Comments on: Kant and Catholics (Buttiglione Blues II)

By: eulogist

eulogist — Tue, 01 Feb 2005 12:57:27 +0000

(1) The indeed rather ill-advised sanctions against Austria (when it included the far-right FP� party in its coalition government) were entirely the making of the 14 national governments of the Member States. The sanctions were also (supposedly at least) bilateral, between each of those countries and Austria. They were not EU sanctions: the European Commission continued its relations with Austria as before. The European Parliament adopted a resolution that was highly critical on the political issues (i.e. the FP�’s viewpoints and its inclusion in the Austrian government), but carefully avoided supporting the sanctions issued by the national governments. All in all, I would say the reaction of the European institutions was much more mature than that of the national governments.
(2) From my own experience with the EP, I am pretty sure that a majority there does take offence at Mr Buttiglione’s views on women and homosexuals (which I recall he also tried to put into law, contrary to what he says) and would have voted him out under any circumstances. It is true that Mr Berlusconi is by many MEPs considered a clown and an idiot, but that does not extend to just anyone in his government. Several of his ministers (including the now Commissioner Frattini) are actually widely respected.
(3) Yes, Buttiglione was voted out because he is a traditionalist catholic. The European Parliament, rather than being the lapdog of national governments, held the EU “government” to account and voted out a Commissioner whose views a majority of its members does not agree with. That is what parliaments do, it is called democracy. Why is it that the pro-Buttiglione people are such bad losers?

By: Hero von Esens

Hero von Esens — Mon, 31 Jan 2005 15:20:27 +0000

Your analysis is interesting but in its cloudy philosophical musings it doesn�t engage with the fact that Buttiglione was attacked because (a) he is a traditionalist Catholic, and (b) he was Berlusconi�s nominee and ally, and berlusconi had mocked the EU Parliament�s leader of the left. This case and that of Austria demonstrate the EU Parliament�s absolute inability to stomach serious opposition. In bulldozing such opposition out of the way, it tends to go for symbolic, rather than substantive, targets. This is a serious failing and no good will come of it.

By: Reflections on European Democracy » Barroso: Exit without a strategy?

Reflections on European Democracy » Barroso: Exit without a strategy? — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

[...] uld not only be good news for civil liberties in the European Union (I have explained in a previous post why I think Mr Buttiglione’s d [...]

By: Reflections on European Democracy » Values that shake the world: II - Tolerance in the Netherlands

Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

[...] reasingly rights-oriented instead of virtue-oriented. They do indeed, as Buttiglione said (and as he does himself!), fail to distinguish betw [...]