Near and Middle East
As Chair of the Delegation for Relations with the People of Iran and a Member of the Delegations for Relations to Afghanistan, Irak and the Arab Peninsula (substitute), I often travel to the Near and Middle East. Talking to those in power there is often a balancing act. We need to exchange with them, for example, to organise humanitarian aid or to fight the climate crisis. But it is just as important to clearly name those who commit human rights violations, to support civil society on the ground and to show solidarity with those who stand up for democracy and human rights, even when faced with tough opposition. For me, one thing is clear: a values-driven foreign policy tries to do justice to these different goals as best as it can.
And in doing so, we must not omit another issue: Worldwide, most military equipment is exported to the Near and Middle East. If you need proof that more weapons do not lead to more peace and security, countries like Yemen, Syria or Afghanistan are the best examples. In this context, we must critically rethink our own export policy.
Without the support of our local partners, no EU action, no matter how rapidly deployed, will have a positive political impact on the ground. A Rapid Deployment Capacity cannot be our only answer – we need to better protect our partners and evacuate them when needed! My speech:
After taking power only one and a half years ago, the Taliban have banned women from public life. Now, the future of the country is under attack: the education of its youngest. The EU cannot look away. My plenary speech:
Iraq is a country that has gone through years of war, conflict and terror. Yet the spirit of the Youth protest movement lives on! As the EU, we should support this young courageous generation as much as we can. My plenary speech:
While the regime puts girls behind bars who dared to dance on the streets, those responsible for the poisoning of schoolgirls are still free. My plenary speech:
We should not make the mistake of criminalising all NGOs in the wake of #Qatargate. I made that clear in plenary.
As long as the brutal crackdown of protests continues, we should not negotiate with regime representatives. I made this clear in my plenary speech.
Vor Kurzem fand mein Neujahrsbrunch zum Thema "Europa in einer Welt im Umbruch" statt. Eingeladen war die kanadisch-afghanische Menschenrechtsaktivistin und Autorin Nahid Shahalimi.
People in the gulf region risk their lives for their right to freedom of expression. I addressed some cases in plenary:
At least one member of the European Parliament has allegedly been implicated in a corruption affair involving Qatar. The actions the member is accused of violate EU rules and destroy EU citizens’ trust in the institution. My statement as Head of the European Parliament’s Delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula:
At least one Member of the European Parliament is confronted with the allegation to have become a Trojan horse of corruption and foreign interference. My demands:
The Iranian regime added me to its sanctions list. My thoughts:
Dreadful news from Iran, an important decision by the UN Human Rights Council and what still needs to happen – my plenary speech:
