The public is reprimanded by a handful of far-right, populist and anti-vaccination members of the European Parliament who claim that Trinto violated political rights in response to the protest that occupied Ottawa for almost a month went viral on social media. The Trident Liberal Government invoked the Emergency Law for the first time in history in February, giving police and other authorities extraordinary powers to disrupt the protest. The rhetoric came after Trinto’s speech at the assembly in Brussels, Belgium, where 705 elected members (VET) from the 27 EU Member States are the largest elected assembly in Europe. The European Parliament has a history of making headlines when honest members make controversial comments. Some of these members represent parties that oppose the existence of the EU itself. CBC News takes a look at what was said, who said it and how the European Parliament is very different from parliaments in other parts of the democratic world.
What did MEPs say about Trinto?
Describing Trinto as someone who “violates” fundamental human rights and freedoms, Independent Croatian MEP Mislav Kolakušić said that Canada once defended political rights, but now looks more like a “dictatorship of the worst kind”.
“Under your almost liberal boot for the last few months,” Kolakušić said, they can not pay communal, mortgage loans for their homes “.
The Ontario Police Officer, Special Investigation Unit, launched an investigation Feb. 20 after a 49-year-old woman reported being seriously injured by a Toronto police officer on horseback as police cleared people who had occupied the core of downtown Ottawa.
Independent Croatian MEP Mislav Kolakušić, pictured here in a photo posted on his European Union parliamentary website, accused Trudeau of being a “dictatorship of the worst kind” during the prime minister’s trip to Brussels this week. (mislavkolakusic.eu)
“Mr Trinto, you are a disgrace to any democracy,” said Christine Anderson, a German MEP who represents the ID parliamentary group in the European Parliament through her party Alternative for Germany.
Anderson went on to accuse Trinto of violating civil rights during the truckers’ demonstration, calling the dictator who treats citizens “terrorists.”
Another Alternative MEP for Germany, Bernhard Zimniok, accused Trinto of “violating democratic rights” by cracking down on people protesting “disproportionate” public health measures.
Who are the MEPs who accused Trinto of being a dictator?
Mislav Kolakušić, whose speech at the assembly went viral on his Twitter account, is a failed candidate for the presidency of Croatia and has no affiliation with any political party in the European Parliament. It has been aligned with anti-vaccination voices inside and outside the assembly.
Reuters reported earlier this year that Kolakušić had accused French President Emmanuel Macron of “killing civilians” by ordering vaccines and that he claimed that “tens of thousands” of Europeans had died from vaccine side effects during the pandemic.
Reuters reported that the European Drug Regulatory Authority refuted this claim, calling it “incorrect” and “misrepresentation”.
Kolakušić was also one of six MEPs criticized by the European Parliament for refusing to present an EU digital certificate for COVID to enter the assembly. Anderson was another member of parliament who was punished in the incident.
Christine Anderson, MEP of the German anti-immigration party Alternative for Germany (AfD), is campaigning in the run-up to the 2019 EU elections in Frankfurt, Germany. Democracy.’ (Reuters / Ralph Orlowski)
Both Anderson and Zimnock are members of the Alternative for Germany political party. described by the BBC as an extreme right-wing political party using rhetoric “Painted in Nazi tones”.
A German court recently ruled that the party is “Suspicious threat to democracy” after an administrative court in Cologne found that there was “sufficient evidence of unconstitutional targets within the AfD”.
Alternative for Germany is one of the national parties belonging to the Identity and Democracy group in the European Parliament. With 63 members from 10 countries, it is the fifth largest group in the assembly.
Identity and Democracy are made up of domestic political parties opposed to the EU. They hold far-right positions on issues such as immigration, EU membership and social welfare. The ID group includes the French party Rassemblement National, which was founded by Jean-Marie Le Pen.
What is the European Parliament?
As the second largest elected assembly in the world after the Parliament of India (which has 788 seats compared to 705 in Europe), the European Parliament is one of the seven institutions of the European Union. And while it is called a parliament, it looks more like a city council or UN General Assembly than a parliament in the Westminster tradition. The assembly meets in two cities: Strasbourg, France and Brussels. It does not have a prime minister. The person holding the title of “president” in the European Parliament is by no means the head of government. The president acts more like a speaker in the Westminster system, chairing meetings and chairing debates. The European Parliament also has no government or opposition sides, so there are no equivalent cabinet ministers in the assembly. Unlike national parliaments, the European Parliament cannot propose legislation. This task is reserved for the European Commission, the EU’s designated executive branch, which acts as a cabinet and acts on behalf of the elected member governments. The European Parliament can amend or reject legislation, has some budget approving powers and is required to approve certain acts of international cooperation, such as data exchange initiatives and the financing of international development initiatives. The institution rarely publishes the news unless it takes some extraordinary political action – such as refusing to approve the EU budget – or if its members do not make strange or controversial statements. It also has a tradition of appointing MEPs who strongly oppose the existence of the European Union. Nigel Farage, the former leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party and the Brexit Party – political entities that came together to oust the United Kingdom from the EU – led his party to 29 seats in the European Parliament in 2019. CLOCKS Nigel Farage insults Herman van Rompuy, calls EU president “wet rag”:
