Greek Syriza MEP Nikos Pappas has hit back at the European People’s Party (EPP) after it sent a letter of complaint about him to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.
In the letter, leading EPP figures demanded “necessary measures” be taken against The Left group MEP after Greek media reported he had verbally abused the police in his home country.
In a reaction to Brussels Signal, Pappas claimed he was the real victim and that the EPP and Greek New Democracy Party were in the wrong.
“It is unbelievably outrageous for publications of the press and social media posts, which are not only illegal as they are fragmented private and edited conversations, to ask for my de-banning [de-platforming],” he told Brussels Signal.
“They are primarily threats against my person, they have nothing to do with my public speech and my political status and they also precede my capacity as a Member of Parliament.
“Furthermore, I would like to mention that over the years, due to my profession as an athlete, I have been the recipient of thousands of abusive and threatening messages, to which I have hardly ever replied.
“It is also obvious that the New Democracy party and the European Right, which has been supporting the Greek government throughout this period of the wiretapping scandal, for which the European Parliament has set up a PEGA committee of inquiry, to illegally use [are illegally using] private, fragmented and edited conversations to create suspicion of guilt,” Pappas claimed.
“I expressly declare that no complaint or investigation is pending against me by the Greek authorities, since it was I who was the victim of those abusive and threatening messages.
“I reserve all my legal rights,” he concluded.
Chairman of the EPP group Manfred Weber, its chief whip Jeroen Lenaers and head of the Greek EPP delegation Elissavet Vozemberg signed the letter, seen by Brussels Signal, in which they expressed their “deepest concern regarding the recent [alleged] misconduct of MEP Nikos Pappas of The Left in the European Parliament.
“Recent reports from Greek media, brought to light a series of continuous vulgar, racist, sexist, and abusive attacks attributed to Mr Pappas,” they wrote on September 3.
“At the time when the European Union is calling for unity to tackle hate speech, it is alarming that a newly elected member of the European Parliament adopts such behaviour. These actions are fundamentally opposed to the values and principles of the European Union. Such statements have no place in an institution that represents Democracy, as it constitutes the voice of the European citizens.
“Under this framework, we kindly ask you to look at this case and we urge The Left Group to take all necessary measures against the behaviour of MEP Nikos Pappas, including his dismissal from the group, as these manners do not align with a democratically elected representative of European Parliament. No action taken is a consensus in fierce practices [sic],” the letter stated.
The Left group, of which Syriza is part in the European Parliament, told Brussels Signal it did not receive the letter by the EPP and that it was not mentioned during the Conference of Presidents (CoP) on September 4.
The letter by the EPP refers to an incident with Pappas, that became public in August this year, where the Syriza MEP made allegedly offensive comments to a police officer in a leaked Instagram conversation.
Nikos Pappas can be heard saying: “Don’t make me come to Thessaloniki and finish you off, you piece of trash…Death do everything you love.”
The leaked messages caused outrage in both the police union and the centre-right New Democracy party.
The Union of Greek Police Officers issued a statement accusing Pappas of harbouring “inexplicably repressed and racist obsessions about police officers.” They accuse him of having a “bottomless hatred of police officers.”
“The absurd thing is that the abusive MEP, Mr. Nikos Pappas, should represent the people, because of his position and status, and not express himself with abusive, racist and derogatory characterisations about the fighting police officers who are on the line,” the statement read.
New Democracy asked for the expulsion of Pappas when the scandal broke, on August 18. Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said: “In a normal party its deletion would be self-evident. Such attitudes have no place in our democracy, and we must send them to the sidelines with actions.”
The centre right party said it proves Syriza is “dominated exclusively by polarisation”. The party said it didn’t want to reproduce all the audio of Pappas due to its alleged vulgarity.
“It is inconceivable that one of our country’s representatives in the European Parliament should behave like the worst bully and unleash one threat after another. “
