Leo van Doesburg

  The debate on abortion was stirred up again after the recent leak of the draft proposal of the US Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. Mainly negative reactions to this news circulated in the media. The debate on abortion has become increasingly subjective where, particularly, the pro-life arguments are marginalized and negatively framed. Last February, we saw this in the European Parliament as well where the FEMM committee (Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality of the European Parliament) held a public hearing on the ‘Countering the anti-gender movement today to secure a gender equal Europe tomorrow’ , a side event of the Future of Europe Conference. As the title of the hearing suggests, this event was a one-sided story on the topic, seeking to invalidate other opinions and attacking several Christian organizations on their pro-life advocacy and promotion of Christian values. The hearing displayed the immaturity of the debate on abortion and gender issues. There is n...

Despite opposition from activists pro-choice organisations, the new law proposal has drawn a large positive attention worldwide. In total, 135 international organisations and 33 Slovakian organisations have signed a letter of support for the Slovakian legislative initiative that aims to strengthen the protection of pregnant women. This law has been initiated by a team of 13 Deputies from O’Lano and the Krestanska Unia (Christian Union). You can find a summary of this law here   The signatories come not only from many European countries, but also from Latin America and Africa; it is remarkable the support coming from all over the world. The full text of the letter is as follows: To whom it may concern We, the undersigned NGOs, are writing to ask the Members of the Slovak Parliament to support the Draft Law which Amends and Supplements Act No. 576/2004 Coll. of Laws on Healthcare, Healthcare-related Services. The protection of life, health and human dignity which this law...

W omen who are unintentionally getting pregnant can face a lot of pressure to terminate their pregnancy. There can be economic pressure in providing for the child, but also pressure from partner, family or teachers. A new law is being voted in Slovakia this week which updates the current legislative framework, the main goal being to help women make informed choices and to increase support for them. This law has been initiated by Member of Parliament Anna Záborská (Christian Union, Slovakia). In order to reduce the economic pressure on pregnant women, the law proposes the following: Possibility to obtain financial support after the 4 th month of pregnancy to cover for increased expenses due to the pregnancy. Governmental financial help from childbirth, with no administrative barriers (until now the child had to be alive at least 28 days after birth to be eligible for financial support). The law is also proposing to extend financial aid to all children born in Slovakia. The financia...

A CALL TO PROTECT THE DIGNITY OF PEOPLE WITH DOWN On the 21 st of March, we celebrated the World Down Syndrome Day at the European Parliament . The activities to honour this day started last week, when the Brussels office of ECPM took part in the  Socks' Battle  that was organized to draw attention to the rights of people, and especially children with Down syndrome. Yesterday, ECPM-MEP Marek Jurek co-hosted with MEP Miroslav Mikolášik a well - attended conference with the title: "Are we in Europe doing our best for the health of people with trisomy 21?" The Conference was addressed by the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani as well as MEP Pieter Liese. During this conference, I was invited to tell about the NIPT Test that is a serious threath to the future existence of people with Down Syndrome. I also presented a statement we prepared against the use of prenatal testing techniques that target Down syndrome in collaboration with the World Youth A...

The issue of abortion came again in the forefront recently.  In the Polish Parliament, there was  a debate on a  Bill for a str icter ban on abortion. Of course, the pro-ab ortionists used this opportunity to criticize th is effort and to frame the people who want to protect the life of the unborn . I nterestingly, they are also  openly proclaiming that abortion is an EU comp etence  ne glecting the legal limitation s of the EU. One week before , ano ther meeting was org anized in the European Parliament by  the S&D Group where they discussed about what to do with  doctors or midwifes who can not perform abortions be cause of their conscience. The freedo m to choose does not seem to be valid for doctors with an other worldview.  That's why they are  p ushing them to act against  the ir conscience. The pro-abortionists or the so-called, "freedom to choose" movement showed its real face going aga inst f reedom and against democr...

As written in my previous post,  there are five main reasons to vote AGAINST the Noichl Initiative Report, EU Strategy for Equality between Women and Men post 2015 that you need to keep in mind while voting next Tuesday, 9th June.  Most important arguments are as follows   48% of the Noichl Report’s paragraphs are in clear contradiction to the EU Principle of Subsidiarity. 35% of paragraphs are «off topic» with regard to the subject of the report: Strategy on Equality between men and women post 2015. 17% of paragraphs entail serious risks of restrictions on freedom of speech of the media, freedom of education and freedom in the context of contractual agreements. Seven Considerations (from S to X) introduce non-scientific based elements , as well as unfounded allegations. (Source Europe for Family): (You can find the Noichl report here)

The European Parliament is about to vote on two reports that contain paragraphs that promote a so-called “right to abortion”. If these paragraphs are adopted, the European Parliament would both express support for abortion on behalf of the EU and overstep the competence of the EU, thereby treading on the principle of subsidiarity. I ask everyone to take action against these two controversial reports to be discussed and voted in the European Parliament next week.  Source: FAFCE (Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe)

Wednesday I wrote on my blog about the Tarabella report that will be discussed 20 January in the Women rights and Gender Equality Committee (FEMM) in the European Parliament. Yesterday the  Stop Tarabella relaunching Estrela! petition was launched. We invite citizens across Europe who wish to stand up for human dignity and respect for subsidiarity to  sign this petition .  The Tarabella report is a part of the "Estrela report puzzle" and aims at promoting a "right to abortion" through a European Parliament resolution. Once again EU Citizens need to raise their voices to safeguard the principle of subsidiarity and prevent the newly elected European Parliament from adopting a report that would include a “right to abortion”. (Source: FAFCE ) 

The European Parliament’s “Committee on Women’s Rights  and Gender Equality” (FEMM) is back at its favourite occupation: the drafting of legally non-binding “initiative reports” with ultra-radical content which, if adopted, will be touted as representing the will of 500 million EU citizens and as a yardstick for the political action of both the EU and its Member States. This claim is of course ludicrous – on the one hand because those reports are, as already mentioned, not legally binding, and on the other hand because many of the matters they deal with are clearly outside the EU’s competence. The upcoming FEMM meeting on 20 January will deal with a radical report on” the Progress on equality between women and men in the European Union in 2013”, named the “Tarabella Report”  after Marc Tarabella, the Belgian left-wing MEP who drafted it. Section 14 of the draft contains FEMM’s hundred-and-umpteenth attempt to give the appearance of legitimacy to the sad pr...

