Buttiglione To Start Christian Group

Rocco Buttiglione, the European commissioner-designate rejected for his views on abortion and homosexuality, plans to form a European Christian lobby group.

Buttiglione, you may recall, was the Italian nominee for the EU’s new commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security. During his confirmation hearings he shocked the European establishment by expressing some conservative social views. His actual political position was quite libertarian:

“Many things may be considered immoral which should not be prohibited,” he said as he was quizzed on his views of homosexuality.

“I may think that homosexuality is a sin, and this has no effect on politics, unless I say that homosexuality is a crime.”

Yet a man who has often taken a conservative stance on many sensitive political issues – opposing artificial insemination and abortion – said there were some things the state should leave well alone.

“The state has no right to stick its nose into these things and nobody can be discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation… this stands in the Charter of Human Rights, this stands in the Constitution and I have pledged to defend this constitution,” he said.

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11:47 am on November 15, 2004