Index – Abroad – A representative released a pigeon in the European Parliament

Slovakian member of the European Parliament Miroslav Radacovsky caused a sensation the other day by reaching into his bag and taking out a pigeon during his speech, to the bewilderment and surprise of the members present, and then releasing the animal in the meeting hall of the European Parliament. He called all this a gesture of world peace.

The Slovak representative said he wished peace “to the whole world, to the Russians and to the Ukrainians.”

I would like to release this dove as a symbol of peace, as a symbol of Europe’s need for peace. Let this dove unite us all

said the politician according to The Guardian.

However, instead of uniting those present, the stunt apparently horrified some of those in the room. According to Caroline Roose, the French representative of the Greens, it is unacceptable that Radacovsky used a live animal for political purposes in violation of the rules of the parliament.

He used an animal that he hid in his bag as a simple object just to make a pro-peace statement today. (…) Where is animal protection in this speaker’s gesture? I find this completely unacceptable

Caroline Roose noted.

Jan-Christoph Oetjen, one of the vice-presidents of the parliament, said that they would report the incident to the president of the chamber, adding that they hoped the animal would be okay.

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