"Emma no longer has any legitimacy"

From Jurnalul National
July 28, 2006

Criticized by her colleagues -- "Emma no longer has any legitimacy"

The adoptions of Romanian children has managed to heat up relationships of the Liberal Party parliamentarians. They responded with harsh rebuffs to Baroness Nicholson, whom they accuse of managing to force the hand of the Romanian government to close adoptions.

The support which Emma Nicholson enjoyed several years ago, when as rapporteur for Romania at Strasbourg she pounded her fists on the table of the authorities from Bucharest and demanded the stoppage of international adoptions, has become a memory. The same colleagues who helped her in her efforts have now turned their backs on her accusing her of misinforming them with regard to the situation of institutionalized children in Romania. This change of opinion on the part of the Europarliamentarians was evidenced by a petition put before the European Legislature and initiated by several Liberal Party deputies, with Claire Gibault and Jean-Marie Cavada leading the way. In the text of the declaration the reopening of adoptions for foreign families who were affected by the stoppage of international adoptions due to the demand of the Baroness. The document was adopted by the plenary session as an official declaration of the European institution at the beginning of July. It enjoyed the support of 408 European parliamentarians.

"THE WAR OF REBUFFS"

From then on the Declaration of those 408 parliamentarians became the subject of the fight between Baroness Nicholson and the signers of the declaration, as well as in the Romanian press. In her reply to Ralu Filip, editorialist at Jurnalul National, she draws his attention to the fact that he doesn't take into account the fact that her colleagues were misinformed. In consequence, Jurnalul National contacted the European deputies at whom Mrs. Nicholson's finger was pointed and managed to obtain a statement from Claire Gibault, European deputy and one of the co-authors of the Declaration in the European Parliament.

Claire Gibault stated, "I consider Baroness Emma Nicholson to have lost her influence in the European Parliament and that she unloads her suppressed ideas on others as much as she can. She no longer has any legitimacy and in her 'injured vanity' she grasps hold of everything she can. Asked about the comments and declarations made by the Baroness in rebuffs addressed to Jurnalul Nationalin which she accused the authors of disinformation, Gibault explained that the signers of theDeclaration do not want to put pressure on the Romanian government. Gibault told us, "The one whoput pressure on the Romanian authorities was Emma Nicholson who several years ago misinformed the European Commission. Contrary to what she said, we are well informed. I give you the example of my colleague Jean Marie Cavada who several years ago, as a journalist for French television, produced many programs and investigations regarding the situation of institutionalized children in Romania. Furthermore, we are in contact with non-governmental organizations who work in the area of child protection in Romania who give us information and statistics."

COMPLAINTS

With regards to the harsh position of Emma Nicholson regarding the re-opening of international adoptions, Claire Gibault emphasized that in fact she herself (Gibault) has received complaints even from Romanians. The European deputy was firm in explaining that no only she herself but her colleagues as well understand the situation regarding Romanian children very well. "I also am the mother of two adopted children. And Mr. Cavada was orphaned at age 2 and has lived with fiv efamilies. Therefore, we are militant for adoptions."

MOSCOVICI IS AMONG THE 408 SIGNERS

In spite of the declarations made by Emma Nicholson, who accused her colleagues of being misinformed, the fact is that the even the current EU rapporteur for Romania, Frenchman Pierre Moscovici, is among the signers of the declaration. This sheds a completely different light on the affirmations of Emma Nicholson.

A SIGNAL FROM STRASBOURG

The involvement of Moscovici in this declaration, thwarts the harsh rebuffs of Mrs. Nicholson because the rapporteur knows the situation in Romania much better, giving a much great legitimacy to the actions of these 408 deputies. In other words, it can be remarked that, despite the"inheritance" left to him by the previous rapporteur, Moscovici has had a much more neutral position with regards to adoptions from Romania. By signing the petition, which later became an official declaration of the entire European legislature, the rapporteur for Romania confirmed the dual position of European officials regarding the re-opening of international adoptions. While the"voice" of the Baroness remains just as harsh the petition signed by the 408 Eurodeputies demonstrates a position 180 degrees different compared to recent years. French Europarliamentarian, Claire Gibault, maintains, "I know very well what Romanian children go through. They are the victims of this moratorium regarding international adoptions and especially those who have already established bonds of attachment with their future parents." The European deputies' petition concludes, "In this sense we are asking the Romanian authorities to take into consideration the opinion of the European Parliament and as a consequence to reopen without delay the cases that remained on hold when international adoptions were stopped...and to authorize internationa ladoptions when it is indeed in the best interest of the child."