WEBVTT NOTE Brussels Live. Transcribed and translated automatically from the original sound. Mistakes are possible. Independent service, not affiliated with the European Parliament or the European Commission. Source: © European Union. AI-generated: Transcripts, translations and summaries on this site are generated automatically by AI: speech recognition (Soniox), machine translation and summaries (Mistral AI). Not edited by humans before publication. EU AI Act, Article 50. 00:02:39.353 --> 00:02:47.106 Dear Mr President, good morning. Ladies and Gentlemen, a very warm welcome to you 00:02:47.224 --> 00:02:56.638 all at the ceremony to award the Jan Karski Eagle Prize to the European Parliament 00:02:56.735 --> 00:03:01.549 and its representatives. Today, this will be presided over by President Roberta 00:03:01.603 --> 00:03:09.975 Metsola, whom I warmly and very warmly welcome. 00:03:10.111 --> 00:03:20.476 I take the liberty of greeting you, of course, but— I am particularly pleased to see 00:03:20.550 --> 00:03:32.079 Mr Andrzej Poczobut here with us today, and I would like to address you— And I would 00:03:32.175 --> 00:03:42.156 like to thank you very warmly for your strength of character, for your resilience, 00:03:42.270 --> 00:03:51.280 and for the principles you remain faithful to. 00:03:51.464 --> 00:03:59.361 You are an example to us. I now give the floor to Mr Andrzej Lutek, who will say a 00:03:59.443 --> 00:04:04.733 few words about the Eagle of Jan Karski Award and its laureates. 00:04:18.473 --> 00:04:25.047 Esteemed guests, the Eagle of Jan Karski Award is the only one that Professor Jan 00:04:25.114 --> 00:04:30.962 Karski himself established during his lifetime, and he did so in his own name only. 00:04:31.020 --> 00:04:35.477 It is therefore not an award in his name, but his award. 00:04:35.532 --> 00:04:41.511 One spring day in 2000, while walking along the streets of Washington’s Georgetown 00:04:41.558 --> 00:04:46.817 with his closest friend and collaborator, Waldemar Piasecki, Jan Karski noticed two 00:04:46.890 --> 00:04:52.318 eagle statuettes in the window of an antique shop. 00:04:52.413 --> 00:04:58.790 They caught his attention, as he later said, because they depicted a wise and 00:04:58.870 --> 00:05:05.436 intelligent image of this majestic bird, which is usually presented in aggressive 00:05:05.569 --> 00:05:12.687 and belligerent poses. The Professor noted that such a wise eagle could be a kind of 00:05:12.750 --> 00:05:18.716 message for his compatriots; both statues were purchased that very day, and the 00:05:18.788 --> 00:05:22.936 concept of an award and its motto was born: 00:05:22.995 --> 00:05:27.684 "For those who can truly worry with dignity over Poland." 00:05:27.800 --> 00:05:34.812 Over time, this was expanded to include: 'And for those who, though not Polish, wish 00:05:34.896 --> 00:05:42.674 Poland well.' Since its establishment, the award has gained international prestige 00:05:42.766 --> 00:05:49.045 and recognition. Its laureates include five Nobel Prize winners, four presidents of 00:05:49.125 --> 00:05:54.814 states, several well-known religious leaders and several world organisations serving 00:05:54.879 --> 00:05:57.293 peace and the idea of 'never again'. 00:05:58.133 --> 00:05:59.333 Never again. 00:05:59.693 --> 00:06:05.329 And also the Gallery of Figures Committed to Building the Common Good. 00:06:05.441 --> 00:06:10.849 One of its first laureates, Nobel laureate and creator of the concept of the 00:06:10.932 --> 00:06:16.773 Holocaust, Elie Wiesel, said that in fact the prestige of the award is measured by 00:06:16.835 --> 00:06:21.397 the time it takes for the candidate to accept it. 00:06:21.486 --> 00:06:26.636 He himself accepted it in four minutes. We have never had to wait longer than a week 00:06:26.677 --> 00:06:31.119 for acceptance. The Yad Vashem Institute took two hours. 