Brussels, 07/10/2004 (Agence Europe) - The future president Manuel Barroso, should give Rocco Buttiglione another portfolio in his Commission, and not Justice and Home Affairs, according to a request by Giusto Catania, speaking on behalf of the GUE/NGL group. A press release following the Commissioner-designate's hearing at the public freedoms committee (EUROPE 9 October p 9) explained that Buttiglione's vision of immigration, asylum and sexual preferences "is incompatible with the European treaties and secular and egalitarian values of Europe" (EUROPE 6 October p 9). The United Left/Nordic Green Left is hoping that this proposals will be supported by other left groups at the EP. (EUROPE yesterday p 16 on the GUE's rejection of Peter Mandelson's candidacy as Commissioner for Trade). Mario Mauro MEP (Forza Italia) repeated in a press statement that Rocco Buttiglione was the right man in the right place.
Buttiglione's second hearing on Wednesday at the legal committee (he is the only member of the future Barroso team to be given two hearings) provided the occasion for the Commissioner-designate to reply to specific criticism provoked by his views about women. Replying to Austrian Social Democrat Maria Berger, Mr Buttiglione asserted, according to a communiqué that he had never said that women should stay at home but that policies ought to allow them to flourish professionally while carrying out their role as mothers, as the family was a great responsibility in the education of children. Nea Demokratia MEP, Maria Panagiotopoulos-Kassiotou asked him to place the family at the heart of all his European policies and the Commissioner-designate replied that the fact that the family was twice cited in the European constitution provided a "strong legal base" to do (according to him "there is a lot to be done").
Quizzed about a future European Prosecutor's Office by Mario Borghezio MEP (Lega Nord), who spoke of a "European Moloch", and by Polish Socialist Andrzej Jan Szejna, Rocco Buttiglione, according to a press release was in favour of its creation but had certain fears about protecting individual rights. Commissioner Vitorino was already tackling this issue, he added.
Buttiglione raised the same problem of individual rights in reply to Nicola Zingaretti (Democratici di sinistra), who was concerned about Italy being the only Member State that had not signed the European Arrest Warrant. This protection should be harmonised, declared Mr Buttiglione, while noting that Italy was not the only country to have had difficulties in the adoption of the frame-work decision on the European Arrest Warrant.
A good report from the legal committee - verdict from the freedoms committee on Monday
On Thursday, Giuseppe Gargani (Forza italia) asserted in a communiqué that the legal committee he chaired had an "excellent" impression of Rocco Buttiglione, apart from some reservations from Socialists and Greens on his ability to carry out political action against discrimination. According to Garganio, MEPs were impressed by his "deep level of culture", his lucidity and perfect knowledge of languages, his "solid convictions" and passion for Europe and freedom.
On the other hand, the chair of the freedoms committee Jean-Louis Bourlanges (ALDE, France), is expected to send his letter to president Borrell on Monday on the subject of the Commissioner-designate. The parliamentary committee is very divided on the recommendation to make on Rocco Buttigione.
President Borrell harbours some concerns - Italian MEPs cross
Quizzed on Thursday morning by Radio française EUROPE 1 on the subject of the Commissioners-designate Buttiglione, Kroes, Fischer Boel, the president of the European Parliament Josep Borrell admitted that out of all three the one that worried him the most was that of Mr Buttiglione. "Frankly, I would not like to, as a Spanish citizen, have a minister for justice who thinks that homosexuality is a sin, who thinks that women should stay at home and produce children, under the protection of their husbands".
Forza Italia MEP Mario Mauro was cross (who repeated that Rocco Buttiglione was the right man in the right place), exclaimed that, "when we voted for Mr Borrell as president of the European Parliament we did not ask ourselves what he thought about homosexuals or heterosexuals but whether he was prepared, in keeping with the ideas expressed in the European constitution, to defend the opinions and rights of all, which is what Rocco Buttiglione said categorically that he was prepared to do". Mauro added that, "this shows us that Buttiglione is more suited than Borrell to play an institutional role in Europe".
Italians from the EPP-ED came out against president Borrell. Stefan Zappala (Forza Italia) protested in a press statement over the president's comments about the Commissioner-designate for justice and home affairs, before the competent parliamentary committee. Armando Dionisi (UDC) also said in a press statement that as an Italian citizen, he wanted to express his solidarity with Rocco Buttiglione, who had had the courage to express his personal convictions inform of the European Parliament.