Swiss nightclub fire and Spanish rail crash
President Metsola first expressed grief at two very recent tragic events, first, the New Year’s Eve fire in Crans-Montana, in which 40 lives were lost, including many teenagers and children, and second, last night’s train collision in southern Spain, which has already claimed 39 lives and left many seriously injured. “All of Europe grieves with Spain” she said, before leading MEPs in a moment of silence to remember those lost.
35th anniversary of January 1991 events in Baltic States
Marking 35 years since the January 1991 events in the Baltic States, when people took to the streets to defend their independence and democracy and when many paid with their lives, President Metsola noted that the people of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia “know what is means to live on the edge of freedom”. “That reality shapes how they lead Europe’s support for Ukraine and strengthen our shared security” she went on.
Bulgaria joining the eurozone
Noting that Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January, Metsola stated that “This is a proud moment for Bulgaria and for Europe” and is “already opening new opportunities for people and businesses”.
Greenland
On the subject of US claims on Greenland, President Metsola said, to lengthy applause from the house: “The European Union supports Denmark and the people of Greenland. We do so completely and united in our resolve”. Emphasising that Europe will always be open to continue to talk in a spirit of mutual respect, she said “some will mistake our way of calm resolve, restraint and dialogue for weakness. They are wrong. It is the opposite. We are Europe: We will always stand up for our way, rationally, confidently and deliberately and we will make no apologies for that.”
Iran
Expressing solidarity with the people of Iran following the scenes of brutal repression and overflowing morgues and reports of victims in their thousands, President Metsola said: “The people of Iran are only asking for what every person deserves: freedom, justice, and a future that they can believe in.” After stressing that “the people of Iran do not need silence, they have been kept forcefully silent for 47 years”, she led MEPs in paying tribute to those killed with a minute of applause, to honour their bravery and courage.
Changes to the agenda
Tuesday
The title of the debate on Council and Commission statements on “Territorial integrity and sovereignty of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark” is changed to “Territorial integrity and sovereignty of Greenland and Kingdom of Denmark: the need for a united EU response to US blackmail attempts”.
Wednesday
The vote on the report on EU-US political relations by rapporteur: Michał Szczerba (EPP, Poland) is postponed to a future part session.
Requests for urgent procedure
The president announced three requests for urgent procedure from the EPP, S&D and Renew groups under Rule 170(6) of the Rules of Procedure concerning: enhanced cooperation on the establishment of a loan for Ukraine; a regulation implementing enhanced cooperation on the establishment of the Ukraine Support Loan for 2026 and 2027; and amending Regulation 2024/792 establishing the Ukraine Facility. The procedural vote on these requests will be taken on Tuesday. For the first proposal, if adopted, the vote on substance will be held on Wednesday. For the other two proposals on regulations, if adopted, the vote will be held at a future part-session.
Parliamentary immunity
The authorities of Poland, Greece and Hungary have asked for the parliamentary immunity of Borys Budka (EPP), Afroditi Latinopoulou (PfE), and Klára Dobrev (S&D) respectively to be waived. These requests have been referred to the Legal Affairs Committee.
Requests by committees to start negotiations with Council and Commission
The president announced that several committees have decided to enter into interinstitutional negotiations on the basis of reports available on the plenary website.