00:06:31.196 --> 00:06:37.881 Presidents of Poland Lech Wałęsa and Aleksander Kwaśniewski did so within a day. 00:06:37.943 --> 00:06:44.332 The President of Israel, Shimon Peres, accepted it the following day, as did the 00:06:44.392 --> 00:06:48.636 Holocaust Museum in Washington and the Israeli Ghetto Fighters' House Museum. 00:06:48.688 --> 00:06:54.590 On the third day, President of Germany Horst Köhler also did so, as did the leader 00:06:54.651 --> 00:06:58.586 of the Belarusian democratic opposition and later Nobel laureate Alaksandr 00:06:58.632 --> 00:07:03.577 Bialiatski. Similarly, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 00:07:03.645 --> 00:07:10.616 Contemporary Polish heroes: Jacek Kuroń, Adam Michnik and Karol Modzelewski, as well 00:07:10.679 --> 00:07:13.639 as Tadeusz Mazowiecki, in a similar manner. 00:07:13.692 --> 00:07:18.717 It took no more than that for Oriana Fallaci or the world public good organisation 00:07:18.771 --> 00:07:21.630 Rotary International. We did not wait a week. 00:07:21.698 --> 00:07:28.607 We had the president of the World Jewish Congress, Ronald Lauder, the Vice-President 00:07:28.662 --> 00:07:35.197 of the European Commission, Věra Jourová, and the community of the Italian island of 00:07:35.245 --> 00:07:40.906 Lampedusa. There has been little more response regarding the family of the murdered 00:07:41.037 --> 00:07:45.952 Russian oppositionist Boris Nemtsov, and it has taken a little longer to respond 00:07:46.004 --> 00:07:51.089 regarding the imprisoned Alexei Navalny. The Hoover family, that of the American 00:07:51.156 --> 00:07:57.259 entrepreneur, philanthropist, politician and President of the United States Herbert 00:07:57.313 --> 00:08:01.595 Hoover, had no difficulty in making a swift decision, given his unparalleled 00:08:01.652 --> 00:08:07.175 contributions to the return to for his invaluable contributions to the return of 00:08:07.226 --> 00:08:12.547 independent Poland to the map of Europe, for his work in helping post-war 00:08:12.607 --> 00:08:17.187 reconstruction and saving the health and lives of Polish children, and for his 00:08:17.260 --> 00:08:24.440 obvious influence on shaping the system of values and life attitudes of Jan Karski. 00:08:24.515 --> 00:08:30.286 Also, we must be filled with respect by the extremely swift acceptance of the Eagle 00:08:30.348 --> 00:08:35.153 of Jan Karskiego, which is being presented today by the President of the European 00:08:35.238 --> 00:08:40.626 Parliament, Roberta Metsola. All this, in addition to satisfaction, also fills us 00:08:40.706 --> 00:08:43.853 with pride that Jan Karski is seen as the patron of these 00:08:43.913 --> 00:08:48.427 the human values that we so desperately need, yet still lack. 00:08:48.537 --> 00:08:54.454 In conclusion, allow me, distinguished Members gathered here, to end with the 00:08:54.521 --> 00:09:01.120 shortest possible overview of the award, with a simple conclusion. 00:09:01.260 --> 00:09:07.234 We believe that the Jan Karski Society, which administers it, established shortly 00:09:07.292 --> 00:09:11.404 after the death of our patron, mainly by people who were his companions during his 00:09:11.448 --> 00:09:17.162 lifetime, as well as the Board of the Jan Karski Eagle Award, will remain faithful 00:09:17.228 --> 00:09:20.764 to the work and thought of Professor Karski. 00:09:20.829 --> 00:09:26.057 International opinions that the Eagles are one of the most important awards coming 00:09:26.124 --> 00:09:31.187 out of Poland should be accepted with pride, as a review of the work of preserving 00:09:31.235 --> 00:09:37.393 the memory of a great man who created the award and charted the path for the Eagles. 00:09:37.492 --> 00:09:38.692 Thank you very much. 00:09:44.573 --> 00:09:50.193 Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to call on Mr Andrzej Poczobut. 00:09:50.248 --> 00:09:55.322 Honorary member of the Jan Karski Society, to deliver the award laudation of the 00:09:55.383 --> 00:09:58.844 European Parliament prepared by Waldemar Piasecki. 