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Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil was amongst some 149 members, most of them from rightwing groupings and the European Popular Parties, who voted against a joint motion condemning homophobia in Europe. Busuttil said the parts which he objected to should not have been included in the resolution because the EU has no competence on matters like same-sex marriage. But nowhere does the resolution call on member states to introduce same sex marriages, except to condemn attempts to change the Constitution of member states to prohibit same-sex marriages.
“Regrettably the proponents of this resolution were not satisfied with a rejection of homophobia and wanted to take the matter further introducing additional paragraphs, such as on same-sex marriage, on free movement of same-sex partners and making unhelpful references to leading religious leaders,” Busuttil told MaltaToday.
The European Parliament motion which carried multiparty support, was also advanced by Finish MEP Alexander Stubb from the EPP group. A majority of 131 EPP members, mostly Christian Democrats, voted in favour of the resolution. Simon Busuttil was amongst 92 EPP members who voted against.
The resolution called on EU member states and the Commission to take effective steps against homophobic hate speech, to fight homophobia in schools and to redress discrimination against gays, lesbians and transgender persons.
Simon Busuttil was however dismissive of MaltaToday’s interest on his voting record on the issue:
“How telling that on the day when we voted on the EU budget and on the Port Services Directive you should be asking me about how I voted on homophobia,” Busuttil said.
The MEP said he would have voted in favour of the resolution had it been limited to a rejection of homophobia.
Unlike Busuttil, Nationalist MEP David Casa chose not to irk the gay community by abstaining from the vote. His vote against the Moraes report in June, which called for an end to discrimination, including that experienced by same sex couples, was deemed “particularly disappointing” by the MGRM.
Casa justified his abstention by saying that while he agreed with those parts of the resolution condemning homophobia he disagreed with references to same sex marriage in parts of the resolution.
“I think that it is not and should not be the European Union’s competence to decide on legislation on such moral issues. I believe that each member state should have the absolute right to decide on these matters.”
The Malta Gay Rights Movement congratulated Labour MEPs Joseph Muscat and Louis Grech for voting in favour of the resolution, but expressed disappointment and disbelief on Busuttil’s decision to vote against the motion, accusing him of siding with “the voices of prejudice and intolerance.”
Apart from a minority of Christian Democrats, the groups who overwhelmingly voted to reject the resolution were rightwing parties like the UK Independence Party, the Lega Nord and French National Front.
Both Casa and Busuttil said they voted in favour of the parts in the motion rejecting homophobia, including the condemnation of Nazi repression against gays.
The motion was given prominence in the French and German media, in view of its call on member states to finally recognise homosexuals as targets and victims of the Nazi regime.
In December the Latvian parliament voted to change the Baltic state’s Constitution to ban gay marriages. The new resolution calls on the European Commission to put forward proposals guaranteeing the freedom of movement of registered same sex partners and their families.
jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt |
