Brussels, Europe Brief News – European Parliament President Roberta Metsola decided to impose a sanctions procedure against Bulgarian MEP Angel Dzhambazki.
Dzhambazki made what appeared to be a Nazi salute while leaving the Parliament chamber Wednesday evening.
Dzhambazki, a nationalist MEP in the ECR group, denies his gesture was a fascist salute. However, he considered the incident a “small misunderstanding” in an email to his colleagues seen by POLITICO.
He accused fellow MEPs of “libel and defamation,” arguing that his hand sign, captured on camera, was a goodbye signal.
“I was in the hemicycle finishing my speech at which admittedly I said something with which many of you disagree thus provoking you. As I was leaving the hemicycle I wanted to apologise … by humbly waving to the chair.”
A Fascist Salute!
But, the EU institution’s President, Roberta Metsola, reacted to the incident on Twitter, writing that “a fascist salute in the European parliament is unacceptable to me — always and everywhere.”
It offends me and everyone else in Europe. We stand for the opposite. We are the House of democracy.
“That gesture is from the darkest chapter of our history and must be left there,” she added.
The vice-president of the European Parliament, Pina Picierno of Italy, who was leading the debate at the time, said she “condemned what had happened and asked to sanction this ignoble and unacceptable gesture.”
The European Parliament’s rules of procedure state that MEPs “shall refrain from any inappropriate behaviour” and “any offensive remarks”. Failure to comply with these rules can result in sanctions such as loss of participation in parliamentary activities.
The centrist Renew Europe group also took to Twitter to “condemn this appalling insult to the victims of fascism, in the house of European Democracy.”
“We call on Mrs Metsola, EU Parliament President, to act,” they added.
