A Romanian far-right member of the new European Parliament has been escorted out of the Strasbourg chamber after repeatedly heckling member Valerie Hayer during a debate following European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's speech. Diana Iovanovici-Sosoaca waved a black garbage bag, shouting, "You kill Romanians!" and placed a dog's muzzle on her face while being escorted out of the chamber. Iovanovici-Sosoaca won a seat in Romania's parliament in 2020 as a member of the far-right Alliance for the Unification of Romania (AUR) party, but has since been expelled and formed her own Russian-friendly group, SOS Romania, which propelled her into the new European Parliament in last month’s elections. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Romanian Service, click here.
Romanian Member Escorted Out Of European Parliament For Heckling
Diana Iovanovici-Sosoaca (center) wears a muzzle surrounded by bailiffs as she is escorted out of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on July 18.