unimelb-nlp/MultiEup-v2 huggingface dataset:
Debate: Strengthening European Defence in a volatile geopolitical landscape - Implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report  - Implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report
Date: WEDNESDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 2024
Speaker: Rainer Wieland
Country: Germany
Language: EN

I took notice that Mr Danjean will today have his last speech in the House, and I want to take the opportunity to thank you for your contributions and for your service. I think your seriousness and the reliability with which you have rendered that service is why you are so highly esteemed in the whole House, across the benches. Thank you, Mr Danjean.
Debate: Strengthening European Defence in a volatile geopolitical landscape - Implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report  - Implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report
Date: WEDNESDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 2024
Speaker: Arnaud Danjean
Political group: PPE
Country: Sweden
Language: FR

Monsieur le Président, Madame la Présidente, Monsieur le Secrétaire d’État, il n’est jamais trop tard pour se réveiller, même si la guerre russe en Ukraine et les spéculations sur une possible défaillance de l’allié américain ne datent pas d’aujourd’hui, ni même d’il y a deux ans, mais d’il y a déjà dix ans. Depuis, nous avons eu beaucoup d’effets d’annonce, beaucoup d’incantations, quelques actions, c’est vrai, mais trop peu et trop lentement. Et je vous renvoie à cet égard aux débats que nous avions ici même il y a deux ans, à la veille et à la suite du fameux sommet de Versailles, où on nous avait promis monts et merveilles. Mais tout cela tarde à se matérialiser. Comment s’assurer aujourd’hui que nous n’en resterons pas une nouvelle fois à des déclarations sans lendemain? D’abord, face à l’urgence, évitons de perdre du temps et de l’énergie dans des débats qui divisent, au lieu de nous mobiliser pleinement sur ce qui doit nous unir et nous rassembler. La priorité absolue aujourd’hui, c’est de produire et de livrer des équipements et des munitions, pas de spéculer publiquement sur des options qui divisent les Européens. Cela vaut pour le président de la République française comme pour le chancelier allemand. Ensuite, il faut reconnaître qu’il n’y a qu’une catégorie de producteurs, les entreprises, et qu’une catégorie d’acheteurs, les États. La Commission, et vous l’avez d’ailleurs très bien expliqué, Madame la Présidente, n’est pas productrice, elle n’est pas acheteuse non plus de matériel de défense. Ce n’est pas son rôle. Son rôle, et vous l’avez rappelé, est de faciliter et de fluidifier ce lien entre entreprises et États aussi directement et simplement que possible. À cet égard, il est impératif, Manfred l’a rappelé et je ne peux qu’insister sur cet aspect, de sortir de toute ambiguïté sur les contraintes qui découragent les financements publics et privés vers l’industrie de défense. La fameuse taxonomie, qu’elle soit environnementale ou sociale, fait peser trop d’incertitudes sur des acteurs qui sont prêts à s’engager, mais qui ont peur d’être en contravention avec des injonctions parfois imprécises ou contradictoires. Enfin, les États membres gardent la responsabilité majeure et ils ne doivent pas la fuir. Ils passent les commandes, ils achètent, ils livrent. Qu’ils revitalisent donc au bon niveau la Facilité européenne pour la paix, qu’ils adaptent les règles de la Banque européenne d’investissement, et qu’ils se regroupent ou qu’ils fassent seuls pour acheter et livrer. Mais qu’ils le fassent vite, l’économie de guerre, ce ne sont pas des effets de manche, ce sont des commandes.
Debate: Strengthening European Defence in a volatile geopolitical landscape - Implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report  - Implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report
Date: WEDNESDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 2024
Speaker: Thijs Reuten
Political group: S-D
Country: France
Language: NL

