Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-05-22-Speech-2-073-000"
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"en.20120522.5.2-073-000"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased that the debate about whether or not football is political has ultimately given rise to significant public interest in the situation and the developments in Ukraine, a result which we have repeatedly tried in vain to achieve in the past. I am also pleased that the cases of Yulia Tymoshenko and of the former ministers, Yuri Lutsenko and Heorhiy Filipchuk, are receiving the appropriate level of attention. When we show our solidarity with Ms Tymoshenko, I strongly believe that we should always refer to the full list of politicians and former high-ranking officials who are now in prison for political reasons as a result of a retaliation campaign organised by the regime of President Yanukovych. This is not only about Yulia Tymoshenko. It is about the systematic persecution of the relevant leaders of the opposition parties in Ukraine. I think that we have made progress in raising public awareness of this issue.
However, having reached this point, we must not stop. Therefore, I would like to urge the EU once again not to choose the simple solution, which would be to say that we will boycott the European Championships in Ukraine. I am of the opinion that we should boycott the Ukrainian Government together with those, including the President, who support this unjust judicial system. However, we should not boycott the citizens of Ukraine. The original idea of holding the European Championships within the EU and in one the EU’s neighbouring countries is exactly the right one and it should continue to apply. The European Championships must lead to an increase in discussions and debates about democracy. All of those who are officially taking part should make very clear their criticism of the legal proceedings against Ms Tymoshenko and other politicians who are currently in prison.
The best outcome would be if this unjust legal case were to be dropped before the football starts. I do not know if the Ukrainian Government has the insight to do this. At this stage, it is important for us to continue our criticism. In my opinion, the association agreement, which has not been paid as much attention during the course of the debate as the football has, should not be signed while the judicial system in the Ukraine remains unchanged.
The next elections must genuinely show that Ukraine is moving towards democracy and the rule of law. We must focus on calling for the former leading opposition politicians to take part in the elections as opposition candidates. It is not enough just to release them. They must be rehabilitated."@en1
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