00:09:58.920 --> 00:10:03.740 It will be concluded with a video recording of the final part of Jan Karski’s 00:10:03.801 --> 00:10:06.293 historic speech, "The Second Original Sin." 00:10:08.513 --> 00:10:16.151 Dear colleagues, Madam President, my friend Waldemar Piasecki, Chairman of the Jan 00:10:16.245 --> 00:10:22.551 Karski Society and his closest associate, asked me to read out this eulogy. 00:10:22.603 --> 00:10:29.518 I will do so with great pleasure. First and foremost, because for me Jan Karski is a 00:10:29.611 --> 00:10:36.187 great hero, and I hold the European Parliament in very high regard. 00:10:36.268 --> 00:10:42.026 I am extremely grateful to it for honouring me with the Andrei Sakharov Prize at a 00:10:42.078 --> 00:10:45.065 time that was exceptionally difficult for me. 00:10:45.149 --> 00:10:51.716 The Jan Karski Eagle Award to the European Parliament is awarded for the 00:10:51.822 --> 00:10:59.665 representative reunification of Europe and shaping the European reality in the name 00:10:59.802 --> 00:11:06.384 of a common, better future. With this decision, we wish to highlight Poland’s 00:11:06.442 --> 00:11:11.986 historic contribution to the construction of European integration. 00:11:12.051 --> 00:11:18.259 unity, linked to the figure of Joseph Ratzinger, who as early as 1948 organised the 00:11:18.344 --> 00:11:24.987 European Congress in The Hague with the participation of 25 states. 00:11:25.065 --> 00:11:32.791 This forum became the catalyst and inspiration for European integration, it 00:11:32.863 --> 00:11:39.003 initiated the creation of the Council of Europe and the European Movement, and in 00:11:39.081 --> 00:11:47.566 the longer term, in 1960, the establishment of the European Parliament, which the 00:11:47.627 --> 00:11:52.128 Polish visionary politician did not live to see. 00:11:52.255 --> 00:11:59.370 Jan Karski was a collaborator of Joseph Ratzinger, both during the dramatic years 00:11:59.439 --> 00:12:06.536 wartime, as well as in the post-war years, and was an enthusiast of the idea of the 00:12:06.604 --> 00:12:12.176 future of a global political order based on integrated transatlantic cooperation 00:12:12.239 --> 00:12:16.635 between the United States and the European Union. 00:12:16.715 --> 00:12:24.077 The Eagle Prize is therefore symbolically dedicated to one of the fathers of the 00:12:24.164 --> 00:12:28.443 European community, a Pole worthy of our memory. 00:12:28.533 --> 00:12:34.214 We appreciate the role of the European Parliament and its efforts to make today’s 00:12:34.291 --> 00:12:40.500 Europe a better common place to life. Fully aware of all the challenges, obstacles 00:12:40.560 --> 00:12:46.592 and risks involved in this process, with which Parliament is striving to address and 00:12:46.672 --> 00:12:52.155 in doing so deserves our full support, we bow our heads before the mission of the 00:12:52.215 --> 00:12:57.987 Polish Chair of this body, Jerzy Buzek, and wish the current Chair, Roberta Metsola, 00:12:58.049 --> 00:13:04.013 every success in her mission. Jana Karski as well. 00:13:04.853 --> 00:13:10.368 Both the Community idea of Europe and my studies in diplomacy in Lviv under the 00:13:10.430 --> 00:13:16.846 guidance of the precursor of the law of nations and their sovereignty, Professor 00:13:16.956 --> 00:13:28.165 Ludwik Ehrlich, and the tragic wartime experiences, including the Holocaust, led me 00:13:28.255 --> 00:13:34.200 to this. He based his vision of a united Europe on a deep conviction that lasting 00:13:34.273 --> 00:13:39.822 peace on the continent which can only be built by renouncing the 17th-century 00:13:39.911 --> 00:13:46.728 concept of sovereignty, according to which States could do whatever they pleased 00:13:46.797 --> 00:13:53.370 based on national egoisms. which often lead to conflicts, wars, and the tragic 00:13:53.435 --> 00:14:00.642 consequences of genocidal crimes. The Holocaust revealed the extreme danger posed by 00:14:00.703 --> 00:14:07.139 uncontrolled, absolute sovereignty, as the German state of that time simply granted 00:14:07.218 --> 00:14:11.409 itself the sovereignty of annihilating another nation. 