Voorzitter, Commissievoorzitter, Raad, collega’s, onze veiligheid in Europa wordt bedreigd. In de eerste plaats door de agressieoorlog van Rusland in Oekraïne. Het moet duidelijk zijn waar wij staan. Dappere Oekraïners verdedigen ook ónze democratie en ónze veiligheid. En wij hebben maar één taak: Oekraïne geven wat nodig is om te winnen. Dat doen we nu niet, en u draagt daar mee de verantwoordelijkheid voor. Ik wil zien dat u beiden landen die niet genoeg doen – en dat zijn er best veel – aanspreekt, doordringt van de urgentie. Dit is onze gezamenlijke taak. We kunnen dit. Dat weet ik zeker. Maar niet als we twijfelen en aarzelen over munitie, over onze voorraden en over de ATACMS. Maar er is meer. De vrienden van Poetin in Europa komt u regelmatig tegen. Ook dan staan onze veiligheid, onze waarden en onze democratie op het spel. Dat is niet los van elkaar te zien. Als u zich laat chanteren door Orbán tot het onterecht vrijgeven van tien miljard euro, maar ook, Commissievoorzitter, als u bijvoorbeeld spreekt met president Vučić en hij u schoffeert tijdens een persconferentie, of als u commissaris Várhelyi maar laat begaan met zijn steun voor Dodik en Vučić. Ook dan staan onze waarden op het spel. We moeten duidelijk zijn naar degenen die stabiliteit en recht ondermijnen, en de mensen steunen die het tegendeel willen. En ja, onze geloofwaardigheid wordt ook beïnvloed door onze stellingname buiten de Europese Unie. En dan heeft u, voorzitter van de Commissie, mij teleurgesteld omdat het u meer dan twee weken kostte om dezelfde woorden van medeleven en humaniteit uit te spreken over de duizenden onschuldige slachtoffers in Gaza als voor de slachtoffers van de vreselijke terreuraanval. U blijft volharden – net als veel regeringsleiders – in het herhalen van de mantra dat het allemaal moet binnen het internationaal recht. Dat gebeurt nu niet, en u weet dat. Er moet nu een staakt—het—vuren komen. Maar ik eindig positief door u, mevrouw von der Leyen, ondanks mijn kritiek te bedanken voor uw inzet voor Oekraïne. Lever daar niet op in. Laat u niet afleiden door verkiezingen. De inzet van dit Parlement laat zien dat het kan. Effectief, meerderheidsbesluitvorming, scherpe keuzes met betrekking tot defensie, voor Europa, voor onze waarden.
Debate: Strengthening European Defence in a volatile geopolitical landscape - Implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report  - Implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report
Date: WEDNESDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 2024
Speaker: Malik Azmani
Political group: Renew
Country: Netherlands
Language: EN

Mr President, dear colleagues, I start by paying respect for the Ukrainian people, who continue to fight for our common freedoms. Colleagues, all Ukrainians ask for is weapons. They need to defend their country. Ukraine is losing ground because they don’t have them. No one can say when or where Russia’s invasion will end, but we know that any victory for Russia is a blow to European security. The less we do now, the higher cost later. We must produce through the European defence industry, but this will take time. In the short term, what Ukraine needs must be jointly procured worldwide and the Commission should take emergency measures to remove all barriers and stimulate investment in the European defence industry. Now is the time to do what’s necessary to enhance our European security.
Debate: Strengthening European Defence in a volatile geopolitical landscape - Implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report  - Implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report
Date: WEDNESDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 2024
Speaker: Reinhard Bütikofer
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: Italy
Language: EN

Mr President, President von der Leyen, Minister, colleagues, it’s good to have this debate. It’s good to have brought unity in this House. But looking at the crisis which we are confronted with, regarding European security, what is it worth to agree on a CFSP report if we don’t have the national leaders that we would need to turn plans into action? I applaud your speech, President von der Leyen, but other people elected to lead Europe are failing her. Let’s just look at President Macron and Chancellor Scholz – sensing that the helpful leadership of President Biden is waning, they’re presently at each other’s throats, belittling, undercutting and insulting each other. While one of them is a hero of grandiose statements without real substance, the other – whose party is still partly an appeasement party – hides his timidity behind a play with alternative facts ad nauseam. What about other big EU countries? Where’s Italy? Europe’s historical mother, barely visible. Where’s proud Spain? Her leader, when he spoke to us here, had only empty words and no interest.  Some leadership comes from countries in the EU’s north and east. The proposal from Estonia of 0.25% of GDP going to defence – that’s a leadership proposal.  I think we have to rally citizens when leaders fail. So let’s form a phalanx of parliaments in order to turn this crisis into a step forward.
Debate: Strengthening European Defence in a volatile geopolitical landscape - Implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report  - Implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report
Date: WEDNESDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 2024
Speaker: Charlie Weimers
Political group: ECR
Country: Luxembourg
Language: EN

