Nikos Androulakis, a Greek deputy who was the only lawmaker to complain when Mr. Lagos was given the floor in the recent session, said that the delay created unacceptable embarrassment for the European Parliament, with serious legal and political implications. “How is it possible that someone convicted of such serious crimes can take the floor of the only democratically elected institution in the European Union?” Mr. Androulakis asked. While the pandemic and the usual bureaucracy created obstacles, he said, the Parliament had to act with a greater sense of urgency in this case. He warned that any deviation from the process could expose the committee to accusations of bias. “The rules and the law are the same, regardless of your ideology,” he said.

Source: New York Times December 19, 2020 14:26 UTC