The parliamentary assembly of the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe is considering a  ban on some of its far-right members if they are affiliated with parties that are “neo-Nazi, racist and anti-Semitic”.

Eleni Zaroulia, a deputy from the Golden Dawn party in Greece and her Hungarian colleague Tamás Gaudi Nagy, from the far-right Jobbik party, could see their accreditation withdrawn under challenges launched yesterday (21 January).

Italian MP Fiamma Nirenstein accused both members of belonging to political parties which were “racist and anti-semitic” and that the values of these parties were in conflict with the Council of Europe’s ideals and principles (see background). The challenges were supported by at least 10 members of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly.

“Ms Zaroulia has said in her country’s Parliament that the immigrants were sub-humans who invaded her homeland and spread diseases,” said Nirenstein, as quoted by Reuters. “Mr Gaudi Nagy has told his Parliament that there was a list of Jews representing a threat to national security, and who were exploiting the Holocaust to dominate the world.”

The Assembly’s Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs will now meet to consider both challenges. Under Assembly rules, the committee could ratify the credentials or not to ratify them. It could also to ratify the credentials but restrict the two lawmakers’ right of participation or representation in the Assembly and its bodies. Both members continue to sit provisionally in the Assembly until a decision is reached.

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