Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-02-15-Speech-2-209"
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"en.20000215.10.2-209"2
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".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to begin my answer by reminding you of the position adopted by the Commission with regard to the formation of the new Austrian Government. This was reiterated this morning in President Romano Prodi’s speech on that government which includes Ministers from Jörg Haider’s Freedom Party. I am referring ,of course, to the statement made by the Commission on 1 February 2000, the basic elements of which I would like to restate. The Commission confirmed then, as it does today, that it shares the concerns underlying the Portuguese Presidency’s statement of 1 February 2000. These concerns are legitimate and there are good reasons for them. There is no need for me to remind you of Jörg Haider’s political bias and of his many xenophobic and racist public statements, which are also anti-European. The fact that an openly extremist, racist and xenophobic party can reach power in a Member State of the European Union will inevitably be a source of concern to the other States that are taking part in the European project. The European Commission is certainly not indifferent to the matter either.
Secondly, the Commission reiterated and reiterates again its commitment to continue fulfilling its duty as guardian of the Treaties, specifically with regard to Articles 6 and 7 of the Treaty on European Union. One of the most important innovations provided by the Treaty of Amsterdam was to clarify the basic principles which represent the shared heritage of the Member States. Another innovation was the establishment of a mechanism which would monitor whether these principles are being fulfilled, and which would react if any of them were violated. The Commission thereby gave a practical demonstration of its commitment to one of the essential pillars: that of the rule of law. This principle means that the Commission must act within the limits laid down by the Treaties and it is in this context that the statement of 1 February was made. The Commission is not a State. It cannot and must not act as if it were one. In order to give a precise answer to your question, Mr Ford, I must remind you that in order for the mechanism established by Article 7.1 of the Treaty on European Union to be applied, there must be proof of the existence and I quote, of a “serious and persistent breach by a Member State of the principles mentioned in Article 6.” I repeat, a “serious and persistent breach” is the condition necessary for the Commission to be able to propose to the Council that measures be adopted against a Member State. I think that it is obvious that conditions have not been met which would apply to the current situation in Austria. As a matter of fact I think that I am right in saying that we all hope that these conditions of a serious and persistent breach of human rights and of democracy are never fulfilled, either in Austria or in any other Member State. I would like to assure you of my personal commitment and of that of the Commission, as stated once again by President Prodi this morning, to doing everything to ensure that we do not have to apply the mechanism stated in Article 7. I would also like to assure you though that we will not hesitate to apply it should it prove necessary. The values at stake are too central, too fundamental for us to accept dithering or compromises.
Individuals and governments should be judged by what they do rather than by what they say. In Austria’s case, the statements are contradictory to say the least. On the one hand, any of us could pick up on a whole cluster of inflammatory remarks by the leader of the Freedom Party. On the other hand, the new Austrian Government’s programme reaffirms its commitment to defend democracy and human rights. We will soon have our first opportunity, and an excellent opportunity it will be, to see which one of these two faces of the Freedom Party is the real one. I am referring to the position the Austrian Government will adopt at the Council with regard to the Commission’s proposals for the establishment of an action programme to combat discrimination and for two directives. One applies to the principle of treating people equally, without differentiating on the grounds of race or ethnic origin. The other proposal will provide protection at work against discrimination on the grounds of ethnic or racial origin, religion, handicap or sexual persuasion. These are significant texts, adopted in accordance with Article 13 of the Treaty, which gave the Community jurisdiction to fight discrimination on the grounds of race, ethnic origin, sex etc.
Lastly, I would like to assure you, Mr Ford, that the Commission will remain vigilant and will not fail to act in accordance with its responsibilities, should it prove necessary."@en1
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