Roberta Metsola (EPP, MT), Alice Bah Kuhnke (Greens/EFA, SE), and Sira Rego (The Left, ES), the candidates to the office of EP president present their programme in front of the MEPs. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Election of the President of Parliament: short presentation by the candidates for election to the office of the President

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SOUNDBITE (English), Alice KUHNKE, Greens/EFA presidency candidate, Dear colleagues, I was 10 years old the first time I picked up the phone and a Nazi told me that I didn't belong in Sweden, where I was born and raised. He said he will kill me and my family if we didn't leave the country, my home country.

SOUNDBITE (English), Alice KUHNKE, Greens/EFA presidency candidate, The threats never stopped, but my fear became anger and my anger became political action. I am European. I am elected by the people, a member of this House, and I stand before you as the Greens. If a candidate for president of this parliament.

SOUNDBITE (English), Alice KUHNKE, Greens/EFA presidency candidate, To to those of you who keep telling me that I don't belong, you are wrong. The pro Democratic majority of this House will never allow you to define who belongs to this parliament. Or to our European family. Standing here today, my thoughts go to our dear colleague, the late president Sassoli. He will be remembered for his seemingly effortless commitment to the European project and the work of this house.

SOUNDBITE (English), Alice KUHNKE, Greens/EFA presidency candidate, Let us honour his legacy by standing up together for fundamental rights, European solidarity and a European Union for all. There are three little words written at the bottom of every resolution, every report and every legislative position in this House. Three small words that connect us all united in diversity. I believe in a European Parliament of diversity. But believing in diversity is a strength also means we must defend this European project.

SOUNDBITE (English), Alice KUHNKE, Greens/EFA presidency candidate, The fundamental rights of EU citizens and the rules of democracy are not negotiable. As your president, I will listen to and learn from those who stand up for their rights and our common future from young people demanding climate justice to minorities, demanding a seat at the table, and brave Europeans risking their own safety to help migrants at our common borders.

SOUNDBITE (English), Alice KUHNKE, Greens/EFA presidency candidate, When governments tell our citizens that they do not have the right to decide their own bodies, we must stand with them. As as your president, I would honour the legacy of the former president, Simon Veil, with an initiative to reward individuals and organisations fighting for sexual and reproductive health and rights wherever they are challenged in Europe.

SOUNDBITE (English), Alice KUHNKE, Greens/EFA presidency candidate, Dear colleagues, we must earn and protect the trust of our citizens by delivering on the biggest challenges that people around Europe face today. So let this parliament be a force for social justice. Green transition and fair recovery for all this parliament has declared a climate emergency.

SOUNDBITE (English), Alice KUHNKE, Greens/EFA presidency candidate, Let us act on it by ensuring that the Commission delivers on the Green deal. Let's raise the bar for climate action and the protection of biodiversity and let us earn the title as guardian of the Treaties. When the Commission fails to fulfil this role, this House must lead by example. As your president, I will work tirelessly for a European Parliament where diversity is an asset, not a disadvantage.

SOUNDBITE (English), Alice KUHNKE, Greens/EFA presidency candidate, Zero tolerance on sexism is possible. Let us make anti harassment training mandatory. Let us create an equal workplace with flexible methods. Let's ensure transparency and internal democracy in this house, ending the time of backroom dealings. Let us practise what we preach by making sure our own institution is a front runner in the green transition.

SOUNDBITE (English), Alice KUHNKE, Greens/EFA presidency candidate, For example, by adding solar panels on the twentieth thousand square metres of flat roof available on our buildings here in Strasbourg. We have had the courage to take on the Commission and the Council when it was necessary in the past, as your president, I will fight for our feminist parliament that defence and protects.

