On Thursday 17 April 2008, the European Free Alliance – European Political Party in cooperation with the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), European Free Alliance – Rainbow (Macedonian minority of Greece) and the Federal Union of the European Nationalities (FUEN) will be organising an international panel discussion in the European Parliament in Brussels on the “Ignored Minorities in Greece: Western Thrace Turks and Macedonians.” The event will be held in Meeting Room A5G2 from 15.00 until 18.00.

Guest speakers at this event will include Hans Heinrich Hansen (Panel Chair) (President, Federal Union of European Nationalities), Halit Habipoğlu (President, Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe, Nelly Maes (President, European Free Alliance - European Political Party), Asst. Prof. Dr. Halim Cavusoglu (Department of Sociology, Hacettepe University ), Pavlos Filipov Voskopoulos (Member of the Central Council of EFA-Rainbow, political party of the Macedonian Minority in Greece), Hélène Flautre MEP* (Chair, Subcommittee on Human Rights, European Parliament), Dr. Csaba Sándor Tabajdi MEP* (Chair, Intergroup for Traditional National Minorities, Constitutional Regions and Regional Languages), Boriss Cilevičs (Member of the PACE, Chair, Sub-Committee on Rights of Minorities) Panayote Dimitras (Spokesperson, Greek Helsinki Monitor) and Mikel Irujo Amezaga MEP (Greens/EFA Group).

Background information on the Turkish and Macedonian minorities of Greece

The Greek state systematically discriminates against the Turkish minority and denies the ethnic identity of the minority, which whether acquired by birth or through acculturation, is Turkish. Greece prefers to use the term “Muslim minority”, a concept based on the Lausanne Peace Treaty and on the rejection of a “Turkish” identity. Greece’s refusal to accept the minority’s Turkish identity has ranged from banning civic organisations bearing the adjective “Turkish” in their titles – as in the case of “Turkish Union of Xanthi”- to prosecuting individuals who publicly identified the minority as “Turkish”.

The Macedonian minority of Greece is concentrated in the northern part of the country. Although the Macedonian language is spoken by a large number of persons, it is in danger of becoming extinct as it does not enjoy official state recognition and therefore is not taught in the education system. Furthermore, Macedonian speakers and indeed persons expressing a Macedonian ethnic identity have been persecuted by Greek authorities. Greek courts on multiple occasions since 1989 have refused to register the cultural association “Home of Macedonian Culture”.
______________________
* speaker to be confirmed
* Invitation: http://www.florina.org/html/2008/march27_e.pdf

POLITICAL PARTY OF THE MACEDONIAN MINORITY IN GREECE

www.florina.org

The EFAy have joined in the call to the European Parliament to urge the Slovakian Government to repeal the Benes decrees, and other legal acts adopted by the Slovak National Council and other Czecho (Slovak) official authorities during the 1945 – 8 period, which still discriminate against the Hungarian and German minorities in the Slovak Republic.

The laws, passed in the wake of the WWII period, legalised the persecution of the Hungarian and German citizens of the former Czechoslovak Republic, by proportioning collective guilt on them for the atrocities that took place in this period of history. The EFAy support the petition to the European Parliament calling on the Slovak authorities to declare the laws null and void and to compensate the victims and their families for the suffering that they subsequently endured as a result of these laws.

The EFAy calls on its members and supporters to sign the petition and to raise concerns with the Slovak authorities.

Part of the text reads as follows:

“The Undersigned request, on the grounds of our commitment to fairness and the protection of human rights, that the members of the Hungarian and German minorities in Slovakia (as former part of the Czechoslovak Republic) receive, because of their persecution between 1945-1948, moral satisfaction and financial compensation, or other appropriate remedy for the human victims, physical sufferings and for the results of the financial damages caused to the social organizations (including public organizations and churches) of the minority (or those playing an important part in its life), its private entrepreneurs and private persons! By signing the present document we also support the concept of the Hungarian-Slovak reconciliation and all the movements and civil organizations (e.g. the petition of the “Never Again Polgári Társulás” civil organization and the associated Southern Slovakian civil organizations), which raise their voice against maintaining that infringement of rights and the legitimization of it.

