Italy's controversial choice for EU job says he's stepping aside

[smirkymonkey]

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/041030/w103036.html

03:40 PM EDT Oct 30

ROME (AP) - Italian conservative and papal confidant Rocco Buttiglione, under attack for calling homosexuality sinful, said Saturday he was abandoning efforts to become European Union justice commissioner, a bid that has prevented the new EU executive from taking office.

Buttiglione defended his religious beliefs, however, insisting they would never have coloured his EU politics.

Premier Silvio Berlusconi said late Friday that Buttiglione would remain as European affairs minister in his conservative government.

With the new commission virtually doomed to rejection by the European Parliament if Buttiglione remained part of it, the new EU top executive, Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, earlier in the week withdrew all 25 nominees - one for each EU member - to buy time for a way out of the impasse.

[Moderator]

1. Duplicate topic

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x945907