Strasbourg, 02/10/2001 (Agence Europe) - The statements made by Silvio Berlusconi on what he claims is the "superiority" of western civilisation over Islam (see EUROPE of 28 September, p.5, and 29 September, p.3) gave rise to a very heated debate on Monday evening at the European Parliament, from the opening of the sitting. The intervention by Francis Wurtz, President of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left Group, was particularly scathing. He denounced the "stupefying and profoundly shameful" remarks made by the Italian Prime Minister, which call for a very clear response. He felt such a response could be to decide on an initiative in the light of Article 7 of the Treaty of Nice, allowing the Council to note the existence of manifest risk of serious violation by a Member State of the Union's fundamental principles, and to address recommendations to that State. Mr Wurtz also call on the EP Conference of Presidents to deal with this matter at its meeting on Thursday, in Strasbourg. The president of the EPP-ED Group, Hans-Gert Pöttering, added to this by saying that his group rejects "all rhetoric on the clash of civilisations" and that "we want peace, partnership and friendship with all Muslims of good faith". Social Group President Enrique Baron was more explicit on the Berlusconi affair. "Remarks like those made by Mr Berlusconi must be criticised by us all and I hope, as it is not the first time, that they will never be made again" (Ed.: at this point, Mr Baron was referring to information in last Saturday's Le Figaro whereby Silvio Berlusconi had spoken along the same lines at the Summit in Brussels on 21 September, without causing any sort of reaction from his colleagues). Mr Pöttering's statement, which is "very credible", shows that he represents only part of his group, exclaimed German Social Democrat Martin Schulz, who noted that these affirmations had been followed by declarations of quite a different leaning from elected members of Forza Italia (Silvio Berlusconi's party), members of this group. Mr Schulz told the President of the Parliament, Ms Fontaine, that, since her opinion is obviously that held by a majority of the Parliament, she should "explicitly" communicate it to Mr Berlusconi, and call on him to take a position so that we might know whether his "cultural relativism" was indeed no more than a misunderstanding. French Socialist Pervenche Berès also called for "explicit condemnation" of Mr Berlusconi's declarations by the Parliament.
Several members of Forza Italia took the floor in defence of the Italian Prime Minister. Such was the case of Giacomo Santini, who affirmed that Mr Berlusconi had already "amply" clarified the significance of the remarks, which had "highly positive intent". He said Mr Berlusconi simply intended to note the "great difference, in the sense of authentic freedom, between the West and the East, and the equal opportunities between men and women, which exists in the West and not in the East". According to Mr Santini, it could even be "dangerous" to "speculate" at such a "sensitive" time on such declarations. Antonio Tajani, too, felt that Mr Berlusconi's remarks had been either misunderstood or "used" for political ends. Interrupted by Mr Schulz (whom he asked: "Why are you so irritated?"), the former spokesman for Silvio Berlusconi - during his first government in 1994 - also recalled that the Italian Prime Minister proposed "strong economic intervention" on the part of the EU in favour of the Palestinian people, in order to help reduce the current political tension.
Fiorella Ghilardotti, member of Democratici di sinistra, admitted on the other hand the "specific malaise" caused among many Italians by Mr Berlusconi's statements, also because they reflect the "mood" of part of the majority that supports the Italian government. "We cannot hide the fact" that, after 11 September, "a large part of the government coalition" held public demonstrations with posters that read "immigrants = terrorists", recalled the MEP. Finally, Green member Monica Frassoni, although she felt that Berlusconi "was certainly wrong" in making the remarks he did, wished to launch a message of solidarity to the women of Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait and Chechnya, etc.