24/06/2026 | 12:39:54 Thank you, President. Dear colleagues, Democracy is the government of the people, based on freedom, pluralism and the ability of every individual to form their own opinion freely. Today, we already have doubts about the reality and validity of these principles. But what will democracy look like in a few years’ time if artificial intelligence develops itself, without effective human control? Anthropic itself, one of the most advanced companies in the development of artificial intelligence, has... 22/04/2026 | 17:30:43 Thank you, Madam Chairman, Ladies and gentlemen, I congratulate the rapporteur on the quality of this report. The death penalty has no place in a society founded on human dignity, the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights. Long before Europe established itself as a continent free of capital punishment, my country, Portugal, had already understood that the state could not dispense justice for the execution. It was a civilisational choice. We were one of the first countries in the... 21/04/2026 | 16:49:48 Thank you, Mister President, Colleagues, Allow me first to congratulate our rapporteur, Ms Elisabetta GARDINI, for the clarity and relevance of her report, and I also congratulate the rapporteur for opinion. Political violence is not something new to our time. History reminds us of this. John KENNEDY was shot dead in the year 1963, before the eyes of the world. Olof PALME, Prime Minister of Sweden, was assassinated in the year 1986 while walking home from the cinema, in a country that... 01/10/2025 | 11:53:31 Thank you, Mister President. Mister President, colleagues, The persecution of Ukrainian journalists by the Russian Federation is not an excess of war. It is a deliberate strategy. By silencing the press, Putin's regime seeks to erase evidence of crimes and to impose lies as the official narrative. This is not new. We saw the same in Chechnya, in Syria and in the Balkans, where censorship and intimidation were used to conceal atrocities. Today In Ukraine, 26 journalists are missing or held in... 25/06/2025 | 20:02:34 Thank you, Chairman. Chairman, colleagues, The draft protocol amending the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism reflects our shared responsibility to respond to a changing threat landscape. Over the past year, many countries have faced a rise in cyberattacks targeting hospitals and public services, while security services have disrupted planned attacks on transport networks and places of worship. The revised Convention addresses these evolving risks. It introduces a... 24/06/2025 | 16:32:43 Thank you. Chairman, colleagues, I wish to thank the rapporteurs for their work on the reports of this joint debate. The Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine is a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter and of the Geneva Conventions. Thousands of atrocities have been committed with impunity: torture, sexual violence, summary executions, indiscriminate shelling of civilians and the illegal deportation of children. More than 74 000 people remain missing. Over 19 500 children... 09/04/2025 | 20:10:05 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) Mr. President Colleagues The implementation of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights is not only a compliance of requirements exercise. It’s about making human rights real in people’s everyday lives. The Rapporteur Colleague Mr Constantinos EFSTATHIOU, whom I congratulate for this important report, urges us to move beyond traditional legal formalities and look deeply into the systemic obstacles that hinder timely compliance... 08/04/2025 | 17:26:34 Thank you, Mister President. Colleagues, Young Serbian students, in very expressive demonstrations, urge an independent judicial system and equal rights. They call for less corruption and more democracy, transparency, justice, fraternity and responsibility. A healthy democracy and a solid rule of law are vital achievements to guarantee the future of generations. It is essential that the Serbian citizens be engaged in the process of accession to the European Union and that disinformation... 29/01/2025 | 19:57:47 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) Mister President, Madam rapporteur Kate Osamor, Colleagues, Europe and the world are facing one of the greatest social transformations of this century: population aging. The number of people aged 60 and over is growing faster than any other age group. In just a few decades, Europe will be an aging continent, with serious consequences for the economy, the labour market, and social security systems. One of the key solutions to this challenge... 28/01/2025 | 20:01:41 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) Mister President, colleagues, A first word to congratulate the rapporteur, Mr Andrea Orlando, for this important and realistic report. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal sixteen (16) promotes peace, justice, and strong institutions. However, mercenaries and private military and security companies (PMSCs) pose significant challenges to this objective. Their actions destabilize conflict regions, violate human rights, and operate...