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: Mick Wallace
Political group: The Left
Country: Germany
Language: EN

Madam President, there are 18 condemnations in the common security and defence policy annual report. Not one of them is directed at Israel. Yet, unlike Israel, none of the 11 countries condemned are carrying out a genocide right now. The report emphasises full support for Israel and for Israel’s right to defend itself in accordance with international law. I would like the rapporteur of the report to please point out what system of law he is appealing to, because nowhere in international law does it allow for a state to claim the right of self-defence against a threat that emanates from a territory it occupies, from a territory that is kept under belligerent occupation. Israel is a foreign nation illegally occupying Palestine. The Palestinians are the ones with the right to self-defence, not the Israelis. This part of it makes a mockery of the notion of international law of human rights. You are twisting international law to justify a genocide and then accuse everyone else of human rights abuses. This place is losing the plot.
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: Kostas Papadakis
Political group: NI
Country: Czechia
Language: EL

Κυρία Πρόεδρε, η Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση, μαζί με το ΝΑΤΟ και τις Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες, πρωταγωνιστεί σε βάρος των λαών στο δίχρονο ιμπεριαλιστικό πόλεμο στην Ουκρανία κόντρα στην καπιταλιστική Ρωσία, στη γενοκτονία του παλαιστινιακού λαού από το κράτος-κατακτητή Ισραήλ, ρίχνει λάδι στη φωτιά στον πόλεμο στην Υεμένη. Στο πλαίσιο της ΚΕΠΠΑ δίνονται δισεκατομμύρια για εξοπλισμό, τεχνητή νοημοσύνη και πυρομαχικά. Επίσης, εντείνονται οι διεργασίες νέας κλιμάκωσης για αποστολή στρατευμάτων του ΝΑΤΟ και του ευρωστρατού, με «λαγό» τη δήλωση Μακρόν. Ως και επίτροπος Άμυνας ορίζεται.  Γεμάτη κινδύνους είναι η ευρωενωσιακή επιχείρηση Ασπίδες, η ανάληψη του συντονισμού της μέσω του Στρατηγείου της Λάρισας από την κυβέρνηση της Νέας Δημοκρατίας, όπως και η αποστολή της ελληνικής φρεγάτας ΥΔΡΑ· όλα για τα συμφέροντα των εφοπλιστών και των ομίλων διαμετακόμισης, με σύμπλευση και του ΣΥΡΙΖΑ και του ΠΑΣΟΚ. Τώρα να ακυρωθεί η επιχείρηση Ασπίδες και να επιστρέψει η ελληνική φρεγάτα. Καμία εμπλοκή. Ανυποχώρητος λαϊκός αγώνας του λαού ενάντια στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση και τις κυβερνήσεις που καταπνίγουν τις λαϊκές ανάγκες στο βωμό των ιμπεριαλιστικών πολέμων και της εκμετάλλευσης.
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: Michael Gahler
Political group: PPE
Country: Spain
Language: EN

Madam President, colleagues, on Ukraine I said yesterday what needs to be said. I welcome that there is movement to enlarge the scope of the activities of the European Investment Bank to defence that will hopefully also end the hesitance of private banks to engage in defence-related activities. I welcome the announcement of the Commission President that she intends to install a Defence Union Commissioner in the new Commission, and I would like to see it as an ambitious approach. As a Commissioner, this ‘DUC’ should be assigned all defence-related EU actions within the remit of the European Commission, and in particular on defence research, the support for the industrial base, military mobility, the procurement and transfer directives, resilience, defence and training. All Commission actions should be encompassed in a single Multiannual Defence in Union Instrument, which the DUC oversees. The DUC should be assigned by the Council the role of the EU’s Special Representative for the Defence Union. In that role, he should in particular oversee the EDA and PESCO, military staff, military committee, military missions and operations and should be responsible for the relationship with NATO and should be assigned the responsibility to inform the European Council about the readiness of the EU to move to a common defence.
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: Heléne Fritzon
Political group: S-D
Country: Austria
Language: SV

