During the European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg, a debate was held on the situation in the Middle East and preparations for the European Council summit on March 19–20, 2026. The chair of the ECR Group, PiS MEP Patryk Jaki, who emphasized the need to support the Iranian people in the face of repression by the regime there and called for the suspension of the Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), which is responsible for rising energy prices in Europe.
The MEP noted that in some of the speeches in the European Parliament, criticism of the United States obscures the true nature of the Iranian regime.
“Listening to some of these speeches, I get the impression that hatred of the United States has blinded some people to the reality of what Iran is,” he said.
Jaki recalled the Iranian authorities’ brutal actions against their own citizens, pointing, among other things, to the events of 2019, known as “Bloody November,” when live ammunition was used against demonstrators during protests.
The MEP also mentioned the protests following the death of Mahsa Amini, who died after being detained by the so-called morality police for wearing her hijab improperly. According to the cited data, more than 500 demonstrators, including women and children, were killed as a result of the protests, and tens of thousands of people were detained.
“In 2024, Iran carried out hundreds of executions, often following trials without access to a defense attorney and based on coerced confessions. There were even cases of the execution of minors,” he emphasized.
As Jaki noted, the regime in Tehran is responsible not only for repressing its own citizens but also for destabilizing the international situation, including by supporting Russia’s actions.
“Iran sponsors terrorism and supports Russia by supplying drones and missiles currently being used in the war against Ukraine,” he noted.
The MEP stressed that in light of these facts, Europe should clearly stand with the Iranian people, not the authorities in Tehran.
In his speech, Jaki also addressed the issue of the European Union’s energy policy, criticizing the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS).
“There is no justification today for continuing the ETS system. It has led to some of the highest energy prices in the world,” he said.
As the PiS politician noted, energy prices in Europe have risen significantly since the system’s introduction, which negatively impacts households and the competitiveness of the European economy. “This system simply must be suspended,” he concluded.
