Friday

29th Mar 2024

Polish MEP makes false claims on EU parliament infections

The European Parliament has confirmed six people working there have so far have been infected by Covid-19, including one who recently died.

That figure was announced after a Polish conservative MEP, Karol Karski, stated on Polish television that 43 people at the assembly had been infected.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

Karski is one of five MEPs known as Quaestors, in charge of making sure deputies abide by internal rules.

According to sources, Karski is also in favour of MEPs retaining their daily €323 allowance while actually working from home.

On Tuesday (24 March), Karski told Telewizja Republika multiple staff at an IT department in charge of video-conferences had tested positive for the virus.

He claimed "43 staff in the department were tested and they all turned out positive".

He also said the EU parliament could no longer hold video-conferences given staff shortages in the department, suggesting it was no longer safe to work at the parliament.

Karski has yet to respond to EUobserver when asked what evidence he had to support his claim.

The issue was instead handled by the European Parliament's most powerful administrator, Klaus Welle.

In an email sent on Wednesday (25 March) and seen by this website, Welle set the record straight.

Welle said one MEP, two officials, one parliamentary assistant, and two external contractors, had in fact been infected.

"The figure cited by you is therefore completely false," writes Welle.

The email was addressed to Jérôme Rivière, a far-right MEP who heads the French delegation within the nationalist Identity and Democracy group.

Karski, along with the president of the European Parliament, among others, was put in copy.

Rivière had latched onto Karski's claim, demanding the European Parliament's internal services explain the discrepancy.

He also suggested Welle had in fact hidden the true figure, putting others at risk.

A European Parliament spokesperson said the institution has set up a thorough system to trace any possible infections.

"Everything is done so that the core business can continue in parliament," said the spokesperson.

She said the medical service traces back, up to four days, anyone showing symptoms or has contracted the virus, sending those individuals home.

Exclusive

Parliament mulls allowances for home-working MEPs

The European Parliament's internal decision making-body, the Bureau, is set to decide on whether MEPs should continue to receive a daily €323 lump sum despite working from home.

Cybercrime rises during coronavirus pandemic

Cybercrime and cyberattacks have increased due to the coronavirus outbreak. As a result, the World Health Organization, hospitals and research centres are being targeted by organised cybercriminals - searching for information, intelligence, and systems access.

Feature

The shadowy EU parliament boss who likes to say 'no'

Despite 10 years in the job, Klaus Welle is the most powerful man in Brussels few have heard of. The Parliament secretary-general has granted EUobserver access to just one paper written by him - and refused 21 other requests.

MEPs fearful of 'red zone' Strasbourg plenary

Parliament president David Sassoli is to make the final decision on travelling to Strasbourg ahead of the leadership and parliamentary group chairs meeting on Thursday.

Opinion

Race to the bottom: all Polish election outcomes are bad

Covid-19 is no excuse to allow authoritarian minds more leeway. While Polish government uses the pandemic to conduct unfair elections, EU countries must see it as an existential political threat alongside the health and economic crisis.

EU commisisoner Šuica sounds alarm on demographic shift

The EU will have to step up its efforts to tackle looming demographic challenges over the next five years. If not, the bloc faces "sleepwalking into dark scenarios", warns EU commission vice-president Dubravka Šuica.

Latest News

  1. Kenyan traders react angrily to proposed EU clothes ban
  2. Lawyer suing Frontex takes aim at 'antagonistic' judges
  3. Orban's Fidesz faces low-polling jitters ahead of EU election
  4. German bank freezes account of Jewish peace group
  5. EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania
  6. 'Swiftly dial back' interest rates, ECB told
  7. Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza
  8. Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us