Compte rendu in extenso des débats

Lundi 2 octobre 2023 - Strasbourg

10. Ordre des travaux

  President. – We now come to the order of business. The final draft agenda as adopted by the Conference of Presidents on 28 September pursuant to Rule 157 has been distributed.

For tomorrow, Tuesday, the S&D Group has requested that one round of political group speakers follows the statement by the President on the 10-year commemoration since the tragedy in Lampedusa. I give the floor to Mr Bartolo to move the request.

  Pietro Bartolo, a nome del gruppo S&D. – Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, il decennale del terribile naufragio di Lampedusa sarà ricordato in Aula domani con una dichiarazione da parte della Presidente. La commemorazione e i minuti di silenzio sono certamente significativi. Tuttavia, credo che sia importante accompagnare questo momento con delle dichiarazioni da parte di tutti i gruppi politici.

A nome del mio gruppo chiedo quindi che vi sia la disponibilità di rendere questo momento non solo celebrativo, ma anche un'occasione per poter esprimere le nostre posizioni a dieci anni da questa terribile tragedia che ha segnato le nostre coscienze e che ha visto 368 morti.

  President. – Is there anybody who would like to speak against this request? Otherwise we will proceed directly to the vote.

(Parliament approved the request)

We will therefore have one round of political group speakers after the statement.

For Tuesday, the Renew Group has requested that the title of the Council and Commission statements on ‘The situation in Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan’s attack’ be changed to ‘The situation in Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan’s attack and the continuing threats against Armenia’.

I give the floor to Nathalie Loiseau to move the request.

  Nathalie Loiseau, au nom du groupe Renew. – Madame la Présidente, nous connaissons tous la situation épouvantable que vit la population arménienne du Haut-Karabakh, qui fait l'objet d'un nettoyage ethnique depuis l'attaque livrée par l'Azerbaïdjan. Plus de 100 000 personnes ont dû quitter le territoire qui les avait vues naître. C'est la raison pour laquelle nous avons une résolution cette semaine.

Mais aujourd'hui, l'Arménie elle-même est menacée. La Turquie et l'Azerbaïdjan continuent à mettre en doute sa souveraineté sur le sud du pays. Et pendant ce temps, la Russie de Vladimir Poutine se livre à des attaques hybrides contre les institutions et le gouvernement démocratique arménien. C'est la raison pour laquelle je vous demande de changer le titre de notre résolution en «la situation au Haut-Karabakh après l'attaque de l'Azerbaïdjan et les menaces continues contre l'Arménie».

  President. – Is there anybody who would like to speak against this request? I don’t see that to be the case, so we will put the request to a vote by roll call.

(Parliament approved the request)

The title is therefore amended to include the words ‘and the continuing threats against Armenia’ at the end.

Also for Tuesday, the S&D Group has requested that the debate on the Council and Commission statements on ‘Recent developments in the Serbia-Kosovo dialogue, including the situation in the northern municipalities in Kosovo’, be wound up with a resolution to be voted at the next part-session. I give the floor to Tonino Picula to move the request on behalf of his group.

  Tonino Picula, on behalf of the S&D Group. – Madam President, dear colleagues, on behalf of the S&D Group, I would like to request the addition of the resolution to be voted on in October II linked to Tuesday’s debate, Council and Commission statements: recent developments in the Serbia-Kosovo dialogue, including the situation in the northern municipalities in Kosovo.

Colleagues, you very well know the recent developments, even during the past days in northern Kosovo, and we think it is important to adopt a resolution also on the matter in the next plenary, in two weeks, to give groups time to prepare.

  President. – Is there anybody who would like to speak against this request?

I don’t see that to be the case and therefore put the request to a vote by roll call.

(Parliament approved the request)

There will therefore be a resolution at the next part-session.

For Tuesday as well, The Left Group has requested that Council and Commission statements on ‘The 10th consecutive increase in reference interest rates decided by the ECB and its consequences’ be added as the last item in the afternoon. As a consequence, the sitting would be extended to 23.00. I give the floor to João Pimenta Lopes to move the request on behalf of The Left Group.