Mr President, Russia and Belarus weaponise migrants against Europe’s frontier. Yet the resolve of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland holds strong – border barriers work. Unfortunately, the Commission believes physical barriers don’t efficiently improve border management and refuses to fund them. That’s a security problem. They believe EU funds are better spent – I’m not joking – on circus workshops to integrate military-age male migrants and empty parties in the metaverse. Every year, hundreds of thousands of migrants are told to return. Everybody knows it: they don’t! Because their countries won’t even take them back. Greece wants sanctions against those countries, an EU deportation mechanism. We should support them – it should be in this report – and use the sanctions to pay for physical border barriers. The Commission should immediately inform uncooperative countries that for every migrant they refuse, EUR 20 000 will be deducted from the EU funds they receive. And for every weaponised illegal migrant entering Europe, it will cost them EUR 200 000. Some of you talk about Fortress Europe like it’s a bad thing. I say: fund that wall and make Morocco, Turkey, Syria and Pakistan pay for it!
Debate: Strengthening European Defence in a volatile geopolitical landscape - Implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report  - Implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report
Date: WEDNESDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 2024
Speaker: Rainer Wieland
Country: Germany
Language: DE

Kolleginnen und Kollegen! Wir haben jetzt noch 40 Redner, bis auf eine Ausnahme haben alle eine Minute. Wir sind jetzt zweimal rum. Wenn jeder seine Rede überzieht, dann werde ich der folgenden Vizepräsidentin empfehlen müssen, das Verfahren der blauen Karte abzukürzen, oder wir kommen total außer Kontrolle. Einige Fraktionsvorsitzende, die gesprochen haben, sind noch da. Wir müssen mit den Redezeiten was ändern, aber ich kann jetzt nicht anders handeln als wirklich auf die strenge Einhaltung der Redezeit zu achten, und ich bitte auch alle Kollegen um entsprechende Disziplin.
Debate: Strengthening European Defence in a volatile geopolitical landscape - Implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report  - Implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report
Date: WEDNESDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 2024
Speaker: Anders Vistisen
Political group: ID
Language: DA

Hr. formand! I dag skammer man sig over at være dansk, over at have en regering og en statsminister, der prøver at fortie og besnakke danskerne, når det kommer til de reelle intentioner bag EU's forsvarspolitik. Men her er man befriende ærlig. Her siger man åbent, at det handler om skabelsen af en egentlig europæisk hær. At det handler om et angreb på landenes vetoret i udenrigs og forsvarspolitikken. At det handler om at skabe en egentlig EU-udenrigspolitik. Alt det er noget forfejlet vrøvl. Det kommer kun til at skabe mere uenighed, mere ustabilitet i Europa, på kontinentet.  Men i det mindste er man ærlige om, at det er det, der er ambitionen. I Danmark fører vi en forløjet debat, hvor man prøver at sondre mellem det, der er ambitionen her, nemlig at EU skal blive en egentlig superstat, et Europas Forenede Stater med egen udenrigspolitik, med egen sikkerhedspolitik, med eget forsvar, mens man påstår, at man stadigvæk hylder idealet om nationalstaten i mit hjemland. Så i det mindste kan jeg takke jer for at være ærlige, selvom politikken konsekvent er elendig.
Debate: Strengthening European Defence in a volatile geopolitical landscape - Implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report  - Implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report
Date: WEDNESDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 2024
Speaker: Özlem Demirel
Political group: The Left
Country: Hungary
Language: DE

