The leadership of the European Greens is under pressure amid claims it failed to treat sexual harassment allegations against one of its rising star MEPs seriously.
German magazine Stern said Terry Reintke, the group’s co-leader in the European Parliament, has gone “into hiding” following a wave of serious questions about her and her colleague Philippe Lamberts’ handling of what has been described as “massive MeToo allegations.” Less than three years ago, Reintke gave a speech in Parliament in which she declared that those who cover up sexual harassment “do the damage.”
The allegations revolve around the Green’s Malte Gallée, who resigned as MEP earlier this month. Stern, which was first to report on the story, said “a number of party employees” had raised complaints concerning cross-border behavior (that which crosses personal boundaries), unwanted touching, and uninvited entry into offices since the summer of 2022, as well as bullying. In a statement posted on his website, Gallée said: “I am convinced that I have done nothing wrong; at the same time, I was and am of course always ready to actively contribute to clarification.”
Stern reported:
The party leadership in Brussels is said to have known about this for some time—without any consequences. Affected women … were also put under pressure.
Green employees last week sent an open letter to their bosses, noting their refusal to “take part in the downplaying of our leadership, which does not do justice to the seriousness of the situation.” This was signed by 100 current and former employees.
Since then, members of the rival European People’s Party have urged for the sexual harassment allegations to be “dealt with in a transparent manner so that such behavior is not covered up or even tolerated.”
Gallée said that he approached the Green’s ombudsman himself in 2022 to investigate what he described as “unspecific rumors about me.”
Politicians across Parliament now want to know exactly how much the group’s leadership knew about the claims and what they did with this information. But they have been disappointed to find that Reintke in particular doesn’t appear to want to give too much away. Green leaders are said to be “hiding behind formal excuses,” leading to the “crumbling” of their support.