Brussels, 27 March 2017 Dear Mr. Dijsselbloem, Earlier This Week We
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Brussels, 27 March 2017 Dear Mr. Dijsselbloem, Earlier this week we have known the statements you have made to a communication media, which we consider unequivocally discriminatory and offensive against several EU countries as well as offensive and sexist towards women. Shortly after the publication of your statements, you had the opportunity to rectify at the European Parliament, but you avoided doing so. On the contrary, instead of apologizing, you have said that the problem is that we do not understand the direct style of speech known to Calvinist culture. In our opinion, Calvinist culture has nothing to do with disdain for other people. This is the reason why we are again asking you - as representatives of European citizens, who have chosen us directly - to reflect and to rectify. Your statements attack one of the most important values that underpin our European Union: equality. In the last six decades, we have all managed together, Mr Dijsselbloem, to materialize a dream that once seemed unthinkable: that Europeans should be equal in opportunities, rights and obligations. The EU is not just rules, meetings and political decisions. What supports all of this, what gives meaning to the EU, are our common values, and equality as the most important one. Therefore, respecting these values should be the first obligation for any European leader, Mr Dijsselbloem. This includes assuming that European citizens, like any human being, are all equally respectable, regardless of our gender and our country of origin or residence. Attacking a certain group of countries as you have done is attacking each one of the EU countries. Attacking women with humiliating expressions, equating them with things, is to attack all people, men and women. Without distinction. Many of us have not felt represented by you since we knew your statements. That is why we respectfully ask you again to apologize and to resign from your current position. Sincerely, Manfred Weber Esteban Gonzalez Pons Elisabetta Gardini Lorenzo Cesa Paulo Rangel Lefteris Christoforou Viviane Reding Milan Zver Agustín Díaz De mera Verónica Lope Francisco Millán Mon Gabriel Mato Rosa Estaràs Teresa Jiménez Becerril Ramon Luis Valcárcel Esther Herranz Santiago Fisas Antonio López-Istúriz Ignacio Salafranca Pilar Ayuso Luis de Grandes Pilar del Castillo Carlos Iturgaiz Francesc Gambús Maite Pagazaurtundúa Javier Nart Carolina Punset Maria Teresa Giménez Barbat Beatriz Becerra Calos Coelho Claudia Monteiro de Aguiar Fernando Ruas José Inácio Faria Jose Manuel Fernandes Carlos Zorrinho Salvatore Domenico Pogliese Stefano Maullu Alessandra Mussolini Barbara Matera Lara Comi Giovanni La Via Massimiliano Salini Aldo Patriciello David Borelli Fabio Castaldo Eleonora Forenza Nicola Caputo Elissavet Vozemberg Maria Spyraki Theodoros Zagorakis Maria Sakorafa Lampros Foutoulis Georgios Epitideios Frank Engel Constance Le Grip Jean Marie Cavada Andrey Novakov Nikolay Barekov Michal Boni Jaroslaw Walesa Jacek Saryusz- Wolski Cristian Dan Preda Marian Jean Marinescu Traian Ungureanu Claudiu- Ciprian Tanasescu Eleni Theocharous Marc Tarabella Louis Michel Charlos Tannock Julie Ward Tomas Zdechovsky .