Metsola demands investigation into MEP's cozy ties with Russia

European Parliament (EP) President Roberta Metsola has requested that the EP's advisory committee look into possible breaches of the code of conduct by Luxembourg MEP Fernand Kartheiser, according to Politico. Kartheiser was expelled from the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group last year following his trips to Moscow.

Since then, he has held at least four video calls with Russian parliamentarians and visited Russia at least twice, with his most recent trip on June 3 to St. Petersburg for an economic forum. Kartheiser has defended his travel as efforts to boost parliamentary diplomacy to help achieve peace in Ukraine.

Metsola specifically pointed to a declaration signed by Kartheiser and other MEPs pledging to strengthen cooperation with the Russian parliament. In a letter dated June 11, she warned that such declarations could create a false impression of the EP's official stance. It is worth noting that the EP officially suspended contacts with Russian legislators in 2014 after the annexation of Crimea, and since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian officials have been banned from EP premises.

Potential sanctions

Metsola emphasized that existing restrictions cannot be circumvented through individual meetings. She has asked the eight-member advisory committee to assess whether Kartheiser properly disclosed his meetings with Russian officials and trips paid for by third parties. If the committee finds violations, the President may impose sanctions such as loss of daily allowance or exclusion from EP activities.

Kartheiser, meanwhile, said he had not seen Metsola's letter and found it strange that such important matters concerning an MEP were leaked to the press before consulting him.