Alexandre VARAUT

What Alexandre VARAUT has said (2)

• 2025-03-06 “E-000976/2025 Answer given by Mr McGrath on behalf of the European Commission Democracy is a founding value of the EU, with free and fair elections at its core. The organisation and conduct of elections are the competence and responsibility of the Member States, in accordance with their national legislation, international obligations and applicable EU law. National authorities and courts are primarily responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable rules, as well as for protecting the fairness and integrity of the electoral processes. As guardian of the Treaties, the Commission is responsible for ensuring the correct application of EU electoral law and other pieces of EU legislation, relevant in the context of elections, such as the Digital Services Act (DSA) 1 and the Regulation (EU) 2024/900 on the transparency and targeting of political advertising. Under Articles 34 and 35 of the DSA, providers of very large online platforms (VLOPs) and very large online search engines (VLOSEs) are obliged to assess and mitigate systemic risks stemming from their service, while protecting fundamental rights, including the freedom of expression. Risks include those related to electoral processes and civic discourse 2 . The DSA does not determine what type of content users may or may not post online. One of the aims of the DSA is to ensure that EU citizens and other persons can effectively exercise their freedom of expression online. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/2065/oj/eng. 2 Article 34 (1) of the DSA.”
  Disinformation & online freedoms · Foreign interference in Europe
• “Thank you. And thank you for the sincerity of your responses. I say that because sometimes people do not say things clearly. And it is not the case here. It's very good to hear this from you. We've spoken about enlargement. Of course. I was first elected in 1999 for this Parliament. I am not the oldest, but I am probably one of the most senior people here. So Or more than 25 years. And I know that enlargement is a. Essentially something that calls into question the majority vote, the unanimous vote. And we are always told we are a 18, 21, 28. And now there are too many of us. And so we have to have a different system, and people can think what they want about that. What we have to call into question is this issue of unanimity, and to do so we have to enlarge. We have to get as many countries as possible as quickly as possible. And. I'm. Not sure really where you would put me. You know, where I would be in the hemicycle, But. We are not a in favor with enlargement. There are countries that concern us. So we know that Ukraine is a very. Is a subject that really moves us.”
  EU enlargement