Member of Parliament José Manuel Fernandes demands an explanation at the highest level in the government of the four abstentions of socialist MEPs, in the resolution whose central aspect was the defense that Russia should be classified by the countries of the European Union as a “sponsor” state of terrorism”.
“It is incomprehensible – and it is a scandal that must be declared by the Prime Minister – how half of the parliamentary group of Portuguese Socialists abstains from a resolution of this nature,” said José Manuel Fernandes, who believes that it was “a contradiction”, since there was a majority in favor of the resolution within the parliamentary group of the PS. This was approved by 494 votes in favour, 58 against and 44 abstentions.
Pedro Marques, who voted in favour, argued that at a time when the political family of which the PS is part – the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats – “needed to take a stand on condemning aggression, war crimes (. . .) and about the classification [da Rússia] as a state sponsor of terrorism, it was our belief, the group as a whole, that (…) the vote in favor was fully justified”.
This was the case for MEP Margarida Marques, who believes that the content of the resolution “closes the door to diplomatic dialogue”. The MEP also criticizes paragraphs that “question freedom of the press” when defending the “classification as a crime” for anyone claiming “that Russia is not committing war crimes”. The deputy claims that even if she disagrees with such a statement, banning it “would be unconstitutional, for example in Portugal, but also in other EU countries”. Therefore, he abstained from voting.
Deputy Maria Manuel Leitão Marques (PS) also abstained from voting, after giving an explanation of vote in which she stated that she voted for a wording that “recognizes that Russia has used terrorist means”, since “the right position”, instead of a rating assigned to the state itself. “It would be better if we continue to condemn Russia within the framework of international law, so that in the future we can try it for the war crimes it has committed against the people of Ukraine,” he defended, justifying the abstention, even having regard to the fact that “Parliament should give preference in all its decisions to diplomatic negotiations that will put an end to this conflict”.
“There are times in life when we cannot stay in the middle of the bridge,” Nuno Melo (CDS), who voted in favor of the resolution, said the position of the socialist deputies “is incomprehensible”. For the centrist, “diplomacy is not served by helping the offender,” which he believes happens, since “the time for diplomacy” will come “at the time when [a Rússia] intends”. Nuno Melo “regrets” the four abstentions of the PS, that of the two deputies of the Left Bloc and the votes against of the PCP, despite acknowledging the “coherence” of the two communist deputies.
In a written note to DN, the Communist Party group justifies the vote by saying that the resolution, in agreement with the US, “is part of the policy of confrontation and war that has been promoted in Europe, aimed at its aggravation and expansion.” .” “.”.
MEP José Gusmão explains that the BE abstained from the resolution “presented by right-wing groups and one of the far-right groups”, which not only “is not careful to create unity”, but also “creates a precedent” of ” calls for the suppression of freedom of expression”, being “completely useless from the point of view of solidarity with Ukraine”.
Source: DN
