unimelb-nlp/MultiEup-v2 huggingface dataset:
Debate: Call for a European strategy to counter hostage diplomacy
Date: THURSDAY, 15 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Evin Incir
Political group: S-D
Country: Hungary
Language: EN

We have all witnessed how the oppressive regimes, such as the one in Iran and others, use hostages as diplomatic tools. While some European citizens have been released through lengthy negotiations – which is important, of course, and which saved lives – our Member States, however, lack the leverage to effectively combat hostage diplomacy. I have myself recently met with a lot of the family members of hostages taken in Iran and learned about the unbelievable human suffering that the Iranians’ hostage diplomacy causes. To be silent and continue with the status quo cannot and must never be an option for us in the European Union, because these horrendous regimes are bullies: when they know that one certain behaviour is successful for them, they continue to practice the same. But I also want to say that I do believe that one of the core problems is also the lack of a joint EU foreign policy in some fields. The only way the EU can really become stronger in that, against the oppressing regimes, is when the latter know that the EU is not talking with 27 different votes on foreign policies, but rather with a joint one. Nevertheless, the EU must respond against authoritarian regimes that are using innocent human beings as a means to pressure our freedoms and human rights. I therefore think it is essential that we have a European strategy to counter hostage diplomacy and improve our cooperation to release all EU citizens and to ensure that the regimes cannot continue using this hostage diplomacy as a tool over and over again. It is only when we have a real and clear strategy jointly, and we act in cooperation with each other, that we can ensure that hostage diplomacy belongs to the past and is not used in the future.
Debate: Call for a European strategy to counter hostage diplomacy
Date: THURSDAY, 15 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Samira Rafaela
Political group: Renew
Country: Germany
Language: EN

This is part of a larger trend that these regimes are implementing, a trend which is called hostage diplomacy. Regimes like Iran use our European citizens as bargaining tools to get these things done. And this is completely unacceptable and unethical. So this House has strongly condemned this phenomenon and called for the immediate release of the detainees, most recently in the European Parliament resolution of January 2023 on the executions and protests in Iran. However, the Member States alone often do not have enough leverage to combat the horrific violations of the rights of EU citizens as they find themselves obliged to pay large sums of money or exchange convicted terrorists for their citizens.  So therefore, I call on the Commission to implement a European strategy to counter hostage diplomacy, including a specialised task force that can effectively respond and coordinate when EU citizens are being held hostage by Iran and other regimes because the consulates and the embassies cannot do it alone. The practice has shown that. So there is a special task force needed with special expertise coordinated among the 27 Member States to respond to hostage diplomacy and the blackmailing, of course, of these EU Member States. So Iran and other regimes using hostage diplomacy can only be stopped through cooperation at EU level and we can only protect our citizens if we work together. We must realise that the impact is for the whole EU and not only one single country. So let us work together and protect our citizens from hostile regimes.
Debate: Call for a European strategy to counter hostage diplomacy
Date: THURSDAY, 15 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Angel Dzhambazki
Political group: ECR
Country: Germany
Language: BG

Но когато си говорим за такава обща политика, нещо, което е разумно, би трябвало да си отговорим имат ли обща политика Европейският съюз, Европейската комисия, Европейският парламент, когато трети държави се опитват да използват своята дипломация в ущърб на някои от държавите членки? И мога да ви разкажа един такъв пример. Примерът е с доклада, който трябва да се гласува в комисията по външни работи и се отнася до напредъка на Република Северна Македония към Европейския съюз. Там в момента буквално имате държани за заложници хората, които се самоопределят като македонски граждани или северно македонски граждани с българско национално самосъзнание, и продължава натискът върху тях, и продължава тормозът върху тях, и продължава да им бъде отказано правото да се самоопределят така, както искат. А това право, правото на самоопределение, е не само европейско, то е основно човешко право във всички харти, всички документи.  И тук въпросът ми е какво правим ние в този Европейски парламент и какво прави Комисията, какво прави върховният представител по външната политика по отношение на защитата на правата и законните интереси на тези хора, които буквално са държани като заложници от властите в една държава, която е много по-близка до Белград и до Кремъл, отколкото до каквато и да било европейска позиция, европейска ориентация. И ние сме свидетели как в тази зала има наши колеги, които сигурно също са държани като заложници от тази власт по един или друг начин, които предлагат и променят текстове в документи на Европейския парламент. Много по-скандално от „Катаргейт“, много по-скандално от всички други вмешателства във вътрешните работи на Европейския съюз, на държавите членки и на този Парламент.  Как ние като Европейски парламент да реагираме, когато наши колеги, заложници тук, по някаква причина синхронизирано предлагат текстове, които искат да изтрият защитата на човешките права, правото на самоопределение, да изтрият факти, които се случват в Република Северна Македония и в които виждаме ясно отношение към хора, които се самоопределят като българи, въпреки че имат своето гражданство на Република Северна Македония. Ето на това нещо би трябвало да бъде обърнато внимание. Кажете, г-н Председател, с какво ви разгневих? (
Debate: Call for a European strategy to counter hostage diplomacy
Date: THURSDAY, 15 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Rainer Wieland
Country: Germany
Language: EN