Herr Präsident! Frau von der Leyen sagte eben, Europa müsse aufwachen, und meinte damit: Wir müssen bereit sein, mehr aufzurüsten. Wir müssen bereit sein, kriegstüchtig zu sein. Deshalb möchte ich sagen und an die Völker in Europa appellieren und sagen: Ja, wacht auf, Völker dieser Erde! Denn es sind Tage wie diese, die mich sehr nachdenklich stimmen. Ich erinnere mich an Tagen wie diesen an den Roman „Im Westen nichts Neues“, an die Szenen der jungen Männer, die voller Euphorie in den Krieg zogen und dann einige Jahre später verkrüppelt und desillusioniert aus dem Ersten Weltkrieg zurückgekehrt sind. Sie benutzen hier gerade hehre Worte wie Freiheit, Demokratie, Sicherheit, um Aufrüstung zu legitimieren. Dabei ist Aufrüstung und Krieg genau das Gegenteil davon. Imperiale Kriege sind nichts weiter als die größte Barbarei. Seit Russlands Überfall auf die Ukraine sagen Sie nur noch: Rüstet auf! Rüstet auf! Größer, schneller, höher, mehr! Und was bedeutet das bitte? Herr Macron meinte gestern sogar, den neuen Napoleon spielen zu müssen und zu behaupten, wir müssen in der Ukraine Bodentruppen haben. Was bedeutet das anderes, als dass hier gerade der dritte Weltkrieg vorbereitet wird?  Liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen! Krieg ist das Gegenteil von Sicherheit. Die Völker Europas sehnen sich nach sozialer Sicherheit. Sie wollen Sicherheit. Deshalb kann ich nur sagen: Völker, wir müssen tatsächlich den Kriegstreibern hier in den Arm fallen und tatsächlich gegen die Aufrüstung eine starke Friedensbewegung aufbauen. Denn es geht um unsere Zukunft, um die Zukunft unserer Kinder.
Debate: Strengthening European Defence in a volatile geopolitical landscape - Implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report  - Implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report
Date: WEDNESDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 2024
Speaker: Márton Gyöngyösi
Political group: NI
Country: Poland
Language: EN

Mr President, dear colleagues, the EU is facing the greatest security challenge since World War Two. While NATO remains the guarantee of its security, Europe has to demonstrate it can defend its own people, culture and values on its own, if necessary. A precondition for that is the creation of the legal framework for a European army, both at the level of the EU and the individual Member States, followed by a harmonised and integrated defence industry, common military programmes and projects. I would suggest that in its next term the Commission sets common European defence as a top priority and creates two major portfolios headed by a commissioner each. I am very glad that Ursula von der Leyen mentioned the first one in her statement: one responsible for the establishment of a common army, air force and navy, and another, which is equally important, for harmonising intelligence the activity of the national secret services. This is critical in European defence given the recent level of Russian interference, targeted killings, hacking and cyberattacks on European territory.
Debate: Strengthening European Defence in a volatile geopolitical landscape - Implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report  - Implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report
Date: WEDNESDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 2024
Speaker: Rasa Juknevičienė
Political group: PPE
Country: Germany
Language: EN

Mr President, first, my congratulations to Sweden. Now, we will be much stronger together, but we must realise that the war started by Russia is not a short-term crisis. Putin started this war thinking that democracies in general would not be able to withstand it. But we must be able to withstand. We need a clear plan to help Ukraine to win. We need a consensus that each State allocates at least 0.25% of GDP to the victory of Ukraine. This should be the foundation of a real EU Defence Union. On army, for me, an example of someone who is serious in the European Union about security is the army of Finland. Many EU countries have gotten used to comfort and prosperity and we have unprepared societies. We must consider returning to conscription and training of young people. Don’t give up, Europe!
Debate: Strengthening European Defence in a volatile geopolitical landscape - Implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report  - Implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report
Date: WEDNESDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 2024
Speaker: Tonino Picula
Political group: S-D
Country: France
Language: EN

Mr President, back in 2016 I had an honour of working on the report of this House on the European defence union. Then, the phrase itself raised many concerns. Unfortunately, time has proven us right.  Even though the geopolitical challenges in this mandate led to several positive steps in the field of common defence, the European Union should be more proactive and less reactive. Common foreign security and defence policies cannot remain the weakest links of our integrations.  Institutional reforms that will increase our cohesion and coherence are absolutely needed. Still, they must be based on a clear assessment of Europe’s needs rather than being used as a political power tool. Only a strategically autonomous European Union can be the best guarantor of peace on our continent, and the best partner to our allies in the NATO.  For the EU, it’s high time to go the extra mile for the sake of its own security and relevance.
Debate: Strengthening European Defence in a volatile geopolitical landscape - Implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report  - Implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report
Date: WEDNESDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 2024
Speaker: Hilde Vautmans
Political group: Renew
Country: Romania
Language: NL

