Korwin-Mikke slaps Polish MEP in face

MEP Janusz Korwin-Mikke: photo - wikipedia/CC

MEP Michal Boni (Civic Platform) says he was slapped in the face by Korwin-Mikke, leader of the New Right Congress, which received 7.5 percent of the vote in Poland during May’s European Parliament elections, when they were attending a meeting of Polish MEPs in Warsaw.

“After I said ‘Good day Mr Korwin-Mikke’ he hit me in the face. This is not normal!” Michal Boni tweeted after the incident.

The 82 year-old Korwin-Mikke has been seen as a political eccentric in Poland for decades, with unusual opinions on issues such as gender equality – “women are less intelligent than men” - and on democracy – “it should be scrapped and replaced by monarchical rule”.

Korwin-Mikke also said before being elected as an MEP in May that the “European Commission building in Brussels should be turned into brothel”.

MEP Michal Boni - "This is not normal": photo - PAP/Grzegorz Jakubowski

The right-wing MEP said that the incident in the Foreign Ministry building on Friday dated back to a row he had had with Michal Boni in 1992.

“It was a symbolic slap,” Korwin-Mikke added in an interview with the TVN24 broadcaster.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Marcin Wojciechowski said prosecutors had been informed about the incident.

MEPs from all political parties in the EP were meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Warsaw to discuss possible ‘united fronts’ in debates which could be to Poland’s benefit within the EU.

The maverick MEP has been having trouble finding political partners in the European Parliament, however.

Following the May elections, France's Front National leader Marine Le Pen said Korwin-Mikke’s 'New Right' party was “too extreme” to form an alliance with. (pg)