No, no, no. We have clear Rules of Procedure. Here everybody in the House has the freedom of the world, and we have enough opportunities, particularly with the one—minute speeches, to take the floor. But you used an issue which has another title for a thing which is ...
Debate: Call for a European strategy to counter hostage diplomacy
Date: THURSDAY, 15 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Joachim Kuhs
Political group: ID
Country: Greece
Language: DE

Ich denke, jeder hier, wie am Donnerstagnachmittag ja üblich, kann dieser Bewertung zustimmen. Allerdings bin ich nicht der Auffassung, dass es die Aufgabe der EU ist, etwas gegen diese Verbrechen zu unternehmen. Denn, werte Kollegen, wir sind doch kein Staat, und es gibt Gott sei Dank auch noch keine Vereinigten Staaten von Europa, zumal ja kein europäisches Volk existiert. Dieses heute diskutierte Problem müssen wir daher von den jeweils betroffenen Staaten lösen lassen. Jeder Mitgliedstaat muss sich um seine Bürger kümmern. Er muss Maßnahmen gegen diese Unrechtsstaaten ergreifen, keine Frage − und im Fall des belgischen Staatsbürgers Olivier Vandecasteele also Belgien, im Fall von Cécile Kohler und Jacques Paris Frankreich usw. Deshalb fordere ich diese Länder auf, sich um ihrer Bürger zu kümmern und rasch Maßnahmen zu ergreifen. Und sorry, liebe Kollegen, es macht leider keinen Sinn, dass wir nach Brüssel schauen und auf die Kommission schauen und Lösungen fordern für dieses Problem. Das können nur die Mitgliedstaaten lösen.
Debate: Call for a European strategy to counter hostage diplomacy
Date: THURSDAY, 15 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Mick Wallace
Political group: The Left
Country: Germany
Language: EN

The US, NATO and their partners when not bombing these countries are strangling them to death. Tens, if not hundreds of thousands, of people are dying each year from illegal Western sanctions and embargoes, from lack of access to medicine and functional infrastructure. The hostility against Iran is intense. Iranian scientists are assassinated by Israelis. The US drone bombed the revered General Soleimani, the man who did most of defeat ISIS in Iraq. Infrastructure is targeted and destroyed. The Israelis routinely blow up oil tankers destined for other sanctioned countries. The US imprisons individuals suspected of violating their illegal sanctions against Iran, taking them hostages. The US wouldn’t even relax the sanctions regime during the Covid-19 crisis. Weapons are being smuggled into Iran to arm forces hostile to the government.  You could possibly understand the Iranian Government’s paranoia about spies and infiltrators. The murder of Palestinians, the bombing and starving of Yemenis, the beheading and the brutal treatment of women in Saudi Arabia, Syrians dying from cholera. This meets silence. But for Iran, we pass countless resolutions about every human rights violation, real or imagined. We call for sanctions while engaging in unhinged, blatant racist discourse. The groups are calling for a special task force to deal with so-called hostile foreign regimes. What you need to do is stop being hostile to foreign governments. You need to stop promoting NATO lies and stop interfering in other countries, stop behaving like colonialists. Because we don’t use our platform to parrot narrow talking points, this allowed us to be instrumental in securing the release of Irishman Bernard Phelan from an Iranian prison on humanitarian grounds last month. This is what is possible if you engage with countries in a spirit of mutual respect. Iran wants normal relations with the West. That is what the entire JCPOA deal was about. It was the US who did not want normal relations with Iran. That the EU has sat by and let things deteriorate to this point is an indictment of the concept of European diplomacy, as is their failure to look for peace in the war in Ukraine because it does not suit US-NATO.
Debate: Call for a European strategy to counter hostage diplomacy
Date: THURSDAY, 15 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Virginie Joron
Political group: ID
Country: Estonia
Language: FR

