RACISM AND INTOLERANCE IN EUROPE – July 3, 2006

On June 15, 2006, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the increase in racist and homophobic violence in Europe. The adoption of the document was a reaction to a rapid and worrying rise of anti-discriminatory, racist, anti-Semitic and xenophobic behavior in many European states.

As the most serious and troubling events the European Parliament indicated the ban made by Russian authorities on the march for equality and tolerance for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (LGBT), which was planned to take place on May 27th in Moscow. The behavior of Russian authorities violated a right of peaceful assembly and demonstration guaranteed by the European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. In respect to that incident the European Parliament also underlined that Russian political and religious authorities “incited and participated” in violent events against LGBT people that subsequently followed.

Other highlighted incidents included the murder of a black woman and the Belgian child whom she was babysitting by a young right-wing Belgian extremist, who previously also wounded a woman of Turkish origin. On February 2006, a gang of 22 criminals in France kidnapped, tortured and murdered a Jewish man. In March 2006, the ethnically motivated murder of Chaib Zehaf, took place in France. Also in February 2006 a group of adult and minor persons tortured and murdered a transsexual living in Portugal. In Warsaw, June 2006, a physical assault on Chief Rabbi of Poland occurred. As well as numerous racist attacks, calls and chants made by football fans at stadiums during soccer games.

Specifically, one of the most serious concerns expressed by the European Parliament considered the unprecedented rise in racist, xenophobic, anti-Semitic and homophobic intolerance in Poland, which is the biggest of the new member states of the EU. As the European lawmakers pointed out, the anti-Semitic sentiments in Poland has been strongly encouraged by religious platforms like Radio “Maryja”, which has been closely associated with ultra-catholic movements and two of the parties, which presently form Polish government. The racist activities of Radio “Maryja” have been criticized internationally. The Vatican expressed its deepest concern about the Radio’s anti-Semitic auditions, while the “New York Times” in its article of June 11, 2006, accused Polish authorities of allowing and tolerating chauvinistic behaviors on its territory. Furthermore, the European Parliament criticized the participation in the Polish government of the party called the League of Polish Families – a young political organization which leaders many times have been inciting people to racial hatred and violence against minorities. One of the national Parliamentary members representing that party, ordered all public prosecutors in the country to investigate and examine the existence of alleged criminal relationships between homosexual communities and pedophilic groups. Soon the National Prosecutor’s Office replied that it did not posses any information about such criminal relationships and correlations. In addition, the members of that party have been publicly calling for using violence against participants of the LGTB marches if such took place. Many of these incidents have been criticized by intellectual elites and rejected by the majority of the Polish society. Several non-governmental groups organized independent marches to express their tolerance toward ethnical and sexual minorities. Nevertheless the situation was considered serious enough and caused the European Parliament to threaten Poland with possible sanctions if it continued to violate its commitments and obligations under international human law and under respective European legal documents. Moreover Poland was criticized for abolishing of the Office of the Plenipotentiary for Equal Status, which was formerly responsible for securing equal status and treatment of men and women. The new member state has been also accused by the prominent German politician of enhancing neo-Nazi movements by mass producing and selling Nazi uniforms and symbols (“Der Spiegel”- July 3, 2006).

Another very strongly criticized country for intolerance and violating of international commitments was Russia. The resolution adopted by the European Parliament stated that the ban on the Gay Pride parade in Moscow in May 2006, not only violated international human rights law but also the freedom of assembly guaranteed by Article 31 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. In addition, Russia was condemned for allowing religious leaders to participate in the violent anti-homosexual and neo-Nazi marches in Moscow on May 27, 2006. The European Parliament urged the EU decision makers to raise these issues during direct EU-Russia talks and prospective summits as well as during the upcoming G-8 summit.

Additionally the European Parliament referred to the fact that four member states of the European Union – Germany, Luxemburg, Austria and Finland – have been reported to the European Court of Justice for failure to satisfy the requirements of Directive 200/43/EC, which implemented the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial and ethnic origin. 

The overall impression of the abovementioned incidents has been very upsetting. The European human rights system has been organized properly and efficiently, however many European countries repeatedly have problems with combating racism on its territory and respecting international commitments under human rights law. There are numerous legal instruments, which prohibit discrimination in Europe, like International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. In addition, Articles 2, 6, 7 and 29 of the Treaty on European Union, prohibit its member states from any discriminatory conduct and urge them to uphold human rights and fundamental freedoms. Moreover the European Union has adopted series of Directives to prevent racism, like Directive 200/43/EC implementing the principle of equal treatment and Directive 200/78/EC establishing a framework on combating racism and xenophobia in the EU.

As the European Parliament highlighted racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, homophobia and anti-gypsyism “are motivated by irrational reasons and are sometimes linked to social marginalization, exclusion and unemployment, as well as by a refusal to conceive diversity in our societies as a source of richness”. The very concept of human rights was invented in European culture, being influenced by Jewish-Christian ideology, ancient Greek philosophy and Roman legal system. Nevertheless, Europe throughout its history has always had problems with implementing these concepts and adhering to them. The fight to combat racism and eliminating discrimination in European societies has not finished yet and the EU needs to intensify its endeavors to accomplish this task.

Sebastian Aulich