unimelb-nlp/MultiEup-v2 huggingface dataset:
Debate: Defence of democracy package
Date: TUESDAY, 12 DECEMBER 2023
Speaker: Clare Daly
Political group: The Left
Country: France
Language: EN

We have a defence of democracy package that has 200 NGOs ringing alarm bells because of the threat it poses to civil society. And the crowning irony of this is that this package is from the Commission of Ursula von der Leyen – a person elevated to power without a single vote from the citizens, who has spent the last two months swooping in and overriding the foreign policies of elected governments, all to cheerlead a brutal apartheid regime that she calls a vibrant democracy as it pulverises a city of children. Well my God, with defenders of democracy like that, I think I speak for many, many citizens of Europe when I say
Debate: Defence of democracy package
Date: TUESDAY, 12 DECEMBER 2023
Speaker: Fabio Massimo Castaldo
Political group: NI
Country: France
Language: IT

Signora Presidente, signora Commissaria, onorevoli colleghi, mentre oggi discutiamo dei contenuti del pacchetto per la difesa della democrazia, vorrei fare un appello alla Commissione e a ognuno di voi: dobbiamo guardarci da tutti i rischi, e spesso i rischi più pericolosi non sono quelli che arrivano dall'esterno, ma quelli che arrivano dall'interno. Con l'approssimarsi delle elezioni europee, combattere contro la propaganda e contro i beceri populismi che cercano solo un tanto facile quanto effimero consenso elettorale è per la nostra democrazia, per la nostra Europa, una questione di sopravvivenza. Consensi che vanno tanto al chilo, anzi, tanto al clic. Quegli ambigui leader politici nazionali che continuano a mistificare la realtà strizzando l'occhio ai leader di paesi autoritari, strizzando l'occhio a Putin e a Xi Jinping, sgretolano ogni giorno per il proprio interesse le difese della nostra democrazia. Questo è ancor più vero quando questi stessi personaggi politici mettono a tacere le voci interne ai propri partiti che tentano di rimanere coerenti, di difendere i diritti umani sempre e comunque e senza fare sconti a nessuno, come umilmente io ho cercato di fare in questi anni. Sarebbe bello immaginare che cambino approccio, ma ormai è chiaro che questo è estraneo alle loro volontà. Mettere il proprio interesse elettorale e la propria ambizione personale di fronte a quelli del proprio paese e della nostra Unione è una scelta vigliacca, la più vigliacca che si possa compiere, perché a pagarne il prezzo saranno i nostri cittadini e quanti si battono, soffrono e muoiono ogni giorno per la democrazia in ogni parte del nostro pianeta. Non lasciamoli soli, non facciamolo mai!
Debate: Defence of democracy package
Date: TUESDAY, 12 DECEMBER 2023
Speaker: Vladimír Bilčík
Political group: PPE
Country: France
Language: EN

Madam President, Vice-Presidents, colleagues, this proposal arrives at an important time as we approach the European elections in a few months and I’m very proud of our work in fighting foreign interference in the INGE and ING2 special committees in the European Parliament. Sadly, we are being proven right almost every day about how important this topic is. I believe that our special committees’ commitment has been instrumental in shaping the discourse around foreign interference, and it is encouraging to see that the Commission also reflected on our discussions and recommendations. While this package reflects a commitment to protecting European democracy from malign interference, there is room for further action. No matter how well designed a communication from the Commission, its success ultimately depends on how seriously politicians in Member States take it. We must do more on both national and European level, and we must constantly respond to the threats. I also want to highlight the important role of investigative journalists who uncover cases of foreign interference. These contributions are essential in raising awareness and understanding of foreign interference, and we as politicians must do our part in spreading the awareness. The defence of democracy is a good start, but I am in favour of stronger instruments in the future. I see this as a good kick-off, but it must evolve and strengthen over time for the sake of a more vigilant and truly resilient democracy in Europe. After all – and this is the bottom line – defence of democracy is a core business of not just this House, but of all public institutions in Europe.
Debate: Defence of democracy package
Date: TUESDAY, 12 DECEMBER 2023
Speaker: Cyrus Engerer
Political group: S-D
Country: Romania
Language: EN

