President of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Pottering gains powers to stop parliamentary motions as he chooses.(Dominique Faget/AFP/Getty Images)
President of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Pottering gains powers to stop parliamentary motions as he chooses.
(Dominique Faget/AFP/Getty Images)

European Parliament Silences Disgruntled MEPs

January 29, 2008  •  From theTrumpet.com
The president of the European Parliament has been given the power to silence protesting MEPs.
 

The president of the European Parliament has been granted arbitrary power to halt parliamentary motions when he deems they are aimed at disrupting the procedures of the House.

The Telegraph reports that on January 24, a number of European parliamentary members (meps) called for the right to vote electronically and to then be allowed to give a one-minute speech explaining the rationale behind their voting. The meps called for both of these rights in protest of the fact that many European nations were being denied a referendum on whether or not to ratify the Lisbon Treaty.

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