We demand that the Parliament request Slovakia, in a resolution, to declare its still applicable incriminated legal acts – including the act which exclude the right for compensation related to unlawful actions before 25 February1948 – null and void by the means of deregulation. Furthermore, we request that the Hungarian and German minorities of Slovakia shall be presented formal apologies for the injuries suffered as a result of aforementioned legal acts and legal practices, and because of the crimes caused by Slovakia (as former part of the Czechoslovak Republic), and the Czechoslovak state; they shall receive adequate compensation for the confiscation of property and the mental sufferings. Slovakia shall convict those citizens who committed crimes against properties and humanity.

We request that in case of lack of an appropriate answer, or if Slovakia maintains this massive infringement of human rights, the Parliament should launch an infringement procedure at the Council of the European Union because of the breach of Article 6 (1) of the Maastricht Treaty (as laid down in Article 7 of the Maastricht Treaty), and as final step suspend the rights of Slovakia as a European Member State.”

Website and petition link:
http://www.vilagmagyarsag.com/benes

The end of the municipal elections in the French state last Sunday, proved positive for young people in the European Free Alliance Youth (EFAy), with one Bureau Member elected to her Municipality.

Bureau Member, Gael Briand of Jeunes de l'UDB (Youth of Union Démocratique Bretonne), reported that two members, Ana Sohier (25 years old) and Gwendal Rioual (24 years old), were elected in their Municipalities of Rennes and Guimgamp.

Amandine Moretti, who represents the youth of Partitu di a Nazione Corsa (PNC) on the EFAy Bureau, was elected to her Municipality and reported that the elections went very well for the PNC generally, with many people being elected in the smaller municipalities on the island.

The EFAy Bureau wish our other members and supporters who were also elected in the municipal elections good luck in their new roles and look forward to working with you in the future.

As reported previously, two new members have now joined the EFAy Bureau. Amandine Burguet Moretti and Gael Briand were elected in February to represent the the young people of Partitu di a Nazione Corsa and Union Démocratique Bretonne respectively.

Below Amandine and Gael say a little bit about themselves below, by way of introduction:

Amandine Burguet Moretti

“My name's Amandine Burguet Moretti and I'm an active member of the Partitu di a Nazione Corsa. In my organisation, I'm a member of the Cunsigliu and am an elected representative on my City Council. I'm a graduate of political science and am in Corsica University.

I was very happy to be elected to become a member of the EFAy Bureau, because I'm very interested by the Europe and I think that the one part of the political solution in Corsica lies with Europe.”

Gael Briand

“My name is Gael Briand and I think I have had contact with all the Bureau Members during my training period in the EFA team. I'm 23 years old, member of the Breton's Democratic Union and graduated in Geography last June. I'm now candidate for the elections in Brittany and I need to find a job in the next few months.

I'm really proud to be member of the Bureau and I will try to work with all of you. I already have some projects in my mind with the youth of MK and Plaid Cymru. I live in Lorient which is one of the biggest town in Brittany.

The EFAy Bureau has elected two new members to join the Bureau with immediate effect, bringing the total number of Bureau Members back to that at the April 2007 AGM.

One of the positions was left vacant following the resignation of Philippe Sour, who represented the youth of Partit Occitan, at the end of last year. Philippe had been a Bureau Member of the EFAy for over three years and left to concentrate on his other political activities.

The two new Bureau Members will represent the youth of Partitu di a Nazione Corsa (Corsica) and Jeunes Union Démocratique Bretonne (Brittany).

The new EFAy Bureau is now as follows:

EFAY BUREAU 2007-2009

MKBY (Cornwall)
RHISIART TAL-E-BOT PRESIDENT
newsletter@efay.eu president@efay.eu

JONG SPIRIT (Flanders)
TIJL VENEENOOGHE VICE PRESIDENT
EFAy email: tijl.vereenooghe@efay.eu

JUNGE UNION (Süd Tirol)

ALAND FRAMTID (Aland)
ANDREAS DAHLÉN. VICE PRESIDENT
EFAy email: andreas.dahlen@efay.eu

MORAVANE. (Moravia)
JURA NOVOTNY. VICE PRESIDENT
EFAy email: jiri.novotny@efay.eu

UPPER SILESIAN YOUTH (Silesia)
MICHAEL SCHULZ. VICE PRESIDENT
EFAy email: michael.schulz@efay.eu

CHOBENALLA ARAGONESISTA (Aragón)
MICHEL MARTINEZ VICE PRESIDENT
EFAy email: michel.martinez@efay.eu

PARTITU DI A NAZIONE CORSA (Corsica)
AMANDINE BURGUEL MORETTI
Efay email: amandine.moretti@efay.eu

JEUNES UNION DÉMOCRATIQUE BRETONNE (Brittany)
Gael Briand
EFAy email: gael.briand@efay.eu

Coodinator

Eva Bidania
EFAy email: coordinator@efay.eu

EFAy President, Rhisiart Tal-e-bot, has written to the Prime Minister of Spain, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, condemning the imminent ban of two more political parties ahead of next month’s General Elections.

