After an investigation by the Internal Control of the European Parliament, the MEP from the DPS and former deputy executive director of the State Fund Agriculture Atije Aliyeva-Veli is accused of harassing “a parliamentary assistant”. This was learned by BNews from its reliable sources in Brussels. This is happening for the first time with a Bulgarian MEP.

From the official document available, it is clear that the investigation lasted more than a year. The established facts have led to a precedent in the history of the European Parliament, namely President Roberta Mezzola confirms the conclusion of the Advisory Committee, dated February 26, 2024, considering appeals for bullying.

The president of the European Parliament, in an official letter signed by herself, confirms that in the period of June 2022 – May 2023, MEP Atige Aliyeva-Veli committed deliberate and systematic actions that constituted psychological harassment towards her parliamentary colleague.

Psychological harassment is defined in article 12a, paragraph 3 of the Regulation on
officials in the European Union and referred to in Article 2, paragraph 5 of the decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 2 July 2018 on the functioning of the Committee dealing with cases of harassment.

According to these texts, “psychological harassment’ is any wrongful conduct carried out during a certain period of time, repeatedly or systematically, and expressed through physical actions, verbally or in writing, with gestures or other actions that are done intentionally and that can damage the personality, dignity or harm the physical or psychological integrity of another person.

In her letter, the President of the European Parliament confirms the conclusion of the competent authority that the four criteria laid down in the definition are considered, unequivocally, cumulatively met. The president emphasizes that the established facts must be considered intentional acts within the meaning of Article 12a, paragraph 3 of the regulations for officials.

The established facts are described in detail in the letter, among them are: false accusations of wrongdoing by the MEP to a parliamentary assistant, including accusations of participation in conspiracy, treason and lying; social isolation; damage to authority; exclusion from parliamentary activity; unreasonable request for a reduction of his remuneration; complete lack of oral communication during the specified period; assigning tasks that do not correspond to the basic contractual obligations of the employee, nor to his experience and professional degree, some with unreasonably short deadlines. In addition, it is considered established that during the first three years of cooperation (between the beginning of the employment contract in July 2019 and June 2022) the MEP overburdened his colleague, including with tasks outside of her parliamentary activity.

During the period in which Mrs. Aliyeva-Veli purposefully carried out the above-described
actions, she was a member of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and presented herself as an advocate for workers, for ensuring fair working conditions and for strengthening work-life balance rules. Words that categorically contradict the actions of the MEP.

Mezzola’s decision is official and final in the internal investigation procedure in the European Parliament.

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