Ruling New Democracy MEP Stelios Kympouropoulos joined a far-right anti-abortion motion in the European Parliament triggering a public outrage in Greece where abortion is legal and there is not any kind of debate to revoke it. It was only after the outcry on Tuesday that New Democracy issued a statement say8ing that the MEP does not express the position of the party or its president on the issue and thus 5 whole days after the voting.
According to reports, Kympouropoulos voted against the right of women to decided on an issue and in favor of the EP motion, say8ing “…the human life of the child must always be protected, starting from the moment of conception.”
The phrase is deep angled in the pro-life and alt-right movements that claim “women shouldn’t be allowed to have the right to choose”
The other six ND MEPs voted against.
On the topic of how Greek MEPs voted last week, Stelios Kympouropoulos (EPP) joined the far right in voting for this:
“…the human life of the child must always be
protected, starting from the moment of conception;”i.e., that women shouldn’t be allowed the right to choose. pic.twitter.com/8fH4NQAR2p
— Manos Moschopoulos (@maledictus) March 15, 2021
Abortion in Greece is legal since the early 1980’s and women have the right to choose up to the 12th month of pregnancy; and over this period under specific circumstances.
Kymporopoulos’ vote triggered an outrage on social media.
New Democracy said in its statement that it has a clear position, firmly and over time on the right of women to abortion. This issue has been resolved for Greek society for decades. It is obvious that the vote of the MEP Mr. Stelios Kympouropoulos does not express the party and its President.”
Η ΝΔ έχει ξεκάθαρη θέση, σταθερά και διαχρονικά για το δικαίωμα των γυναικών στην άμβλωση. Το θέμα αυτό έχει λυθεί για την ελληνική κοινωνία εδώ και δεκαετίες. Είναι προφανές ότι η ψήφος του ευρωβουλευτή κ. Στέλιου Κυμπουρόπουλου δεν εκφράζει το κόμμα και τον Πρόεδρό του.
— ΝΕΑ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ (@neademokratia) March 16, 2021
According to media, sources close to Kympouropoulos said the MEP have voted 15 times in favor of the right of women to abortion and last Friday approved a resolution for the protection of the child, which at one point states that its protection starts from its conception.
The same sources noted that this concerned the mother with the child and added that the noise around the resolution, which has no legislative value, is purely due to reasons of opposition.
MEP Kympouropoulos himself told parapolitika FM that he is in favor of the right of women self-determination of their bodies and in favor of the right of the child from the moment of its conception. As a physician and psychiatrist, he should have known better that both is not possible.
Ο κ. #κυμπουροπουλος στα @parapolitika901 είπε πως είναι υπέρ του δικαιώματος της γυναίκας στην αυτοδιάθεση του σώματός της και υπέρ του δικαιώματος του παιδιού από τη στιγμή της (!) σύλληψης. Τρικυμία εν κρανίω.
Γιώργος Κουβαράς και Γιώργος Πιέρρος δεν κατάφεραν να βγάλουν άκρη.— e-tetRadio.gr (@tetRadio) March 16, 2021
Many social media users wondered why the European Parliament raises such issues.
Also last week another ND MEP, Thodoris Zagorakis, down voted a resolution where MEPs expressed deep concern over the growing number of attacks on lesbians, homosexuals, bisexuals, transgender and transgender people in the EU, declaring the Union “a Zone free for LGBT.”
Later on a post on FB, the MEP said that he downvoted in the first round “inadvertently.”
PS it is interesting that still in 2021, men claim to decide on women….
It is outside the competence of governments to decide whether women have abortions or not. Women always have and always will decide that for themselves. If the question is posed in those terms it is an irrelevant question.
Governments can only legislate whether women can obtain abortions legally, with a medical professional, in fully equipped sterile conditions or illegally, with an untrained back-street abortionist, in non-sterile conditions with no suitable equipment. Put those options on the ballot paper and see who votes for the latter.
I don’t know much about this man. Perhaps his vote is based on the fact that he is disabled and bound to a wheelchair. Perhaps his parents would have aborted him if they had known he would be disabled. Perhaps that fear is behind his vote. The right wing people who appear to behind this drive would however not hesitate to euthanize him just like the Nazis did with their Aktion T4 programme…
Every woman owns her body! That is it! If she does not what a baby it is her decition to do an abortion! For too many years men have said NO and when it comes to reality the men has “stepped out the back door” and said: its not mine… And there the woman stands with both the responsibility and the need to bring up the poor child. For too many years she had to take the shame the society put on her even though they were two to make the baby in the first place! Men have to be responsible too!!!