Barroso backs freedom of speech in cartoon clash [fr] [de]

Citing his personal experiences under the Portugese Salazar dicatorship, Commission President José Manuel Barroso, has delivered a strong defence for Denmark in an interview with the Danish daily Berlingske Tidende, on 14 February: "Freedom of speech is not up for negotiation. It is a crucial value in our open European democratic society."

While expressing his understanding of the "discomfort and anger" that the infamous Mohammed cartoons have provoked with muslims, he insists on non-violent expression of protest: "Use demonstrations and arguments. Never violence," said Barroso, who called the avalanche of boycotts and anger against Denmark unfair.

Meanwhile Javier Solana, the EU’s foreign policy chief, continued his tour of the Middle East in a bid to calm the international row: "We believe freedom of the press entails responsibility and discretion and should respect the beliefs and tenets of all religions," a statement from Solana said. His spokeswoman, Cristina Gallach, reportedly said: "They want mechanisms to guarantee this is not repeated and we should be able to find it in the UN convention on human rights." 

Back in Denmark the government of PM Anders Fogh Rasmussen came under mounting pressure from the opposition which claims that the PM has misled parliament by stating that the Danish foreign minister Per Stig Møller had met with eleven Muslim ambassadors to discuss the drawings in the autumn of 2005. In fact, Møller met had with eight ambassadors and only to debate a G-8 meeting. 

In the interview, Barroso declined to comment on the Danish goverment's handling of the crisis.
   

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