How the European Parliament turned a minute's silence to political mudslinging

Published on 12/09/2025 - 15:22 GMT+2

Staging a minute's soundlessness successful nan European Parliament astatine nan commencement of a plenary convention is usually uncontroversial and communal practice.

But nan refusal of Katarina Barley, a vice-president of nan chamber, to fto immoderate MEPs clasp a infinitesimal of soundlessness for Charlie Kirk has sparked uproar among galore blimpish MEPs, including wrong nan European People’s party. Kirk, an American governmental activistic was shot in nan cervix connected Wednesday while he was speaking connected a Utah assemblage field and died astatine nan infirmary soon after.

Many blasted Barley, a socialist MEP and different left-wing MEPs for having politicised a random workout and hiding down rules to boycott governmental figures they dislike.  

“There are group we want to commemorate that are important for our governmental group and nan others should judge it,” said Kosma Złotowski, a Polish MEP from nan European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), whose group initiated nan infinitesimal of soundlessness for Kirk. “We judge group from nan left, they should judge group from nan right.” 

On Thursday, nan Parliament denied Charlie Weimers, a Swedish right-wing personnel of nan European Parliament, from holding a infinitesimal of soundlessness to grant Kirk. “Well, we person discussed this and nan president said nary to a infinitesimal of silence,” Barley told Weimers successful nan hemicycle. Videos connected societal media showed Weimer’s supporters opinionated up and booing Barley.

Several socialist MEPs contacted by Euronews refused to remark connected Kirk’s infinitesimal of silence. But they insisted they would guidelines down parliament rules and decisions made by Metsola, “who by nan measurement is simply a personnel of nan blimpish EPP,” 1 of them said.

Barley's refusal drew nan ire of Weimers himself and galore different members of his governmental group, who pointed to a 2020 infinitesimal of soundlessness astatine nan Parliament granted to Georges Floyd, nan achromatic American man whose execution by a constabulary serviceman sparked heavy governmental divisions astir nan issues of constabulary brutality and group injustice.

Under parliament rules, minutes of soundlessness are announced by nan Parliament president at nan opening of nan plenary convention and must beryllium requested by governmental groups prior to nan opening. Some officials opportunity they had ne'er encountered cases of MEPs requesting a infinitesimal of soundlessness successful nan mediate of a plenary.  

Few successful nan EPP, nan largest group successful nan parliament, openly reacted to nan uproar. But immoderate MEPs defended nan ECR push to commemorate Kirk successful nan parliament.  

Miriam Lexmann, an MEP from nan EPP and different quaestor confirmed that “commemorations tin only beryllium held astatine nan opening of nan plenary,” truthful “the minutes of soundlessness could not person been observed this week.” 

But Lexmann besides said she would support different petition for a infinitesimal of soundlessness “to grant Charlie Kirk’s bequest of dialogue.”

“His assassination is simply a people of exclamation arsenic we witnesser much and much utmost positions and hatred towards Christians and conservatives successful nan EU, not excluding nan European Parliament,” Lexman said.

Earlier this week, Metsola opened nan plenary pinch a infinitesimal of soundlessness to Andrii Parubii, a salient Ukrainian leader and erstwhile parliamentary speaker who was changeable and killed successful nan occidental metropolis of Lviv 2 weeks ago. Nobody successful nan enclosure opposed nan commemoration.

All MEPs besides stood up successful soundlessness to retrieve nan victims of nan derailment of nan funicular "Elevador da Glória" successful Lisbon connected 3 September, of nan wildfires crossed Europe and of nan Gaza war.