Greek MEP Afroditi Latinopoulou unleashed a sharp attack on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during the European Parliament’s State of the Union debate, accusing her of treating Europeans with contempt and damaging the continent through migration, climate and social policies.
Speaking in Greek she said “Mrs. von der Leyen, there is no greater racist against Europeans than you,” adding “You have ruined us.”
Latinopoulou is the leader of Greece’s far-right Voice of Reason party and accused the EC President of filling Europe with irregular migrants, burdening citizens with taxes and bureaucracy, harming farmers and closing factories, denouncing “green madness”, a “woke agenda” and encouraging Europe’s “islamization”.
A Grand Stage
Although the substance of what Latinopoulou said is not new, the timing has raised eyebrows for several reasons.
First, the State of the Union is one of the EP’s most visible annual events, with the EC President outlining her new policy agenda. The year’s gathering drew further international attention after von der Leyen proposed an undefined form of “associate membership” for Canada and held meetings with Canadian PM Mark Carney this week.
Latinopoulou’s supporters consider her intervention to be a savvy use of one of Europe’s most visible political stages to maximize the impact of her statements. Critics regard it as opportunistic, highly personalized and indecorous.
The intervention was styled for social media and the world of sound bites. It is comprised of short sentences and sharp imagery, as Latinopoulou references physical manifestations of the green agenda and LGBTQ+ rights, such as paper straws, attached bottle caps and Pride events.
Regardless of one’s view, the setting clearly amplified Latinopoulou’s visibility beyond what any detailed policy brief would ordinarily achieve. At the time of writing, one video circulating of her tirade has over 6 million views.
In reaction, a poker-faced von der Leyen can be seen blinking more rapidly and ever-so-slightly pursing her lips.
The Immunity Backdrop
The timing of the statement is notable for a second reason. It comes on the heels of the EP waiving Latinopoulou’s parliamentary immunity.
She has been accused of forging signatures in the founding declaration submitted for her political party Voice of Reason. Greek law requires a new party declaration to include original signatures of 200 eligible voters.
The accusations are not new, originating in 2024 by former ally Konstantinos Bogdanos and former party officials.
Latinopoulou denies the allegations and previously said she wanted her immunity waived so the case could be examined by the courts and put the issue to rest.
The EP legal affairs committee eventually recommended the waiver and the plenary approved it on September 15, stating that it found no evidence that the case against Latinopoulou is politically motivated.
Political Consequence?
Latinopoulou has a platform in the EP, but limited institutional power. She is one of 85 MEPs in Patriots for Europe, the EP’s third-largest group, and sits on the group’s bureau.
She is full member of two parliamentary committees and a substitute on the committees covering foreign affairs and civil liberties, but holds no leadership positions, limiting her ability to truly influence agendas and move the needle.
At home in Greece the situation is less certain. A former New Democracy candidate who rides the wave of Trump 2.0’s “common sense” policies, she moved further right before founding Voice of Reason, which won 3.04% in the 2024 European election. However the party remains outside of the Greek parliament.
Two recent polls place Voice of Reason just at either side of Greece’s 3% parliament threshold, making Latinopoulou a marginal but potentially consequential far right figure in domestic politics.
Her attack is unlikely to alter EU policy, but maybe reinforce her voter base ahead of next Greek elections. The immunity case could also go either way- damaging her credibility or feed her argument that political and institutional forces are conspiring against her.