00:14:11.493 --> 00:14:17.245 Moreover, it considered that this sovereignty would also serve as a shield 00:14:17.316 --> 00:14:19.853 protecting Germany from accountability. 00:14:20.513 --> 00:14:27.027 That did not happen. It simultaneously became clear that the concept and practice of 00:14:27.110 --> 00:14:33.844 sovereignty must be redefined; sovereignty must cease to be a licence for impunity, 00:14:33.913 --> 00:14:39.528 while the guarantee of security is European integration based on Community 00:14:39.592 --> 00:14:45.473 structures and the relinquishment by Member States of a negotiated portion of their 00:14:45.547 --> 00:14:52.979 sovereignty. Of course, it was not 31-year-old Jan Karski, who was finishing the 00:14:53.068 --> 00:14:56.180 war, who was the author of these concepts. 00:14:56.268 --> 00:15:02.674 He considered Winston Churchill to be the main architect of this idea, the father of 00:15:02.745 --> 00:15:10.070 the United States of Europe, but he certainly saw himself as a follower of this 00:15:10.150 --> 00:15:16.483 idea, as its high priest. He proved this through his entire brilliant academic 00:15:16.562 --> 00:15:22.937 career at the Department of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington, 00:15:23.010 --> 00:15:28.904 as well as his public activities. Karski repeatedly emphasised that a united Europe 00:15:28.982 --> 00:15:32.692 must have a strong, lasting, moral foundation for unity. 00:15:32.747 --> 00:15:37.180 It cannot be merely an economic, trading and market union. 00:15:37.294 --> 00:15:43.414 whether it is a centrally managed technocratic political project It must above all 00:15:43.469 --> 00:15:48.630 be a community of spiritual and moral values, based on absolute respect for human 00:15:48.687 --> 00:15:53.398 rights, the dignity of the individual and the protection of minorities. 00:15:53.505 --> 00:16:02.306 Voluntarism, sovereigntist voluntarism, cannot in any way threaten these fundamental 00:16:02.378 --> 00:16:08.091 values. He also drew attention to the need for equality and the absence of 00:16:08.148 --> 00:16:12.916 hierarchy, firmly opposing the division of nations into dominant and subordinate. 00:16:12.986 --> 00:16:17.547 In his famous lecture upon receiving the title of doctor honoris causa at the 00:16:17.614 --> 00:16:24.152 University of in his native Łódź in 1996 he delivered these fundamental words: 00:16:24.220 --> 00:16:29.023 "There are no better or worse nations. Nations want to live and prosper in peace. 00:16:29.095 --> 00:16:35.027 It is their governments that start wars." He added that unfortunately nations 00:16:35.102 --> 00:16:40.549 sometimes also have to be defended against their own governments. 00:16:40.720 --> 00:16:47.242 Responsible action by the European Union’s structures should take this into account. 00:16:47.324 --> 00:16:52.345 The European Community should also feel a sense of responsibility for the fate of 00:16:52.396 --> 00:16:59.306 the entire continent. And also of those states and nations that are not formally 00:16:59.383 --> 00:17:00.653 associated with it, but 00:17:01.073 --> 00:17:07.075 are under threat. As a long-standing lecturer of the course 'Theories and Practice 00:17:07.150 --> 00:17:14.115 of Communism in the Soviet Union' at Georgetown University, which has been breaking 00:17:14.177 --> 00:17:19.874 popularity records among students – among its graduates was Bill Clinton – Karski 00:17:19.949 --> 00:17:23.735 precisely pointed out source of the European threat. 00:17:23.824 --> 00:17:31.229 For him, this was always Moscow. He did not believe in the durability of the changes 00:17:31.312 --> 00:17:37.174 initiated by Gorbachev's perestroika. Not because he did not believe in his 00:17:37.231 --> 00:17:42.064 intentions, but because he did not believe that the internal imperial logic of the 00:17:42.126 --> 00:17:46.671 system could allow Gorbachev’s experiment to succeed. 