EU fights for civil liberties

Yesterday the European Parliament rejected a deal that would have allowed the United States government to access European bank transfers. The European lawmakers voted 378-196 against the deal with 31 abstentions. Reacting to this vote the US said it was an important disruption of an information source for anti-terror investigators. The reaction in Europe was however totally different, as it was seen as a victory for the protection of privacy of European citizens. Thus, the parliament’s president, Jerzy Buzek, said that more safeguards for civil liberties were required and added that he believed that in the name of security human rights had been compromised.
The vote came after intense pressure from the US, with Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner having contacted European officials. Now a new deal must be renegotiated to include better safeguards for civil liberties and in addition the EU would like that it also includes permission for European investigators to access US bank data.
The average European citizen has reacted to this in a positive way, satisfied that finally the European Parliament is defending Europe and trying to get equal rights as the Americans believe they deserve.