Ακολουθεί η ομιλία μου:
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I had the honour to preside over the debate as the vice-Chairman of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights and try to fit in the very big shoes of my esteemed colleague Mr Boriss CILEVIČS who was the rapporteur.
My job here is just to give you a subjective a flavour of what went on in the proceedings of the Committee. You already have got a very big flavour of that in the debate here. I have some very strong views about the matters that were hotly debated which I could not of course express, and I will try to stick to my objectivity and dispassionate reporting as much as possible.
Five points.
Point number one. We invested a lot of time in this report: disproportionate to what has happened in the past and much more than the usual. We had two debates. One on June 3rd for three and a half hours, and one today for another hour and a half. A total of five hours. There was no major or any even minor disagreement on the general principles of the report in regards to the need for full freedom of politicians to express their views and statements.
Point number three. There was some disagreement but not really much in regards to the case of Turkey.
Point number four. There was much more of a disagreement when the matter came to Spain as it is expected.
Let me just describe this disagreement very briefly. It can be analysed in three or four points. There was a lot of reaction to the confusion of quote-unquote Spain with Turkey. The fact if there was an act or statement and words. The criminal offence of sedition and the matter of violence. If there was violence, how much violence, etc, etc. Arguments that you have heard here in the hemisphere.
I’m concluding with the following statement.
My fifth point.
To complete the picture I have to say that no management was carried, was voted, without the support of the rapporteur. In other words, any amendment that was rejected by the rapporteur was rejected by the Committee itself, a sign of the great esteem and respect that the members of the Committee hold our esteemed colleague, our Chairman.
I will give you the details of the exact voting when the time comes with the amendments.
Thank you very much.