Brussels, 07/06/2012 (Agence Europe) - Danish Minister for European Affairs Nicolai Wammen said on Wednesday 6 June that the Danish Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers had been “shocked” by the homophobic comments made by Croatian local authority representatives. “These comments are not in line with European values and should not be expressed in 2012”, he stated. Several nationalists and a group of war veterans put out warnings against the Gay Pride festivities due to be held in Split on 9 June, describing the event as “scandalous provocation by sick people to which we will respond”.
Wammen gave his full support to the parade, stating that there should be no doubt: Gay Pride will take place in Split, no compromise on values will be tolerated, such an event has the right to be held and citizens are invited to take part in it. He said the EU would be represented and he welcomed the intention of a number of Croatian ministers to attend the parade.
In Brussels, Croatian Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic said that five members of the government, including herself, would attend the parade - a clear indication for Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Füle that the government, through its participation, stands ready to “promote tolerance”. The previous day, Pusic pointed out that any acts of violence at the parade could complicate her country's progress towards EU accession. “We are laying the foundations for the EU's final follow-up report due in October, which many member states will use to decide whether to ratify our accession treaty”, she said, making clear that if the Gay Pride parade is disrupted, “that could pose a problem for Croatia”. “It would be against our own laws banning discrimination”, she stated.
Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic has called on the people of Croatia to show tolerance and to accept “a Western European democratic practice”.
Last year's Gay Pride parade descended into chaos. Ten thousand anti-parade demonstrators threw missiles, including stones, bottles and eggs, at the 200 marchers. About a dozen people were injured and some 30 people arrested. (CG/transl.rt)