Wrong Wrong Wrong

The Financial Times has this to say whilst discussing Turkey’s bid to join the EU.

There could hardly be anything more basic to EU rules than free speech.

In which case, how come it is illegal in certain countries to make statements about selected historical events (eg. Holocaust Denial)? If so, how is the UK government able to pass laws banning the criticism of religion? Most of all how is it then, that the EU is trying to make Xenophobia (including criticism of the EU?) a crime through out the EU. Like everything else in the EU, free speech comes a distant second to the ideal of ever closer union. Free speech would have been a good basis to build a legal system on. The EU instead chose big state central planning as its big idea. On that basis, Quasi Socialist Turkey would make a great member.