During the plenary debate on the European Union’s future strategy for the rights of people with disabilities, PiS MEP Marlena Maląg emphasized the need to move away from years of delays and empty promises in favor of concrete, immediate actions to support people with disabilities.
“Do you know what people with disabilities most often hear from institutions? ‘We’re working on it, please wait.’ Wait for a law, for an assistant, for real support—as if their lives could just stand still until decision-makers finish debating,” said Marlena Maląg, drawing attention to systemic neglect and the protracted nature of legislative processes.
The MEP noted, however, that there is hope in the form of a new EU strategy, but it must be practical and effective. “The strategy cannot become a list of yet more institutions to be established. It must be a set of measures that improve lives here and now,” she emphasized.
She also recalled that several years ago, the PiS government had already presented a proposal for a comprehensive strategy to support independent living and professional activity for people with disabilities. “Those were real solutions, not ideology wrapped in bureaucratic language,” she noted.
Maląg expressed strong support for the Personal Assistance Act, noting that it should be only the beginning of far-reaching changes. “It cannot become a pretext for declaring a PR success after minimal effort,” she added.
In closing, the MEP emphasized that, in the face of demographic changes, support for people with disabilities must become a key pillar of social policy. “It’s time to act—here and now,” she concluded.
