SYRIZA MEP Georgoulis submits resignation

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola announced at the plenary session in Strasbourg on Monday that she had received a request from the competent Belgian authorities to lift the parliamentary immunity of MEP Alexis Georgoulis.

"I received a request from the competent Belgian authorities to lift the parliamentary immunity of Alexis Georgoulis. The request is referred to the legal affairs committee," Metsola said.

The request is over a case of alleged sexual harassment that dates back three years ago.

Alexis Georgoulis, elected as a member of the European Parliament with SYRIZA, denied the allegation but submitted his resignation from the party.

"Unfortunately, we live in difficult and dangerous times. In the face of this false and insulting attack, which is carried out - probably not by chance - a few days before the national elections, I intend to fight my battle in justice, for the truth and the restoration of my name, requesting the removal of my MEP immunity.

In this context and because I do not at all want to influence the fight of SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance, at all levels, with a purely personal issue, I am placing myself at the disposal of the party's bodies and submitting my resignation as a member of the party as well as from the Eurogroup of SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance," Georgoulis said.