Petition reminds Dalli to include Christian festivities in EU diary

Commissioner John Dalli is making sure the European Commission does not repeat last year’s blunder when it published a school diary leaving out Christian festivities while including religious celebrations of other faiths.

And many have pulled out all the stops to ensure Mr Dalli does not forget – French Christian Democrat Party leader Christine Boutin presented him with a 54,000-strong petition during a meeting in Brussels earlier this week.

Mr Dalli assured Ms Boutin that his services were ensuring that last year’s mistake, where the school diary included Jewish, Hindu and Muslim festivals but not Christian, would not be repeated.

The issue caused a stir earlier this year, particularly in France and Italy, when it was discovered in the three million copies of the European diary.

Mr Dalli, who was responsible for the diary’s publication, was harshly criticised by many pro-Christian politicians, who forced him to issue a formal apology.

During his meeting with Ms Boutin, Mr Dalli pointed out he was one of those who wanted a reference to Europe’s Christian heritage to be included in the foreword to the Lisbon Treaty.

The diary, known as the Europa Agenda, has been published by the Commission’s Health and Consumer Affairs Directorate for the past seven years. It is intended to inform students about European affairs, including consumer rights.

Last year the project cost the Commission €5 million. Three million copies were produced and distributed to 21,000 schools across the EU, including 49 schools in Malta and Gozo, which received 10,000 copies for free.

In a statement following the controversy, Mr Dalli had apologised unconditionally for the “blunder” and promised corrective action would be taken immediately, so that the mistake will not be repeated in future editions.