Plenary session
9 March 2026
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PLENARY European Parliament
Follow its sittings00:05 - 00:19
Speaker 1
So, dear colleagues, we have witnessed the events unfolding in Iran and the Middle East over the last few days. This house has a proud history of standing with the people.
00:19 - 00:19
In.
00:19 - 07:10
Speaker 1
Iran, from our Saharaf Prize winners to addresses in this chamber for Women's Day, to our calls for sanctions on the regime, and our leadership on the listing of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps as a terrorist organization. And I know that we will continue to push for people in Iran to live in liberty and choose their own destiny. Now, Iran's indiscriminate attacks on the Gulf States are condemnable. They are the actions of a desperate regime whose intent is to sow chaos across the region, and they must stop now and de-escalate. We also know that people in Cyprus are concerned, and I want to be unequivocal.
You are not and will never be alone. European solidarity is real, tangible, and by your side. We will send the clearest of messages that Europe stands firm and united because the security of Cyprus is the security of the European Union. Any threat to member states is totally unacceptable. And when our resolve is tested, we will see, as we are seeing now, Europe acting as one. And in the midst of all this, we think of the people of Iran who have waited through decades of darkness and all those who have suffered at the hands of the regime's proxies.
So, for the thousands murdered, executed, and forcibly disappeared; for the mothers who searched through basements piled with bodies; for the generations driven from their homes and condemned to exile; for every political prisoner tortured or unjustly imprisoned; for every son summarily hanged from a crane in a public square; for every innocent European held hostage by the IRGC; for all the victims of the terror this regime unleashed across the Middle East and beyond; for women, for life and liberty; for Yina Mahsamini; for every voice forever silent. After 47 years, it must be their time. Now, dear colleagues, I want to touch on a topic that I know has impacted all of us. We are witnessing a disturbing rise in political violence fueled by hyperpolarization in our societies, online, and a hateful rhetoric that has led to people being attacked, targeted, and, in some cases, killed. This house condemns political violence in the clearest terms, wherever it occurs and from whatever quarter it comes.
This Parliament stands against political violence without exception. I want to underline that any political differences must be settled in the arena of public debate without ever resorting to aggressive behavior or violence, and I expect all of us elected to this house to be the best examples of that. Our politics must be one of tolerance, of understanding that we do not always share the same view or outlook, but that our Europe must be one of pluralism and debate. And this house stands as a proud example of how we can settle political differences. Dear colleagues, my last communication today is about what happened in the early hours of this morning.
The city of Liège in Belgium was woken by an explosion outside the synagogue. Thankfully, no one was injured, but the antisemitic intent behind such an act is unmistakable. Our thoughts are with the people of Liège and with the entire Jewish community of Belgium. I know the Belgian authorities will do everything in their power to bring the perpetrators to justice, but Europe must be a place where Jewish people can live openly, freely, and without fear; where a synagogue is a house of prayer and of community, and not a target. And this house takes this responsibility extremely seriously, as you all know, and we are acting to combat antisemitism and religious hatred, to protect Jewish life, and to confront hate wherever it appears.
Jewish life belongs in Europe, and Europe will always defend it. Now, dear colleagues, the session agenda for 02/24/2026 is reopened. The minutes and the texts adopted at the sittings of February 2026 are available. Are there any comments? No.
Therefore, the minutes are approved. The competent authorities of The Netherlands have notified me of the election of Willemine Koenig to the European Parliament, replacing Tom Berendsen with effect from 03/03/2026. I welcome our new colleague and recall that she takes her seat in parliament and its bodies in full enjoyment of her rights, pending the verification of her credentials. The competent authorities of Slovenia have addressed a request to me for the parliamentary immunity of Matei Tonin to be waived. This request is referred to the Committee on Legal Affairs.
The EPPS, E, and PFE groups have notified me of decisions relating to changes to appointments within committees and delegations. These decisions will be set out in the minutes of today's sitting and will take effect on the date of this announcement. The IMCO and PESH committees, and jointly the ECON, ENVI, and LIBE committees, have decided to enter interinstitutional negotiations pursuant to Rule 72, paragraph one of our rules. The reports, which constitute the mandates for the negotiations, are available on the plenary web page, and the titles will be published in the minutes of the sitting. Pursuant to Rule 72, paragraph two, members of political groups reaching at least a medium threshold may request in writing by tomorrow, Tuesday, March 10, at midnight, that the decisions be put to the vote.
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