TIMMERMANS
MIROSŁAW PIOTROWSKI
Frans Timmermans defines himself as a Catholic politician, although he does not agree with Pope
At present, the most famous commissioner in Poland – Frans Timmermans, a Dutch politician, earlier an MP of the Netherlands, also a chief of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of this country. Diplomatic improvements were gained by him in Moscow, when he was the second Secretary in the Dutch embassy. Now he is the first vice-chairperson of the European Commission, that is, the first one after Juncker. Jean-Claude Juncker does not get personally involved in the so-called investigation of rule of law in Poland. His person is associated with the scandal LuxLeaks the most, that is, making it possible to avoid taxes by big companies, when he was the prime minister of Luxembourg, which would not authenticate the procedure started by the commission.
So, in the foreground, he suggested Timmersman, his deputy. He speaks on behalf of the Commission in the European Parliament, pays visits to Poland, in Brussels, in the forum of the collegiums of commissioners, he formulates conclusions and recommendations. His surname is mentioned in all Polish media, generally speaking – he personalizes the whole European commission. Timmermans defines himself as a Catholic politician, although he does not agree with Pope. He stated: ‘I am still Christian and Catholic. I feel very well, not agreeing with Pope in nearly everything. It is not him who defines who I am as a Catholic’. He said these words nearly a year ago in Brussels during the Equality Parade organized there. It is years he has been a great fighter for rights of the gays and lesbians. Certainly, he does not forget about bisexuals, transsexuals and intersexuals.
Asked about the greatest achievement in his political career, he said: ‘Feeling of fulfillment and pride, when I was an MP for the Parliament of Holland and as the first Parliament in the world, we outvoted marriages of the same sexes’. When there was still government of the Civic Platform in Poland, Mr. Timmermans was very glad and even affirmed this government. To prove it, there is one more quotation from the end of June last year. He said then: ‘Look at the country such as Poland, which, according to many people, used to be still far from hope for freedom in relation to the longtime persecution/repression by the Catholic Church. There has been a great change in this society’.
Could he expect that soon ‘this society’ in Poland would deny his hopes and dreams? So he will fight, pay visits to monitor and scold. On behalf of the whole European Commission, to which our Elżbieta Bieńkowska belongs, and which is known of widely quoted sayings.
AA
„Niedziela” 23/2016