BRUSSELS — The head of the European People's Party (EPP) group in the European Parliament, Manfred Weber, on Friday sent a letter to European Parliament President David Sassoli, asking him to take steps against far-right MEP Yiannis Lagos, a member of Golden Dawn. The Greek MEP was on Wednesday found guilty of forming and running Golden Dawn as a criminal organisation, along with another six members of its leadership, in a court in Greece.

In the letter, Weber referred to Lagos' "unacceptable behaviour" toward EPP member Anna-Michel Asimakopoulou, an MEP with Greece's ruling New Democracy party. He said Lagos had publicly addressed Asimakopoulou in an exchange of e-mails on October 6, making offensive remarks based on his assertion that she was part of a "political conspiracy against members of Golden Dawn".

He also noted an address by Lagos in the European Parliament on October 5, in which he accused the EPP speaker of "mocking democracy" and called a former Greek premier "political scum" for initiating the prosecution of Golden Dawn.

Weber said the GD MEP's remarks exceeded the boundaries of responsible political speech and his behaviour was even more inexcusable in light of the decision made by the Athens Court of Appeals, which found that Golden Dawn was formed and run as a criminal organisation in the guise of a political party.

He concluded by asking Sassoli to take the appropriate action based on article 175 of the European Parliament's regulations "so that this deplorable behaviour is not repeated".

 (ANA/ E. Zarkadoula)