  João Pimenta Lopes, em nome do Grupo The Left. – Senhora Presidente, são já dez os aumentos consecutivos das taxas de juro que sufocam milhões de famílias e pequenas e médias empresas. São casas, empresas, empregos, milhões de pessoas em risco e ainda o risco sério de uma recessão económica. O BCE não afasta novos aumentos e diz-nos que as taxas de juro altas estão aí para durar. É uma chocante insensibilidade face ao desespero de famílias e pequenas e médias empresas enquanto a banca acumula lucros astronómicos. Estamos perante um gigantesco processo de transferência de riqueza, com o patrocínio do BCE, das famílias e dos trabalhadores para os grandes grupos económicos. Mas o BCE e a Comissão Europeia dizem que não basta e defendem que se ponha fim aos apoios às famílias e às pequenas e médias empresas e que se façam mais restrições orçamentais. E nem uma palavra sobre a tributação significativa dos lucros colossais dos grandes grupos económicos, sobre o combate à especulação, sobre o aumento de salários e pensões, sobre a defesa do direito à habitação. Este Parlamento não pode ficar indiferente. Temos que voltar a este debate.

  President. – Does anybody want to speak against?

I see that is not the case, so we will put the request to a vote.

(Parliament approved the request)

So we will have a debate on Tuesday.

For Wednesday, the ID Group has requested that a Commission statement on ‘EU support for Member States facing drinking-water crises in the outermost regions and the islands’ be added as the second item in the afternoon after the topical debate. As a consequence the sitting would be extended until 23.00.

I give the floor to André Rougé to move the request on behalf of the ID Group.

  André Rougé, au nom du groupe ID. – Madame la Présidente, chers collègues, en ce début de XXIᵉ siècle où l'intelligence artificielle, les nouvelles technologies et le progrès sont à l'honneur, des citoyens français, et donc de l'Union européenne, n'ont pas accès à l'eau potable, ni même courante. Un tiers des ressortissants de Guadeloupe et Martinique est confronté à ce fléau. Et que dire de la situation à Mayotte, où l'armée en est à distribuer des bouteilles d'eau à la population? Que dire des retards accumulés dans la construction d'usines de dessalement? Que dire des déperditions de 30 % de l'eau dans des canalisations non entretenues, véritable catastrophe écologique en plus d'être une gabegie?

C'est pourquoi j'en appelle à votre humanisme, à votre sens des responsabilités et de l'intérêt général pour que nos compatriotes ultramarins, ces Français du grand large qui nous regardent et nous jugent, sachent qu'ici nous les considérons dignement, avec respect, comme des Français et donc des Européens à part entière et non entièrement à part. Je vous demande donc d'inscrire à l'ordre du jour de notre session le fait que le bon accès à une eau potable et sa préservation est un besoin vital pour nos régions ultrapériphériques.

  President. – I have received an alternative proposal from the S&D Group. Ms Gualmini, would you like to propose it?

  Elisabetta Gualmini, on behalf of the S&D Group. – Madam President, we absolutely believe that water management is a crucial topic, but we really would like to address this subject also with a debate with a larger, all-encompassing title, including on the impact on agriculture and nature. And so we would propose a broader title: the Council and Commission statements on responsible water management, nature restoration and agriculture.

However, we know that there are some other political groups that would like to have more time to discuss and to have a debate. And so in the spirit of compromise, we suggest that the debate be moved to the October II plenary session.

  La Présidente. – Monsieur Rougé, est-ce que vous êtes d’accord avec cette autre proposition, qui impliquerait de tenir le débat lors de la période de session d'octobre II?

  André Rougé, au nom du groupe ID. – Madame la Présidente, comme je l’ai indiqué, il y a une situation d’urgence, alors je pense que non.

  President. – We will now vote on the original request of the ID Group by roll call.

(Parliament rejected the request)

So Ms Gualmini, do we now put to the vote your request to have the debate in October II?

