After a debate in plenary session on Wednesday 10 March, the European Parliament will vote on a resolution composed of a few recitals and a single statement: the European Union is a “zone of freedom for LGBTIQ people”. A response to the homophobic provisions that emerged in Poland precisely two years ago, in March 2019, in the city of Świdnik. Since then, almost 100 Polish local and regional authorities have adopted resolutions declaring their territory “LGBT ideology-free” (see EUROPE 12393/13) as well as “Charters for the Family”. EUROPE spoke to Pierre Karleskind (Renew Europe, France), who is behind the draft resolution to be put to a vote this Thursday (see EUROPE 12656/29).
Agence Europe - What do you expect from this text, whose value is above all symbolic?
Pierre Karleskind - The text that we are voting on will indeed not be binding, but it gives direction and reminds us that fundamental freedoms in Europe are not to be taken or left, that we are not in an à la carte Europe.
It is also, two years after the emergence of “LGBT ideology-free” areas in Poland, about responding, about telling everyone concerned that the Parliament is there for them, and about affirming, as the President of the European Commission said in her State of the Union speech, that being LGBTIQ is not an ideology, it is an identity.
For us in the European Parliament, this is in a way a hat-tip to the implementation of the strategy for the protection of the rights of LGBTIQ people (see EUROPE 12600/23), which the European Commission wants to develop from this year onwards.
This is not the first time that the European Parliament has taken a position on this subject. A resolution condemning “LGBT-free zones” was adopted in December 2019 (see EUROPE 12393/13). A report on the situation of the Rule of law in Poland addressing this subject was also supported last September (see EUROPE 12562/21). Why re-enter the fray now?
We are returning to this subject because we consider that the actions taken by the European Commission with regard to the governments concerned are insufficient. Today, what is the reality of the means implemented to fight against these resolutions? Or against the fact that municipalities have been able to carry out projects with European funds that run counter to the values of the European Union?
We have adopted provisions in the Regulation on the Recovery Plan, in particular, that require respect for these values. We therefore want to keep up the pressure on the European Commission, on governments, and on all those who consider that the freedoms of LGBTIQ people should be restricted.
Debates on this issue in Parliament usually give rise to some strong opposition. How do you see the outcome of Thursday’s vote?
Today, the resolution has been submitted and signed by five groups in the European Parliament. Only the ID and ECR groups did not sign. But I already know that within these groups, there may be votes in favour, and there is relatively little reticence with regard to the objective of this resolution, which recalls a fundamental value, that of freedom.
I would also like to know how my colleagues - whatever their political family - will justify to their voters tomorrow that they voted against the notion of freedom in the European Parliament.
What do you expect from the European Commission?
I expect two things from the Commission. The first is that it implement its strategy for LGBTIQ equality that it presented last year. It should be translated into concrete legislation.
In particular, we are awaiting legislation on mutual recognition of same-sex families in all EU countries (see EUROPE 12599/22). There is - and this is why the word “freedom” is important in our resolution - a problem of freedom of movement in the EU, because some States do not recognise these same-sex families. You can be a family in France, but when you arrive in Bulgaria (see EUROPE 12654/21), for example, you are no longer a family. This has concrete consequences, because if your child or spouse has a problem at your place of residence, you lose parental authority, family authority. This is a real difficulty for many citizens. Freedom of movement is a fundamental freedom of the European Union.
We also expect the Commission to engage more seriously on procedures for projects that have been financed by EU funds and which are clearly incompatible with EU values. We have now given it the legal tools to do so.
And the EU Council?
I raised the subject with the French Minister Delegate for Gender Equality, Diversity and Equal Opportunities, Elisabeth Moreno, who assured me that she would like to be able to make progress on the creation of an EU Council entity dedicated to Equality. In December we voted on a resolution to this effect in the European Parliament, and I believe it is important for the ministers of the Member States to reflect on this subject.
Because these are not subjects that depend solely on European legislation, and it is time for the States to mobilise and to be able to apply the idea of equality and freedom in national legislation.
See the motion for a resolution: https://bit.ly/38qMOhF (Original interview in French by Agathe Cherki)