Political blackmail by federalists leads to MEP resignation and collapse of Eurosceptic group in European Parliament

I had to do it to get elected

The EFDD Group in the European Parliament has folded  today after the resignation of Latvian member Iveta Grigule. Concerning her resignation, Ms Grigule told the secretary general of the EFDD Group that “I had to do it to get elected.” She told the General Secretary of the EFDD Group that the  EPP chairman Manfred Weber and  European Parliament Martin Schulz told her she must resign from the EFDD Group in order to attain the  presidency of a Parliamentary delegation to Kazakstan.

In this term, EFDD Group members have been systematically excluded from their expected positions in EP delegations and chairmanships under the D’Hondt system which is the normal practice over many years.

Ms Grigule signed her letter of resignation in the office of Mr Schulz this morning and he told the Conference of Presidents that she had resigned thus folding the group.

At a delegation meeting on Kazakstan, she was presented as an EFDD candidate by an Italian member and was not opposed.  It is believed she will now sit in the non-attached. UKIP leader Nigel Farage said, “It is clear that the European Parliament does not follow its long-term practice of sharing delegation and chairmanship positions in a fair manner according to the D’Hondt system. If we are correct in our understanding about the events, President Schulz would be more suited to being the president of a parliament in a banana republic.  It would seem he has exceeded his role that should apply to a neutral chairman or president of a parliament.  I believe this is an example of political bias on an extraordinary scale.”