Antonio TAJANI, EP President, opens the EP plenary session (28/02-01/03 2018) in Brussels. Statements about terrorist kidnapping of students girls by Boko Haram and the attack of Ska KELLER (Greens/EFA, DE) by Bulgarian Nationalists

Brussels

TAJANI, Antonio (EPP, IT)

plenary session

EU - Bulgaria (T)

speech

fight against terrorism (T)

KELLER, Ska (Greens/EFA, DE)

Introductory remarks by Antonio TAJANI, EP President: terrorist kidnapping of students girls by Boko Haram and the attack of Ska KELLER (Greens/EFA, DE) by Bulgarian Nationalists

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, The Boko Haram terrorist group has once again struck a school in the North of Nigeria. Following that attack, more than a 100 girls have disappeared. They have been seized in a way that sadly remind of the seizing of the girls in Chibok in 2014. The Ep strongly condemns that attack, and calls for the release of the girls. Every child must have guaranteed right to attend school safely and freely. President BUHARI has described this as a national disaster. I would say this is part of an international humanitarian disaster. And this must push us to get more strongly morally and economically involved with our African partners in fighting terrorism.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, I must inform you of an incident involving Ska KELLER in Bulgaria a few weeks ago to which I was witness. Mr SIMENOV, Minister, made a statement calling for her to be expelled from the country because she took part in a protest demonstration against the building of infrastructures in a national park. As soon as I was informed of that, I made representations to the Bulgarian government, and I have received assurances that Mr SIMENOV's position does represent that of the government, and the incident has thereby been closed. 

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, I wish to reassert that the freedom to express your opinion is a fundamental right of any citizen of the EU, in particular anyone who like Mrs KELLER has been elected by the people and represents the citizens. This freedom is a vital component of our democracy and implies that there is a right to disagree, a right to protest and demonstrate. I am grateful to the Bulgarian government fro instantly distancing itself from that statement, and I trust  that in the the future any similar episode will not occur.