Text tabled : A7-0154/2011

  Maria do Céu Patrão Neves (PPE), in writing. − (PT) Mr Gollnisch has requested that the European Parliament defend his parliamentary immunity in connection with measures which he claims restrict his freedom applied by the French authorities as part of the judicial investigation of an action and claim for compensation (plainte avec constitution de partie civile) brought by the International League Against Racism and Anti-Semitism on 26 January 2009 against an unnamed person for incitement to racial hatred. It was concluded that the case does not fall within the scope of Mr Gollnisch’s political activities as Member of the European Parliament, concerning instead activities of a purely regional and local nature as a Rhône-Alpes regional councillor, a mandate to which Mr Gollnisch was elected by direct universal suffrage and which is distinct from that of Member of the European Parliament. There is no evidence in the investigation carried out of fumus persecutionis: in other words, the intention of causing political damage to the Member. I voted for this report, which decides not to defend Mr Gollnisch’s privileges and immunity, leaving it to the competent judicial authorities to decide, whilst respecting all democratic guarantees, to what extent French law on incitement to racial hatred has been broken and what the judicial consequences might be.