(Ms Gualmini assented)

So we vote on the request and the alternative proposal by the S&D? I understand that we don’t vote now, actually, because this is an agenda issue. So we will decide when we discuss the agenda of October II at COP level and we come back to this – hopefully not on Monday afternoon when we’re fixing the agenda.

So for Wednesday, the Renew Group has requested that Council and Commission statements on ‘The spread of anti-LGBTIQ propaganda bills by far-right parties and governments in Europe’ be added as the sixth item in the afternoon. As a consequence, the sitting would be extended to 23.00.

I give the floor to Pierre Karleskind to move the request on behalf of the Renew Group.

  Pierre Karleskind, au nom du groupe Renew. – Madame la Présidente, chers collègues, je ne sais pas si vous avez remarqué, mais à chaque fois que les droites dures en Europe sont en difficulté, que ce soit sur le plan politique, économique ou social, elles en reviennent toujours à une bonne vieille valeur sûre de l’extrême droite: les homosexuels comme boucs émissaires.

En Italie, c’est la semaine dernière, en pleine crise migratoire, que des députés, soutiens de la première ministre, ont déposé rien de moins que des amendements pour interdire purement et simplement la diffusion de contenus LGBT à la télévision publique italienne.

Répétons-le: les personnes LGBT ne sont pas une idéologie, ce sont des personnes, et le respect des personnes est trop important pour en faire un épouvantail politique ayant vocation à cacher les échecs de cette droite dure et sa désunion.

Notre Parlement a toujours été, chers collègues, du côté du respect des droits fondamentaux. C’est pour cela que, en vertu de l’article 158, le groupe Renew vous propose – nous propose – d’ajouter un débat sur la diffusion de lois antipropagande LGBT par les partis et les gouvernements de droite dure en Europe.

  President. – Does anybody want to speak against?

  Carlo Fidanza (ECR). – Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, io francamente rimango basito dalle argomentazioni che ho ascoltato dal collega, che mi fanno pensare che il dibattito che si vuole organizzare in quest'Aula sia del tutto strumentale. Ho sentito parlare di cose che in Italia non esistono, di cui nessun italiano ha consapevolezza.

Non c'è stato un solo atto, dall'inizio del governo guidato da Giorgia Meloni, che abbia in qualche modo peggiorato la situazione degli omosessuali in Italia. Non c'è stata una sola normativa varata dal governo di centrodestra in Italia che possa avere in qualche modo colpito gli omosessuali. Questa che voi state raccontando è una falsa propaganda e, se pensate di fare un dibattito sulla base di falsità e menzogne come questa, ve lo voterete da soli, perché noi non siamo d'accordo.

  Vladimír Bilčík, on behalf of the PPE Group. – Madam President, this debate is important. However, the title, as suggested, is not appropriate. As many of us followed a recent election campaign in central Europe, which culminated in elections this weekend, we must be aware that the problem of anti-LGBTIQ propaganda is a problem which concerns also political forces on the left side of this House. This is why the EPP Group would request that the ‘far right’ adjective is deleted. Otherwise, we are happy to support the proposal.

  President. – So Mr Karleskind, do you agree with Mr Bilčík’s proposal?

  Pierre Karleskind, au nom du groupe Renew. – Madame la Présidente, je ferai remarquer que M. Fico n’est pas encore le premier ministre slovaque et qu’il n’a donc pas encore eu l’occasion de mettre en œuvre quelque mesure que ce soit.

Je veux simplement vous faire remarquer, si cela peut agréer à l’ensemble de nos collègues, que nous pourrions remplacer les mots «droite dure» ou «extrême droite» par «populiste» – je n’y vois pas d’inconvénient.

  President. – OK, so we vote on this proposal by Mr Karleskind, with the modification ‘populist’.

(Parliament approved the request)

Therefore there will be a debate on Wednesday. The agenda is adopted and the order of business is thus established. Have a nice week.

(The sitting was suspended for a few moments)

VORSITZ: OTHMAR KARAS
Vizepräsident