In a welcome step, the European Parliament last week adopted a progressive resolution on fundamental rights in the European Union. The resolution addresses a wide variety of topics from citizenship to justice, and points out several issues currently in existence in EU countries. What is perhaps most notable about the resolution is its explicit support of secularism as a European value. Article 34 of the adopted resolution reads:
[The European Parliament]...believes that secularism defined as the strict separation between non-confessional political authorities and religious authorities, as well as the impartiality of the State, are the best means of guaranteeing non-discrimination and equality between religions and between believers and non-believers
The same article also calls for member states to protect the freedom of “those without a religion not to suffer discrimination as a result of excessive exemptions for religions from laws on equality and non-discrimination.” In addition, the resolution recommends that the member states give up any laws that criminalise blasphemy. While some of Europe's existing blasphemy laws are rarely-evoked historical edicts, many are still in use: Greece, Malta and Poland are just some of the EU countries with recent blasphemy cases.
The resolution should be welcomed for its support of secularism and freedom of speech and expression, and also for addressing topics that the European Parliament has recently evaded. In December, the Parliament rejected a progressive sexual health report after a massive campaign from right-wing and religious lobbyists. Last week’s resolution however addresses some of the topics that were previously avoided. It calls for member states to ensure that reproductive health services, including care and medicines for family planning, are available, and to ensure that no legislation violates sexual and reproductive health and rights. Importantly, the report also emphasises the rights of LGBTI people, and applauds recent positive developments:
31. [The European Parliament] Welcomes the fact that a growing number of Member States are respecting the right to found a family through marriage, civil partnership or registered cohabitation and adoption, without discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, and calls on the remaining Member States to do the same
Among the EU countries, Belgium, Denmark, France, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden have legalised same-sex marriage (England & Wales are to follow this month). While several EU countries are discussing the introduction of same-sex marriage, others have taken actions to prohibit the practice. In December, Croatia voted to amend the country’s Constitution to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Discussion of a similar amendment is currently gaining momentum in Slovakia. Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, and Lithuania are the only EU countries currently banning same-sex marriage.
The European Parliament’s resolutions are non-binding, and last week’s decision passed with a relatively narrow margin of 312 votes against 244 (27 abstentions). However, the progressive language of the adopted resolution – and the Parliament’s rejection of a watered-down right-wing alternative that would have omitted mentions of secularism, sexual health and same-sex unions – shows that the majority of MEPs are committed to respecting and promoting such rights and values in Europe.