00:17:46.812 --> 00:17:52.660 Unfortunately, we can easily see how right Karski was in turning his gaze today to 00:17:52.735 --> 00:17:56.268 Ukraine, which Vladimir Putin is trying to subjugate. 00:17:56.329 --> 00:18:02.470 All the elements of Jan Karski’s European community vision are clearly evident in 00:18:02.524 --> 00:18:04.655 the activities of the European Parliament. 00:18:04.705 --> 00:18:09.701 His greatest success since its establishment as a representative forum of the 00:18:09.755 --> 00:18:16.060 opinions of the Member States has been its institutional evolution from a purely 00:18:16.149 --> 00:18:22.341 advisory body into powerful co-legislative institution that, on an equal footing 00:18:22.397 --> 00:18:28.635 with the Council of the European Union, shapes EU law and transforms Europe into a 00:18:28.709 --> 00:18:33.510 better place to live for its 450 million citizens. 00:18:33.613 --> 00:18:38.801 Of course, this is not an easy process. It is marked by many difficulties and also 00:18:38.850 --> 00:18:44.563 failures. Also in the daily struggle with external challenges and threats, with a 00:18:44.647 --> 00:18:52.201 determined stance against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and with concern for 00:18:52.324 --> 00:18:57.606 securing the entire continent against the Russian threat. 00:18:57.729 --> 00:19:04.695 Overcoming centrifugal tendencies that are trying to undermine institutional 00:19:04.761 --> 00:19:07.750 cohesion structural cohesion of the Community. 00:19:07.842 --> 00:19:12.921 Countering the wave of nationalism and chauvinism sweeping across Europe. 00:19:12.998 --> 00:19:18.935 And with the growing attempts to undermine the transatlantic alliance between Europe 00:19:18.997 --> 00:19:26.047 and the United States. Let us wish the European Parliament never to rest in the face 00:19:26.109 --> 00:19:32.764 of these challenges and forces, and may it always have the strength to meet them. 00:19:32.832 --> 00:19:41.062 The first President of the European Parliament, Simone Veil, prisoner number 78651, 00:19:41.135 --> 00:19:43.253 survived Auschwitz and forged 00:19:43.373 --> 00:19:49.655 her suffering to good use. Her life reminds us that neutrality only aids evil, never 00:19:49.736 --> 00:19:55.673 good. The European Parliament should steadfastly uphold such a moral stance and 00:19:55.727 --> 00:20:01.141 always serve the good. That is the purpose of this award: 00:20:01.218 --> 00:20:07.087 to link a personal fate, a lifetime’s work and the message of its patron with the 00:20:07.152 --> 00:20:12.121 ideals that the European Parliament aspires to serve today. 00:20:12.183 --> 00:20:16.217 I call on Ms Roberta Metsola, President, to accept it. 00:20:16.295 --> 00:20:23.607 I would like to conclude the project with a screening of the film "Speeches of Jan 00:20:23.657 --> 00:20:27.810 Karski", which has gone down in history as the second original sin. 00:20:27.886 --> 00:20:32.769 It spoke about what ends with a failure to react to evil. 00:20:32.847 --> 00:20:38.829 And a comfortable stance. I believe that this will never be the stance of the 00:20:38.888 --> 00:20:41.213 European Parliament. Waldemar Piasecki. 00:20:42.173 --> 00:20:43.373 Thank you very much. 00:20:54.473 --> 00:21:00.004 The second original sin had been committed by humanity. 00:21:00.113 --> 00:21:08.646 Through commission or omission, or self-imposed ignorance, or insensitivity, or 00:21:08.773 --> 00:21:18.187 self-interest, or hypocrisy, or heartless rationalization, this sin will haunt 00:21:18.264 --> 00:21:27.773 humanity to the end of time. It does haunt me, and I want it to be so. 00:21:37.253 --> 00:21:42.793 Ladies and Gentlemen, at this moment we have reached the climax of our ceremony. 