Nicolaus feast, MEP from the Afd, the German far-right formation, rejoiced in an internal party chat over the death of David Sassoli. “Finally this bastard is gone,” he wrote in a WhatsApp group according to reports from broadcaster Ard, who claims to have the screenshot of the message.
Fest called Sassoli “an undemocrat, a shame for any parliamentary idea”.
Party leader Jorg Meuthen distanced himself from Fest’s statements. “Such a statement about a colleague who has just died after a serious illness is disturbing, deeply repugnant and unforgivable.” But Meuthen’s distancing and the rain of criticism weren’t enough for Fest. Not only does he not deny or apologize, on the Facebook page he accuses Sassoli of “covering up” alleged “frauds and scandals” of some MEPs. “The picture traced in the declarations and obituaries by David Sassoli, the late president of the European Parliament, is incomplete”.
The problem is not the contents of his message, sorry Fest, but that the message has leaked: “It is regrettable that the screenshots of this internal communication have been filtered. Political work within a rather small delegation, in particular , thrives on mutual trust “.
The reactions: the League distances itself
“On behalf of the Identità e Democrazia group, I strongly condemn the serious and unacceptable statements made by MEP Nicolaus Fest about the disappearance of David Sassoli”. Thus in a note the Lega MEP and president of the Identity and Democracy group (which also includes AfD), Marco Zanni. “I agree with what was declared by the head of delegation of Afd Joerg Meuthen, who immediately and clearly deplored the gesture. These are tones and statements that do not belong to us and that violate the principles and the statute of our group. Disciplinary actions will be proposed. in the next Id bureau “, concludes Zanni.
“Fest’s phrases are a shame. An insult to the memory of the president of the European Parliament and an offense to our country”, he says Laura Garavini, deputy chairman of the Foreign Affairs commission and deputy group leader Italia Viva-Psi in the Senate.
For Dino Giarrusso (M5s) “David Sassoli was a man of the Institutions, whose rare humanity was honored and recognized by everyone, friends and political opponents. To rage with cowardly and revolting insults is simply shameful”.