Madam President, dear Commissioners, democracy is not there only to be protected, but we also need to strengthen it. And while all politicians elected are there, not on their own behalf, but on behalf of those that elected them, they should also be transparent. So when I read today’s proposal, while I am happy to see that we are going to defend and strengthen a little bit when it comes to foreign interference, we need to look at within the European Union too, because in reality we have those trying to undermine our democracy from among us. Even in this House, in the different Member States, their governments, we all know what Viktor Orbán is doing in Hungary, we all have seen what was happening in Poland before, and we really need to make sure that when we have interest representatives, whether they come from outside of the Union or from within, we need to have a mandatory transparency register. I remember in 2016 the proposal of the Commission, it was a good one, but it was then watered down by the Council, by the different governments, because they did not want to have a mandatory transparency register. All the meetings we hold in this House or in any Parliament across the Union or any government across the Union should be published. We should know who our politicians are meeting, why they are meeting them and the outcome of those meetings.
Debate: Defence of democracy package
Date: TUESDAY, 12 DECEMBER 2023
Speaker: Ramona Strugariu
Political group: Renew
Country: Italy
Language: EN

Madam President, defence of democracy means enhancing transparency and it also means public participation, protecting journalists, empowering civil society, investing in education, in critical thinking and informed decision-making. It means keeping a strong framework for the rule of law and sanctioning those who ignore it. It means free voices. While we are fully aware of the importance of such a package, we need to be extremely careful on which particular instruments we choose to defend and not to harm the watchdogs of democracy. The foreign funding directive raised such concerns among the representatives of the civil society, and I’m calling on you, Commissioners, and on all of our colleagues, to pay particular attention to such voices. They know best how to defend democracy. They’re doing it every day.
Debate: Defence of democracy package
Date: TUESDAY, 12 DECEMBER 2023
Speaker: Markéta Gregorová
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: France
Language: CS

Paní předsedající, zbývá 6 měsíců do voleb. Za poslední roky jsme nespočetněkrát apelovali na zástupce národních vlád, aby volby zabezpečili. Marně. Nyní nám zbývá 6 měsíců na to zkusit implementovat k jejich ochraně alespoň několik opatření, se kterými Komise přichází. Nechápejte mě špatně, já jsem ráda, že balíček ochrany demokracie je konečně na stole. Návrh na posílení občanské společnosti, návrh na ochranu voleb, to jsou extrémně důležité kroky.  Tíží mě ale, že zjevně nejsou dostatečně důležité pro některé představitele EU, kteří se postarali o to, že jsou to pouhá doporučení, nikoli vymahatelná legislativa. Mnozí z nich se nejspíš domnívají, že se jich dezinformace ani útoky na průběh voleb netýkají. Jejich úvaha je zjevná. Vždyť útoky většinou míří proti liberálním a proevropských silám. Co by se starali, když nejsou sami v hledáčku. Něco vám prozradím: až tyto protidemokratické aliance zadupou do země důvěru v systém jako takový, půjdete ke dnu spolu s ním. To už bude ale pozdě.
Debate: Defence of democracy package
Date: TUESDAY, 12 DECEMBER 2023
Speaker: Jorge Buxadé Villalba
Political group: ECR
Country: Spain
Language: ES

Señora presidente, todo plan para evitar la injerencia extranjera fracasará si no tienen en cuenta que no hay democracia sin pueblo. La democracia exige una mínima unidad espiritual, social y cultural que es contraria al multiculturalismo que ustedes promueven. Las sociedades europeas son débiles y, por tanto, proclives a la injerencia y a la subversión. Todo lo que quiera romper la unidad jurídica de los pueblos europeos es un ataque a la democracia. Los separatismos regionales, el separatismo islámico y el separatismo de género, que persiguen privilegios y se camuflan bajo falsas apariencias de derechos humanos, son un enemigo de la democracia.  La injerencia extranjera está en esos grupos de presión, ONG y multinacionales que pululan por los pasillos y despachos de esta casa. ¿Quién les manda? ¿Ante quién responden? Sabemos también que el separatismo en Cataluña en 2017 contó con el apoyo de agentes infiltrados de Putin, y Sánchez va a amnistiarles ilícitamente de todos sus graves delitos. Pero eso a ustedes les da igual.  Las democracias nacionales no pueden ser tuteladas ni por potencias extranjeras ni por agendas globalistas. El mayor ataque a las democracias es la agenda globalista y fanática mediante la cual las élites de Davos quieren marcar la política de los países europeos sin refrendo popular. Y ustedes la han metido en el colegio de los niños. Democracia es gobierno del pueblo, no de burócratas reunidos con las partes interesadas.
Debate: Defence of democracy package
Date: TUESDAY, 12 DECEMBER 2023
Speaker: Gunnar Beck
Political group: ID
Country: Germany
Language: DE

