Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are trying to prevent the 80-year-old French National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen from presiding over the opening of the first session of the new European Parliament on 14 July as the 'father of the house'. Officials have also indicated that he could face disciplinary action for "bringing the parliament into disrepute" by using his immunity as an MEP to avoid criminal prosecution for Holocaust denial.
Le Pen on Wednesday caused a storm in Strasbourg by hitting back at "inflammatory accusations" that he was a convicted Holocaust denier who should be denied his right next year to become chair the opening session of the newly-elected European Parliament as the oldest sitting MEP. Le Pen is likely to be re-elected to the European Parliament as top of the National Front's list in France. "I just said that the gas chambers were a detail of World War II history, which is clear," the extremist politician told a sitting of the EU assembly.
Martin Schulz, a German Social Democrat and leader of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament, led the calls for Le Pen to be stripped of the privilege. "As a German, I feel obliged to fight against all those who consider Nazi crimes to be a 'detail of history'," he said. However, despite fines and convictions for making identical remarks twice in the past, the French politician cannot be prosecuted for his comments in the European Parliament because he is protected by parliamentary immunity.