Mr./Madam President, Commissioners, Honorable Members, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a privilege to address you today in this House—an institution founded on the conviction that diverse nations and peoples can build a shared future based on the rule of law, human dignity, and mutual respect.

We convene at a moment when the social fabric of our Union is being tested by complex and multiple pressures. Across Member States, separatist currents, political Islamism, and violent radicalisation are a real threat not only to internal security, but to the deeper civic cohesion upon which European democracy depends.

Our European project rests on a clear constitutional balance: we protect freedom of religion, conscience, and pluralism, while upholding the indivisible equality of every citizen before the law. Separatist and extremist ideologies seek to divide us. By promoting their ideology, they attempt to convince young Europeans that religious identity and democratic citizenship are impossible to achieve.

At the same time, our response as policymakers and leaders must remain both firm and strategic. When public discourse seeks to promote one narrative deepening the very polarization that radical actors tend to exploit. Preserving social cohesion therefore requires a dual commitment: uncompromising vigilance against ideological extremism and hate paired with inclusion, equal opportunities.

In pursuing this balance, European institutions must place greater focus on a group whose experience and role are indispensable to long-term resilience: women—and in particular, women from different religious communities and from migrant descent, mainly Muslim communities across our countries, who can play a significant role in fighting against extremism and separatism.

Last week, the European Parliament held the gender equality week under the main theme “Driving Progress Through Women’s Leadership,” with a strong emphasis on women in leadership roles and inspiring future generations. In this respect, we have to include women from migrant descent and mainly from Muslim communities to be the main changemakers for the future generations.

Too often, debates surrounding integration and radicalisation treat Muslim women either as a homogeneous symbol or as passive subjects of policy. In reality, they stand at the forefront of Europe’s democratic future—as citizens, educators, entrepreneurs, civil society leaders, and pillars of family and community life.

FirstDefending European values requires recognizing that women are frequently the primary targets of separatist and fundamentalist control. Ideologies that seek to control communities from broader society almost invariably begin by restricting women’s autonomy and participation in public, social and political life. Upholding the Charter of Fundamental Rights means guaranteeing that every woman in Europe enjoys full equality and personal freedom, regardless of neighborhood or background.

“Ideologies that seek to control communities from broader society almost invariably begin by restricting women’s autonomy and participation in public, social and political life.”

Manel Msalmi

SecondWomen are key actors in early prevention and community resilience. Within families and local networks, mothers, sisters, and community mentors are often the first to detect signs of online radicalisation among young people. Supporting grassroots women’s initiatives with transparent funding, institutional recognition, and protection from intimidation strengthens our democratic institutions and values.

ThirdWomen from Muslim backgrounds are vital bridge-builders in European public life. Through their leadership in civic associations, education, and local governance, they challenge two damaging narratives simultaneously: the extremist claim that Islam cannot coexist with pluralistic democracy, and the exclusionary assumption that Muslim citizens stand apart from Europe’s social and political system.

Honorable Members, if we expect women to carry this transformative role, our policies must empower them concretely. That means addressing structural barriers to employment and education, ensuring their voices are directly represented in consultations with public authorities, and never allowing self-appointed gatekeepers to speak on their behalf.

The strength of the European Union has always lain in its ability to unite diversity around universal rights. By placing the rights, voices, and leadership of women—including women from Muslim communities—at the center of our strategies for social cohesion, we do more than counter separatism and radicalisation. We reaffirm the foundational promise of this Union: a Europe where every citizen is free, equal, and fully part of our common democratic home.

Thank you.