Brussels, 31/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - When opening the EP's plenary session in Brussels, President Nicole Fontaine announced that the leader of the French Front National, Jean-Marie Le Pen could resume his seat in the European Parliament, in compliance with the preliminary ruling of the EU's Court of First Instance, while waiting for a verdict as to substance (see EUROPE of 29/30 January, p.5). I have sought the advice of our Committee on Legal Affairs on how the European Parliament should follow-up this affair, said Ms. Fontaine, while noting that, the President of the Court of First Instance would confer on the EP "a power of discretion on a decree on the stripping of the mandate of a Euro-MP". "If this Le Pen case law is confirmed as to substance, it will contribute in having the power of European institutions prevail over tat of national governments", she said.
"I am back", commented Le Pen (who, when stripped of his mandate, had announce: 'I will be back!"), castigating those who had, under the pretext of a "banal incident" in the electoral campaign, wanted to "get rid of an opponent who had nevertheless been voted into office by millions of electors".