Luxembourgish lawmaker Monica Semedo (Renew) was sanctioned once again over harassment allegations after a former staff member of Semedo accused her of bullying.

The accusations surfaced at the end of November last year and come from a former assistant who was dismissed because of alleged “unprofessional behaviour”. The former assistant filed a complaint against Semedo almost a year later.

Semedo stated that the accusations were false and unsubstantiated. “Once again, the confidential procedures of the European Parliament, which are established to protect both sides, have not been respected,” she told RTL.

A decision was taken on Tuesday, with EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola deciding to exclude Semedo from the Parliament for ten days, a decision which will lead to the suspension of her remuneration, the equivalent of about €3,380.

The decision was taken following the conclusions of the Advisory Committee dealing with harassment complaints between Accredited Parliamentary Assistants and Members of the European Parliament and its prevention at the workplace.

It is the second time the MEP has been sanctioned over the mistreatment of her staff, following a first sentence in 2021. At the time, three staff members accused her of bullying, which resulted in a two-week suspension.

After the decision, she resigned from the Democratic Party (DP – Demokratesch Partei in Lux), the party of Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, feeling let down by her former party. However, she did not give up on her mandate in the EU Parliament.

The lawmaker will be able to appeal the decision imposed by the Parliament.

(Luka Krauss| EURACTIV.com)