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European Union appoints special envoy for religious freedom

2021-05-06T11:33:48.961Z


The European Commission on Wednesday 5 May appointed a special envoy "for the promotion of freedom of religion and belief", "attacked in ...


The European Commission on Wednesday 5 May appointed a special envoy "

for the promotion of freedom of religion and belief

", "

attacked in many parts of the world

", an appointment which was demanded by the right in the European Parliament.

This post was created in 2016 by former Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, but was not renewed in 2019 by his successor, Ursula von der Leyen.

Read also: Will the European Union be able to reduce its CO2 emissions by 55% by 2030?

The special envoy finally appointed is Christos Stylianides, a 62-year-old Cypriot, former European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and former EPP (right-wing pro-European) MEP. He is "

attached

" to Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President of the Commission in charge of "

promoting the European way of life

". “

Freedom of religion or belief is under attack in many places around the world,

” Margaritis Schinas tweeted. This appointment “

shows that we are determined to protect the rights of all faiths and beliefs,

” he added.

About fifty MEPs, from the EPP (European People's Party, political family of Mrs von der Leyen), the Fidesz of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and the group of European Conservatives and Reformists (CRE, Eurosceptic right including in particular the Polish PiS) , had called last October to restore "as

soon as possible

" this post. “

Finally!

», Tweeted the German Manfred Weber, president of the PPE group, welcoming this appointment. Same reaction from the CRE group. "

This year more than 340 million Christians have suffered persecution in the world because of their faith

", recalled the Italian MEP Carlo Fidanza (Brothers of Italy, extreme right).

MEP Sophie in't Veld (Renew Europe group, centrists and liberals), for her part, accused the Commission of having "

again yielded to the ultra religious right

", and denounced the lack of democratic control by the European Parliament over this. emissary. This Dutch elected representative had seized the European mediator about the previous special envoy, the Slovak Jan Figel, accusing him of having links with “

ultra-conservative Christian

” organizations

hostile to the rights of LGBT people and to abortion. In response, mediator Emily O'Reilly called on the Commission last July to “

clarify

” the scope of the mandate in the future.

Read also: Vaccines: Can the European Union do without AstraZeneca next year?

While considering that

Figel's

"

interactions

" with the organizations mentioned in the complaint had not been contrary to her mandate, she invited the Commission to remind the special envoys of the importance of "

taking into account all rights humans

”in their statements and relations with their interlocutors. According to the Commission press release of Wednesday 5 May, the role of the special envoy is "

to establish a dialogue with the national authorities and other actors in the countries

" where discrimination is exercised, to encourage interfaith dialogue, to promote place measures "

aimed at the deradicalization and prevention of religious extremism in third countries

". Finally, there must be "

promote religious diversity and tolerance through educational programs

”.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2021-05-06

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