00:21:42.888 --> 00:21:49.296 Ladies and Gentlemen, may I now introduce and invite the individuals who will be 00:21:49.389 --> 00:21:55.926 presenting the award attributes. I now invite Mr Andrzej Seweryn, an honorary member 00:21:55.999 --> 00:22:02.512 of the Jan Karski Society, who will present the statue – the Karski Eagle. 00:22:02.572 --> 00:22:09.231 I now invite Mr Andrzej Poczobut, also an honorary member of the Jan Karski Society, 00:22:09.364 --> 00:22:16.308 who will present the diploma, and I invite Jerzy Kozierecki, the great-nephew of our 00:22:16.387 --> 00:22:22.725 hero, who will present a photograph. And I invite onto the stage Ms President 00:22:22.782 --> 00:22:23.982 Roberta Metsola. 00:22:29.153 --> 00:22:30.353 A diploma to Mr Andrzej. 00:23:18.713 --> 00:23:24.893 Thank you very much. And I would ask the President to give her acceptance speech. 00:23:37.493 --> 00:23:43.733 Thank you very much, dziękuję. Colleagues, ambassadors, ladies and gentlemen, it is 00:23:43.780 --> 00:23:49.295 such an honor to accept the Jan Karski Eagle Award on behalf of the European 00:23:49.357 --> 00:23:55.351 Parliament. I am humbled to be part of such a prestigious list of laureates. 00:23:55.433 --> 00:24:01.441 On behalf of all my colleagues in the European Parliament, dziękuję bardzo. 00:24:01.673 --> 00:24:12.293 Few countries have done so much to build Europe as Poland, and her brave sons and 00:24:12.443 --> 00:24:19.513 daughters. Europe will never forget their sacrifices, and it is fitting that we 00:24:19.593 --> 00:24:25.234 celebrate European democracy here, in this beautiful city. 00:24:25.373 --> 00:24:32.813 We will live up to the responsibility that you bestow on us today. 00:24:33.293 --> 00:24:39.441 Yesterday I had the honor of laying a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier. 00:24:39.533 --> 00:24:47.081 Reflecting on all those who gave their lives for freedom, and all those you rep 00:24:47.237 --> 00:24:56.049 lost. And in that moment I thought of Jan Karski, and what he must have carried. 00:24:56.213 --> 00:25:02.062 He was a life of unsurpassed courage, and morality. 00:25:02.213 --> 00:25:10.064 A patriot devoted to the independence of Poland, and the soul of Europe who stood up 00:25:10.176 --> 00:25:16.097 to evil and brandished the light of truth. 00:25:16.373 --> 00:25:22.610 Jan Karski understood that for courage and goodness to triumph over fear and 00:25:22.749 --> 00:25:30.881 tyranny, we have to stand up before our values and for each other especially when it 00:25:30.977 --> 00:25:35.551 is the hardest. Because that is when it matters most. 00:25:35.633 --> 00:25:40.193 And in these challenging times his words ring through. 00:25:40.313 --> 00:25:47.953 The commitment, the common humanity of people, not the power of governments. 00:25:48.053 --> 00:25:52.994 Is the only real protector of human rights. 00:25:53.153 --> 00:25:58.953 It is a mission that Jan Karski's contemporary, Josef Rettinger, put into action 00:25:59.070 --> 00:26:06.204 just years after the war ended by helping to found the Council of Europe, the first 00:26:06.302 --> 00:26:11.389 of many European bodies that now form a constellation. 00:26:11.573 --> 00:26:16.188 Today the European Parliament proudly carries forward Jan Karski and Josef 00:26:16.253 --> 00:26:22.589 Rettinger's vision of a Europe that is founded on peace and democracy. 00:26:22.733 --> 00:26:29.174 We are building a community of values where freedom, dignity, and solidarity are 00:26:29.279 --> 00:26:36.581 championed. Where peoples' lives, from Porto to Poznań, are imported and improved 00:26:36.657 --> 00:26:40.478 thanks to their members of the European Parliament. 00:26:40.553 --> 00:26:44.273 Who work tirelessly in partnership with national parliaments such as 00:26:44.573 --> 00:26:49.701 the same and the Senate, to connect Europeans to Europe. 