A legal battle has ensued between French Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) François-Xavier Bellamy and Rima Hassan after Bellamy spearheaded efforts to block Hassan from becoming the third vice-chair of the European Parliament’s human rights subcommittee due to comments she made about Hamas. Bellamy claimed that Hassan’s remarks disqualify her from speaking about human rights, while Hassan argued that her comments were taken out of context as part of a political witch-hunt. The vote to delay her appointment was supported by committee members in Brussels, leading to a war of words between the two politicians.
In response to the actions taken against her, Hassan made a statement on social media accusing Bellamy and his allies of being close to the genocidal Israeli regime. Bellamy announced that he would sue Hassan for what he perceived as a direct physical threat against him, stating that such threats cannot be tolerated in a democratic society. The President of the European Parliament is investigating the comments made by Hassan, amidst a growing legal feud between the two politicians.
Hassan has pushed back against Bellamy’s complaint, condemning it as a political stratagem and announcing that legal complaints will be lodged against him for public defamation and slander. Support has poured in for Hassan from France’s left-wing, following her exclusion from the human rights subcommittee. The Left group in the European Parliament has appointed Hassan as one of its coordinators in the subcommittee, signaling defiance against efforts to block her candidature for the vice-chair role.
The political dispute between Bellamy and Hassan highlights the deep divisions within France’s political landscape, exacerbated by the country’s political paralysis following the June legislative elections. The left-leaning alliance has named Lucie Castets as its pick for prime minister, but President Macron has delayed the formation of a new government until after the Paris Olympic Games. The tensions between France’s rival political factions have intensified, with the country facing uncertainty in the aftermath of the elections and ongoing power struggles within various parties.
The controversy surrounding Hassan’s bid for the vice-chair position in the human rights subcommittee reflects broader political struggles within the European Parliament and the French political scene. The legal battle between Bellamy and Hassan is part of a larger narrative of ideological clashes and power struggles between different factions, with the left-wing gaining ground in the wake of recent elections. The outcome of this legal feud will likely have implications for the future dynamics of the European Parliament and the broader political landscape in France.
