Thierry Mariani, an MEP with France’s hard-right party National Rally (RN) and the European Parliament’s Patriots for Europe group, has raised concerns about the transparency of the European Parliament’s process in its handling of the Sakharov Prize selection.
Awarded for the first time in 1988 to Nelson Mandela and Anatoli Marchenko, the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is the highest tribute paid by the European Union to human rights work.
Mariani’s comments, made in a video posted on social media on October 17, highlighted what he perceived as a contradiction in the European Union’s commitment to democratic principles.
“We were informed of the three winners, but the results of the vote remain a mystery,” he stated, claiming MEPs and the public were left in the dark regarding the voting process.
“The EU lectures the world on the necessity of transparency and election observation,” he lamented. “Yet, when it comes to our own procedures, those principles seem to vanish,” he added.
The Sakharov Prize was subject to controversy following its selection announcement, also on October 17.
The prize finalists announced by the European Parliament included Gubad Ibadoghlu, an anti-corruption activist from Azerbaijan, María Corina Machado, former Deputy of the National Assembly of Venezuela, and President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia, also of Venezuela.
Notably absent from the list was US billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk, who had been put forward by Jordan Bardella, president of the RN and the Patriots group.
That exclusion has sparked accusations of political manoeuvring, especially in light of the rhetoric regarding Musk and his public persona.
Renew MEP Bernard Guetta was quick to celebrate Musk’s omission, framing it as a victory against the far-right’s influence.
“The European Parliament will not be humiliated by the extreme right,” he declared.
“Elon Musk had been designated by the far-right … The European Parliament will not be humiliated by the far-right,” he added.
Ça y est. @ElonMusk ne sera pas l'un des trois finalistes du Prix Sakharov. Le Parlement européen ne sera pas humilié par l'extrême droite. pic.twitter.com/FaIcesdBzd
— Bernard Guetta (@guetta_en) October 17, 2024
Guetta’s comment reflected the prevailing sentiment among many in the Parliament.
The composition of the Foreign Affairs and the Development Committee, which chose the finalists, suggested a side lining of certain viewpoints.
With the European People’s Party, Renew and S&D groups dominating in the EP, the political landscape appears to reinforce a “cordon sanitaire” against the hard-right Patriots for Europe.
The European Parliament is dropping rules on gender balance to prevent the hard-right from holding any position of power, three female MEPs have claimed. https://t.co/bUpbaiEk48
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) October 17, 2024
