Rocco rocks the boat - again

Rocco Buttiglione continues to court controversy as the Italian commissioner-designate reportedly calls single mothers “not very good” people.

Buttiglione has already caused an outcry by condemning homosexuality as a sin and saying that marriage exists so that women can have children and be protected by their husbands.

Now he has inflamed the debate surrounding his suitability as the EU’s new justice chief by saying : “children who only have a mother to bring them up and not a father, are children of a mother who is not very good.”

The Italian later issued a statement saying that his words had been distorted and that he was talking in metaphors about EU-US relations.

Buttiglione claims that he is the victim of an “anti-Christian” orthodoxy and that “there is a hate-campaign being waged against me.”

"Whatever I say is being interpreted the wrong way," he says.

The European Parliament will vote on whether to accept the new commission next week in Strasbourg.

And commission chief José Manuel Barroso is being urged to swap Buttiglione’s portfolio or to strip his brief of anti-discrimination policy by giving it to the social affairs commissioner.

Socialists have already announced intentions to vote against the commission, and Liberals have also decided to vote against if Barroso “does nothing” about Buttiglione’s brief.

The devout Roman catholic and friend of the pope has however, won admirers from many in Italy who agree with his views on homosexuality.

Rumours circulating around the Italian’s controversial choice of words suggest that he might be attempting “to launch an influential Christian right along American lines”.

The Italian has stated publicly that he would rather renounce his job than his belief.

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