The Basque Nationalist Action (ANV) and Communist Party of the Basque Lands (EHAK) political parties are likey to be banned before the 11th February following accusations from Public Prosecutors that they have links with the outlawed Batasuna political party.

Founded in 1930, Acción Nacionalista Vasca (ANV) is one of the oldest nationalist political parties and was the first Basque political Party to stand on a socialist platform. Euskal Herrialdeetako Alderdi Komunista (EHAK) was legally registered in 2002, but had no known activity until 2005. It is alleged that the party has been infiltrated by the outlawed Batasuna Party.

This week Spain’s High Court Judge Baltasar Garzón charged the leaders of both parties with having links with the armed group ETA, in a move that will surely pave the way for the parties expulsion from the democratic political process. ANV won 337 seats in towns and villages in the Basque region (including Navarre) in the 2006 elections, despite the fact that over half their candidates barred from standing, due to alleged links to Batasuna.

In the letter the EFAy President argues:

“If the intention is to find a solution to terrorism in the Basque Country and Spain, every attempt should be made to engage all parties in the democratic political process and this cannot be achieved by banning them.”

Click here to see the full text.

EFA – Rainbow (The Macedonians of Greece) would like to present an interesting report by Human Rights Watch (1994)

This report is based on information gathered by a fact-finding mission in the Macedonian region in northern Greece. In July 1993, organized and co-ordinated by the Minority Rights Group-Greece. The participants were Panayote Dimitras, representing the Minority Rights Group-Greece; Erik Siesby, head of the Danish Helsinki Committee; and Lois Whitman, the Deputy Director of Human Rights Watch/Helsinki. The report was written by Lois Whitman and edited by Jeri Laber, the Executive Director of Human Rights Watch /Helsinki.

The Greek Fogeign Ministry, which initially refused to meet with the three groups making up the fact-finding mission, was subsequently very cooperative with Human Rights Watch / Helsinki in answering questions and providing information. Macedonian rights activists were very helpful in providing interviews and information, sometimes at considerable risk. In many cases activists and others interviewed by the mission requested that their names not be used, for fear of retaliation by authorities.

Read more:
http://www.hrw.org/reports/pdfs/g/greece/greece945.pdf

Quelques éléments concernant la situation de Jean-Christophe Angelini, qui vous permettront vos actions de solidarités (communiqués, explications médiatiques, motions d'institution, courriers aux autorités, etc) :

Jean-Christophe Angelini, conseiller territorial, conseiller municipal de Portivechju et candidat tête de liste à l'élection municipale des 9 et 16 mars prochain, homme de dialogue et démocrate convaincu, dont tout le parcours témoigne de cet engagement démocratique et de la recherche constante de l'apaisement et d'une solution politique négociée, est incarcéré à la prison de Luynes. Cela nous est insupportable !
Le sérieux et la renommée de sa famille - comme d'ailleurs de sa famille politique, avec ses moyens, ses valeurs et ses objectifs - la réputation qu'il a acquise, sa finesse d'analyse, la constance de ses positionnements, son charisme, ont fait de lui une personnalité incontournable de l'espace politique corse.