Voorzitter, Europa moet wakker worden, voor onze vrijheid, voor onze veiligheid. Ursula von der Leyen heeft het gezegd, wel, ik zou het niet beter hebben kunnen zeggen. Meer uitgeven, meer samen uitgeven, beter uitgeven: absoluut. Werken aan een echte EU-defensie-industrie: absoluut. En dat zal nodig zijn, want herinner u het plan van commissaris Breton. We gingen 1 miljoen granaten produceren binnen het jaar. Helaas moet ik zeggen dat we dat niet hebben gehaald. Ik denk maar net de helft. We moeten ze elders gaan aankopen: in Zuid-Afrika, in Zuid-Korea en dan nog betaald met het geld van anderen. Dat is waar momenteel onze Europese defensie-unie staat. Want eerlijk gezegd: waar staan we na twee jaar oorlog op ons continent? Waar? Hebben we een witboek voor onze Europese defensie? Hoe zit het met de relatie tussen Europa en de NAVO? We moeten weg van de unanimiteit. We need a real Commissioner for Defence. We need one Minister for Foreign Affairs. We need, colleagues, a real European army. We need it for Europe, we need it for our citizens.
Debate: Strengthening European Defence in a volatile geopolitical landscape - Implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report  - Implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report
Date: WEDNESDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 2024
Speaker: Jordi Solé
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: Bulgaria
Language: ES

Señora presidenta, la creación de una política propia de defensa ha sido siempre una piedra en el camino de la integración europea. La invasión rusa de Ucrania quizá será el momento en que nos dimos cuenta de la urgencia de cambiar nuestro paradigma de seguridad y defensa. Además, nos estamos replanteando —más a la fuerza que por convicción— algunas de las bases que en buena parte han sustentado nuestra prosperidad relativa. Si realmente apostamos por la famosa autonomía estratégica, por ser un poder normativo o por el poder blando, quizás, no nos bastará. Porque querer más autonomía estratégica implica asumir más responsabilidad. Pero la cuestión clave de una política de defensa europea es cómo utilizamos mejor, de manera más integrada y eficiente nuestras capacidades. Y en las propuestas de industria de defensa veo, con preocupación, que se pone el acento en producir más, con una lógica temeraria de multiplicación del gasto público, en vez de gastar mejor y con una auténtica visión de integración, superando marcos nacionales y mentales obsoletos. Gastar mejor en defensa tradicional para proteger más otras dimensiones de la seguridad humana relacionadas con la justicia social, el bienestar y la sostenibilidad.
Debate: Strengthening European Defence in a volatile geopolitical landscape - Implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report  - Implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report
Date: WEDNESDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 2024
Speaker: Anna Fotyga
Political group: ECR
Country: Denmark
Language: EN

Madam President, the accession of Sweden is a triumph of NATO, but also a triumph of unanimity, adding to our common security and building, even in difficulty, unity of the collective West – unity achieved in respect to opinions of even the smallest nations, in particular those having a long tradition of fighting for freedom and independence. That, I address to our partners and future allies, in particular to Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova: my concerns are, tomorrow, to become yours. All our thoughts and efforts should be to help you to join the collective West as soon as possible and Ukraine to defeat Russia with our help.
Debate: Strengthening European Defence in a volatile geopolitical landscape - Implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report  - Implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report
Date: WEDNESDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 2024
Speaker: Jaak Madison
Political group: ID
Country: France
Language: EN

Madam President, dear colleagues, first of all, unfortunately, Ms von der Leyen has left, but we have to understand, of course, that when we talk about the common security and defence policy in the EU, that there can only be a strong policy if we have strong Member States who are spending enough for defence and who are really realising the world we are living.  I was just checking the numbers before this debate. The current situation has been that Mr Macron is very big with the words, very nice words, but the fact is that the French has given to Ukraine only specifically military aid only for about EUR 600 million, from the GDP only 0.067 % has been to aid Ukraine. When our Spanish colleagues were saying also very beautiful words about the common security policy and how to help Ukraine against Russia, Spain has spent only 0.072 % of their GDP to help Ukraine, and all expenses for defence in Spain are only 1.3 % of the GDP, so it’s pretty far away from the target 2 %. So I think we have to finish the stories about the common beautiful policy until we don’t spend enough for our own...