17.02.2022 - 10:00
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Actualització: 17.02.2022 - 11:00
Far-right Bulgarian MEP Angel Dzhambazki ended his speech on Wednesday in the European Parliament’s rule of law debate, which discussed sanctions against Poland and Hungary, making a Nazi salute. Dzhambazki, who was the speaker of the petition against exiled Catalan President Carles Puigdemont and his former ministers Toni Comín and Clara Ponsatí, has shown his opposition to the application of the mechanism linking the payment of European funds to respect for the rule of law and had an argument with the vice-president of the chamber, Pina Picierno.
Parce qu'il a défendu l'état de droit en 🇪🇺, @sandrogozi s'est fait insulter par l'eurodéputé @djambazki, qui a quitté l'hémicycle en faisant un scandaleux salut nazi.
Tu as tout notre soutien Sandro.
Nous demandons à Mme Metsola, @EP_President, d'agir. pic.twitter.com/rIXrbB5wO1
— Renaissance (@Renaissance_UE) February 16, 2022
Dzhambazki is from the VMRO – Bulgarian National Movement, a far-right party that shares his group with Spain’s Vox. He is an ultra-conservative politician with a long history of controversy. On 6 March 2019 he participated in a Vox event in the European Parliament – “Catalonia, a Spanish region”, was the title – which questioned his objectivity in the case. In fact, images of the event, in which Javier Ortega Smith took part, show Dzhambazki applauding and smiling when the leader of the far-right party shouted “Puigdemont to prison.”
The salute has sparked outrage among several MEPs, including Liberals Pascal Durand and Nicola Danti, who have called for exemplary sanctions. Parliament Speaker Roberta Metsola tweeted:
A fascist salute in the European Parliament is unacceptable to me – always and everywhere.
It offends me and everyone else in Europe.
We stand for the opposite.
We are the House of democracy.
That gesture is from the darkest chapter of our history and must be left there.
— Roberta Metsola (@RobertaMetsola) February 16, 2022
Le salut fasciste d’un nostalgique de Mussolini ce soir dans les travées du Parlement européen après l’intervention @sandrogozi sur le respect de l’état de droit. Les sanctions devront être exemplaires ! https://t.co/MABkYZruw1
— Pascal DURAND (@PDurandOfficiel) February 16, 2022