00:26:49.793 --> 00:26:56.556 I am privileged to work alongside so many incredible Polish colleagues, and I am 00:26:56.633 --> 00:27:03.374 constantly impressed by their ability to get things done even when it seems 00:27:03.479 --> 00:27:09.860 impossible. Together we are realizing the dream of voiceless generations who longed 00:27:09.953 --> 00:27:15.808 for a Europe where everyone's voice is heard and can shape our future. 00:27:15.953 --> 00:27:20.779 And right now, here in Jan Karski's homeland, I promise you this: 00:27:20.881 --> 00:27:28.628 we will continue working, fearlessly, and relentlessly to make that European dream a 00:27:28.704 --> 00:27:33.839 reality for people throughout our Union. Because as Professor Karski taught us, 00:27:33.893 --> 00:27:40.031 witnessing is not enough. We must stand up for what is right. 00:27:40.253 --> 00:27:45.169 We made that same promise to you, dear Andrzej. 00:27:45.353 --> 00:27:52.491 For five long years, you were imprisoned, for speaking out against oppression. 00:27:52.613 --> 00:27:58.929 Last year our house awarded you the Saharov Prize for freedom of thought, while you 00:27:59.033 --> 00:28:07.244 were still behind bars. This year all of Europe rejoiced when you crossed the Polish 00:28:07.343 --> 00:28:13.160 border into freedom. And it was such a privilege to welcome you to our Parliament as 00:28:13.237 --> 00:28:20.849 a free man, shortly afterwards, you remind us that not even prison walls can silence 00:28:20.933 --> 00:28:27.943 the truth. Your courage carries forward Jan Karski's legacy and challenges us to 00:28:28.036 --> 00:28:32.811 keep standing up for our democratic future. 00:28:32.933 --> 00:28:38.624 Yesterday I discussed that future with students and the Warsaw School of Economics, 00:28:38.693 --> 00:28:44.411 it was inspiring to hear their dreams and ideas for our continent. 00:28:44.513 --> 00:28:50.988 These young people never had to live through the horrors that Professor Karski 00:28:51.093 --> 00:28:58.207 witnessed. They can enjoy the freedom to travel without borders, to build without 00:28:58.318 --> 00:29:02.424 limits, to fall and know they are supported. 00:29:02.513 --> 00:29:08.375 That is what Europe can deliver, and what we must protect. 00:29:08.513 --> 00:29:12.000 Their generation will write Europe's next chapter. 00:29:12.173 --> 00:29:19.414 That is why it is up to us to make sure that they can succeed here at home, and that 00:29:19.479 --> 00:29:26.305 is why we are simplifying legislation and connecting markets so people can innovate. 00:29:26.393 --> 00:29:29.953 And businesses can flourish on our continent. 00:29:30.053 --> 00:29:35.600 We have the talent, the ideas, and the resources and Poland is proving it every 00:29:35.668 --> 00:29:36.868 single day. 00:29:37.793 --> 00:29:44.447 This is no surprise. You cannot speak of Europe without speaking of Poland. 00:29:44.573 --> 00:29:51.014 In 1989 Solidarność lit the torch of democracy behind the Iron Curtain. 00:29:51.173 --> 00:29:57.733 In 2004 when Poland joined the European family we finally answered Pope John Paul 00:29:57.833 --> 00:30:05.724 II's call, made in our house, for Europe to breathe with both lungs. 00:30:05.873 --> 00:30:13.027 In our Parliament intellectuals like Bronisław Geremek reshaped how Europe thinks of 00:30:13.139 --> 00:30:19.900 itself. And my predecessor, Professor Jerzy Buzek, became the first member from a 00:30:19.966 --> 00:30:23.892 post-Soviet country to lead our Parliament. 00:30:23.993 --> 00:30:30.599 Now, as Russia's illegal war in Ukraine continues to threaten our eastern flank, 00:30:30.713 --> 00:30:36.008 Poland is once again leading the defense of our way of life. 00:30:36.113 --> 00:30:41.497 Europe stands with you, together we must continue to support Ukraine. 00:30:41.573 --> 00:30:47.052 In its fight for freedom and democracy. Against Russian aggression. 00:30:47.153 --> 00:30:54.761 More than 80 years ago Jan Karski risked his life for that same freedom here in 00:30:54.833 --> 00:31:01.243 Poland. He also warned the world of the Holocaust. 