Exhibition on unborn children at EU Parliament terrifies the left

‘The adventure of life begins at the moment of conception, when the father’s sperm fertilises the mother’s egg, creating the zygote - the first stage of a new, unique and unrepeatable human being.’ These words could be found in any biology textbook and form part of a 14-panel exhibition entitled 'Just EUman – How a European citizen is born', which describes the various stages of prenatal human development from conception to the ninth month. Organised by MEP Paolo Inselvini (Fratelli d’Italia – European Conservatives and Reformists Group) and curated by an Italian association Pro Vita & Famiglia, the exhibition was on display from 14 to 17 September at the European Parliament’s headquarters in Strasbourg. Just four days: that was the duration of the authorisation, and yet there were those – namely the left and its allies – who tried to have it closed early.

A ‘rejection of European values’, a ‘blow to democracy’, an ‘affront to all women’ and an ‘inevitable return to the Middle Ages’, are some of the comments made against the exhibition in recent days and feature the full array of slogans concocted by pro-abortion propaganda over the last few decades to pass off the killing of an innocent human being as 'free choice'. These comments came from well-known Italian political figures such as Alessandra Moretti (Democratic Party), Ilaria Salis (Alliance of the Greens and the Left), and Carolina Morace and Valentina Palmisano (Five Star Movement), as well as from other MEPs such as Manon Aubry from France. It was Aubry herself, co-chair of the Left Group, who wrote what appears to be the most paradoxical comment, as it is a classic case of shooting oneself in the foot: 'Abortion is murder. This, in essence, is the message that the European Parliament is spreading through its corridors via an exhibition opposed to freedom of choice, which maintains that the embryo is human life from the moment of conception.' What else could it be if not human life? It is a tragicomic comment which confirms how ideology goes hand in hand with ignorance of the most basic biological reality: life is a continuum which begins at conception.

Not satisfied, Aubry also wrote to the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, asking her to close the exhibition (which ran as scheduled until yesterday). The letter was also signed by Martin Schirdewan, the other co-chair of The Left, and the chairs of the Socialists and Democrats (Iratxe García Pérez) and the Greens (Terry Reintke). Ilaria Salis also called for immediate action from Metsola, while Carolina Morace went so far as to call for 'an internal investigation to verify that all procedures were followed'. The contradiction is glaring: we have politicians who speak of democracy and freedom of choice on the one hand, while on the other, they want to censor an exhibition presenting scientifically undisputed information. The exhibition aimed to inform so that 'those responsible for legislating might first see and experience for themselves what science demonstrates': when did this become forbidden?

The point is, pro-abortion advocates cannot tolerate exhibitions like the one in Strasbourg because they vividly represent reality: each of us has passed through every stage depicted in those 14 panels. No 'right' or 'European value' can exist unless the right to life is recognised first and foremost, starting with that of the unborn. To those who complain that the exhibition 'tramples on women's right to choose what to do with their own bodies', it must be pointed out that the body over which a decision is made through voluntary abortion belongs to another person. This person has all the rights that follow from their status from the moment of conception (cf. Donum Vitae and Dignitas Personae). This truth evidently eludes certain representatives of the European Parliament, an institution that has 'distinguished' itself through radical measures. Consider the vote to approve the resolution calling for the inclusion of the 'right to abortion' in the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights, despite the fact that the matter falls outside the EU's remit (a unanimous vote by all member states would be required to bring about such an amendment).

At the 15 September state funeral of Emma Bonino, Radical Party politician, European Comissioner and Italian foreign minister, Riccardo Magi, the secretary of +Europa, praised the deceased, saying that she ‘was never afraid to criticise the institutions, going so far as to disobey laws she considered unjust’. Among the 'injustices' Bonino fought against were the laws prohibiting abortion. She fought a battle from the opposite perspective, helping to normalise what everyone had previously and rightly recognised as evil. The exhibition in Strasbourg confirms that the normalisation of abortion has reached the point where even the most basic freedom of expression is denied: the right to demonstrate that what is being killed is a human being — the most defenceless of all — and that a law contrary to natural moral law is unjust. However, this is a form of disobedience that those in power will not tolerate.