We were led to believe that Nathan Gill made ‘pro-Moscow’ speeches. It turns out that he made contributions to debates, around the closure of two independent Ukrainian TV stations that presented the case for good relations with Russia. In Britain we don’t really have a concept of an independent TV station broadcasting against government policy, as none exist and indeed the very idea doesn’t seem somehow ‘quite right’.
Here is a selection of Gill’s contributions in the European Parliament in 2018 and 2019, obviously before the war, and before the UK considered itself to be at war with Russia.
9/10/19 Situation in Ukraine (debate)
Mr President, Article 19 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression. This includes the right to receive and impart information and ideas through any media, regardless of frontiers.
Every dictatorship and repressive regime immediately seeks to close down the freedom of the press and media, thinking foolishly that they can silence opposition. Ukraine’s previous President, Petro Poroshenko, tried, using legal process, to silence media that did not act as his mouthpiece. This was condemned and it failed. Ukraine has a new President, Volodymyr Zelensky, who is following the same old tired pattern. Despite claiming to be different, he has used legal process to strip TV stations of their licences and is threatening those he does not like.
Ms Mogherini, are you content to remain silent and allow this repression of freedom? Or are you going to use your influence with President Zelensky to protect the freedom of the press?
A warning about Ursula von der Leyen after her election 16/7/19
Nathan Gill (NI). – Mr President, by a margin of just nine votes, this Parliament today has elected, on a ballot paper with just one candidate on it, Ursula von der Leyen, a Euro-fanatic basically given the job by backroom deals, who is adamant that no matter what the question, the answer is always ‘more Europe’. She is open about her desire to build an EU army yet says that we will be committed to NATO. Well, which one is it? Because you cannot serve two masters.
The UK must never surrender its sovereignty, which includes its armed forces. Boris Johnson and the Tories, be warned. If you give up our armed forces to an EU army, the people’s army of the British electorate will punish you at the ballot box.
Gill’s position on EU foreign policy:
12-12-2018
I voted against [this report], as I disagree that the EU should be harmonising foreign policy and security. I believe that Member States are best placed to secure their own borders and negotiate their own foreign policies.
What kept peace in Europe:
Nathan Gill, on behalf of the EFDD Group [Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy, against further European integration]
. – Mr President, I know that those who fail to learn from our history are doomed to repeat it. I believe strongly in education, but know that education can be and is used to further propaganda. I am concerned that the EU will use this as a way to further propagandise its existence and further make patriotic citizens of nation-states into villains.
I know the often-used term populist. Let us not forget that the opposite of populist is un-populist. Why have you made speaking up for the populace somehow a bad thing, always when they say what you do not want to hear? I am also very concerned about the oft-repeated line that the EU has been the source of 75 years of peace in Europe. Communication, cooperation and learning off each other often have helped but do not write out the role of NATO, of the Americans, of the UN, and yes, of nuclear weapons, the threat of which have made war impossible.
If you must dabble in education, please trust the Member States to decide what is best for their children. Trust in national education systems and keep political motivation out of education.
Comprehensive European education, research and remembrance of the totalitarian past (topical debate) 16/1/19
Zelensky shutting down TV stations 11/12/18
EU-Ukraine Association Agreement (debate)
This is the speech allegedly paid for, described in court as being scripted and paid for by Oleg Voloshyn, a pro-Russian Ukrainian politician linked to Viktor Medvedchuk, a Ukrainian oligarch.]
Nathan Gill, on behalf of the EFDD Group. – Mr President, there should be three things that all of us on all sides of this House can agree on. One, we all stand by Ukraine and we support its sovereignty and its territorial integrity. Two, Ukraine’s citizens must enjoy freedom and be respected. And three, the freedom of the press must be respected. If there’s anyone who doesn’t support these values, they had no business supporting the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement in the first place. But the words of that agreement must match reality: rhetoric is not government.
I have every sympathy with Ukraine when it comes to Crimea, when it comes to Russian aggression and interference. But as surely as you can’t fight fire with fire, it is wrong to fight repression with repression. We’ve seen activists and journalists alike being violently attacked by radicals, with little if any reaction or protection from the Ukrainian Government. Yet no one in this Chamber would question that freedom of the press is one of our most cherished values.
The Ukrainian Government is in the process of banning the two biggest TV channels in the country, Channel 112 and NewsOne, and proper democratic procedures are being ignored four months before an election. How can this be: that the President of Ukraine can potentially closed down independent media just before an election? This report rightly criticises the erosion of the freedom of the press in Ukraine, and it is time for the Ukrainian Government to take action, rather than pay mere lip service to it.
Support for freedom and democracy should be universal, whether back home in the UK, here in the EU or in Ukraine, or anywhere else in the world. The Government of Ukraine must ensure that these principles are sacrosanct, and that means allowing TV stations to broadcast whether you like the message or not.
A question on the same topic:
Freedom of speech in Ukraine
23.10.2018
Question for written answer P-005431-18
to the Commission (Vice-President/High Representative)
Rule 130
Nathan Gill (EFDD)
The Ukrainian Parliament has voted in favour of sanctions against various news broadcasters, such as NewsOne TV and 112 Ukraine, which may now be forced to terminate their activities. Freedom of expression and freedom of the media are fundamental commitments of Ukraine under the terms of the Association Agreement signed with the EU.
How will the EU ensure that there is freedom of the press in Ukraine and that the terms of the Association Agreement are honoured?
Another question after the TV station suffered a grenade attack:
Question for written answer P-002310/2019/rev.1 to the Commission Rule 138 Nathan Gill (NI) Subject: Freedom of the press.
Will the Commission seek assurances from the Ukrainian Government that it will fully and promptly investigate the terrorist attack against TV channel 112 Ukraine, in which a grenade launcher was fired at the TV station building on 13 July 2019 in Kyiv?
15 February 2017 – Strasbourg
Another speech about the lack of freedom of expression in Ukraine, during a debate on Kazakhstan, that was again allegedly paid for :
14 March 2019 Human rights situation in Kazakhstan
on behalf of the EFDD Group. – “Mr President, this Parliament has a specific mandate and responsibility to its citizens and must be a beacon to Kazakhstan and our neighbours. The mechanism to allow these debates, bizarrely, is in the hands of unelected bureaucrats and although human rights of the people of Kazakhstan cannot be belittled, we have a much more pressing human rights issue right on our doorstep. With the presidential elections in Ukraine at the end of this month, the security and prosperity of the EU relies on EU standards being adhered to in countries that have an association agreement with the EU, countries that will potentially join the EU.
Reliable reports from human rights watchdogs warn of serious challenges to democracy when the current government, before an election, is putting undue pressure on independent TV channels like News One and Channel 112. If you do not have a free press, you cannot have a free and fair election. I put forward a resolution on freedom of the press in Ukraine, which was signed by 43 MEPs from all groups in this Parliament. The European People’s Party (EPP) bureaucracy blocked this. I hope they do not do this when it is represented next Strasbourg. We need to send an unequivocal message to Ukraine and the world on the need for freedom of the press”.
Gill was Board Member of the two TV stations that were closed down and he was officially “unremunerated” (See his declaration of interests at https://www.europarl.europa.eu/mepdif/124965_DFI_LEG9_rev0_EN.pdf). It turns out there was unofficial remuneration, which led to his prosecution and sentencing. Gill was member of Reform for three months in 2021. The government is hoping to discredit the Reform Party via court cases like that of Gill, rather than addressing the real reasons for the success of the Reform Party.
Labour Affairs 