Frau Präsidentin! Die Europäische Kommission will die europäische Demokratie vor verdeckten Einflüssen durch ausländische Schurkenstaaten und unerwünschte Regime schützen. Meine Partei und meine Fraktion sehen allen sinnvollen Vorschlägen in dieser Hinsicht positiv entgegen. EU-kritischen Politikern und Parteien wird oft vorgeworfen, sie würden von Nicht-EU-Mächten finanziert – meines Wissens zu Unrecht. So kommt die Kritik an dem Ansinnen der Kommission auch nicht von Eurokritikern, sondern von NGOs und der sogenannten Zivilgesellschaft, die unkontrolliert die Energie—, Klima- und Pro-Migrationspolitik der EU mitbestimmen. Denn NGOs sind von der EU-Geldwäsche- und -Antiterrorgesetzgebung ausgenommen, sodass die Finanzierung von NGOs und ihre politischen Verflechtungen allzu oft im Dunkeln bleiben. Lassen Sie uns also gerne mehr Transparenz in verdeckte politische Einflussnahme bringen, aber bitte nicht nur von unerwünschten Drittstaaten, sondern auch durch NGOs und offen kommerzielle Interessenkonflikte wie Frau von der Leyens SMS-Korrespondenz mit Pharmariesen wie Pfizer und US-Consultingfirmen oder die Präsenz von Blackrock-Beratern direkt in der EZB. Denn von westlichen Oligarchen – Ihren sogenannten Philanthropen – wie George Soros, Bill Gates oder Klaus Schwab fließt ziemlich sicher mehr Geld in die EU-Politik und NGOs als von allen Nicht-EU-Drittstaaten zusammen. Und seien Sie bitte nicht zu zaghaft. Der Theorie nach dürfen unsere Richter keine Kontakte zu Prozessparteien, über die sie richten, unterhalten. Wieso also untersagen wir unseren Politikern nicht kategorisch jeden Kontakt zu NGOs und Lobbyisten? Wenn sie ihre eigenen Lippenbekenntnisse ernst nähmen, wäre das gewiss ein guter Beginn.
Debate: Defence of democracy package
Date: TUESDAY, 12 DECEMBER 2023
Speaker: Antoni Comín i Oliveres
Political group: NI
Country: Romania
Language: FR

Madame la Présidente, il est positif que la Commission prépare des propositions visant à accroître la résilience de l’Union face aux ingérences des États tiers, mais ignorer que la résilience de la démocratie dans l’Union commence ici, chez nous, serait nous mentir à nous-mêmes. L’Union doit elle aussi faire ce qui est de son devoir pour garantir que notre démocratie puisse fonctionner. Premièrement, elle doit améliorer la transparence et les mesures anticorruption. Car comme nous l’avons vu avec le «Qatargate», par exemple, les procédures opaques non seulement nuisent à la qualité démocratique, mais elles sont également utilisés par des États tiers pour s’immiscer dans les délibérations de l’Union. Deuxièmement, nous devons garantir que l’Union protège efficacement les droits fondamentaux. Pour donner quelques exemples, le fait que plusieurs États membres utilisent des logiciels espions tels que Pegasus et qu’ils n’aient pas l’intention de s’en départir constitue une attaque contre la démocratie dans l’Union européenne. Le fait également que plusieurs États membres imposent des restrictions à la liberté d’expression sous diverses excuses constitue aussi une attaque contre la démocratie dans l’Union européenne. Où qu’elle est, leur coupole judiciaire tord le code pénal à des fins politiques, violant ainsi les valeurs et les principes fondamentaux de l’Union. Il s’agit là aussi une attaque contre la démocratie dans l’Union européenne. Protégeons-nous contre les ingérences extérieures, certes, mais en luttant également contre les menaces internes.
Debate: Defence of democracy package
Date: TUESDAY, 12 DECEMBER 2023
Speaker: Tomáš Zdechovský
Political group: PPE
Country: Slovenia
Language: CS

Paní předsedající, paní komisařky, děkuji za návrh této legislativy, protože demokracie je pro nás, kteří jsme tady a kteří tady diskutujeme, jedna z největších hodnot, které jsme ve svém životě dostali.  Autoritářské režimy mají strach z demokracie, proto se ji snaží zničit, narušit. Snaží se maximálně nasypat písek do fungujícího soukolí a ovlivnit to, co se tady v demokracii snažíme prosazovat. Vidíme to na řadě států. Čína, Rusko, Írán, Katar, ale i další se snaží ovlivnit rozhodovací procesy uvnitř Evropské unie. A my nesmíme zavírat před těmito státy oči, ale ba naopak, musíme se jim začít účinně bránit.  O naší politické budoucnosti, myslím politické budoucnosti Evropské unie, nesmí rozhodovat nějaké diktátorské režimy, ale musíme rozhodovat my, Evropané, kteří tady žijeme. Proto braňme demokracii, protože sama o sobě jen těžko přežije. Ten, kdo spí v demokracii, probudí se jednou v diktátorském režimu.
Debate: Defence of democracy package
Date: TUESDAY, 12 DECEMBER 2023
Speaker: Evin Incir
Political group: S-D
Country: Hungary
Language: SV

