Leden Europarlement trachten positie Le Pen op basis van senioriteit te blokkeren (en)
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Leading MEP Martin Schulz has called for the EU assembly's internal rules to be changed to prevent it from the potential embarrassment of having its July inaugural session opened by someone who has minimised the Holocaust.
Mr Schulz, head of the socialist faction in the parliament, on Tuesday (24 March) said: "I am concerned by the fact that a Holocaust denier could preside over the opening session of the European Parliament."
"It is not imperative that the oldest MEP presides over the inaugural session," said the German MEP, who suggested that the situation would be "unacceptable."
Under the European Parliament's rules, the oldest euro-deputy opens the inaugural session of the new legislature, this year set to take place 14 July.
This time, the job is set to fall to Jean-Marie Le Pen i, the leader of France's far-right National Front, who has in the past described Auschwitz as a "detail of history." Mr Le Pen, an MEP since 1984, will turn 81 after the June European elections and is almost sure to be re-elected.
Under the parliament's statute, changes to its own rule book must first be passed by the constitutional affairs committee and then by a majority of MEPs in plenary session.
Some parliament officials suggested to EUobserver that an amendment changing this particular rule may be added to a report by UK socialist MEP Richard Corbett i.
His report, which looks at changing parliament's rules of procedure in areas such as allocated speaking times for MEPs, is currently being considered by the constitutional affairs committee.
Mr Corbett's office said it had not been approached about such an amendment but added that it is "not too late" and "theoretically it could be done," with the report set to go through committee in the coming weeks and be voted on in plenary before the European Parliament ends its current term.
Mr Schulz's suggestion has been supported by Daniel Cohn-Bendit i, co-leader of the Greens in the parliament, who said, according to APF: "We would like to see the youngest deputy open the session not because of Le Pen, but because it's a sign of the future."
Graham Watson i, leader of the liberals, said: "There is no reason to treat Mr Le Pen differently from others, even if we hate his politics."
Mr Le Pen himself dismissed the move as being "imbecilic."
He told Parisien.fr: "this is just a hypothesis, perhaps I will not be the doyen [of the parliament]. I think they are scared of me. I am still demonised."
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