VP/HR — Refusal of the VP/HR to meet with the 2017 Sakharov Prize laureates

19.12.2017

Question for written answer E-007863-17
to the Commission (Vice-President/High Representative)
Rule 130
Javier Nart (ALDE) , Carolina Punset (ALDE) , María Teresa Giménez Barbat (ALDE) , Mario Borghezio (ENF) , Beatriz Becerra Basterrechea (ALDE) , Yana Toom (ALDE) , Remo Sernagiotto (ECR) , Anna Elżbieta Fotyga (ECR) , Jasenko Selimovic (ALDE) , Hilde Vautmans (ALDE) , Ivan Štefanec (PPE) , Eduard Kukan (PPE) , Francisco José Millán Mon (PPE) , José Inácio Faria (PPE) , Monica Macovei (ECR)

The Venezuelan opposition, as laureates of the 2017 Sakharov Prize, were present in Strasbourg for the awards ceremony, during the plenary session of December 2017.

Naturally, they were received and greeted by various several representatives of the European institutions, including President Tajani as well as various group leaders.

It has come to our attention however that the VP/HR refused to meet them and delegated this meeting to her chief of staff instead.

We believe this is intolerable for both the European Parliament, which awards the prize, and for the Venezuelan opposition.

Is the VP/HR in a position to confirm this fact and the reasons for it? What image does the VP/HR believe this lack of deference will project about the European institutions to the external world?