A Swedish Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Abir Al-Sahlani, has filed a police complaint accusing a Danish colleague of racist hate speech. The complaint stems from online reactions to Al-Sahlani’s condemnation of far-right, anti-immigration chants that erupted in the European parliament last month.
The complaint, which was filed last week with police in Sweden, relates to the aftermath last month of the decision by some rightwing MEPs to erupt in chants of “send them back” following a vote aimed at increasing deportations across the EU. In response, Al-Sahlani, an Iraqi-born Swedish MEP with the Centre party, addressed the parliament, calling the far-right’s actions a “new low” and stating that the chants were directed at ordinary people seeking a better life in Europe, making her feel unsafe.
Following Al-Sahlani’s speech, two MEPs from rightwing populist parties responded online. Sebastian Tynkkynen, a Finnish MEP from the Finns party, posted “Cry more” in reaction to a clip of her address. Kristoffer Storm, a Danish MP from the Denmark Democrats, commented that she “should go home.”
Al-Sahlani confirmed last Wednesday that she had filed a police complaint against Storm, alleging racist and hate speech. Her complaint specifically targets the Danish MEP, as Swedish police were reportedly uncertain how to address Tynkkynen’s social media post. Both Tynkkynen and Storm have denied the accusations against them.
The confrontation highlights the deep divisions within the European parliament, where far-right and rightwing populist MEPs now constitute approximately a quarter of lawmakers, a record number, while ethnic minorities remain significantly underrepresented.
Al-Sahlani expressed her feelings of disappointment and sadness regarding the situation, questioning the level of discourse among politicians. Her group in parliament, Renew Europe, and its leader, Valérie Hayer, have publicly supported her. Hayer called for disciplinary action against Storm and Tynkkynen, emphasizing that racism has no place in the institutions.
The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, addressed the chamber on Monday, stating that the “aggressive chanting, jeering, finger-pointing and filming of members” was unacceptable and that the line had been crossed. Her office indicated that services were investigating the incidents and that there is zero tolerance for actions undermining the respect and dignity of MEPs.
Al-Sahlani admitted to initially hesitating to speak out due to her minority status in parliament, but decided to address the broader context of attacking vulnerable people. She criticized the centre-right for enabling the far-right, citing the controversial deportations legislation that prompted the chants, which Amnesty International and UN experts have criticized as discriminatory.
In response to Hayer’s allegations, Tynkkynen described them as “false accusations” and indicated he planned to file a complaint. Storm maintained that his remarks were not intended to be racist, explaining to Politico that “go home” was meant as a suggestion for Al-Sahlani to leave the chamber if she found the democratic decision distressing, rather than accusing opponents.
Al-Sahlani dismissed Storm’s explanation, stating, “People are smarter than this.”
Speaking to the Guardian days after she was targeted online, Al-Sahlani said she still was not quite sure what to make of it all. “I don’t know if I am disappointed or sad,” she said. “I feel sadness for European democracy, like, really, this is the level of our politicians? But also disappointed because, really, c’mon guys. I’m your colleague.”
