BRUSSELS ― One of the EU’s most senior lawmakers compared a European Parliament security guard to his pet dog in an argument over access to the building, according to a letter of complaint the staff union sent to assembly President Roberta Metsola.
Johan Van Overtveldt, chair of the Parliament’s budget committee and Belgian finance minister from 2014-2018, demonstrated “humiliating and demeaning” behavior in an exchange on Feb. 11, said the letter sent by the Union Syndicale Parlement Européen (USPE) and seen by POLITICO.
Van Overveldt told POLITICO he did not recall using such language, but admitted to shouting at the guard who he said had been offensive toward his companion.
According to the letter from USPE, which represents staff working in the Parliament, a security officer working on the gates of the institution’s Brussels building challenged Van Overtveldt as he attempted to enter with his wife, whose entourage pass for family members had expired.
“In response to the security staff’s insistence that he should comply with the institutional rules, he asked to see the badge of the security officer in charge in order to identify her, then angrily threw her document on the floor,” the letter to Metsola, dated, Feb. 16, said.
“Subsequently, when the security guard asked him to be respectful, pointing out that he was talking to a human being, the MEP responded with an offensive remark, comparing her to a pet (his own dog) and thereby humiliating and demeaning her in front of others,” the letter said.
Van Overtveldt said that he doesn’t have a dog or a pet of any kind and is “practically sure I didn’t use that kind of words.”
“If I did so, then certainly that was not appropriate either, that I will immediately admit. But I cannot remember at this moment, it’s a week ago now, what exact words I used. I shouted, without any doubt I shouted, that she had to behave and she had to be calm and more forthcoming,” he went on.
“Probably by raising my voice to the extent I did, maybe I was a little bit intimidating,” said the top lawmaker. “I don’t know how she felt about it. But one should not forget that the way in which she treated the person who was with me … was also quite offensive to say the least.”
When approached about the case, the Parliament’s press service said it is “looking into an incident involving an MEP and are assessing the facts.”
Van Overtveldt is a member of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), the party of Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, part of the the right-wing ECR.
In a separate email to Parliament staff on Monday, USPE referred to “the recent mistreatment of one of our officers,” without naming anyone involved.
“This incident did not occur in isolation but against a broader backdrop of systemic problems affecting our security staff,” the email, seen by POLITICO, said. “Security personnel face lack of career progression and a lack of recognition for their professional experience.”
Leading MEP Van Overtveldt was offensive to female security guard, union tells Metsola
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