Ms. Joke Swiebel from the Netherlands is a former Member of the European Parliament and former President of the EP intergroup for gay and lesbian rights.  She retired from European politics at the last Euro-elections.  She contributed this commentary after watching the debate in her home in Amsterdam.  UK Gay News is indebted to Ms. Swiebel for contributing this article so quickly following the end of the debate.

Let’s first count our blessings.  The main political groups have found agreement on a common approach, which apparently includes their shared wish for a broader European legislation which offers equal protection to discrimination on any ground, as well as the need to monitor cases of hate crime in all EU member states.

This is progress.  In the past, the Conservatives often did not want to go that far.  This broad alliance could be built upon in the future.  Another positive point is that the lunatic fringe was apparently very silent.  It does not pay anymore to shout against gays and lesbians in the Parliament itself.

So far, so good.

But the Commissioner, Mr. Frattini, was a big disappointment.  His opening remarks were very formal, low key and uninspired.  He just gave a summing-up of the on-going policies of the European Commission and used Community competences to hide his unwillingness to take a firm stand against homophobic acts in the Member States.

He underlined he could only act if there was an infringement of EU legislation.

MEP’s were very critical of him, and rightly so.

In replying to the MEP’s speeches, he spoke in a very different tone.  Apparently, he was very annoyed by the MEP’s critical questions.

He said the MEPs had not done their homework: what they asked for – a uniform, horizontal anti-discrimination law – was already in place (in fact, I can tell you this is not true).  He also tried to tell the Parliament that homophobia was already been monitored – another blunder.

He also blamed theCouncil [of Ministers] that had to decide by unanimity, and the Parliament itself, that should approve proposals to give the Commission more instruments.

All subterfuges from a Commissioner who should know better.  It is this beating about the bush that makes people sick of politicans.

There remains one question: Why was it Mr. Frattini who spoke today on behalf of the European Commission, and not Mr. Spidla – the Commissioner in change of Equal Opporunities, who is known to have much more sympathy for equalty and minority rights?

A simple question of timing and agendas?  I have been too long in politics to believe in coincidences like this....

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