Fru talman! Jag vill rikta ett tack för allt det stöd vi har fått för Sveriges ansökan om att bli medlem i Nato. Rysslands invasion är ett hot mot hela Europas säkerhet, och EU måste fortsätta sitt stöd ekonomiskt, humanitärt och militärt.  Nu nås vi av rapporter om att ukrainska styrkor ransonerar och får slut på ammunition vid frontlinjen. Därför behöver vi stärka försvarsförmågan, och det arbetet handlar nu om att öka det militära stödet till Ukraina – och tiden är knapp. Vi måste donera mer, köpa in mer och producera mer ammunition.  I EU måste vi stå starka och hålla samman och inte låta oss splittras av de högerextrema krafterna. EU måste fortsätta sitt ihärdiga stöd till Ukraina nu.
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: Petras Auštrevičius
Political group: Renew
Country: Lithuania
Language: EN

Madam President, Council representative, Commissioner, dear colleagues, the war in Ukraine, Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine require an urgent and strong EU capacity to respond adequately to the situation. Limited defence budgets of Member States, insufficient defence industrial capacities and slow collective EU action are the main reasons for the EU’s insufficient response towards war on our continent. Colleagues, the European Commission must establish a kind of war cabinet, now and fully operational. It must consist of the President of the Commission and several key Commissioners responsible for finance, defence industry and common security and defence policy. Secondly, decisions on a compulsory contribution from Member States to military support for Ukraine must be taken. A common level of support from national budgets is essential. Certain derogations can be provided to neutral ones. And thirdly, the EU must use the instrument of European bonds to finance long-term defence and production capabilities, which must form the basis for the future creation of the European Defence Union.
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: Ville Niinistö
Political group: Verts/ALE
Country: Poland
Language: EN

Madam President, coming from the EU country that has the longest border with Russia, namely Finland, I cannot emphasise too much the need for us to move from words to operational strength in security and defence in Europe. It is important that we realise that we have to urgently put the focus on conventional weapons for Ukraine and our own defence readiness in making European cooperation the rule for armed forces and defence industries. The most urgent task is to realise that Russia is in war economy. Russia’s war policies will not stop if we do not support Ukraine enough to force them to do that. Russia has increased, by the accounts of the Bank of Finland , by 35 % the production of war-related industries from the pre-war period in 2002. That means that they will continue as long as they can.  So it’s not enough for us to support Ukraine as long as they need. We need to support them as much and as fast as they need, and that means strengthening European defence and security cooperation and putting the focus on quality and operational strength.
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: Alexandr Vondra
Political group: ECR
Country: Ireland
Language: EN

Madam President, the most pressing challenge of our time is to contain the Russian aggression and to provide, immediately, more military help to Ukraine. We do not need more empty promises, but concrete deeds. We must deliver more guns. At home, we do not need new uniforms, we do not need to build a European army to compete with NATO and we do not need a never-ending debate about extending the QMV. But we urgently need to generate more resources for our defences and we terribly need to modernise our obsolete armed forces. It’s the way to make Europe stronger, and stronger NATO, to contain Russia and deter it. The entry of Sweden into NATO is certainly a great move in the right direction.
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: Francesca Donato
Political group: NI
Country: France
Language: IT

Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, oggi è quanto mai urgente esprimere la nostra ferma opposizione alla proposta di Macron di mandare i soldati dell'Unione europea in Ucraina, un'idea folle che scatenerebbe senza dubbio un'escalation bellica, con conseguenze disastrose per tutta l'Europa.  La politica di sicurezza europea deve sempre rientrare in un quadro di difesa, basato su una cooperazione strategica tra i Paesi membri dell'Unione. Per ogni aspetto militare è fondamentale continuare a operare nell'ambito della NATO, l'Alleanza che ha garantito la pace e la sicurezza in Europa sino ad oggi dal dopoguerra. Allo stesso tempo, dobbiamo promuovere un tavolo negoziale fra Russia e Ucraina per cercare una soluzione pacifica e duratura al conflitto in corso.  Il dialogo e la diplomazia, accompagnati dalla deterrenza garantita dalla presenza dell'Alleanza Atlantica, sono sempre state le uniche vie efficaci per risolvere le controversie internazionali e garantire la pace nel nostro continente. Invito dunque tutti a riflettere sulle conseguenze delle nostre azioni e a lavorare insieme per restituire all'Europa stabilità, sicurezza e pace, non dimenticando che la difesa della vita umana e il rispetto delle minoranze sono i principi fondamentali che ci guidano.
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: Antonio López-Istúriz White
Political group: PPE
Country: Estonia
Language: EN