00:31:01.373 --> 00:31:09.947 The darkest consequence of antisemitism. Tragically just as our freedom is again 00:31:10.056 --> 00:31:17.631 under threat, so too is the evil of antisemitism rising once more. 00:31:17.753 --> 00:31:26.176 This time we must answer it with decisive action, and I repeat the commitment I made 00:31:26.245 --> 00:31:32.576 at last year's ceremony honoring Yad Vashem, the European Parliament will never give 00:31:32.620 --> 00:31:37.986 up the fight against this ancient evil. And it is growing. 00:31:38.093 --> 00:31:43.638 On our streets, on our campuses, and online. 00:31:43.793 --> 00:31:48.992 Our determination to beat it must match the scale of the challenge, and the European 00:31:49.040 --> 00:31:53.907 Parliament will always be at the forefront of that fight. 00:31:54.173 --> 00:32:03.084 Last month our Parliament welcomed Omri, who spent 738 days as a hostage of the 00:32:03.173 --> 00:32:09.168 terrorist group Hamas after October 7th. We cannot look away from such horror. 00:32:09.233 --> 00:32:13.018 Our Union was built on the ashes of the Holocaust. 00:32:13.193 --> 00:32:18.990 And in the name of Jan Karski and every victim of those monstrous years, we must 00:32:19.047 --> 00:32:24.601 keep speaking up, because to be antisemitic is to be anti-European. 00:32:24.713 --> 00:32:29.983 And it can never be accepted. We will never accept it. 00:32:30.113 --> 00:32:35.612 I am President of the House, as you Andrzej said, that was once led by Simon Weil, 00:32:35.741 --> 00:32:42.229 herself a survivor of Auschwitz, so our commitment is personal, as much as it is 00:32:42.281 --> 00:32:43.481 institutional. 00:32:44.333 --> 00:32:50.193 So you can rely on the European Parliament to keep speaking up for truth, for 00:32:50.303 --> 00:32:57.506 justice, and for democracy. Bringing people together to create a common European 00:32:57.593 --> 00:33:00.994 reality. And a better future for everyone. 00:33:01.073 --> 00:33:07.038 It is a mission that I know Jan Karski would be proud of, and that is why this award 00:33:07.126 --> 00:33:11.453 means so much, and we will carry it forward in his spirit. 00:33:12.413 --> 00:33:13.613 Thank you. 00:46:35.393 --> 00:46:40.056 Ladies and gentlemen, dear media representatives, welcome to the press conference on 00:46:40.106 --> 00:46:45.625 the joint conclusions of the Justice Minister session held as part of the EU-Western 00:46:45.689 --> 00:46:50.507 Balkans Ministerial Forum on Justice and Home Affairs here in Budva. 00:46:50.633 --> 00:46:55.983 Today's press conference will feature statements by the Minister of Justice of 00:46:56.058 --> 00:47:00.499 Montenegro, Bojan Božović, Minister for Justice, Home Affairs, and Migration of 00:47:00.572 --> 00:47:05.453 Ireland, Jimo Callaghan, and European Commissioner for Justice, Michael McGrath. 00:47:07.433 --> 00:47:13.250 Ladies and gentlemen, dear media representatives, welcome to the press conference on 00:47:13.324 --> 00:47:20.439 the joint conclusions of the meeting of justice ministers held as part of the 00:47:20.504 --> 00:47:25.316 EU-Western Balkans Summit, namely the Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial Forum. 00:47:25.393 --> 00:47:31.532 At today's press conference, we will hear statements from the Minister of Justice of 00:47:31.609 --> 00:47:36.587 Montenegro, Mr Bojan Božović, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform of 00:47:36.647 --> 00:47:41.139 Ireland, Mr Jim Callaghan, and the European Commissioner for Justice, Mr Michael 00:47:41.187 --> 00:47:42.353 McGrath. 00:47:42.353 --> 00:47:46.073 Following their opening remarks, the floor will be open for your questions. 00:47:46.673 --> 00:47:51.113 After their opening statements, we will open the floor for questions. 00:47:51.773 --> 00:47:53.951 And now let's start. Minister Božović, please. 00:47:53.993 --> 00:47:55.193 The floor is yours.