Muhamad Yehia.. Cairo
A physical altercation between a Swedish MEP and a parliamentary staffer has sparked conflicting accounts and formal police reports. The incident, which took place in the European Parliament on Wednesday, is now under internal investigation.
On Wednesday, the Swedish delegation from the Left group in the European Parliament filed a police report against EPP Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Alice Teodorescu Måwe, alleging physical assault.
According to Marie Antman, head of the Swedish Left’s parliamentary office, one of her staff members entered her office “in a state of shock” and displayed marks on their arm. Antman declined to elaborate on the nature of the alleged violence but described the incident as “exceptional” and “unacceptable”.
“A Swedish MEP had physically attacked my colleague. This is extremely upsetting,” Antman told Swedish news agency TT. “It was a situation where my staff member called for help, prompting security guards to intervene and calm things down. We have also reported the incident to the President of the Parliament.”
MEP Teodorescu Måwe, however, strongly denies the allegations and offers a conflicting account. According to the Swedish Christian Democrats’ party secretary, it was Teodorescu Måwe who was subjected to harassment.
A statement posted on social media alleges that “Teodorescu Måwe was harassed by an aggressive political staffer in the European Parliament. On her way to a meeting, Alice was confronted with threatening accusations without provocation. The situation was extremely distressing for her.”
According to her office, the staffer began filming and photographing Teodorescu Måwe. When she asked for an explanation, a confrontation followed. She then took out her phone to take a photo, prompting the staffer to allegedly attempt to seize her device. The situation escalated into a brief scuffle before security was called.
On Wednesday, Teodorescu Måwe reportedly met with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, and requested protection in the wake of the incident. Teodorescu Måwe, who is currently back in her home country Sweden, will also report the staffer to Belgian police upon her return, according to her office.
An official spokesperson for the European Parliament confirmed that the incident is currently under internal investigation.
“The situation is being investigated as a matter of priority and the initial assessment confirms the MEP’s version of events. There is a zero-tolerance policy for violence in the Parliament premises. The relevant services are mobilised. Assistance to the Member is also in place.”
The incident is captured on surveillance cameras, according to the spokesperson.
Euronews has contacted the office of Alice Teodorescu Måwe and the delegation of the Swedish left for comment.