Madam President, our Ukrainian friends are fighting a war for us. Once again, others are fighting our wars for us. We must face reality: this is no longer sustainable. Europe needs to be able to protect itself. This is a serious debate that will define our future capacity to protect our democratic societies and our international liberal order as we know it. It requires vision, leadership and responsibility. I am happy to see that this debate is gaining more momentum and that the Commission, led by President von der Leyen, is doing all it can to provide us with more tools to keep strengthening our defence capabilities. There is much still to be done: more commitment from our Member States, especially from my country, Spain. In any case, I am convinced that this debate is evolving and that in her second mandate as President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, alongside this Parliament, will be able to consolidate a European defence policy which will increase our strategic autonomy, bring our European project to the next level and be a real sign to Putin, Xi Jinping, Iranian ayatollahs and all those threatening 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: Jens Geier
Political group: S-D
Country: Croatia
Language: DE

Frau Präsidentin, Herr Vizepräsident, sehr geehrter Vertreter des Rates, verehrte Kolleginnen und Kollegen! Mehr Ausrüstung, Kapazitätsaufbau, Kooperation in der Verteidigungsindustrie, die Aufrechterhaltung der Verteidigungsfähigkeit der Ukraine im Kampf gegen das imperialistische Russland – alles das ist richtig. Was aber nicht funktionieren wird: in die Verteidigung zu investieren und allen anderen zu empfehlen, ihre Ansprüche zurückzustellen. Denn das wird unsere Gesellschaften zerreißen. Energieversorgung und die Industrie klimaunschädlich zu machen kostet Geld. Kinder aus der Armut zu holen kostet Geld. Bezahlbare Wohnungen bereitzustellen kostet Geld. Digitalisierung, Innovation, Infrastruktur – alles das kostet Geld. Investitionen werden sich nicht aus den Haushalten darstellen lassen, und ohne Kredite wird es nicht gehen. Auf alle diese Bedarfe muss die EU und müssen ihre Mitgliedstaaten angemessen reagieren – ohne Sparappelle und Schuldenbremsen.
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: Nathalie Loiseau
Political group: Renew
Country: Poland
Language: FR

Madame la Présidente, notre continent est aujourd’hui à un moment de bascule. La guerre y sévit par le choix d’un homme, Vladimir Poutine, qui veut la capitulation de l’Ukraine et notre asservissement. Les États-Unis pourraient faire en novembre un choix isolationniste et funeste. Aujourd’hui, c’est à nous de choisir. Ou bien nous prenons le risque de voir la Russie gagner en Ukraine et les États-Unis nous tourner le dos, et ce risque serait considérable pour notre sécurité. Ou bien nous faisons sans attendre le choix d’une vraie défense européenne. Ce qui nous manque aujourd’hui, ce ne sont ni les idées, ni les initiatives. Et je veux saluer ici la conférence réunie à Paris pour accélérer et renforcer le soutien à l’Ukraine. Ce qui nous manque, ce sont les financements pour produire les armes qui feront reculer Vladimir Poutine et le dissuaderont de nous attaquer. Alors n’attendons plus! Kaja Kallas a proposé un emprunt de défense commun, faisons-le! La BEI pourrait investir dans la défense, donnons-lui le mandat pour le faire! Si nous voulons rester en paix, il nous faut bâtir sans plus tarder l’Union européenne de la défense dans les faits, et plus seulement dans les mots.
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: Harald Vilimsky
Political group: ID
Country: Germany
Language: DE

