POLITICO: European Parliament rocked by hate speech claims

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola is expected to decide whether to impose sanctions on two Members of the European Parliament accused of hate speech following a vote on EU migration rules last week, POLITICO reports.

Valérie Hayer, leader of the liberal Renew Europe group, formally raised concerns in a letter to Metsola on Friday, alleging that Danish MEP Kristoffer Storm and Finnish MEP Sebastian Tynkkynen, both of the European Conservatives and Reformists group, engaged in conduct of “a racist nature” toward Swedish MEP Abir Al-Sahlani, in breach of Parliament’s code of conduct.

“I am increasingly concerned by the sense of impunity that risks taking hold if such behavior is left unaddressed,” Hayer said, urging Metsola “to examine” the conduct during and after the vote and “to make use of the appropriate disciplinary measures.”

As President of the Parliament, Metsola is responsible for reviewing complaints and enforcing disciplinary measures, which may include a formal reprimand, temporary exclusion from parliamentary representation or access to confidential information, suspension of daily allowances, or restrictions on parliamentary activity for up to 60 working days.

No decision timeline has been announced, although Parliament spokesperson Delphine Collard said the institution treats all complaints seriously.

“It is clear that all members have to feel safe in exerting their mandate,” she said. “The president made clear it will be looked into.”

The dispute follows last week’s vote on the return regulation, a proposal aimed at accelerating the deportation of irregular migrants. After the vote, Al-Sahlani said in the hemicycle that she had “never felt as unsafe” in the European Parliament. Right-wing lawmakers were also reported to have chanted “send them back.”

Tynkkynen later posted a video clip of Al-Sahlani on social media with the caption “cry more.” Storm commented beneath the post, stating that Al-Sahlani — who was born in Iraq — “should go home.”

On June 18, Al-Sahlani filed a formal complaint to Metsola, according to an email seen by POLITICO.

“We ask that you take this incident very seriously, as MEPs engaging in hate speech against each other is clearly against the code of conduct signed by every Member,” her office said.

Storm rejected allegations that his comment amounted to hate speech.

“I will not accept being called a racist by political colleagues, and I take that kind of defamatory allegation very seriously,” he told POLITICO. “I don’t understand why Ms Al-Sahlani thinks it’s a reference to her ethnic background, country of birth, or heritage, and any interpretation suggesting otherwise is incorrect.”

“The phrase ‘go home’ was intended to mean that if she found the democratic decision and the reactions to it so distressing, she would have been better off leaving the chamber and taking time to reflect rather than accusing a big majority of political opponents of making her feel unsafe,” he added.

Al-Sahlani rejected that explanation, saying the remark amounted to “racial exclusion.”

“I am home. I learned the language, studied, worked, paid taxes, became a Swedish citizen, and was elected to the European Parliament. In other words, I did everything we tell people is the European dream. Yet when I disagreed with a far-right politician, I was told to ‘go home,'” she told POLITICO.

Tynkkynen did not respond to a request for comment.

Following chants of “send them home” in the hemicycle — countered by “shame on you” from opponents of the migration deal — lawmakers from the Social Democrats, Renew Europe, the Greens, and The Left submitted a complaint to Metsola, according to two people familiar with the matter. Metsola has said she will examine the incident.

By Vafa Guliyeva