HOLOCAUST deniers, a Playboy cover girl and some pretty ‘out there’ facial hair, the members of the European Parliament are an odd bunch.
Here is a top pick of the most truly bizarre, in a who’s who of those to avoid in European politics.
Janusz Korwin-Mikke, Poland: believes Hitler didn’t know about the Holocaust and thinks women should not have the vote.
Leader of the Congress of the New Right, Korwin-Mikke joined the Parliament in June. He believes Holocaust survivors have turned the Holocaust into an ‘industry’, and is a professional player of bridge. He once said: “The European Commission building should be turned into a brothel. I’ve been there so I know it would be great as one.”
Nathan Gill, UK: anti-immigration activist whose company employed immigrants.
Welsh UKIP MEP Gill wants to call a halt to immigration to the British Isles. But his company was caught red-handed employing dozens of immigrants, mainly from Poland and the Philippines, on low wages.
Alessandra Mussolini, Italy: Told a transsexual MP that it’s ‘better to be a fascist than a faggot’…
It runs in the genes for the granddaughter of Benito Mussolini, the founder and leader of the Italian fascist party. Prior to her career in politics, she tried out being an actress and singer, and even sold a record in Japan in 1982. She also tried her bunny ears on for size on the cover of Playboy in 1983.
Martin Sonneborn, Germany: Wants to rebuild the Berlin Wall.
His 2011 election campaign featured Sonneborn wearing blackface alongside the slogan ‘Ich bin ein Obama’. His 2014 election campaign – that finally got him elected – used clever slogans such as ‘Hands off German willies!’ A key goal for his party, Die PARTEI, is to rebuild the Berlin Wall.
Luke Flanagan, Ireland: Has taken a lot of drugs and has the facial hair to prove it.
A well-known pro-cannabis advocate, in 2001 he sent a joint to every member of the Irish parliament in a campaign for legalisation. Unsurprisingly, he has several drug convictions.
Mario Borghezio, Italy: Burns homeless people’s shelters and disinfects seats where immigrants have sat.
A true veteran, Borghezio first became an MEP in 1999. He set fire to some wooden pallets that had been used by homeless people to build a shelter, in 2005. He was expelled from his parliamentary group in 2011, after denouncing Italy’s minister for integration, Cecile Kyenge, as being more suited to working as ‘a housekeeper’. Borghezio is also known for having disinfected the seats on a train where some migrants had been sitting.
Udo Voigt, Germany: Nominated Hitler’s deputy, Rudolf Hess, for the Nobel Peace Prize.
With the National Democratic Party of Germany, Voigt has also said that ‘at most 340,000 could have died in Auschwitz’. A hotel refused to allow him in, stating that they ‘could not guarantee the well-being of our guests’ if he had stayed there. He tried to sue the hotel but lost.
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1 Comment
A motley bunch indeed. Although Catweazle Luke Flanagan seems alright. At least he gives as well as takes. Or do I mean tokes?
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Imogen Calderwood
A motley bunch indeed. Although Catweazle Luke Flanagan seems alright. At least he gives as well as takes. Or do I mean tokes?