World News >>>



ROME: Italian conservative and papal confidant Rocco Buttiglione, under attack for calling homosexuality sinful, said yesterday he was abandoning efforts to become European Union justice commissioner, a bid that has prevented the new EU executive from taking office.
Buttiglione defended his religious beliefs, however, insisting they would never have coloured his EU politics.
Premier Silvio Berlusconi said late on Friday that Buttiglione would remain as European affairs minister in his conservative government.
With the new commission virtually doomed to rejection by the European Parliament if Buttiglione remained part of it, the new EU top executive, Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, earlier in the week withdrew all 25 nominees – one for each EU member – to buy time for a way out of the impasse.
The European Parliament must approve all 25 commissioners before the commission, which runs the EU’s everyday affairs, can begin work. The commission was due to have taken office on Monday.
During a confirmation hearing earlier this month, Buttiglione told the justice and home affairs committee that he considered homosexuality “a sin” and that marriage existed “to allow women to have children and to have the protection of a male.”
“I am ready to step aside, to resign (from the bid), to favour the path of the Barroso commission, which I wish every success,” Buttiglione told a news conference yesterday.
The flap over Buttiglione provided an embarrassing backdrop to elaborate EU ceremonies Friday in Rome for the signing of the Union’s proposed new constitution.
Buttiglione’s decision was greeted with “great respect” by the head of the Christian Democrats in the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Poettering, who had supported the Italian.
Yet, Buttiglione’s stepping aside “did not signify that all difficulties with regard to the appointment of a new commission has been solved,” Poettering said.
He singled out Laszlo Kovacs, Hungary’s former foreign minister, tapped for energy commissioner; Dutch businesswoman Neelie Kroes, slated for competition commissioner; and Latvia’s Igrida Udride, up for the budget post. Poettering said those three “lacked the necessary competence.”
Barroso will now have to discuss with the conservatives in the European Parliament whether they will accept a replacement only for Buttiglione, or whether they will continue to insist on other changes.
Berlusconi said he realised the Buttiglione bid had reached the end of the line after talks on Friday with Barroso and other EU leaders.
Buttiglione depicted himself as a victim of an “ably orchestrated campaign” because of his conservative views, but when pressed, didn’t elaborate.
“I have the right to think that homosexuality is a sin, but this has no effect on politics because in politics, the principle of nondiscrimination prevails, and the state has no right to stick its nose in these situations,” Buttiglione told reporters.
“I know that I didn’t introduce into the political sphere the concept of sin, which belongs to another sphere, that of religion and philosophy,” Buttiglione said.
Italian news agency ANSA quoted Labour Minister Roberto Maroni as expressing little sympathy for his Cabinet mate.
“To say that it’s all the fault of a plot, of a campaign by the European press against him, frankly, seems unfair to me,” Maroni said. – AFP

BRUSSELS: The two largest groups in the European Parliament yesterday called for further changes in the new European Commission of incoming president Jose Manuel Barroso, after the withdrawal of Italy’s controversial nominee Rocco Buttiglione.
The departure of Buttiglione “did not signify that all difficulties with regard to the appointment of the new commission had been solved,” said Hans-Gert Poettering, head of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), the parliament’s biggest bloc.
“It will be necessary to achieve further changes to commissioners and their areas of responsibility.” – AFP

Copyright 2003 Alayam Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.
Developed and Maintained by Arabian Network Information Services

_____________________

31 October 2004 - A constitutional crisis at the heart of Europe was narrowly averted on Saturday after Rocco Buttiglione, the Italian nominee whose anti-gay views had blocked his appointment to the European Commission, finally withdrew his candidacy.

In a parting shot, the man who had declared homosexuality a sin and marriage an institution for women to have children with a man's protection -- outraging Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from across Europe, who declared him unfit for the post of commissioner for justice -- said he had been misquoted and portrayed himself as a scapegoat.

Opposition to Buttiglione -- the choice of Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi -- had threatened to derail the appointment of the entire commission, including Britain's nominee Peter Mandelson, since MEPs can only force out a single commissioner by voting down the entire lot.

The Foreign Office now expects the commission to be nominated and rubberstamped by the European Parliament. One Whitehall source said the scalping of Buttiglione appeared to have "drawn the sting", adding: "I think the European Parliament have made their point."

The episode has marked a significant new flexing of muscles by MEPs, who have always had the power to interrogate and vote on nominees but until now have rarely defied the president of the commission, currently José Manuel Barroso, so openly.

Barroso had stood by the Italian candidate despite his comments, but was eventually forced to withdraw his proposed list of 24 commissioners after it became clear he could not be confident of the Parliament's agreement.

Buttiglione has claimed he was the victim of an "anti-Catholic inquisition". But late on Friday night -- after a 40-minute meeting with his candidate -- Berlusconi conceded that he should remain in his old job as Italian Minister for European Affairs .

On Saturday, Buttiglione insisted he is a "champion of human rights", not an adversary, and has been targeted for his conservative views.

"I may think that homosexuality is a sin, but politics doesn't have to get involved in that," he said.

Humanity periodically decides to purify itself by choosing "an innocent victim" to take on the woes of everyone else, he said.

"This time I have been chosen for this task and I don't complain about it too much."

In Britain, the news was welcomed by gay-rights campaigners as a sign of Europe maturing.

"We are absolutely delighted: it was entirely inappropriate that someone who is prepared to express these views should have been asked to become a commissioner in a Europe that is now based upon equal treatment for all its citizens," said Ben Summerskill, chief executive of lobby group Stonewall.

Buttiglione will go down in history as the first nominated commissioner to be rejected by a committee in the European Parliament. The new commission was to have taken office on Monday. Instead, the outgoing commission will hold the fort for about three more weeks.

Reports said Barroso may now suggest more than one change to his original proposed commission, so as not to single Italy out. Italian media speculated that Foreign Minister Franco Frattini may now be nominated as commissioner. -- Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004