Poland sinks Portuguese plans for EU-wide Death Penalty Day

Brussels - Poland has all but sunk plans by the Portuguese presidency of the EU to hold a European Day against the death penalty next month, diplomats in Brussels acknowledged Tuesday. Speaking on the sidelines of a council meeting of justice and home affairs ministers, Spanish Justice Minister Mariano Sanchez Bermejo said the Polish government had reiterated its opposition to the celebration. 'Twenty-six countries in the EU want to celebrate a symbolic day against the death penalty but only one, Poland, is against,' Sanchez Bermejo said. 'It is very difficult to understand why Poland is putting a veto on this. We hope it is only a provisional (veto),' the minister added. Portugal was the first European country to abolish the death penalty, back in 1876, and is keen for the EU to endorse its anti- capital punishment stance with a European day against the death penalty, to be celebrated on October 10. But Poland, which is governed by a strongly Roman Catholic conservative administration, insists on transforming it into a pro- life event, arguing that while the death penalty is no longer an issue among the 27 member states, abortion and euthanasia are. In disagreeing with Poland's isolated stance, British Justice Minister Jack Straw noted that such issues tend to be treated as matters of personal conscience rather than party politics in Britain. Diplomats in Brussels conceded that Poland was unlikely to change its stance ahead of a closely-fought general election scheduled for October 21. © 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

And Also

Look Back at the Worst Celebrity Breakups

Look Back at the Worst Celebrity Breakups - PopEater
Office 2010 confirmed for June 2010 - The Tech Herald
Tropico Reloaded Hits GOG - Cinema Blend
'Brangelina' Author Sees Split in '15-18 Months' - PopEater
A&E series 'Hoarders' and 'Intervention' premiere Monday, Nov. 30th, preview

Your Talkback on this Story

Latest Headlines in Europe

Older Talkback

page: 1

RogérSep 18th, 2007 - 15:20:04

Poland should leave the EU and knock on America's door, to become the 51st state of the US-union.

The backward Americans will likely be happy to accommodate the yahoo-Poles.

Good grief, I despise these fat-necked little pig-twins that are in control of Poland right now.

Report this comment

page: 1

Europe

Europe News

Poland sinks Portuguese plans for EU-wide Death Penalty Day

And Also

Your Talkback on this Story

Similar articles

Latest Headlines in Europe

Older Talkback

From Sites we Like

In Monsters and Critics

Corporate

The Fine Print