- Title: EU Parliament investigates far-right Polish MEP for hate speech
- Date: 3rd March 2017
- Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (MARCH 2, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT EXTERIORS
- Embargoed: 17th March 2017 17:13
- Keywords: European Union parliament Korwin-Mikke Poland Tajani sexism
- Location: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
- City: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
- Country: Belgium
- Topics: European Union,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00166EPO3R
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: ITALIAN TRANSLATION IN SHOT 6 PROVIDED BY OFFICIAL INTERPRETER ON SITE
European Parliament President Antonio Tajani said on Thursday (March 2) he had opened an investigation into comments made by far-right Polish member of Parliament Janusz Korwin-Mikke during a plenary session on Wednesday night.
In a statement, Tajani called Korwin-Mikke's words "sexists" and warned they may result in sanctions.
During a debate regarding gender pay gap attended by EU Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova, Korwin-Mikke listed out reasons he said justified a pay difference between men and women.
"Of course women must earn less than men because they are weaker, they are smaller, they are less intelligent, and they must earn less. That is all," he said.
Tajani, who was not present during the session, said he watched the footage of the remarks after being alerted by several parliamentarians, among which was Socialist leader Gianni Pittella.
Pittella called on Tajani on Thursday to condemn Korwin-Mikke's words as he addressed the European Parliament ahead of a vote on whether or not to lift France's National Front leader Marine Le Pen's parliamentary immunity.
"We cannot allow such shameful statement that fly in the face of fundamental principles such as gender equality, which is one of the funding principles of the European Union, to be tolerated in this European house," Pittella said.
Tajani said Korwin-Mikke may have infringed rule 11 of the Rules of Procedure, which states that the conduct of MEPs must be "characterised by mutual respect" and that "members shall not resort to defamatory, racist or xenophobic language or behaviour in parliamentary debates".
In the past Korwin-Mikke has expressed views that women should not be allowed to vote. He has been branded by journalists as a radical attention seeker for gestures such as flashing the Nazi salute during an interview when he spoke about the European Union - comparing it to the Third Reich. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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