georgia and its restrictions on civil society
Date: TUESDAY, 23 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Markéta Gregorová
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: France
Language: EN

All of this violates EU norms and values. Allow me to offer one comparison. Where one country occupied and attacked by Russia does everything to get closer to European values – and by that I mean Ukraine, obviously – it’s ever more painful to watch Georgia get closer and closer to Russia’s system. The candidate status is not a permanent achievement, and there can be financial consequences. Please don’t take away from your citizens the European path too.
Debate: Attempts to reintroduce a foreign agent law in Georgia and its restrictions on civil society
Date: TUESDAY, 23 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Michael Gahler
Political group: PPE
Country: Spain
Language: EN

Madam President, colleagues, Commissioner, if I had five minutes speaking time, we would indeed repeat one by one your speech because I fully subscribed to what you have said and you have said it all. Indeed, there are obligations that the Georgian Government has undertaken and which they are blatantly violating by introducing this law. Well, actually, my impression is if it is about foreign agents, the only foreign agents that are involved in this is those in the ruling party, who copy Russian laws and are promoting the way Russia rules at home, and perhaps even on behalf of that. And if I look at the Prime Minister, Kobakhidze, some time ago, they were still with the S&D group and were there complimented out for right reasons. But, in the meanwhile, he will be going to Budapest to a very right-wing conference and appear there as a speaker together with Mr Wilders and others. So I really wonder where this country is heading and where this ruling party is heading. We support the will of the people. We are in full solidarity with those protesters with Georgian and European flags, and apart from that, we once again also demand the release of Mr Saakashvili and also to see to it that we can get hold of Mr Ivanishvili and sanction him because he is the one in the background who is actually guiding the agenda there.
Debate: Attempts to reintroduce a foreign agent law in Georgia and its restrictions on civil society
Date: TUESDAY, 23 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Marina Kaljurand
Political group: S-D
Country: Poland
Language: EN

Madam President, Commissioner. Today is my last address to the plenary in my capacity as chair of the South Caucasus Delegation, co-chair of the EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association Committee (PAC) and a friend of Georgia. I have two messages: firstly, to the politicians of Georgia, and in particular to the governing Georgian Dream party. Please stop jeopardising Georgia’s European aspirations. It is not only about this law. Unfortunately, it is a much longer process of undermining democratic EU principles and values. You have a historic opportunity to fulfil your people’s dream of closer integration with the EU. Do not disappoint the people. Secondly, I want to assure Georgian people that you have our unwavering support for your European aspirations, and I am sure that the next European Parliament will continue to support you in your fight for a place in the European family. But you have to do your part. Go to elections in October and elect a truly pro-European and progressive national parliament.
Debate: Attempts to reintroduce a foreign agent law in Georgia and its restrictions on civil society
Date: TUESDAY, 23 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Petras Auštrevičius
Political group: Renew
Country: Lithuania
Language: EN

Madam President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, let me, on behalf of all of us, welcome present in this House, Nika Gvaramia, one of the opposition leaders in Georgia. Thank you, Nika, for your dedication and your fight for a better future for Georgia.  Colleagues, the repeated attempts by the ruling party in Georgia to pass a law on foreign influence are an example of its intent to control civil society, to influence media and the forthcoming parliamentary elections. All of this runs against Georgia’s status as an EU candidate country, its commitment and the spirit of political reforms. Attempts to justify the oppressing law by applying so-called ‘western practice’ are simply pathetic. Such law is the key to return to Russian authoritarianism. At the same time, I warmly welcome the Georgian people in their opposition to such a move. The civic activism defends the country’s Western future.  Colleagues, taking this opportunity, I call on EU institutions to apply targeted sanctions on Georgian individuals undermining democratic processes and organising the persecution of peaceful demonstrators, in particular Zviad Kharazishvili and Vazha Siradze – those people are acting against the will of Georgian people.
Debate: Attempts to reintroduce a foreign agent law in Georgia and its restrictions on civil society
Date: TUESDAY, 23 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Viola von Cramon-Taubadel
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: Ireland
Language: EN

Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues, dear guests from Georgia, every time I think the Georgian Dream has hit rock bottom, they surprise me by falling even lower because the Georgian Dream is actually a Russian dream. When 83 MPs unanimously vote for the Russian law, it is no longer a democracy, it is a puppet show. And the puppet master of these 83 button pushers is Ivanishvil. And the puppet master’s puppet master sits in the Kremlin. The oligarch receives a single instruction from his Russian owners, ‘drag Georgia back into the Russian swamp’, destroy the country’s European future, and make it part of the ugly  To please Putin, Ivanishvili and his puppets will do anything, violate the constitution, beat up the people, betray the country. But the Georgian people will not just sit back and take it. The youth are leading the way because those are born in freedom, they will not accept the Russian shackles. We stand with the brave people of Georgia in their fight for their and our European future.
Debate: Attempts to reintroduce a foreign agent law in Georgia and its restrictions on civil society
Date: TUESDAY, 23 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Hermann Tertsch
Political group: ECR
Country: France
Language: ES

