EU Policymakers · ATLAS

Murielle LAURENT
Member of the European Parliament · France · S&D · Parti Socialiste
What Murielle LAURENT has said (7)
- “Thank you. Chair. Um, just quick feedback. Um, from myself on the mission. It was quite, um, packed. The program was. I want to congratulate the chair for speaking in French. Um, on the trip. Because it's not the easiest thing to do, particularly given the length of the days. So you did make an effort. So I wanted to thank you and congratulate you for that. I wanted to thank the Secretariat for organizing the mission also with this very packed program, and we visited a lot of different sites. However, um, when it comes, we visited mining, um, mines. Uh, we visited, uh, vocational training centers. Um, as was already said, we visited, um, a farm, um, handled by Go Congo. And we looked at, uh, um, natural resources in the DRC, um, and. Um, the creation of jobs for, for local people. We also looked into education through, and visits and we realized what work is being done. For example, there are two schools which have been built and teachers who are paid by the responsible company. So it was very interesting to see how all that can work. And we met and NGOs who are specialized in mining and workers rights, as the chair has said. Um, we um, had a visit with the national rail network.”
EU Development & Humanitarian Aid
- “Thank you. Chair. I'll do my best to be as quick as possible. Thank you, Commissioner, for being here today. Thank you for your presentation. I have four questions on two different topics that you touched on. Firstly, uh, border management, and especially on the strategy you talked about about fighting drugs and drugs trafficking, especially here when we're talking about our youth. I'd just like to know if you have an action plan, that, okay, you might not be able to present it to us today, but do you have some actions that you could set out that could be undertaken and then about eradicating hate crimes there? Do you have some specific proposals for us as well on these two topics? What sort of collaboration do you envisage when it comes to Member States working together? My next question. My next two questions rather talk about returns and the shadow rapporteur on the regulation. Now, when you were here on the 7th of April. In committee. We talked about the return hubs and I guess, you know, we don't have the same opinion on this topic, but there are some colleagues who went to Albania and they visited. Well, I guess if you can call it a visit, but they saw that on the site. The conditions to were were very bad and whatever feedback they received was really quite negative. So I think that when it comes to making sure that these people's fundamental rights are upheld, I would have liked to know what specific measures you plan to implement to ensure that fundamental rights are respected in return hubs. And lastly, in the shadows meeting, we asked for an impact assessment on the regulation. We would like this to be carried out. A number of political groups have asked for it and we would call on the commission to carry out this impact assessment. And I'd like to hear some commitment from your end as well on this impact assessment being carried out. Thank you.”
Asylum & border control
- “Thank you, Madam president. Commissioner, Madam Ombudsperson, the annual report on the Ombudsman should have been a consensus. We negotiated at length to find compromises. Our Socialist and Democrat group made a great effort to come up with a solid agreement amongst pro-European forces. However, at the decisive moment, the EPP chose a different path forward. They aligned with the hard right. Two amendments that were unacceptable were supported. One took on NGOs and their financing. Even though they play an important role for democracy. The second puts forth a. A lie that control at the border would be responsible for deaths at sea. This is precisely what is shifting the balance in this European Parliament. If these amendments remain in the report, we will not be able to support it. We tried to find a compromise all the way through to the end. However, when the EPP votes with the high right hard right, they're going to have to accept that they lose the Socialists and Democrats. Our red lines are clear. We support civil society, human rights, and we will not accept the normalisation of the hard right in this Parliament. Thank you.”
Regulation of NGOs in Europe
- “Yes. Good morning, dear colleagues. Thank you for presenting these different candidates for the Sakharov Prize. The S&D Group chose to support the two organizations that were just presented, Women in Peace and Women of the sun, as well as their two representatives who are involved and committed to a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the support of women in their territories. They fight on a daily basis to establish peace in these territories Using their. Feminist instruments. It is an occasion here for the European Parliament to support women candidates and women prize winners, which has not been the case for a very, very long time. We are aware of the context in the Middle East, and therefore we would like to underscore the importance of supporting these candidates. Thank you very much.”
Gender roles, equality and inclusion
- “Thank you. President. Commissioner. Dear colleagues, the coup and arrest of President Bazoum showed a turning point in Niger's history. This is one of the poorest countries in the world, and it is now facing growing uncertainty and insecurity. Millions have been displaced and depend on humanitarian aid for their survival. In this context, the decision to discourage NGOs and throw out international organizations has dramatic consequences. Let us be clear the junta cannot replace these humanitarian organizations. They need to be able to take up the humanitarian mission without an immediate return to the rule of law. There will be no peace and no development. Civil society must be able to act freely to prepare a swift and credible democratic transition. Finally, all political prisoners must be released, including Mohamed Bazoum, because without fundamental freedoms and stable rule of law, there can be no stability for the people of Niger. Time is pressing on and the world cannot remain silent.”
EU policy on Sahel and Sudan
- “Thank you, chairman. And also like to thank the commissioners for their contribution and their presentations. Now my questions are mainly at Mr.. For Mr. Keller. Mr.. Commissioner because I'm really concerned by this drift which is that of using public aid for development as a tool for controlling migration. We've seen European funding that's been conditioned by agreements for setting up, again, control mechanisms at borders. Now, this approach goes against article 208 of the Tfeu, which Ensures that eradication of poverty as the first point for the development. As regard the video my colleague mentioned earlier, and also our commitments in terms of human rights and sustainable development. When I look at what you mentioned in your report, you mentioned the suspending payments. But this tool, this instrument, Global Europe must not be used for a migrant migration questions. And uh, causing problems instead for sustainable development. So we'd also like you to specify better what you would like to do. And then what is the commission going to set up to ensure that funding which are tied to migration, do respect the framework, the human right fragments, and they don't go and manage restrictive measures for protecting borders or readmissions. Thank you.”
EU development aid (migration conditionality)
- “(15:06:43 – 15:08:32): Thank you very much, mister chair. Thank you, mister commissioner. And thank you to the vice minister. The pact was adopted in 2024, as you stated, and the implementation will be effective in about 10 days or so.
I am surprised by what you've stated because many member states, and you have said so, and perhaps the majority of member states are not ready for the implementation phase, and this is the case for France.
Member states had 2 years to adapt and 2 years to organize transparent debate, and this was not done on the national scale. And some legal experts have procrastinated, and this presents challenges.
Mister commissioner, you spoke about member states who will implement the pact through decree, but I don't think that this is the best way to apply a regulation, especially given the challenges surrounding the pact.
These challenges should have been addressed better and should not have been implemented by decree, and I fear this was stated by the two of you. You talked about the discussions on the return regulation. I fear that we will reach the same point, and I don't think that this is the best solution going forward when it comes to a text that is this important with such high stakes? Thank you.”
Asylum & border control