Monsieur le Président, chers collègues, ce mandat von der Leyen restera dans l’histoire comme un ouragan institutionnel. L’administration de Bruxelles avale tous les sujets régaliens: le nucléaire, les vaccins et notre santé mentale, la répartition des migrants pour qu’ils arrivent près de chez vous, les livraisons d’armes – avec, au passage, la création d’un «Titanic» financier de 800 milliards d’euros. Et, pour le digestif, Bruxelles s’imagine grand chambellan de la diplomatie européenne, avec la porcelaine qui va avec. Aujourd’hui, vous venez donc nous parler d’une stratégie européenne de diplomatie des otages. Mais qui, dans le monde, peut vous faire confiance? À part les secrets de Pfizer, vous n’avez jamais rien su garder – pour ce qui concerne nos intérêts vitaux. Faillite industrielle, faillite numérique, faillite sécuritaire: vous importez l’asile au lieu de laisser les fous chez eux. L’horreur d’Annecy, la torture de Lola: quand tout cela va-t-il finir? Allez-vous demain décider que l’on peut échanger un terroriste chez nous contre un Européen chez eux?  L’histoire a démontré que ce sont les services de l’État français, la DGSE, qui sont allés sauver nos otages français par la force ou par la négociation. Qui, ici, partirait mourir dans une nuit froide pour sauver les nôtres?
Debate: Call for a European strategy to counter hostage diplomacy
Date: THURSDAY, 15 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Clare Daly
Political group: The Left
Country: France
Language: EN

Madam President, Bernard Phelan, an Irish citizen, was released from Iran in the last weeks, and that is very much to be welcomed. It was, of course, a product of diplomacy by Irish state services, but also by Iranian diplomats. And diplomacy by national Member States is the way in which we deal with this. To listen to some colleagues, you would think they want to ape the American model, which is: ‘We don’t pay for hostages’. Which means that people end up getting dead, or their families go into debt secretly paying the hostages by taking out massive loans. Now, the real question here is: why does this happen? Countries that we will not allow to have normal relations with us resort to abnormal tactics in return. That does not make it right, but it does help to explain it. We have had the exclusion of Iran from many different situations. The consequences of the sanctions, felt throughout Iranian society, are deep and painful. If we want to treat countries with respect, we have to treat them as equals, and diplomacy is the only way to resolve matters.
Debate: Call for a European strategy to counter hostage diplomacy
Date: THURSDAY, 15 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Kadri Simson
Language: EN

While our support and solidarity is crucial, it is also important not to disclose here more details regarding specific individual cases. We must always be aware of the risks of undermining ongoing consular efforts. Let me stress, once again, that the EU will continue to follow these cases in full coordination with the Member States involved and to use open channels to urge for the release of all detained EU nationals in Iran.
Debate: Investigation of the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware
Date: THURSDAY, 15 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Clare Daly
Political group: The Left
Country: France
Language: EN

Mr President, this was a very good report. It pointed out and was clear that Pegasus hacking and spyware is an attack on democracy and human rights. It’s sensitive to the power imbalance between those carrying out surveillance and those under it. It denounces stockpiling of zero day exploits. It does not spare EU Member States. It calls out Ireland for playing host to the cyber arms trade. And it is unequivocal that Israel is the global hub for spy companies.  But I had to abstain because it does not ban this spyware outright. The problem is bigger than spyware. There’s a nexus between it, state hacking, disinformation and electoral interference. Israel leads the world in all the dark arts. The Foreign Interference Committee heard from experts recently that Israel is a global disinformation epicentre where the companies operate on the basis that as long as you don’t meddle in Israel, the US or Russia, you can do what you like. And yet we call Israel our friend.  Unless there’s consequences, this will keep happening. We need to change the relationships between the EU and Israel.
Debate: Investigation of the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware
Date: THURSDAY, 15 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Georgios Kyrtsos
Political group: Renew
Country: Germany
Language: EL

