Check against delivery! 

Madame President, Honourable Members [of the European Parliament], 

We were all shocked by the violent attacks against the heart of Brazil’s democracy on 8 January. 

European and world leaders were quick to condemn these unacceptable acts of political violence. In a statement on behalf the 27 Member States, we expressed our solidarity with President Lula and our full support to the democratic institutions of Brazil. Last Tuesday, HRVP Borrell also had the opportunity to speak with Foreign Minister Vieira and to express our support.  

The European Union has reiterated its trust in Brazil’s democracy and in the strength of its institutions. Our conviction is that they will prevail over violence and extremism. 

The attack on Brazil’s core institutions did not start last Sunday. Regrettably, it is the outcome of years of political polarisation, attacks against the judiciary, against the free press and against civil society, further amplified by social media. And this is by no means limited to Brazil. This is a problem for all of our democracies and beyond.  

We are committed to stepping up our strategic partnership with Brazil and to join forces in in the defence and promotion of democracy, rule of law and human rights. We are ready to deepen our cooperation on digital development, including in the field of regulating social media and the fight against disinformation. These efforts will not be sufficient on their own and need to go hand in hand with addressing lasting inequalities, which are one of the root causes of polarisation.  

Governments, parliaments, civil society and business each have a role to play in this.   

While we applaud the efforts to build unity across the political spectrum, it would be a mistake to assume that we can now go back to “business as usual”.  In Brazil and elsewhere, uniting around democracy requires more than simply condemning violence and extremism. All political forces carry the responsibility to prevent radicalization and defend democratic processes on a daily basis, fostering a culture of dialogue and compromise.  

Protecting democracy will clearly be a long-term challenge that will call for continuous cooperation with Brazilian democratic institutions and civil society.  

All of Europe’s institutions need to stand together. We highly value the role of the European Parliament in defending democratic values both in the European Union and abroad, including through your parliamentary diplomacy. 

We want to thank you for organizing this debate and look forward to working with you in reactivating our strategic partnership with Brazil. 

Link to the video (starting from 28:47): https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-235668