Fru talman! Demokratin måste upprätthållas och stärkas av alla generationer och under alla tider. Vi befinner oss dock i en tid då det varken handlar om att upprätthålla eller stärka längre. Vi befinner oss i en tid då vi behöver försvara och skydda redan vunna politiska strider som gett oss trygghet, frihet och säkerhet.  EU byggdes på idén om att eliminera de mörka krafter som spred hat och förödelse, men dessa krafter har hittat tillbaka. Vi lever i en orolig tid med despoten Putin och hans folkrättsvidriga aggression mot Ukraina på ena sidan av vår kontinent och risken att Donald Trump nästa år gör comeback som president på andra sidan Atlanten, ännu aggressivare än förra gången. Samtidigt växer deras vänner – högerextremisterna och antidemokraterna – sig starkare i vår union. Ett demokratipaket är viktigt och avgörande för folket här i Europa och det är viktigt att vi får det på plats. Inte en enda krona av EU:s skattebetalares pengar får gå in i fickan på skurkregeringar som undergräver demokratin. Vi måste både stödja och skydda civilsamhällets aktörer och fria, oberoende medier och journalister. Men jag vill också vända mig till kollegor här inne, speciellt kollegor i EPP-gruppen, där bland annat svenska moderater och kristdemokrater ingår: Kan ni lova att upphöra med era samarbeten med antidemokratiska och högerextrema krafter?
Debate: Defence of democracy package
Date: TUESDAY, 12 DECEMBER 2023
Speaker: Morten Løkkegaard
Political group: Renew
Country: Sweden
Language: DA

Fru formand! Kommissær. Vores demokrati er under angreb. I Ukraine falder bomberne konstant. Men i dag er krig som bekendt mere end krudt og kugler. Hackere forsøger hvert minut at ødelægge kritisk infrastruktur som hospitaler, energiforsyning, vandforsyning osv. Russerne, ja, de spreder løgne døgnet rundt i EU's medlemslande. Og for at det ikke skal være løgn, ja, så afslørede Qatargate jo, at fremmede stater forsøger at købe sig til indflydelse i EU. Hvis ikke vores demokrati skal forbløde i hybridangreb, skal vi forsvare og styrke vores forsvar. Kommissionens nyeste udspil, demokratiets forsvarspakke, er et første skridt. Det anerkender vi, men det er bestemt ikke nok. Vi skal være langt bedre til i fællesskab at bekæmpe disinformation, cyberangreb, korruption osv. Heldigvis er vi godt på vej på cyberområdet, men forsvar- og sikkerhedspolitik skal øverst på dagsordenen både nu og efter næste valg til Europa-Parlamentet. 2024 bliver året, hvor tryghed og sikkerhed er nøgleordene. Lad os kæmpe for det.
Debate: Defence of democracy package
Date: TUESDAY, 12 DECEMBER 2023
Speaker: Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: Germany
Language: EN

Madam President, in a failing European democracy, with tragic backsliding of rule of law in Hungary and authoritarian threats coming from inside and outside, the defence of democracy is a hugely important topic, one that requires a carefully considered proposal in the light of all the challenges: malicious interference in our electoral processes; disinformation from Chinese, Russian, and other actors; the use of spyware against opposition candidates; the increasing criminalisation of civil society by politicians; and the numerous attacks against journalists. Like others in this House, I have spent this mandate fighting to protect democracy and fundamental rights with the help of civil society throughout. Civil society is instrumental in safeguarding EU values, so we need to address the lack of transparency requirements for interest representatives, but without endangering the work of NGOs. The foreign agents aspect in this package risks so much to sabotage the work of civil society. It could even play into the hands of those who are already looking to target civil society at any cost, instead of addressing the real democratic flaws.
Debate: Defence of democracy package
Date: TUESDAY, 12 DECEMBER 2023
Speaker: Filip De Man
Political group: ID
Country: France
Language: NL