Κύριε Πρόεδρε, θεωρώ μεγάλης σημασίας τη σημερινή υπερψήφιση της σύστασης για διερεύνηση της χρήσης του λογισμικού Pegasus και αντίστοιχου κατασκοπευτικού λογισμικού παρακολούθησης και μάλιστα με ψήφους 411 υπέρ, 97 κατά. Με βάση το σκεπτικό της έκθεσης της επιτροπής PEGA, καταδικάζεται ρητά η παράνομη χρήση κατασκοπευτικού λογισμικού από κυβερνήσεις των κρατών μελών ή μέλη των κυβερνήσεων. Επισημαίνεται ότι υπάρχουν στοιχεία για διαφόρων ειδών και βαθμών παραβιάσεις ή κακή διαχείριση των νόμων της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης από την Πολωνία, την Ουγγαρία και την Ελλάδα.  Έχοντας υποστεί παρακολούθηση των τηλεφώνων μου από την Εθνική Υπηρεσία Πληροφοριών με εντολή της ελληνικής κυβέρνησης, επειδή υποτίθεται ότι ήμουν κίνδυνος για την εθνική ασφάλεια, αξιολογώ σαν μεγάλης σημασίας τη σημερινή ψηφοφορία. Ένα μεγάλο ευχαριστώ στη συνάδελφο Sophie in ’t Veld, του Renew Europe, που αναδείχθηκε σε πρωταγωνίστρια αυτής της επιτυχημένης προσπάθειας.
Debate: EU Day for the victims of the global climate crisis
Date: THURSDAY, 15 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Angel Dzhambazki
Political group: ECR
Country: Germany
Language: BG

Г-н Председател, убедено гласувах против тази инициатива на Европейския съюз за жертвите на световната криза в областта на климата. Това е някаква поредна безумица, да правим ден за жертвите на климата. Смятам, че това е една истерична, алармистка, невярна политика, която се опитва да вмени, да вмени вина на европейските общества за това, че са индустриализирани, че имат някакъв напредък, че произвеждат нещо, че нещо правят. Дори самият г-н Тимерманс, който много силно липсва в тази зала, според мен не може да ни покаже нито една жертва на климатичните промени, но би трябвало тук да защити тази безумна идея.  Това, което представлява този акт и което се опитват да ни пробутат алармистите в климатичната политика, не е нищо различно от това да ни кажат за пореден път как не трябва да има индустрия в Европа, как всичко трябва отиде в Китай, как всичко трябва да отиде в Русия, как всичко трябва да отиде в Турция, те да си правят каквото си искат, без да отчитат, че ние живеем на една единствена планета. И ако се замърсява в Китай, то все едно се замърсява навсякъде. Така че гласувах против. И също така искам да Ви кажа, уважаеми г-н председател, преди да сте чукнал с чукчето, че съм твърдо против нарушаването на човешките права на българите в Македония.
Debate: Sustainable reconstruction and integration of Ukraine into the Euro-Atlantic community
Date: THURSDAY, 15 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Angel Dzhambazki
Political group: ECR
Country: Germany
Language: BG

Г-н Председател, за разлика от предишния доклад за този гласувах убедено „за“. Безспорно украинският народ и нация искат да се откъснат от сфера на влияние, която е извън европейската, и да бъдат част от Европейския съюз и от НАТО.  Този процес започна преди 10 години по времето на управление, което беше предизвикало много силни протести в тази държава, така че и Украйна, и хората в Украйна заслужават да имат правото на избор и да живеят според този избор. По тази причина гласувах в подкрепа на този доклад и вярвам, че когато и както се възстанови мирът в тази част на Европа, той трябва да бъде в териториалните граници на Украйна, международно признати с Будапещенското споразумение,  протокола от Будапеща от 1994 г., защото това е волята на хората, които живеят в Украйна.
Debate: Sustainable reconstruction and integration of Ukraine into the Euro-Atlantic community
Date: THURSDAY, 15 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Clare Daly
Political group: The Left
Country: France
Language: EN