Señora presidenta, el camino hacia la libertad es muy difícil en todas partes. Lo es mucho más cuando se está cerca de Rusia, de la Rusia actual de Putin. La Ley sobre agentes extranjeros en Georgia es simplemente una prueba más de que esas esperanzas de un desarrollo sin traumas hacia unas libertades occidentales son muy difíciles de conseguir y tienen muchos reveses. La tentación rusa está ahí, y la tentación de todos estos dirigentes de protegerse a través de las zarpas rusas están ahí.  Nosotros tenemos que demostrar que Georgia puede salir de esa situación crítica actual. Puede salir de una forma pacífica y disuadir a Rusia de volver a repetir las sangrientas aventuras que ya tuvo en Georgia y que en este momento tiene en Ucrania.
Debate: Attempts to reintroduce a foreign agent law in Georgia and its restrictions on civil society
Date: TUESDAY, 23 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Andrius Kubilius
Political group: PPE
Country: France
Language: EN

Madam President, dear colleagues. First of all, it is absolutely clear that the government of Georgia introduced a Russian-style ‘Agents of Foreign Influence’ Act in order to deliberately derail Georgia from the path towards the European Union.  Second, it is absolutely clear that such a step is done by the Georgian Government because they deliberately want to show the Kremlin that they are implementing the Kremlin’s hybrid agenda.  Third, we need to say very clearly that as long as such legislation is part of the Georgian legal order, any decisions leading to recommending the launch of accession negotiations should be permanently suspended.  Fourth, we need to help the Georgian people to defend themselves from Kremlin hybrid influences on Georgia through the introduction of an EU Public Instrument of Russian Hybrid Influence Index, which will catalogue politicians and political parties in the EU and EU candidate countries according to their connections to the Putin regime and their involvement in spreading Kremlin narratives. Fifth, we should call on the Council to supplement the Copenhagen criteria for EU accession with the conditionality of a candidate country’s ability to stand up against Russia’s hybrid influence. Sixth, we should be very clear: the major obstacle on the European path of Georgia towards the EU is not the Georgian people, but the Georgian Dream Government. The same was happening with Slovakia, in 1997, when because of the Vladimír Mečiar government’s behaviour, Slovakia was invited to start negotiations only when Slovakia voters voted down that government.
Debate: Attempts to reintroduce a foreign agent law in Georgia and its restrictions on civil society
Date: TUESDAY, 23 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Michael Kauch
Political group: Renew
Language: DE

Frau Präsidentin, meine Damen und Herren! Wenn man mit jungen Georgiern in Berlin spricht, dann ist die Motivation, nach Deutschland und in den Westen Europas zu kommen, nicht, dass sie mehr Wohlstand wollen. Es ist vor allen Dingen, dass sie Freiheit wollen, dass sie sagen: Russland gewinnt immer mehr Einfluss in unserem Land; das wollen wir nicht. Diese Politik, die dort gefahren wird, führt zu einem Braindrain in diesem Land, und das ist sehr schade für Georgien auf dem Weg nach Europa. Ich möchte darauf hinweisen, dass es nicht nur das Gesetz über ausländische Agenten ist, sondern auch das Gesetz, das jetzt in Vorbereitung ist, gegen Lesben, Schwule und Transgender. Hier geht es darum, dass man Transpersonen geschlechtsangleichende Maßnahmen verweigern will, dass man gegen die Urteile des Europäischen Gerichtshofs für Menschenrechte Geschlechtsangleichungen verbieten will. Dass man Homopropaganda, wie immer man das nennt, wie in Russland verbieten will. Und genau das ist der Weg, für den sich Georgien entscheiden muss: Europa oder Russland. Beides zusammen wird nicht gehen.
Debate: Attempts to reintroduce a foreign agent law in Georgia and its restrictions on civil society
Date: TUESDAY, 23 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Katalin Cseh
Political group: Renew
Country: Sweden
Language: EN

Madam President, dear colleagues, we have been here before, exactly a year ago, when we clearly laid out that the foreign agents law cooked up in Vladimir Putin’s Russia is deeply anti-democratic. Its sole purpose is to crush civil society. It is incompatible with EU values. And if Georgian leaders are serious about their European path, they should revoke it. A year ago, they did revoke it, and now it’s introduced again. Sadly, this tells us a lot about the EU’s credibility to spur democratic reforms in accession countries. Our demands are just not taken seriously.  And colleagues, it is clear where this credibility gap is coming from. We know that sadly this law has been copied not only by autocrats outside the EU, but also inside the EU. In 2017, Viktor Orbán’s government passed an exact replica of this law and it took the European Court to strike it down. And then last December, the so-called sovereignty protection bill was passed, which is in spirit the very same oppressive tool.  It is crystal clear to be able to credibly stand as a force for democracy and the rule of law, we have to have our own House in order.