The Week ahead

EPP Group MEPs will vote on Tuesday evening to elect the Group's Chair and 10 Vice-Chairs, who will make up the Group's Presidency for the next two and a half years. Nominations are open until Monday at noon. The newly elected members of the EPP Group presidency will give a press conference in Strasbourg immediately after the announcement of the election result (outside room S 1.4).

The EPP Group is convinced that Russia will only listen to strength and resolve. At the EPP Group’s initiative, the European Parliament will debate on Thursday the escalation of Russian strikes against European territory, particularly attacks on Black Sea shipping, which pose a severe threat to human lives, regional stability and food security. "The EU must move from condemnation to concrete action, and from defence dependence to defence sovereignty. As Russia struggles to achieve its territorial objectives in Ukraine, it is increasingly resorting to alternative forms of kinetic warfare. NATO’s eastern flank has been neglected for too long. Europe must now take responsibility for its own security," insists Andrey Novakov MEP.

The EPP Group condemns the announced US sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC) as an unacceptable attack on international justice. It is calling for concrete EU action to defend the Court, its independence and its personnel. This will be the Group’s message during Parliament’s debate on European support for the ICC on Tuesday. "Sanctioning the ICC, a cornerstone of international justice, while easing sanctions on Putin’s regime is hardly the behaviour one would expect from a strong leader aspiring to win the Nobel Peace Prize," says Andrzej Halicki MEP, EPP Group vice-chair. "No one is above the law. The EU must take concrete action to defend the ICC and safeguard its independence from political interference," adds Tomas Tobé MEP, EPP Group vice-chair.

At the EPP Group’s initiative, the European Parliament will debate on Wednesday the need to strengthen relations between the EU and Canada ahead of the bilateral summit scheduled for the end of October. "Europe and Canada have demonstrated that free trade works and can deliver prosperity for all. But our partnership extends far beyond economic interests. Canada has stood firmly alongside Ukraine and continues to contribute to European security by leading NATO operations in Latvia. At a time when sovereignty is increasingly under threat and the international order is undergoing profound change, we must take our partnership to a new level. The Alliance for the Future offers an opportunity to deepen cooperation on trade, investment, defence and security, while strengthening our ability to safeguard our shared interests," says Sebastião Bugalho MEP.

Nine years after the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, the EPP Group is demanding full justice and the implementation of the public inquiry’s recommendations. Parliament will debate the rule of law in Malta on Wednesday, with particular attention to the continued lack of justice and unfinished reforms. "Malta cannot move on while full justice remains elusive. The Maltese Government must complete the reforms, strengthen its institutions and ensure that everyone responsible is held accountable. Until then, the European Parliament will continue to demand answers and action," says David Casa MEP, head of the Maltese delegation in the EPP Group. "The rule of law means independent institutions, free media and genuine accountability. Malta deserves the same scrutiny and European standards as every other Member State. Where serious concerns persist, Europe must act," adds Michał Wawrykiewicz MEP, EPP Group vice-coordinator in Parliament’s Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee.

On Monday, the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Development committees and its Subcommittee on Human Rights will shortlist candidates for this year’s Sakharov Prize. Among them is Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, nominated by the EPP Group. "Tundu Lissu has been at the forefront of the struggle for electoral reform, political fairness and the restoration of democracy in Tanzania. Despite relentless persecution, he has remained steadfast in his fight. His nomination sends a powerful message of solidarity with democracy defenders around the world and reaffirms our support for their courage and determination," says Reinhold Lopatka MEP, who spearheaded his nomination.