Mr President, of course I believe that the European Union must contribute to Ukraine’s reconstruction, but I had to vote against this resolution because practically every single thing in it about Ukraine and European security is wrong. It trumpets the 2008 Bucharest decision that Ukraine will join NATO, a decision which was warned could lead to a war, which it has. It pushes to integrate Ukraine into the Euro-Atlantic community, the very circumstances which caused the civil war in 2014, because, of course, while some Ukrainians want this, others don’t. And this resolution just doubles down on all of this. And even if Ukraine won back all of its territory, this plan would leave the country permanently divided and unstable. It talks about securing peace by expanding NATO – seriously? NATO, the instrument of US empire in the post-Cold War period, the arms industries pimp, NATO, which makes more war more likely everywhere. The only viable peace in Europe is a different security setup in which the sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of all is guaranteed.
Debate: Sustainable reconstruction and integration of Ukraine into the Euro-Atlantic community
Date: THURSDAY, 15 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Ivan Vilibor Sinčić
Political group: NI
Country: Czechia
Language: HR

Poštovani potpredsjedniče, guranje Ukrajine u NATO je upravo ono što je i započelo ovaj sukob. Odnosno, nije bitno samo članstvo, nego infrastruktura koja dolazi s tim članstvom.  Moja politika je ista od početka. Protiv sam ratnohuškačkih izjava koje dolaze, nažalost, sa zapada. U Ukrajini se mora postići mir i može se ići ili u diplomatske razgovore, u mir ili u još veću katastrofu.  Ono što vidimo je da je, nažalost, već preko 300 tisuća ukrajinskih vojnika stradalo. Vidimo da je zemlja zadužena za mnoge generacije, da je razorena, a nastavkom ovakve politike, ne uviđajući kakvo je pravo stanje na terenu, nastavljamo, nažalost, putem nestanka ukrajinskog naroda i nestanka ukrajinske države.  To ne mogu poduprijeti. Uložimo ove napore koje dajemo na oružje u mir da se napokon riješi trajno ovo pitanje.
Debate: Sustainable reconstruction and integration of Ukraine into the Euro-Atlantic community
Date: THURSDAY, 15 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Piernicola Pedicini
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: Portugal
Language: IT

Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, oggi si è votata questa importante risoluzione, ma paradossalmente, e anche ironicamente, alla fine di questo voto tutti i parlamentari sono andati tranquillamente a mangiare. E perciò io voglio leggere alcune frasi di questa risoluzione affinché i cittadini si rendano conto di quello che si è deciso in quest'Aula.  L'obiettivo finale della comunità internazionale dovrebbe essere il collasso militare delle forze russe, il pieno ripristino dell'integrità territoriale ucraina, la necessità di ulteriore intensificazione dell'assistenza finanziaria e militare, un immediato dispiegamento di ulteriori attrezzature moderne, tra cui aerei da combattimento, missili ed elicotteri occidentali, la richiesta di un piano di azione accelerato per l'adesione alla NATO dell'Ucraina. Insomma, questa risoluzione sembra scritta da folli. Chi scrive questa risoluzione pensa davvero che eventualmente la Russia accetti il collasso militare senza ricorrere al nucleare? Stiamo facendo credere agli ucraini che davvero sia possibile ripristinare la sua integrità territoriale senza portare il mondo a un conflitto nucleare? Pensate davvero che sia una buona idea che l'Ucraina sia integrata nella NATO? Noi stiamo andando dritti alla terza guerra mondiale.
Debate: Situation in Nicaragua
Date: THURSDAY, 15 JUNE 2023
Speaker: Mick Wallace
Political group: The Left
Country: Germany
Language: EN

Mr President, the recent report on human rights in Nicaragua makes a series of allegations and grave ones against the Nicaraguan Government, and these should be taken very seriously. But if you actually care about the people of Nicaragua, we wouldn’t be sanctioning them because sanctions hurt the ordinary people the most. I would like to commend Mr Borrell for going to Cuba, but I don’t understand why he can’t have as good an attitude to Nicaragua. Instead of demonising Nicaragua, we should engage with them and show them some respect and we might make some more progress. We engage with Cuba, a country that excels in the field of medicine, health care, sustainable agriculture and education. Recently, Cuba has been going through a series of political reforms, democratic participation in the March legislative elections was higher than most EU countries could possibly achieve, and in September, the population voted to approve the most progressive family code in the world. But Cuba’s biggest challenge is US sanctions. And I wish Mr Borrell would challenge those US sanctions, which have gone on for over 60 years and are illegal and violent.