Prior to the plenary session, Stéphane SÉJOURNÉ (Renew Europe, FR), President of Renew Europe in the Parliament, gives the piorities of the group. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

plenary session

press conference

SÉJOURNÉ, Stéphane (Renew, FR)

Renew Europe

Press conference by Stéphane SÉJOURNÉ (Renew Europe, FR), Renew Europe Group Leader - Renew Europe press briefing

SOUNDBITE (French), St&eacute;phane S&Eacute;JOURN&Eacute; (Renew, FR), Renew Europe group leader, Thank very you much for coming to the press conference. I just wanted to talk to you about some of the Renew priorities for the plenary session. Firstly, the preparation of the Council on Wednesday the 19th, because there'll be the European Council meeting on Thursday. And I'll be mentioning tomorrow, when I speak during the debate on the Council, we're calling for a number of priorities, particularly the energy priorities which we have supported.

SOUNDBITE (French), Stéphane SÉJOURNÉ (Renew, FR), Renew Europe group leader, I'd just like to point out that as is often the case, the European Parliament is at the forefront in taking things forward and it has been doing its homework over recent weeks. A number of solutions have been proposed in our resolutions to tackle gas prices, a solidarity fund which could run through to the end of the winter in 2024, for helping those who are facing energy difficulties, common purchasing of energy schemes.

SOUNDBITE (French), Stéphane SÉJOURNÉ (Renew, FR), Renew Europe group leader, This recalls what we did about vaccines, which allowed a number of member states to benefit from grouped prices and group orders. And I think that this could be something that we could use for gas as well. Then some solutions to do with gas and electricity prices. It's absurd that gas and electricity prices are like this, and that fossil fuels push the prices up. We have a solution that the Parliament has put forward with hundreds of political parties representatives in the different groups who supported that. And I think they've shown the way forward for the Council.

SOUNDBITE (French), Stéphane SÉJOURNÉ (Renew, FR), Renew Europe group leader, I will be saying to the Commission president tomorrow that a real need for planned investment is necessary in the European Union. And we, in my group, are concerned about giving money directly to member states, but not having major oversight or planning, rather, of investment in renewable energy infrastructures over the coming years. That will also be a subject that we will debate.

SOUNDBITE (French), Stéphane SÉJOURNÉ (Renew, FR), Renew Europe group leader, And then there's an increase in hate crimes against LGBT communities. That's a debate that we put forward as a proposal at the last session. So that will be a debate with a resolution to people who have been murdered outside a bar in Bratislava last week. That debate on that subject will take place today. For my group, this is obviously a terrorist act, which is symptomatic of hate fuelled discourse, which we are seeing on the rise in Europe.

SOUNDBITE (French), Stéphane SÉJOURNÉ (Renew, FR), Renew Europe group leader, This has been instrumentalised by the Hungarian and Polish groups, but we're also seeing the same thing being carried out by Georgia Meloni in Italy during her campaign. And it's a concern for members of the Renew group. These are arguments which are systematically put forward by extremists.

SOUNDBITE (French), Stéphane SÉJOURNÉ (Renew, FR), Renew Europe group leader, They tie in with ideas put forward by the Kremlin to do with the decadence of Western society or European society. And I think it's important to focus on what we can do in terms of European and national legislation. This will be put forward by Slovenian members, but by the whole group as well. All of the European Union's institutions have to take up this challenge because this is a fight that we need to carry out on a daily basis without giving an inch.

SOUNDBITE (French), Stéphane SÉJOURNÉ (Renew, FR), Renew Europe group leader, There the is also Swedish situation on our agenda. No doubt you will have seen or heard about the agreement which has been reached. One of our members has signed this accord, which allows the EPP to get from support the extreme right. And this was a campaign carried out by the Liberal Party in Sweden, which is part of my group.

SOUNDBITE (French), Stéphane SÉJOURNÉ (Renew, FR), Renew Europe group leader, But at the same time, I deplore the coalition agreement, which has been reached with those parties. And I'll be discussing this in the Bureau of the Renew group so that we can look at the positions that we wish to defend. Renew is based on combating the extreme right and populism. Those are Swedish sensibilities as well, of course, I feel that you need to take a strong line here, both with our opponents and those within our own group. So we need to be consistent when it comes to the situation. And the current situation is in Sweden is far from satisfactory. Any questions?

Q&A, Regarding the far right on Italy. Second question on the rule of law in Malta.

Q&A, Regarding Renew's position on the Frontex discharge. Second question regarding the situation with the Swedish group members.