Frau Präsidentin, meine sehr geehrten Damen und Herren! Gut, über Europas Verteidigungsstrategie hier zu sprechen. Vorab ein Satz, den Sie sich auf der Zunge zergehen lassen sollten: Willst du Krieg? Dann schicke Waffen. Willst du Frieden? Dann schicke Diplomaten. Ich habe das Gefühl – angesichts dessen, worüber hier diskutiert wird –, dass hier ganz bewusst ein Kriegsszenario nicht geschürt wird, aber zumindest am Köcheln gehalten wird, was etwas komplett Falsches ist. Ich erinnere daran, dass wir mittlerweile eine Diskussion führen, EU—Truppen in die Ukraine hineinzuschicken. Ich erinnere daran – was aus meiner Sicht absurd ist –, dass wir mittlerweile eine Diskussion führen, die Europäische Union mit Atomwaffen ausstatten zu wollen. Ich erinnere an die – aus Sicht eines österreichischen Politikers – absurde Situation,   Ich sage als Österreicher: Besser, ich nehme die zwei Milliarden Euro, stecke sie in das österreichische Bundesheer zur Absicherung unserer Neutralität, anstatt hier diese kriegerische Geschichte weiter voranzutreiben. Ich bleibe dabei: Österreich ist ein neutrales Land, und wir könnten, sollten und müssten uns hier aktiv als Ort des Friedens anbieten. Das wäre der zehnmal bessere Weg, als hier diese Säbelrasselei weiter voranzutreiben.
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: Marcel de Graaff
Political group: NI
Country: France
Language: NL

Voorzitter, de ambitie van de EU om mee te tellen op wereldniveau is ongeloofwaardige propaganda. De EU is een samenraapsel van totaal verschillende landen en culturen, uitgehold door massamigratie, tot over de oren in de schulden, de-industrialiserend, hard op weg om de eigen voedsel- en watervoorziening te vernietigen. De EU wordt een derdewereldland, een derderangs Amerikaanse vazal. De EU en de NAVO hebben deze oorlog tegen Rusland economisch, politiek en op het slagveld verloren. Daarom bespraken westerse regeringsleiders deze week het sturen van Europese soldaten naar Oekraïne. Ze hebben het over onze kinderen, onze vaders, broers en zonen, waarmee ze deze zinloze oorlog willen rekken om nog meer miljarden te verdienen aan de wapenindustrie. Een EU-defensie-unie is een doodlopende weg van escalatie en oorlogshitserij. Er is maar één weg naar veiligheid en dat is de weg van vrede, dat is de weg van onderhandelingen met respect voor alle partijen.
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: Tom Vandenkendelaere
Political group: PPE
Country: Austria
Language: NL

Voorzitter, vicevoorzitter van de Europese Commissie, staatssecretaris, collega’s, onze defensie versterken moet nu eerst en vooral gebeuren door de snelle ontwikkeling van voldoende performante defensiecapaciteiten, en dat inderdaad met een sterke industrie waarin onze kmo’s alle kansen krijgen. We zien daartoe uit naar het nieuwe strategische kader EDIS en we staan klaar om de Europese Commissie daarvoor te feliciteren. Maar laat ons tegelijk meteen eerlijk zijn met de burgers: de gevraagde budgetten en het nodige maatschappelijke draagvlak zullen overtuiging en vastberadenheid vragen van ons allemaal, zeker in het licht van de oorlog in Oekraïne. De versterking van onze defensie gaat natuurlijk over veel meer dan onze industrie alleen. De budgettaire afspraken gemaakt in NAVO-verband moeten erg ernstig worden genomen, ook in België. Het is duidelijk dat de impact daarvan ook voelbaar zal zijn voor onze burgers en daarom zijn we dringend toe aan een maatschappelijk debat over het belang en de kost van de nood aan veiligheid.
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: Javi López
Political group: S-D
Country: Belgium
Language: ES