On the 28th of May, the European Commission has to give an answer to the European Citizens Initiative "One of Us". Nearly 1.9 million signatures were collected to ask the European Union could stop funding the embryonic stem cell research and abortion in developing countries The left-liberal opposition against the "One of Us" was fierce and many arguments were used to neutralize the concern of so many European citizens. Main arguments were: One of Us is piloted by ultra-conservative, religious, anti-choice organisations One of Us is actually not a Citizens’ initiative but orchestrated by the Catholic Church and the East Orthodox churches One of Us” is the latest in the series of recent attacks on gender equality, women’s rights and sexual and reproductive health and rights in Europe“One of Us” is  imposing their religious beliefs at any cost One of Us will be responsible of the death of thousands of women in developing countries One of Us wants to ...

Hearing about the European Citizens Initiative “One of Us” in the European Parliament was a success Human Dignity and the protection of life are not political values but are inviolable and must be respected. “The issue is a simple and logical one: human life exists from conception and therefore should be respected. The European Court of Justice also defined that human embryo starts at conception.  The European Commission should be more consistent with this fact ”explained Gregor Puppink Director of the European Center for Law and Justice and leader of the European Citizens Initiative “One of Us” at the hearing which took place in the European Parliament last Thursday, 10 April. The hearing in the European Parliament had as main target to create a dialogue between the representatives of the Citizens Initiative that collected almost 2 million signatures and the Members of the European Parliament under the supervision of the European Commission that will give an answer on the ...

The European Citizenship Initiative “One of Us” has now reached already 1,3 Mio signatures in Europe and fulfils all criteria to be considered by the European Commission (www.oneofus.eu).   In a recent attempt to neutralize One of Us before it gets submitted in November, a Report is due to be voted at in the European Parliament next Monday . Below you find some significant quotes from this document presented by the Portuguese socialist MEP Ms. Estrela.   This report promotes abortion as a fundamental right, attacks the right to conscientious objection and the rights of parents and calls on the European Union to fund abortion in its Foreign and Development Aid Policy.  This text wants more abortions and less rights for conscientious objectors and parents, it recommends nothing in relation to the prevention of abortion or support for pregnant women. It is a striking example of old-style feminism and has nothing to do with modern politics in which space fo...

The European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) "One of Us" to protect and respect the dignity and integrity of the human embryo is seriously undermined by the opposition who is working on its counter-offensive by an own initiative report  on sexual and reproductive rights . It has already been adopted by the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality on September 18. Rapporteur Edite Estrela — a member of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats group in the European Parliament — argued strongly in favour of legalizing abortion in all European Member States with no consideration for the fundamental rights to life and conscience recognized by the EU.  This issue should be taken very seriously and we should do our utmost to put this under the attention in media and MEPs. The aim of this own-initiative report is to neutralise the ECI by a "zero sum game" where nobody really wins. If this resolution passes in Plenary, the EU institutions hav...

How can a country, that refused abortion three times by referendums, be pressured to legalize it in the name of a Convention which does not enshrine a right to abortion? In Europe, Ireland is a symbol of resistance against abortion.  Nevertheless, Ireland is on the point of giving in to the concerted pressure of the Council of Europe and the pro-abortion lobbies. Irish people have always been firmly opposed to abortion.   Since the 1980s, they have rejected the legalization of abortion three times, while affording equal constitutional protection to the life of the unborn child and that of the mother.  Abortion is therefore always prohibited, except when doctors consider it necessary to save the life of the mother .   However, the Council of Europe is at the heart of a campaign aiming to impose abortion ‘from the top’ onto people who refused it ‘from the bottom’ three times, by referendums in 1983, 1992 and 2002. (Article by: G régor Puppinck. P...

On the 5th of July, the European Parliament has  adopted a resolution strongly condemning forced abortions and sterilizations under China's One Child Policy, including the forced abortion at seven months of Feng Jianmei, which occurred last month in Shaanxi Province, China.    Specifically, the resolution, 2012/2712 (RSP)   “strongly condemns the decision to force Ms Feng to have an abortion and condemns the practice of forced abortions and sterilizations globally, especially in the context of the one‑child policy.”   The resolution further states that “the EU has provided, and still provides, funds for organizations involved in family planning policies in China,” and “urges the Commission to ensure that its funding of projects does not breach” the European Parliament’s commitment against coercive population control.    Find the text of the EP resolution  here   (Source: Women's right Without Frontiers)  

San Jose Articles launched today at UN headquarters in New York (Source:  Human Dignity Watch ) A new document launched today in New York clarifies once and for all that there is no right to abortion under current international law. The so-called ‘San Jose Articles’ contains nine articles which summarise the position of internationally binding treaties and customary law regarding abortion, drawing the conclusion that a right to abortion does not exist. Sovereign states, therefore, have no international obligation whatsoever to provide their citizens with access to abortion.  This holds true even for the frequent claim that access to abortion should be provided for health, privacy, sexual autonomy or non-discrimination reasons.