Newly elected to the European Parliament, Rima Hassan is already making headlines. The LFI candidate, who became an MP, was blocked when her group, The Left, had positioned her to become the third vice-president of the DROI (Human Rights) subcommittee. European elected representatives do not necessarily know her. But François-Xavier Bellamy has not forgotten Rima Hassan’s tweets since October 7. “After October 7, she declared that Hamas’ actions were legitimate, which forever disqualifies her from talking about human rights,” believes the Les Républicains (LR) MEP.
When he learned the day before that she could become vice-president of this subcommittee, he immediately alerted the governing bodies of the EPP, to which the LR representative was attached. The group leader, Manfred Weber, became aware of the danger.
This would be giving a pro-Hamas platform to one of the vice-presidents of a sensitive committee of the European Parliament. Indeed, it is from the DROI subcommittee that the Qatargate affair started… This subcommittee is a stake of influence for all foreign regimes trying to obtain a certificate of honorability or trying to degrade the image of a competing state. The Renew group is also alerted and joins forces with the EPP.
Postponement of the vote until September
The EPP then proposed to The Left to change candidates. By virtue of the D’Hondt rule for the distribution of seats, this third vice-presidency falls to them. The leadership of The Left, which includes the Insoumise Manon Aubry among others, would not listen and maintained Rima Hassan’s candidacy on Tuesday morning.
A representative of the EPP therefore waited until the session to propose postponing the vote until September, after the parliamentary recess. The decision was passed by 17 votes to 11. “If after the recess, The Left does not change its candidate, we will defeat Rima Hassan,” warned the EPP.
Rima Hassan understood where the attack came from and publicly criticized François-Xavier Bellamy on the social network X (formerly Twitter): “The cowardice that drives you here is the same as that which is in your empty and evasive gaze when I pass you in the corridors of the European Parliament. Tremble. This is only the beginning.” A threat. The freedom of expression of elected representatives protects them from sanctions, unless they violate the Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament.
