A heated dispute regarding the Gaza conflict erupted into a physical altercation within the European Parliament on Wednesday. The confrontation involved a left-wing staff member from the Swedish party Vänsterpartiet and Alice Teodorescu, a center-right Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from the Swedish European People’s Party, with initial assessments indicating that the MEP’s account of the incident is being considered more credible.
According to reports, the Vänsterpartiet staffer accused Teodorescu of physically assaulting them. However, Teodorescu’s team refuted this claim, arguing that the staff member instigated the conflict. They explained that Teodorescu was en route to a meeting prior to the Parliament’s debate on the Gaza situation when the staffer began filming her without permission. The staffer allegedly stated their intention to post the footage online to “tell the world what a terrible person” Teodorescu is, a remark reflecting the tension surrounding her strong pro-Israel stance.
Details of the incident
In response to the unsolicited filming, Teodorescu reportedly turned her own camera on the staffer, leading to a struggle for the device and a subsequent physical clash. A Parliament official, speaking anonymously, noted, “Several people in the Parliament saw it happening; it was related to Palestine-Israel tensions, because the MEP is very pro-Israel.”
Wednesday’s parliamentary atmosphere was notably charged as lawmakers deliberated over Israel’s ongoing military actions in Gaza. Following the incident, a Parliament spokesperson confirmed that the violent confrontation, which was captured by surveillance cameras, is under urgent investigation, and the preliminary evaluation aligns with the MEP’s narrative.
Reactions and security measures
The spokesperson for the Parliament also mentioned that assistance is being offered to Teodorescu, who has reportedly requested increased security following the incident. Marie Antman, the chief of staff for Vänsterpartiet, remarked to Swedish news agency TT that the staff member returned to her office “in a state of shock and showed marks that the person had received on his arm.” She further claimed, “Then it turned out that a Swedish parliamentarian had simply physically attacked my colleague.”
In the aftermath, the secretary-general of the Swedish Christian Democrats, Teodorescu’s party, expressed concern on social media, stating that the MEP is currently “in shock of the event, that such a thing can happen in a democratic institution.” This incident underscores the escalating tensions surrounding discussions on the Gaza conflict and the impact it has on political discourse within the European Parliament.