Señora presidenta, el contexto geopolítico ha cambiado radicalmente durante los últimos años y ha significado el fin de la inocencia para Europa y su despertar estratégico. Una vecindad con graves conflictos en sus puertas, una invasión a Ucrania que ha roto la arquitectura de seguridad europea y, seamos honestos, la posibilidad de que Trump vuelva a la Casa Blanca y que nuestra dependencia del vínculo atlántico haga que nuestra seguridad se vea afectada. Tenemos que dejar de externalizar nuestra política de seguridad. Durante los últimos años, hemos contribuido para reforzar la industria europea de la defensa mediante la Ley de adquisición común con el EDIRPA, un programa de inversiones europeas, el Reglamento relativo al apoyo a la producción de municiones y la capacidad de despliegue rápido. Y, hay que decirlo, una respuesta madura al apoyo a Ucrania en materia de asistencia militar y una política de sanciones sin precedentes. Pero no es suficiente, necesitamos aumentar nuestras capacidades y modernizarlas en materia de defensa, una mayor cooperación europea y el desarrollo verdadero de la industria europea para ser un actor geopolítico creíble y autónomo en el mundo.
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: Bart Groothuis
Political group: Renew
Country: Portugal
Language: NL

Voorzitter, dames en heren, ik sta hier vandaag voor u als trans—Atlanticus, dus als iemand die waardeert dat onze militaire veiligheid enkel is gegarandeerd bij het superieure militaire strategische vermogen van de Amerikanen. Dat is de belangrijkste reden dat Poetin vooralsnog Europese NAVO—lidstaten niet aanvalt. Maar die Amerikaanse vrienden hebben wij in Europa van onszelf vervreemd. Bij vrijwel alle wapensystemen die absoluut noodzakelijk zijn om op schaal op te kunnen treden, maar die ook te duur zijn om zelf te ontwikkelen of om zelf te kopen, laten we het over aan de Amerikanen, en daardoor kunnen wij onszelf nu niet verdedigen. Dus, die systemen gaan we vanaf nu in Europa zelf ontwikkelen of zelf kopen, in Europa of in de VS. Het Defensiefonds van 100 miljard is de absolute noodzaak. Maar een volwaardige Europese pijler binnen de NAVO heeft ook een Europese Veiligheidsraad nodig met landen die niet in de EU zitten, maar wel in de NAVO: Noorwegen, het Verenigd Koninkrijk, Turkije. Wacht niet met het opzetten van zo’n structuur, maar begin daarmee vandaag.
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: Paulo Rangel
Political group: PPE
Country: Germany
Language: PT

Senhora Presidente, Senhora Ministra, Senhor Vice-Presidente,  primeiro queria saudar a adesão da Suécia à NATO que é um facto estratégico fundamental para a Aliança Atlântica e para a Europa. A invasão da Ucrânia pela Rússia de Putin é um desafio existencial à União Europeia, à democracia, à liberdade no mundo e, por isso, é fundamental apontarmos para uma União Europeia da defesa. Na indústria da defesa, na cooperação militar, que seja o pilar europeu da NATO, que não dê lugar a nenhum exército europeu e que, pelo contrário, reforce a NATO, que, aliás, é uma organização amplamente apoiada pelos países europeus e, em particular, pelo meu país, Portugal. Queria, aliás, dizer que não deve haver deslocação de tropas para a Ucrânia sob o risco de exponenciarmos o conflito. E queria, finalmente, lamentar que o Partido Socialista português, aqui pela voz de um dos seus eurodeputados, tenha vindo com um discurso viscoso, ambíguo, claramente alinhado para fazer uma aliança com os dois partidos que são anti-NATO, numa altura de guerra. Pedro Marques, que pena estar aliado ao Bloco de Esquerda, ao Partido Comunista que são contra a NATO. Portugal precisa da defesa da NATO. É uma pena que os socialistas portugueses com um discurso que não falou sobre política externa nem de defesa, tenham vindo...