In a bid to make his last speech before the EU-wide elections memorable, Miroslav Radačovský, a far-right Slovak MEP, decided to release a dove as a symbol of peace. The bird, which had been hidden in a bag under his suit jacket, perched on a desk before flying away. Radačovský, who comes from a country bordering Ukraine, made his plea for peace between Russia and Ukraine in both Slovak and English. The stunt did not go down well with everyone in the chamber, with some expressing concern for the bird’s well-being and others mocking the gesture. Raising a point of order, Caroline Roose, an MEP for the French Greens, questioned the use of an animal for a political statement and demanded action from the parliament to ensure its safety. The parliament’s vice president, Jan-Christoph Oetjen, agreed and said that the incident would be reported to the president. Radačovský’s pro-Putin stance has been well-documented by Russian opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta, which listed him as the 13th most pro-Putin MEP based on his voting record on resolutions related to Russia’s human rights violations, the Ukraine war, and anti-Russian sanctions between 2019 and 2023. Despite his previous calls for peace, Radačovský’s association with Russia’s propaganda channel Voice of Europe and his vote against a resolution declaring Russia a state sponsor of terrorism have raised questions about his true intentions.
Pro-Putin MEP Causes Stir by Releasing Dove in Parliament Peace Plea