Sur les faits qui lui sont reprochés

- Lundi 21 janvier, il a été inculpé pour "complicité de faux et association de malfaiteurs". On lui reprocherait d'avoir participé à l'élaboration d'un faux passeport à destination de Antoine Nivaggioni, gérant de la SMS (société de gardiennage) en fuite depuis plus d'un mois. Dans le cadre de cette affaire aussi le président de la Chambre de Commerce Raymond Ceccaldi est incarcéré depuis un mois.
- les liens entre Jean Christophe Angelini et Antoine Nivaggioni sont des seuls liens d'amitié. Jean-Christophe Angelini n'a aucun lien (a fortiori aucun lien financier) avec la SMS, et aucun lien avec la Chambre de Commerce de Corse du Sud.
- Il n'y a rien, absolument rien au dossier, qui peut incriminer Jean-Christophe Angelini. Il n'était absolument pas porteur du passeport en question (contrairement aux informations qui ont été données à la presse qui les a abondamment relayées).
- Une personne a été interpellée porteuse de ce passeport, son nom n'a pas été révélé par la police, elle a été mise sous contrôle judiciaire et laissée en liberté.
- Jean Christophe Angelini qui lui est totalement étranger à toute cette affaire, non seulement est mis en examen, ce qui est incompréhensible, mais il est incarcéré, ce qui est intolérable.

Sur le contexte générale

- La Corse vit un contexte répressif renforcé depuis plusieurs mois : fichage ADN illégale, y compris sur des mineurs, interpellations systématiques toujours brutales (portes enfoncées, menaces sur la famille...) alors qu'il aurait suffi d'une simple convocation dans la plupart des cas puisque les personnes sont relâchées au terme de la garde à vue sans charge retenue contre elle (par contre on leur demande leur ADN !!), quadrillage policier avec des moyens disproportionnés, sur les contrôles routiers, mais aussi de quartiers entiers (venue du Conseil des ministres, manifestation du 12 janvier, rassemblement de Portivechju pour Jean-Christophe Angelini etc...). Bref une mise en condition générale qui attise les tensions.
- Lundi 14 janvier : François Fillon, premier ministre, arrive en Corse et promet - encore - une répression accrue
- Mardi 15 janvier : Jean-Christophe Angelini lance à Portivechju sa campagne électorale avec un grand succès (rassemblement de presque toute l'opposition à la municipalité en place, celle de Camille de Rocca Serra, président de l'assemblée de Corse et ami de Nicolas Sarkozy)
- Jeudi 17 janvier : Jean-Christophe Angelini est arrêté à grand renfort de moyens policiers par les inspecteurs de l'Office centrale de la grande délinquance financière : sirènes hurlantes sur les Champs Elysées, malmené, menotté derrière le dos et emmené sous le regard des badauds comme un vulgaire malfrat.

Sur le contexte de l'affaire

- Jean-Christophe Angelini effectuait un déplacement "surprise", invité par une "personne proche du pouvoir" qui souhaitait s'entretenir avec lui sur les événements d'Aiacciu.
Depuis des semaines, le PNC appelle à l'apaisement dans toutes ses communications, à la responsabilité et au dialogue. Jean-Christophe Angelini a donc accepté ce rendez-vous. Il a joué son rôle d'élu et de responsable politique.
- Après ce rendez-vous (traquenard ??), Jean-Christophe Angelini est a allé déjeuner dans une cafeteria des Champs Elysées. Il a saisi l'occasion de ce déplacement pour rencontrer M.Schnoebelen, cadre d'une entreprise de sécurité, actionnaire de la SMS, qui envisage de la reprendre pour sauver les 300 emplois concernés. Là aussi il a joué son rôle d'élu.
- Enfin, autre élément étrange, par des intermédiaires, on nous a fait comprendre que si Antoine Nivaggioni se livrait ou des indications étaient données, Jean-Christophe Angelini serait libéré... Comme si c'était dans nos domaines d'influence ! Personne ne sait où est Antoine Nivaggioni. Ce sont des manières de voyous, des procédés dignes des républiques bananières !

Irrespect de la procédure et conditions de la garde-à-vue

- la garde à vue normalement de 48h a été prolongée artificiellement par la délivrance d'un mandat d'amener qui l'a prolongé de 48h : au total 4 jours de garde à vue sans voir son avocat !
- en effet, celui-ci l'a vu en première heure comme c'est la règle, mais n'a pu le voir à la 24è heure car le juge a ordonné une perquisition à son domicile à ce moment-là
- l'avocat, Maître Jean-François Casalta, a consigné ce fait dans des "observations écrites" déposées par un collègue à Paris, Maître Paul Mathieu de la Foata, car il peut être une cause de "nullité de la procédure".
- or, les observations écrites ne figurent pas au dossier. On les a donc supprimé. Pire, une annotation figure pour dire que : il n'y a pas eu d'observations écrites de l'avocat !!!
Maître Casalta juge très graves toutes ces atteintes à la procédure.
- toujours sur la procédure, lorsqu'au terme du 4è jour, Me Casalta a pu rencontrer son client on lui a refusé la confidentialité de l'entretien. Il a fallu qu'il insiste et fasse scandale pour autoriser cette confidentialité qui est un droit.
- Tout ceci fait dire à Maître Casalta que "la procédure n'a pas été équitable".
- Maître Casalta nous informe aussi que les conditions de la garde à vue ont été très dures psychologiquement : fortes pressions, mensonges, menaces (sur son avenir politique, "tu es grillé" etc..)
- heureusement, Jean-Christophe Angelini ne s'est pas laissé influencé, n'ayant rien à se reprocher, mais il reste complètement éberlué par cet acharnement qu'on lui a témoigné depuis le 17 janvier.

