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Eurosceptic group forced to fold following MEP's resignation

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5773372_ORIGINAL_1403108804The Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (EFDD) Group in the European Parliament, which includes Eurosceptic group UKIP, which won its first domestic UK seat last week, has folded today (16 October) after the resignation of Latvian member Iveta Grigule (pictured). Concerning her resignation, Grigule told the secretary general of the EFDD Group: “I had to do it to get elected.”

She told the General Secretary of the EFDD Group that the  EPP chairman Manfred Weber and  European Parliament Martin Schulz told her she must resign from the EFDD Group in order to attain the  presidency of a Parliamentary delegation to Kazakstan.

In this term, EFDD Group members have been systematically excluded from their expected positions in European Parliament delegations and chairmanships under the D’Hondt system, which has been the normal practice over many years.

Grigule signed her letter of resignation in the office of Martin Schulz this morning and he told the Conference of Presidents that she had resigned thus folding the group.

At a delegation meeting on Kazakstan, she was presented as an EFDD candidate by an Italian member and was not opposed.  It is believed she will now sit in the non-attached.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage said: “It is clear that the European Parliament does not follow its long-term practice of sharing delegation and chairmanship positions in a fair manner according to the D’Hondt system.

"If we are correct in our understanding about the events, President Schulz would be more suited to being the president of a parliament in a banana republic.  It would seem he has exceeded his role that should apply to a neutral chairman or president of a parliament.  I believe this is an example of political bias on an extraordinary scale.”

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And an EFDD Group spokesman told Euractiv.com: "The positions on these delegations are now not proportional or representative. Another big stitch-up by the big groups to exclude legitimate but minority voices on the delegations has taken place. Any trace of common acceptance of the D'Hondt system has now been rejected by the European Parliament, and I am sure the many people who voted for EFDD Group representatives will be offended that their voice is not allowed to be heard."

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