Request for the defence of parliamentary immunity of Umberto Bossi

The Committee on Legal Affairs unanimously adopted the report drawn up by Klaus-Heiner LEHNE (EPP-ED, DE) on the request for defence of the immunity and privileges of Umberto Bossi (former Italian MEP), considering that the immunity of Mr Bossi should be defended, for the following reasons:

At the sitting of 9 March 2009, the President of Parliament announced that he had received a request for the defence of the parliamentary immunity of Umberto Bossi by letter of 24 February 2009. The request relates to the investigation concerning Mr. Umberto Bossi in connection with an indictable offence pursuant to Article 61(10) and 612, paragraphs I and II, of the Italian Criminal Code, which is pending before the District Court's Public Prosecutor's Office of Verbania. The investigation relates to the fact that during an electoral meeting held in Verbania on 6 April 2008, Umberto Bossi referred to the Minister of Internal Affairs, Giuliano Amato, in quite harsh terms, not to say insulting, in connection with the electoral procedure.

Given that Article 9 of the Protocol on privileges and immunities provides that Members of the European Parliament have absolute immunity from legal proceedings “in respect of opinions expressed [...] in the performance of their duties” and that, according to the parliamentary committee’s analysis, Mr Bossi merely commented on facts in the public domain which had an Italian and European political dimension, MEPs consider that the immunity of Mr Bossi should be defended.

The Committee on Legal Affairs therefore decided to call on the European Parliament to defend the immunity of Umberto Bossi.