European Parliament applauds as a signal of solidarity with Bronislaw Geremek MEP

4.36.32pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 25th Apr 2007

Graham Watson, leader of the Liberal & Democrat group in the European Parliament took the floor at the beginning of the voting in the European Parliament today to defend his colleague Bronislaw Geremek (Democratic Party, Poland), who may be deprived of his parliamentary mandate by the Polish Government following refusal to comply with a recent monitoring law (lustration) on collaboration with former communist era security services.

Watson considered that the legal pretext used by the nationalist Government in Poland, under the lustration law was equivalent to a 'witch hunt' whilst Professor Geremek's democratic and anti-communist commitment was beyond doubt. MEPs from across the House applauded in solidarity with Professor Geremek.

Watson publicly asked the President of the House three questions:

"I would ask first of all whether Mr Kaczyñski, who met Mr Pöttering last week, raised this issue with him;

secondly, whether it is right and indeed possible for a Member of this House to be stripped of their democratically-elected mandate in this way;

and thirdly, whether you would give this House the assurance that Parliament will act to protect Mr Geremek's right to exercise his democratically-elected mandate with all possible haste."