Voorzitter, collega’s, de Europese Commissie wil de democratie verdedigen door meer transparantie van het bestuur en een aantal regels uitvaardigen om ons te beschermen tegen corruptiepogingen van de Russen en de Chinezen. Maar de Europese Commissie heeft zelf boter op het hoofd. Haar voorzitter, de christendemocrate Ursula von der Leyen, bestelde een miljard doses van het covidvaccin, wat de Europese belastingbetaler miljarden euro’s kostte. Gevraagd naar enige transparantie over die merkwaardige geheime bestelling, weigert de Commissievoorzitster haar communicatie daaromtrent vrij te geven. Nul transparantie dus. Tweede voorbeeld: Qatargate. Hier in dit Parlement zetelt nog altijd iemand als lid van de socialistische fractie. Een fractie waarvan meerdere leden betrapt werden op zware corruptie waarbij miljoenen euro’s werden uitbetaald. Zoals mijn grootmoeder altijd zei, wist de Commissie: het is goed in eigen hart te kijken nog even voor het slapengaan.
Debate: Defence of democracy package
Date: TUESDAY, 12 DECEMBER 2023
Speaker: Juan Fernando López Aguilar
Political group: S-D
Country: Germany
Language: ES

Señora presidenta, señora vicepresidenta Jourová, señora comisaria Šuica,  Porque la democracia no puede ser nunca dada por hecha, tiene que estar siempre defendida y reforzada. Y es lo que tenemos la obligación de hacer de cara a las elecciones de 2024.  En primer lugar, protegiéndola frente a las interferencias extranjeras y la manipulación y frente a los bulos y las falsas noticias, pero también incrementando la participación de cara a las elecciones de 2024, no solamente con un mensaje claro de promoción de la participación electoral de las personas que puedan tener problemas de movilidad o las personas con discapacidad, sino también, sobre todo, estableciendo estándares mínimos de participación para combatir, precisamente, el declive de la participación que sufrieron las elecciones europeas durante cuarenta años y del que conseguimos rebotar positivamente en 2019.  Ahora se trata de poner en común buenas prácticas, una red europea de cooperación electoral. Se trata de poner en marcha un plan de defensa de la democracia con iniciativas concretas que tengan influencia en la participación electoral que esperamos en 2024. Y, sobre todo, se trata de protegerla frente a cualquier forma de interferencia de esta vecindad, cada vez más canallesca, que amenaza a la Unión Europea y de la que claramente en los Estados miembros tenemos noticia. Pero, sobre todo, tenemos que conseguir que el Parlamento Europeo que salga de las elecciones de 2024 sea exactamente la representación de la ciudadanía europea reforzada que tenemos la obligación de representar.
Debate: Defence of democracy package
Date: TUESDAY, 12 DECEMBER 2023
Speaker: Bart Groothuis
Political group: Renew
Country: Portugal
Language: EN

Madam President, dear Commissioners, colleagues, I have the tradition of reviewing voting results after this House votes on things the Chinese Communist Party really dislikes, and the Greek Social Democrats tend to consistently abstain or vote against China-critical texts. The underpinning problem is, of course, Greece’s critical port of Piraeus now being China-owned. This is foreign interference at work. In my country, the Netherlands, we consistently supported Nord Stream 2, the pipeline, together with Germany, where it was obviously meant to punch off Ukraine, silence critical voices against Russia’s own malign behaviour. So capturing European elites, like Russia did with Gerhard Schröder, is here, of course, the underpinning problem. Real defence of democracy is therefore to get rid of pressure points of autocratic governments in our society, reduce our own exposure to theirs. Real defence of democracy is therefore outbound investment screening, blocking unwanted takeovers of critical industries, and to name and shame those captured elites. This Defence of Democracy package, dear Commissioners, is much welcomed and I support it. But the real defence of democracy is yet to come.
Debate: Defence of democracy package
Date: TUESDAY, 12 DECEMBER 2023
Speaker: Saskia Bricmont
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: France
Language: FR

Madame la Présidente, chers collègues, l’horloge tourne pour la démocratie européenne, qui s’est construite sur les cendres de la deuxième guerre mondiale et – ne l’oublions pas – contre l’extrême droite, qui veut nous ramener vers les heures les plus sombres de notre histoire. Désormais, c’est aussi contre l’ingérence étrangère qu’il faut lutter. En ce sens, le premier train de mesures pour la défense de la démocratie est évidemment le bienvenu, mais c’est un premier pas. Permettez-moi de partager ma stupéfaction de ne pas voir une seule des recommandations de la commission d’enquête sur les logiciels espions présente dans ce paquet de trains de mesures pour la défense de la démocratie. La surveillance au moyen de logiciels espions, c’est contraire à la liberté d’expression, c’est contraire à la liberté de la presse. Des journalistes ont été surveillés, des opposants politiques, la société civile, des députés, des élus de cette assemblée et des membres de la Commission européenne également. Si cela continue à être toléré, je crains que nous ne loupions un fameux tournant dans la préservation de nos démocraties.