Maltese MEPs' actions in Buttiglione case

Nationalist MP Joseph Cassar has insisted that the Maltese people should seriously reflect on the way in which European Comissioner-designate Rocco Buttiglione was forced out of the Commission and how Malta's Labour MEPs acted in this issue.

Speaking in Parliament on the adjournment, Dr Cassar said it was worrying that a section of extremists and fundamentalists in the European Parliament had concluded that Prof. Buttiglione would discriminate against gays and minorities, just because he had expressed his moral beliefs, which beliefs were those of the Catholic Church. He had never said he would discriminate against gays and minorities but had only expressed his moral beliefs.

Would one be deemed to be intent on discriminating against those who committed an abortion if one spoke against abortion?

It was especially of concern, Dr Cassar said, that Malta's Labour MEPs appeared to be happy with what had happened and had intended to vote with the socialist group against Prof. Buttiglione.

Did Malta's Labour MEPs also feel that Prof. Buttiglione did not deserve to be on the Commission, simply for expressing his Catholic moral views?

The Maltese people, being predominantly Catholic, should seriously question whether the action by those Maltese MEPs reflected their views.

MEPs, like MPs, were elected to represent the people and they should therefore act in consonance with the views of the people, more than the political grouping they formed part of, Dr Cassar said.