European Parliament investigates allegations of Russian ties against Latvian MEP
Kyiv • UNN
The European Parliament is investigating allegations that Latvian MP Tatjana Ždanoka has ties to Russia. This case will be discussed at a conference of European Parliament presidents on January 31.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola "takes very seriously" the accusations of ties to Russia against Latvian MP Tatjana Ždanoka, and therefore she is referring the case to the Advisory Committee on the Code of Conduct. This was announced by the official representative of the Speaker of the European Parliament, Yuri Lass, DW writes, according to UNN.
Details
"This means that an investigation has been launched in the European Parliament," he explained.
Metsola will also raise this issue for discussion at the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament on January 31.
In response to a request to the press service of the European Parliament, DW received a response that it prefers not to comment on the accusations against the MP. However, they pointed out that these accusations were reported in Latvia some time ago.
"We emphasize that all members of the European Parliament are subject to the same rules (the 1976 Electoral Act, the Statute of the European Parliament and the internal rules of the European Parliament) regarding the independence of the mandate and ethics," the press service added. - "Like all members of the European Parliament, an MEP is accountable to the electorate.
Violation of the code of conduct may lead to sanctions imposed by the President of the European Parliament, which is announced at the plenary session. At the same time, the decision to remove an MEP from office is made by the competent authorities in his or her country.
Context
The Insider The Insider journalists conducted an investigation into Ždanoka. According to their data, the MEP from Latvia was actively corresponding with Russian citizens, allegedly FSB officers, and, in particular, sending them reports on her activities. The investigation is based on the hacked e-mail correspondence of Ždanoka.
