BRUSSELS, October 26, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The European Union may try to deny Poland its EU voting status because its newly elected President-elect, Lech Kaczynski, opposes the celebration of homosexuality.
The EU is calling Kaczynski’s actions as the mayor of Warsaw, where he banned a “gay pride” parade two years in a row, a potential contravention of article 6 of the Treaty of Nice, which states that countries must protect the rights of minorities. He is also under fire for supporting reintroduction of the death penalty.
Under Article 7 of the Treaty, a country that violates human rights – as defined by the EU – can be deprived of voting rights.
Justice Spokesperson Friso Roscam Abbing told Brussels journalist David Ferguson that: “One of the pre-conditions for a candidate country in starting negotiations with the European Union is that any existing death penalty law should be abolished. Obviously, such a law would be against the basic values of the Union as reflected in the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Article 6 of the Treaty.”
Abbing added that the same legal provisions apply to any discrimination on the grounds of sexual preference. “This is also reflected in the Treaty and the Charter,” added Abbing.
“We are going to follow the situation very attentively,” said Jonathan Todd, the principal EU spokesman Sunday.
See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Warsaw Mayor Who Banned “Gay Pride” Pride Elected as Poland’s President
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/oct/05102408.html
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