At the opening of the plenary session (4-7 July) of the European Parliament, Martin SCHULZ, EP President paid tribute to and held a minute of silence for Michel ROCARD, former French Prime Minister, and longstanding MEP (1994-2009), as well as for the great number of victims of the terror attacks in Istanbul, Dhaka and Bagdad and in Yemen in the preceding week.&nbsp; Extracts.

Strasbourg

plenary session

EU - Iraq (T)

EU - Türkiye (T)

speech

minute of silence

fight against terrorism (T)

SCHULZ, Martin (S&D, DE)

EU - Bangladesh (T)

EU - Yemen (T)

Introductory remarks by Martin SCHULZ, EP President : tribute to Michel Rocard and to the victims of the terror attacks in Istanbul, Dhaka, Bagdad and in Yemen: extracts

Arrival of EP Martin SCHULZ in the Chamber

SOUNDBITE (French), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, I would like to pay tribute to a great man, Michel Rocard, who just died, he was full of ideas and commitment to the European cause. In his time in Strasbourg, from 1994-2009, he showed that the parliament's members are prepared to go beyond their political differences and to work hard for the honourable cause of citizenship. I personally remember, this tireless debater whose parliamentary office was next to my own. He was a former Prime Minister but he presented himself to us here as a simple member. He won the admiration of his colleagues thanks to his hard work and personality before he went on to become the Chairman for the Committee of Development, and Chairman of the Committee of Employment and culture. He was a great Frenchman and a great European and also a great statesman.

SOUNDBITE (French), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, I ask our colleagues here in Strasbourg to stand so that our assembly can render hommage to him today.

SOUNDBITE (German), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, I want to remind you once again that last week we saw a number of terrible terrorist attacks that were claimed by the Islamic state in Turkey, in Yemen and in Iraq and Bangladesh. More than 300 people were killed within a few days, more than 500 others were injured. Among the victims are men, women and children, soldiers and civilians, people from different backgrounds, with different religions and nationalities. The international terrorism of this group is absolutely blind and they attack everyone.

SOUNDBITE (German), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, No political objective justifies the use of such violence. This boundless terrorism and its murderous ideology can be combated only by a strategy of global cooperation, a close and stable cooperation.Today, we stand together in mourning. I want to express my condolences with the families, of the victims, of all those who are injured and to all of their nations. And I want to express it on behalf of the European Parliament, and this minute of silence should also be dedicated to them.