News | Sunday, 13 September 2009

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José Barroso, ‘I told Gonzi and Berlusconi: respect human rights’

James Debono
European Commission President José Manuel Barroso said he urged Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi to respect human rights, amid concern on the forced repatriation of migrants by Italy after first being intercepted by the Maltese army.
This was Barroso’s first public pronouncement on the issue, while addressing a closed audition with the Progressive Alliance of Socialist and Democrats (formerly Party of European Socialists) of which the Malta Labour Party is a member.
The audition was held in the wake of next week’s crucial vote on the re-election of Barroso as President of the Commission.
Both Italy and Malta were asked by the Commission for “explanations” of what is happening on the high seas, following the interception by a Maltese patrol boat of a dinghy laden with Somali migrants and later escorted to Italian waters, where they were handed over to the Guardia di Finanza and then forcefully repatriated to Libya.
When asked for his stand on the forced repatriation by David Sassoli, who leads the Italian delegation, Barroso replied that he exhorted Gonzi and Berlusconi to respect international rules, and that Commissioner Jacques Barrot immediately sent a formal letter to both governments asking for explanations on this incident.
“It is necessary to support human and fundamental rights in Europe and the world,” Barroso added.
Martin Shulz, the leader of the Socialist group, also criticized Barroso for not taking a tough stand against Berlusconi’s threat to block the EU’s workings, in retaliation to a Commission request for clarifications over the latest forced repatriations to Libya. Berlusconi also criticized the system where spokespersons talk instead of the President of the European Commission.

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