The expulsion of Diana Șoșoacă
The president of the European Parliament, the conservative representative of Malta, Roberta Metsola, made the decision to expel the ultra MEP Diana Șoșoacă for interrupting the session by shouting, appearing with a muzzle and an image of Christ. Șoșoacă, member of the S.O.S party. Romania and a well-known anti-vaccine activist, accused the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, of being responsible for the deaths of people.
During the session, Șoșoacă interrupted several times with shouts directed towards Von der Leyen. President Metsola urged her to leave the plenary session after interrupting for the third time, to which the MEP resisted, and she was finally escorted out of the room by ushers.
The institution’s regulations establish that a MEP can be expelled if he repeatedly fails to comply with the rules of conduct. After multiple warnings, the president can deny the deputy the right to speak and exclude him from the chamber for the rest of the session.
Șoșoacă’s accusations
The accusations come from the deaths recorded during the covid-19 pandemic, which the MEP attributes to vaccines. She showed a black plastic bag, which she said is used in her country to store bodies, thus symbolizing the victims of the pandemic. The presence of the image of Christ and her muzzle represented her protest against the lack of freedom of expression in the institution.
Ursula von der Leyen’s response
Von der Leyen highlighted the importance of respect for the rule of law and the need to overcome divisions together. He stressed that polarization is not resolved by shouting or disrespect, but through voting. He affirmed that the defense of freedom is based on respect, not on raising one’s voice, and on unity in favor of the rule of law.