Plenary session
19 October 2026
Contents updated on 19 Oct 2026
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PLENARY European Parliament
Follow its sittings17:01 - 17:09
La Présidente.
17:10 - 18:26
Speaker 2
Good afternoon, can I please ask you to take your seats? Hey dear colleagues, welcome back to Strasbourg, please take your seats. Let's start. The session adjourned on the 8th of October 2026 is reopened, the minutes and the text adopted of the sitting of 8th of October 2026 are available, are there any comments? No, therefore the minutes are deemed approved.
18:26 - 23:06
Speaker 1
Could I ask for some silence please? Dear colleagues, at September's plenary session, we, this European Parliament, called for swift ratification of the changes to the EU Electoral Act to ensure that no member of this house loses her right to vote just because she is pregnant or a new mother, so I'd like to update you where we are.
Since then, we have Romania and Sweden that have joined Denmark, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, and Greece in completing the process. France, Italy, Ireland, Latvia, and Estonia have also confirmed that they are taking final steps towards ratification. So I'd like to publicly thank those national parliaments and authorities for their swift action and call on other member states and national parliaments to also ratify this revision as soon as possible. So I ask you all, dear colleagues, to keep up the pressure at home so that we can conclude this. Still some member states to go.
Now, following the election of Laurent Castillo as member of the French Senate, Parliament takes note of the vacancy of his seat from 27th of September 2026. In accordance with the rules of procedure, the competent authorities of France have notified me of the election of Brice Hortefeux to the European Parliament, replacing Laurent Castillo with effect from 8 October 2026. I welcome back our colleague and recall that he takes his seat in Parliament and its bodies in full enjoyment of his rights pending the verification of his credentials.
I'd like to inform you that together with the President of the Council, I shall on Wednesday sign eight acts adopted under the ordinary legislative procedure in accordance with Rule 81 of our rules. The titles of the acts concern certain provisions for fishing in the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean agreement area, implementation of measures adopted by several regional fisheries management organisations, acceleration of permit-granting processes for defence readiness projects, defence readiness and facilitating defence investments and conditions for the defence industry, simplification of intra-EU transfers of defence-related products, protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to carcinogens, market stability reserve for buildings, road transport and additional sectors and the Agile programme. I'd also like to inform you that the laureate of the Sakharov Prize for 2026 will be announced on Thursday right after the Conference of Presidents' meeting before the votes. So the bell will ring and I warmly invite you to be present in the chamber for this important announcement. Now we come to the order of business.
The final draft agenda as adopted by the Conference of Presidents on 14th of October pursuant to Rule 163 has been distributed. For today, the PfE Group has requested that Parliament statement would be added as the last item today before the one-minute speeches and I'll now read the title. Renewed riots and violence incited by the far left and the need to protect European citizens and heritage. So the sitting would then be extended to 9:00 PM. I've also received the following alternative titles from other groups which I will read out.
From the Left Group, a Commission statement on the French government's responsibility for failing to guarantee the right to protest and using law enforcement to discredit protesters' legitimate demands. The following title I've received from the S&D Group, a Commission statement on youth and cost of living crisis in France amidst the latest protests, reconciling political response, freedom of protest and respect of civil order.
Then from the EPP group, joined by the ECR group: Parliament statements on France, Italy and Belgium, latest anti-democratic violence by radical far-left groups, implications on public order and the legitimate right to protest. So now in accordance with Rule 164, I will give the floor to Jean-Paul Garraud to move the request of the ID group and then to Ms Toussaint to speak against. Mr Garraud.
23:06 - 23:46
Speaker 3
Merci Madame la Présidente. Je veux m'exprimer avec une certaine solennité parce que l'heure est grave pour la France. Nous avons eu au cours des émeutes, et j'emploie bien le terme émeutes, de samedi et dimanche, près de 1000 policiers blessés, des centaines de commerces pillés, des mairies et des bâtiments publics incendiés. Tout ceci est le résultat du macronisme pendant 10 ans et du socialisme qui l'a précédé. Mais c'est aussi le résultat d'actions violentes menées par donc l'extrême gauche associée aux racailles, et j'emploie le terme comme il est.