European commission chairman José Manuel Barroso and the European parliament’s potential new president Mario Mauro are too focused on their religious convictions, says the head of the D66 Liberal party’s EU election campaign.

‘Barroso’s links with religious leaders are increasingly profound and non-religious organisations, such as the humanists, are consistently ignored,’ Sophie in ‘t Veld says in a weblog on the Nos election website.
‘He has done nothing to tackle discrimination against homosexuals and women,’ In ‘t Veld writes. ‘And, more importantly, he refuses to condemn every anti-gay comment and calls for hatred and violence made by religious leaders.’
Mario Mauro, current deputy president of the parliament and one of two candidates for the presidency, sees the defence of Christianity as his mission, she states. ‘On his website he is outraged about criticism of the Vatican and he sees homosexual relationships as an attack on Christianity.’
While Mauro has the right to his opinion, In ‘t Veld says she would like the ‘EU to stand up to discrimination, intolerance and racist and homophobic violence.’