Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)

I support the comments of my colleague, Senator Boyhan, with regard to abuse.

Tomorrow in the European Parliament, there will be a vote of no confidence in European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Sinn Féin has absolutely no faith in Ursula von der Leyen to act in the interest of Ireland or working people across Europe, or to respect human rights and dignity abroad. Von der Leyen's Commission has stood shoulder to shoulder with Israel as it commits genocide in Gaza, trampling over the EU's self-professed liberal values of equality and human rights. The reality is that Ursula von der Leyen is a one-person wrecking ball of the European ideal. At every turn, von der Leyen has worked to ensure Israel is free from any sort of consequence for the sickening brutality it inflicts on Palestinian people daily. Likewise, Ursula von der Leyen has led the charge for the militarisation of Europe, breaking the EU's own budgetary rules in the process. She is eager to funnel billions to arms companies in foreign wars but does not lift a finger to help those in poverty across Europe or address the climate crisis. Von der Leyen is dead set on centralising power in the European Union to within her own office, expanding the Commission's role far beyond what was intended under the treaties in order to pursue her own ambitions. The issue raised in the censure motion around the Pfizergate scandal is a glaring example of the lack of transparency within von der Leyen's Commission. She is creating a culture where power is highly centralised and the Commission's work is done without the express approval or even knowledge of member states. I hope all of the respective parties' MEPs vote against Ursula von der Leyen tomorrow. A vote for von der Leyen is a vote for Israel, for imperialism and against democracy.