SOUNDBITE (English), Alice KUHNKE, Greens/EFA presidency candidate, Let us be courageous again. President colleagues, before I finish. You cannot be what you cannot see. To all the ten year old girls out there who are told that you do not belong. With this candidacy I want to show you that you do. The European Parliament, this House is yours. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EPP presidency candidate, Dear colleagues. A week ago, we lost a great man, a champion of our Europe, a man who put dignity of people above all, the gentle journalist turned politician who calmly but resolutely tried to show a sick world the way of solidarity and of service. As one columnist described David Sassoli.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EPP presidency candidate, David fought hard to bring people around the same table. It is that commitment to holding the constructive forces in Europe together that I will build on. If you give me your trust to serve as your president. This is a house of discussion. I am proud of this parliamentary philosophy and determined to strengthen our debating culture.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EPP presidency candidate, 'Truth emerges from disagreement and debate, because tolerance means making space for difference, because justice involves 'audi alteram partem', to hear the other side. My appeal is to rediscover the purpose of Kohl and Mitterand and leave behind the entrenchments of the past as we look to the future.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EPP presidency candidate, Politics cannot boil down to winners and losers. It is about improving societies and lives, about service. And it is here that our European Parliament must truly be a leader. Ours is an institution that is unique in the world. We need to strengthen it. We cannot be afraid of reform. The next part of the mandate will see a window of opportunity to make our parliament more modern, more effective and more efficient.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EPP presidency candidate, We must seise the opportunity to ensure we are able to fulfil our role in representing our citizens, in scrutinising, in investigating and legislating with the right of initiative that we have been promised. Our Parliament is the best example of Europe. We are in Strasbourg as the symbol of democracy, of reconciliation, of peace, of the power of Europe. To shape a future of hope.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EPP presidency candidate, It is not always an easy balance to find, but in our parliament, like in our Europe, it is the strength of your arguments that matters, not geography, which your thrust. I want to be a president of members who makes full use of all young energies and old wisdoms present in the House to help find solutions to the challenges of our time.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EPP presidency candidate, It is in this house that we must double down on our commitment to fight climate change and become the world's first carbon neutral continent. It is here where we must be able to fight to find the way forward on migration, on energy, on digitalisation, on health, on equality, on a new economic model, on defence, on solidarity and social justice.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EPP presidency candidate, Women's rights cannot be an afterthought. The fight for real equality must go beyond image. It must permeate through everything that we do. And I would be proud to be the president who leads that fight, to honour the legacy of all those who came before.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EPP presidency candidate, The president of this house must be one who can bring peace, can bring people together. She must be able to help members close the gap between people and European decision making. Ours must be a European Parliament that is able to fulfil its role on the global stage. We need to increase our focus on parliamentary democracy and diplomacy. Ukraine is under threat. Belarus is at boiling point.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EPP presidency candidate, We also need a president who is accessible, who manages a modern parliament that uses technological opportunities while preserving the solemnity of parliamentary democracy. Who understands the reality that MEPs face. This must be a parliament that has to be open, safe and diverse. A parliament that has the respect that it deserves, where members are free to exercise their mandate.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EPP presidency candidate, And our president needs to be a consensus builder who listens, who can bridge the differences and holds the centre. I have been able to do that working with colleagues and friends from across the aisle on issues where majorities are not easy to find, like migration, the protection on fundamental rights, on Frontex, on fighting corruption, on beating racism, championing LGBTIQ causes, on ending slap lawsuits, on pushing back against discrimination, on empowering women and girls.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EPP presidency candidate, My commitment, as president, would be to work with MEPs to give the institutional backing that you request in order to help find a way forward. Ours must be a parliament that speaks out strongly, powerfully. Our role in holding the commission to account is clear and we must live up to it.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EPP presidency candidate, My commitment is that I will not shy away from the difficult decisions and will always, always represent the views of this house everywhere. I am a woman from a small island in the middle of Europe Southern Sea. I know what it means to be the underdog. I know what it means to be pigeonholed. But I also know how important this is for people beyond this chamber.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EPP presidency candidate, I know what this means for every girl watching today. I know what it means for everyone who dares and who ever dared to dream. So, dear friends, I stand before you today to ask for your trust and for your vote to help push our Europe forward together to help people believe. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Sira REGO, The Left presidency candidate, Thank you very much. I'd like to start off by paying tribute to David Sassoli and what he meant for the European Parliament. Ladies, gentlemen, for me it is an honour to represent the Left, a humble group, but has been vital to build a more democratic Europe, a Europe that is based more on fraternity and solidarity. Our calling is to improve a lot of the working classes, the social majority.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Sira REGO, The Left presidency candidate, We live in a world with limited resources, so the answer cannot be that only a few have rights and access to these resources. We need a strong vision that will tackle the consequences of a climate emergency that is already here.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Sira REGO, The Left presidency candidate, That is why we think that now that where we are debating on the future of Europe, we need more democracy. And this means that the European Parliament has to boost decisions that provide answers to the huge challenges that we face in the eco-social crisis. We also have to make sure that we have a fair exit from the pandemic crisis, defending public services.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Sira REGO, The Left presidency candidate, And, of course, the European Parliament has to defend the rights of women. No backtracking when it comes to our right to decide on our own body. No backtracking when it comes to our right to abortion. We also need to be able to have a public debate in a forum that isn't poisoned with lies and a diverse and pluralist environment. We need to go away from the right that only brings hatred and violence. So that the rights of all or become the privilege of only a few.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Sira REGO, The Left presidency candidate, It's not a coincidence that they attack abducted babies, women and migrants. Moreover, the far right has declared a war against human rights because there is a narrow societal model feels that the majority is a surplus. They want to fight against those below so those above can be richer. They have declared a war against human rights and we are fighting to abolish injustice.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Sira REGO, The Left presidency candidate, That is why we have to say that old formulas, in order to tackle this threat, are showing that they have their limitation. This alleged cordon sanitaire is unravelling and the right seems to be very porous when it comes to the far rights approach and extremist approaches. We can only defend democracy if we have more rights and to have a solid material basis that doesn't leave anyone behind so that no one falls by the wayside.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Sira REGO, The Left presidency candidate, Let me remind you that European democracies have an essential feature and that is the cornerstone of antifascism. In fact, we had a continent that was destroyed by Fascism and Nazis. There are roots in Europe lie in there, and the Italian and German constitution reflect this. But that's not just that.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Sira REGO, The Left presidency candidate, I come from Spain, the country that has created the Casa de Papel, which is the monetised, the screenwriter, which is behind the fact that Bella Ciao is on everyone's lips around the world, says that the sun hasn't risen on the day where it's not a good idea to sing an antifascist himn. No, we want a more social, a greener Europe, a more feminist Europe.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Sira REGO, The Left presidency candidate, We have to build a broad democratic alliance, bringing together those who want to fight against reactionary barbarity. So those of you who identify with the idea, listen to my plea. Let us come together and build a new consensus so that social rights are really at the heart of all of this. Let us learn the lessons of history and harness this opportunity to come out of this crisis without leaving anyone behind.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Sira REGO, The Left presidency candidate, There are those who are going down the path of authoritarianism. Let us not stand side by side by those who share their agenda or part of their agenda, because that would be implicit recognition that democracy is losing that does not give in to the reactionaries and their allies.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Sira REGO, The Left presidency candidate, That is why I ask for your support. I ask for the support of all of those who like us recognise themselves in the fact that we have to save lives in the Mediterranean, who recognise themselves in the working classes, who are mobilising themselves for their rights. And the women who are rallying against reactionary governments, clamouring for freedom so they can decide what happens to their bodies.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Sira REGO, The Left presidency candidate, We need effective measures in order to tackle the climate crisis and we need to help those who fight for the public services. I want your support for a new feminist horizon, because feminism has come to change everything and to show with pride that European history has also been written by women. And we will continue writing European history on the basis of the fight for equality and fairness.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Sira REGO, The Left presidency candidate, I ask for your support for a proposal that draws inspiration in the revolutionary and democratic Europe based on freedom and equality, and that added fraternity too. I want your support so we can build a more democratic Europe together, a Europe that is based more on fraternity and that is fair. In other words, that is antifascist strength to those who fight and struggle. Thank you.

Election of the President of Parliament: short presentation by the candidates for election to the office of the President

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