Abortion is becoming a confused issue for Libertas

Abortion is a confused issue for Libertas. Emails I have received from Libertas people recently gave out to me for saying that Libertas were right wing, they cited Libertas in Holland and Spain as the examples of liberal Libertas parties. however in Ireland libertas say that the Spanish Libertas are just as against the right to choice as themselves.According to a Libertas spokesperson

Our list of candidates in Spain is headed up by Miguel Duran who is a totally committed pro-life campaigner. Dr Jesus Poveda, another of our candidates, is one of the most prominent pro-life activists in Spain for many, many years.

“Our party in Spain has recently signed a policy agreement, binding on all its supporters, to promote the right to life at all its stages.”

Ganley is running in a constituency where he hopes pushing an ultra conservative personal policy on social and moral issues will gain him the support that previously elected Dana to the EU parliament. However , Libertas anti abortion activist and candidate for Dublin just this week said that Libertas Holland were free to be pro Abortion. Mixed messages from Libertas are becoming a daily occurrence.

In a statement yesterday, Ms Harkin accused Libertas of “hypocrisy” on the abortion issue.

“Mr Ganley himself has personally chosen Eline Van den Broek who is pro-abortion and pro-euthanasia to top his list [of candidates] in the Netherlands,” said her statement.

Speaking to The Irish Times, Libertas candidate for Dublin Caroline Simons said: “Eline van den Broek has not taken a public position on any of these matters. Marian Harkin has plucked it out of the air.”

Refusing to accept this, Ms Harkin responded: “If she [Ms van den Broek] goes on Dutch TV and says she supports life from conception to natural death and is opposed to embryonic stem-cell research then I will take it all back.

Ganley at a recent meeting of the John Paul II society an ultra conservative Catholic group stated his ultra conservative views on personal issues in the hope that he would get that anti abortion grassroots to campaign for him in his bid for Europe,

Libertas and Harkin clash over abortion

DEAGLÁN de BRÉADÚN, Political Correspondent Irish Times


THE LIBERTAS party headed by Declan Ganley has accused Independent MEP for Ireland North-West Marian Harkin of “throwing mud” with her claim that some Libertas supporters in other EU member states are in favour of the right to abortion and euthanasia.

“Libertas has linked up with Cuidadanos a Spanish party and they have formed a coalition to fight the European elections,” Ms Harkin said, in a statement yesterday. “Yet according to their manifesto, this party, Cuidadanos, favours the right to choose when to die and the right to abortion, even up to nine months in certain cases.”

A Libertas spokesman said: “Our list of candidates in Spain is headed up by Miguel Duran who is a totally committed pro-life campaigner. Dr Jesus Poveda, another of our candidates, is one of the most prominent pro-life activists in Spain for many, many years.

“Our party in Spain has recently signed a policy agreement, binding on all its supporters, to promote the right to life at all its stages.”

Libertas leader Declan Ganley is a rival of Ms Harkin in the European elections in the North-West constituency. There has been charge and counter-charge between the two on the abortion issue.

Ms Harkin said earlier this week the Libertas candidate in the Netherlands, Eline van den Broek, was “pro-abortion and pro-euthanasia”.

Libertas said Ms Harkin was a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe group in the European Parliament which was an “active promoter” of abortion and euthanasia.

Ms Harkin responded: “The ALDE group in the European Parliament, contrary to allegations made by Mr Declan Ganley and Libertas, does not have any policy on abortion and regards it as a matter of individual conscience.”

The Libertas spokesman said: “Having baselessly smeared a young lady in the Netherlands, Marian is now throwing mud elsewhere. Our party policy on these issues is clear – Libertas in the European Parliament will defend Ireland’s position on these issues.”