Hateful Speech Won't be Tolerated on European TV

European Parliament calls for withdrawing public funds from extremist political groups.

European Parliament building in Strasbourg Photo courtesy: commons.wikimedia.org

(STRASBURG) - The European Parliament in Strasburg today called for public funding to be withdrawn from political parties - or media businesses - that incite to hate of a group of people on the basis of their race, religion, handicap, sexual orientation or nationality. They also stressed that such speeches coming from public personalities should be considered an aggravating circumstance.

The European parliament adopted a resolution to show its concern on the fact that several European countries have experienced recently hatred violent events and killings.

The text, adopted by 527 votes in favor, 15 against and 39 abstentions, calls for public funding to be withdrawn from "political parties that do not condemn violence and terrorism and don't abide with human rights as set out in the Charter for Fundamental Rights" -formally signed yesterday in plenary by the three EU institutions-, and to the media who promote racist, xenophobic and homophobic ideas. The Chamber also said to be "seriously alarmed at the Islamic fundamentalist recruitment" in Europe.

Members stressed that public personalities should "refrain from statements that encourage or incite to hate or stigmatisation of groups of people on the basis of their race, ethnic origin, religion, handicap, sexual orientation or nationality" and believed that being a public personality should be considered as an aggravating circumstance when inciting to hatred.

Furthermore, on an amendment adopted by 450 votes in favor, 93 against and 30 abstentions, MEPs warn, looking to the 2009 European elections, "of the possibility that extremist parties may secure representation in the European Parliament and calls on the political groups to take the appropriate measures in order to ensure that a democratic institution is not used as a platform for financing and echoing anti-democratic messages".

The resolution calls on the EU institutions to give a clear mandate to the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights to investigate on the structures of extremist groups, and for governments to give appropriate preventive responses," regarding young's people education and public information, teaching against totalitarianism" and keeping alive the memory of European history.

Members also expressed their concern on how to counteract the existence of public and easily accessible websites which incite to hatred without violating freedom of expression.

The resolution, which does not name concrete examples of extremist groups or associations in Europe, does include in such category neo-nazis, neo-fascists and all "movements, paramilitary groups and parties" which base their ideology on "racism, intolerance, incitement to religious hatred, exclusion, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, anti-Gypsism, homophobia, misogyny and ultra-nationalism".

Among the most vulnerable groups mentioned are "migrants, Roma, homosexuals, antiracist activists and homeless".

Last November 29th, Parliament also adopted a consultation report to harden a future EU law to combat certain forms of racism and xenophobia, including the establishment of criminal sanctions -from one to three years of prison- to any public incitement to violence or hatred, even by dissemination or distribution of tracts, pictures or other material.

The legislative text -first European law of this kind, which still needs to be transposed by Member States-, also includes punishment for the denial or gross trivialisation of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Source: ilga-europe.org/