Polish far-right politician criticised in EP over antisemitic remarks
A Polish far-right lawmaker, Grzegorz Braun of the Confederation of the Polish Crown party, drew sharp criticism on Wednesday from Polish MEPs from rival parties over antisemitic remarks he made during a European Parliament (EP) committee meeting.
Braun's comments were made during a European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) meeting on Tuesday, at which Braun said "the Jews, Israel and the Jewish diaspora all over" were responsible for the outbreak of the war in the Middle East.
He also targeted EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who was present, describing her as "unnecessary and useless" and accusing her of being "a silencer at the end of the gun barrel" for the way Brussels reacts to the US-Israeli war against Iran.
Committee Chair David McAllister interrupted Braun, accusing the politician of attention seeking at any cost.
"On behalf of this committee, I completely reject the anti-Semitic statements you just made... Mr. Braun, the floor is not yours. Shut up," McAllister added.
Braun's comments drew criticism from Polish MEPs from both the ruling centre-right Civic Coalition (KO) and its main domestic rival, the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party.
Andrzej Halicki of KO said Braun struggled to secure backing even among the most hardline right-wing MEPs. "Grzegorz Braun once said he considers himself a patriot and that he would not stage controversial performances abroad. It is clear that he is not consistent even in this one commitment," he said, urging voters to be cautious about whom they support.
Meanwhile, Adam Bielan of PiS described Braun's speech at AFET as an "unnecessary provocation". "Such behaviour is why, among other things, we cannot imagine a coalition with Grzegorz Braun's formation," he said, referring to a potential alliance of Polish right-wing parties ahead of the 2027 parliamentary elections.
Braun has been at the centre of several high-profile controversies, including an incident in late 2023 when he used a fire extinguisher to put out candles on a Jewish menorah during a Hanukkah ceremony in the Polish parliament. His other actions include vandalising a Christmas tree adorned with EU and Ukrainian flags, trampling on the EU flag, disrupting a lecture by a German historian, and holding a doctor captive for over an hour in protest of an abortion she had performed.
In February, Poland's top prosecutor, Waldemar Zurek, submitted a request to the EP to lift Braun's immunity. It was the third such request after his immunity had previously been lifted twice in connection with charges in Poland. (PAP)
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