Sur la procédure engagée par son avocat

- Une demande de remise en liberté a été déposée en urgence. Elle sera examinée demain jeudi (par un magistrat). Tous les soutiens qui s'expriment d'ici là, quel que soit la forme, pourront servir à appuyer cette demande de remise en liberté. Nous avons donc lancé une pétition.
- Si cette demande est infructueuse, une "seconde chance" est accordée, la demande étant réexaminée devant la Chambre de l'instruction (3 magistrats) quelques jours après, probablement lundi. D'où le lancement, pour notre part, d'une marche pacifique, samedi 26 janvier à Portivechju.
- Si ce nouvel examen échoue, il ne sera pas possible de poser une nouvelle demande avant un mois. D'où l'urgente nécessité de réagir dans ce laps de temps d'ici à lundi.
- Nous avons engagé également une démarche auprès des élus de l'île, en organisant vendredi 25 janvier à l'assemblée de Corse (si on nous l'accorde) une réunion entre les élus qui le souhaitent, les médias et l'avocat de Jean Christophe Angelini pour les éclairer sur les réalités du dossier.

Philippe Sour, chargé de communication pour Régions & Peuples Solidaires

Régions et peuples solidaires
www.r-p-s.info

The National Youth Speaker of Süd-Tiroler Freiheit, Sven Knoll, said in reference to the chaos in Italian policy following the fall of Prodi’s Government this week:
“This is kicking up a fuss with serious consequences for South Tyrol"

“In view of the scenes, which took place yesterday in the Roman senate, where senators mutually insulted, spat and got drunk with champagne, we can't help wondering if we really want to live in this state.”

The expression "Banana Republic" comes to mind when seeing the way that the Italian Government is conducting its affairs at the moment and it is obvious that the state will not be able to gain control of the situation.

South Tyrol will, once again, have to cope with the negative consequences that result from this fiasco, which can also be blamed on the South Tyrolan right wing in their loyalty to Rome, who manoeuvre us towards an Italian abyss.

What has to happen is that the SVP finally sees the truth that its affiliation to the Italian state creates nothing but problems for our country. Italy has finally come to the end and it is time for us to turn our backs on this corrupt state.

We urge the right wing to admit their responsibility and to enforce Article 1. of the UN Pact on human rights in order to advance the right of self-determination, by the fastest possible route, with the intention of detaching South Tyrol from the Italian state.

Here are some impressive attachments... no comments needed!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMTbw_Ml6_E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBEHZcwy_R4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBzKnQwTfGk

Reinhild Campidell

The European Committee of Ministers adopted a Recommendation in November 2007 on gender equality standards and mechanisms. The Recommendation was very comprehensive and took into account how to eliminate all forms of gender discrimination against women and also what criteria needs to be met in order to achieve this goal.

The Recommendation focused on both general and specific standards and asked that several points be considered when undertaking lobbying and advocacy work at a state and/or national level in campaigning for gender equality. It is my intention in this brief article to raise several issues regarding the lack of female elected representatives in the political institutions of Europe, with a particular emphasis on the UK.

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In the Spanish edition of the newspaper International Herald Tribune on January 12th - 13th there was an article with the headline ‘American Women are never front runners’ by Gloria Steinem. The article discussed gender issues in the US election race between Hilary Clinton and Barak Obama and Steinem argued that: "Obama is seen as unifying by his race while Clinton is seen as divisive by her sex."

According to a survey by Eurobarometer, published in January 2007, titled Discrimination in the European Union, it was recorded that the EU public perceive discrimination based on ethnic origins to be more widespread than that based on gender (64% as opposed to 40%). There may be a difference of perception between people’s views of discrimination in the US compared to Europe, but in European politics women are still significantly under represented.

