Metoo case: EU Green Party leader Terry Reintke under pressure

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A Metoo case in the Green group in the EU Parliament is now becoming tricky for the German group leader Terry Reintke. According to several participants, things got very heated at a group meeting on Wednesday. Support for Reintke is apparently crumbling, particularly in the party’s French-speaking delegation. Several MPs are said to have been angry at the meeting that the group leadership had not taken the long-standing rumors about Malte Gallée seriously. And also that the leadership of the parliamentary group is now hiding behind formal excuses.

The relationship between the French-speaking delegation and Terry Reintke has been cracking for a long time, several MPs report star. One called the leadership style of German co-party leader Reintke “undemocratic.” She said that Malte Gallée was not the only problematic MEP in the European Green group.

There are massive MeToo allegations against Green Party politician Malte Gallée

Last Friday, the Bavarian Green MP Malte Gallée, seen as a great political talent and a beacon of hope for the party, announced his resignation. The reason he cited was “rumors” that had been circulating against him for some time. Shortly before that he had star Gallée and his party were confronted with research and questions, according to which several employees of the parliamentary group in Brussels accused Gallée of sexually harassing them.

Since then, the party has also been struggling with how the party leadership handled the case. The faction presents the image of a deeply divided faction looking for explanations and a scapegoat. On Tuesday, more than 100 employees complained in an open letter about how carelessly Reintke, who is running as the German and European top candidate in the upcoming European elections, and the party’s leadership had handled the long-known Metoo allegations against Gallée. In addition, it should star-Information that there was already a turbulent meeting lasting several hours on Tuesday, in which employees heavily criticized the parliamentary group leadership. A criticism that was voiced several times was that the party in particular, which externally advocated values ​​such as equality and self-determination, had not implemented these values ​​itself.

Terry Reintke is said to have known about the allegations as early as October 2022

According to research by the star Group leader Reintke is said to have known about the allegations against Gallée as early as October 2022. She declined an interview request. Internally, she is said to have said several times in the past few days that she was not aware of the severity and extent of the allegations against Malte Gallée. “No one in the caucus leadership condones, condones or tolerates inappropriate or abusive behavior by anyone in the caucus. However, it is a fact that this happened,” she wrote in an email to the Green group in the European Parliament on Tuesday.

Despite the criticism, at least German Green MPs also stood behind Reintke on Wednesday. It is unfair that she is now the focus of the allegations. They increased the pressure on Reintke’s co-group leader Philippe Lamberts. The Belgian, who has chaired the group for ten years, must answer for the mistakes. The Gallée case is apparently not the only case in which there are serious allegations about the treatment of employees. According to information from star There are currently allegations of bullying against two German MPs. Internal proceedings are therefore said to be underway against one of the two.