Bad news from Ireland The victory of the no in the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in Ireland is bad news for the gay, lesbian and transgender people in Italy. Why?
must remember that the Lisbon Treaty is a compromise between the member countries to replace the European constitution rejected by French and Dutch referendums. Although a compromise in quality on many issues including fundamental, the Treaty refers explicitly (although it does not integrate it as it did the Constitution) the Charter of Fundamental Rights del'Unione European Union, which contains the principles of equality and non discrimination that over the years has always referred to them in Italian initiatives for equal opportunities for LGBT people.
It is no coincidence that the Charter has been the main target of controversy and clerical Vatican against Europe (the famous relativism ...), controversy particularly strong in those countries where the Catholic Church has more influence: Poland, which in fact has obtained an exclusion clause on the implementation of its Charter, Italy and Ireland (by chance ...).
Mind you, I do not think the Irish referendum to block the adoption of the Treaty (which no country has proposed to examine their own people for fear that you experience what then happened in Ireland, after France and Holland) but will certainly give new impetus to political parties and cultural forces in conflict with a stronger and more egalitarian in Europe its national law.
The Irish referendum, in other words, confirms a possible common strategy for all those parts that for one reason or another they will reduce the strength of the European institutions and to limit the power of interference by the countries. Nationalists in each region to the clerical fundamentalists (Catholics or Protestants who are) the objective is unique, and if you can not (or not you have the courage ...) scuttle the EU institutions, each step back against the goal of having a single Europe (even in the symbolism and the terminology used) is important.
clerical forces for some time have come to realize that Europe is a threat from their point of view, and acted accordingly. So far no major results, in truth, but certainly if the pressure is increasing in European circles now explicitly speaks of the need to reform the functioning of the Court of Justice of European Communities (Luxembourg based) and its power over states national.
In Italy seems to be the problem longer heard: the European directives and resolutions of Parliament do not fear much, especially in light of recent election results which led to a political majority has more than one reason to maintain an ongoing conflict with the EU institutions. But the possibility that, relying on the Treaty and its Charter of Rights, you can get a conviction on matters of Italy "sensitive" (such as recognition of the rights of unmarried couples or same-sex marriage) through the ordinary courts is much more concrete and therefore dangerous.
is why any kind is to be expected initiative on this front, too, why not a popular instrument for such consultation (perhaps to be negotiated in exchange for substantial changes to the Treaty).
is why the civil action promoted by the radical assertion of certain rights of request for publication of the application for marriage by same-sex revolt in the Commons, is even more urgent and significant.
Enzo Cucco
June 13, 2008