Take the genders of political state leaders in the EU for example. How many female European heads of state, past or present, can you name? The ones that spring to mind of course are Margaret Thatcher (UK), Mary Patricia McAleese (Republic of Ireland) and Angela Merkel (Germany), but aside from these three exceptions there are very few others to speak of. With female leaders of political parties the list is even more restricted.

When female leaders do emerge it is almost within a Shakespearean role of a woman dressed up to play a man’s role. How many times was Margaret Thatcher portrayed as a woman in a man’s trousers or the ‘Iron lady’? Even when women become successful politicians, it seems they are not permitted to retain any of their femininity.

It seems that the word ‘American’ in the Tribune headline article could easily be replaced with Maltese, Polish, Italian, Spanish, Czech or the vast majority of other European states. Women front runners in any election race in the world are the exception to the rule and not the norm. The French Presidential elections in 2007, where Royal ran against Sarkozy, brought both issues of gender and ethnic origin to the fore for the first time, at such a public level, in the history of the French democratic process. However, of the two issues it was undoubtedly Royal’s gender and the possibility of a first female French President that was the most talked about point.

In the EU, 72% of people think that there should be more female members of parliament, but female representation in European state and national Parliaments make for a depressing read. Top of the EU league table, as of March 2007 for percentage of women representatives in their state Parliaments is Sweden with 47.3%, followed closely by Finland (42%) and Denmark (36.9). At the bottom of the table is Malta with 9.2%, Romania with (11.2%) and Bulgaria (22.1%). The UK is ranked 14th in the EU (out of 27 member states) with women making up 19.6% of members in the state parliament in Westminster.

In the UK’s devolved administrations of Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and London elected female representation in the respective institutions, as of May 2007, is significantly better than in Westminster, with the Welsh National Assembly topping the list with 46.7%, followed by the London Assembly with 36% and Scotland with 33.3%. The Northern Ireland Assembly though comes in last with a disappointing 16.7% female representation. Nevertheless it is fair to assume that the devolved administrations are generally more representative of our societies than the UK central Government is.

The importance of elected female representatives in our societies can be seen when taking the examples of Wales and Scotland. Women have played more of a role in shaping the policies and agendas within these countries in childcare, equal pay and the social economy than anywhere else in the UK. Also, research published by the Electoral Commission in the UK suggests that a greater gender balance in our political institutions increases voter participation in the electoral process. With widespread lack of interest among the general public towards politics and the political process in much of Europe, especially in western regions, this is one conclusion that cannot afford to be ignored.

As the European Committee of Ministers state in their Recommendation, gender equality needs to be promoted at a state and national level in civil society, political bodies and organisations. If more women are to be elected it is the responsibility of the political party itself to increase its number of female candidates, but how can this be done?

Between 1993 and 1996 the Labour Party in the UK introduced women only shortlists, but had to later drop this policy after a case was successfully brought in under the Sex Discrimination Act 1975. This resulted in a decrease of the number of women elected in the 2001 General Election to the Westminster Government for the first time in 20 years.

It is still nevertheless possible to legally use positive measures to achieve a higher proportion of women candidates and this was part of the reason why the Sex Discrimination (Election Candidates) Act 2002 was introduced. Measures such as training and mentoring, techniques such as ‘ twinning’ and ‘ zipping’, and quotas (i.e. all-women short-lists) can now all be used. But it remains to be seen how many political parties in the UK are taking advantage of this.

In her article, Steinem argues that the US is still a "race-conscious country", but "gender is probably the most restricting force in American life". There is no doubt that throughout our national and state parliaments in Europe there are on average statistically more elected female representatives than representatives from ethnic minorities (although probably not in terms of national minorities e.g. Breton and Corsicans in France or Galician’s and Catalans in Spain). Discrimination based on ethnic origin may be perceived as more widespread than that based on gender, but the fact of the matter is that women make up half the population of the EU and this figure is not reflected at all in their equal representation in the democratic political process or our political institutions.

Rhisiart Tal-e-bot is the President of the European Free Alliance Youth (EFAy), a youth organisation that aims to safeguard and promote the cultural, linguistic and national diversity of Europe. He is also General Secretary of the Celtic League.

First published on http://www.e-ir.info