Luxembourg, 27/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - The Court of First Instance (CFI) heard the pleas of both sides, Jean-Marie Le Pen and Parliament in a case opposing both sides. The former MEP is calling for the annulment of the European Parliament's decision, which took note that he had been stripped of his seat.
In substance, Jean-Marie Le Pen claims that, to do so, Parliament should have used an internal procedure involving a report by the Committee on Legal Affairs and a vote in plenary. Parliament claims that it is beholden to respect the decision of the French authorities and courts that had stripped him of his seat on the basis of French law on the election of members of the European Parliament, and that it had had no room to manoeuvre.