Politician Kartheiser before throwing out: Moscow trip ensures Zoff!

Politician Kartheiser before throwing out: Moscow trip ensures Zoff!

Moskau, Russland - The political tensions around the Luxembourg MP Fernand Kartheiser (ADR) are increasing. Kartheiser plans a trip to Moscow at the invitation of the Russian Duma. This could result in serious consequences for its membership in the European Conservative and Reformer Group (EKR) in the European Parliament. EKR chairman Patryk Jaki has announced that it would actually make an application for exclusion if Kartheiser actually travels to Moscow, which underlines the clear position of his party PIS against a new approach to Moscow. [Tageblatt] reports that Jaki emphasized that the EKR cannot support “reset policy with Moscow”.

Kartheiser announced his trip on Friday on platform X, accompanied by a video in Russian. This falls into a period in which he also voted against an important Ukraine resolution that was supported by his faction. His most recent interview with the Russian newspaper Iswestija sanctioned by the EU led to internal criticism and a complaint on the part of the EKR. Linking his political activities with a problem that affects Lech Kaczyński in Russia also ensures additional tensions.

Unexplained future in the European Parliament

The discussion about Kartheiser's future in the EKR faction is already underway and a decision is to be made in early February. During an exchange with his colleagues at the EKR, the Luxembourg politician emphasized that the discussion was correct and that he had the opportunity to explain his position and arguments. Despite the tense situation, Kartheiser does not want to make a forecast of the outcome of the talks and continues to focus on his parliamentary work. He could stay in the parliamentary group or also act in the European Parliament without any faction. [Lessentiel] reports that Kartheiser was recently supported by his party according to Pro-Russian statements, which continued to cope with the already complicated situation.

Kartheiser defends his decision to grant an interview for a Russian medium and argues that this is not prohibited. He sees himself as "per peace" and rejects the EU sanctions against Russia. His criticized positions are in contrast to the EKR, which strives to maintain a serious image and actively support Ukraine. The demographic distribution within the EKR faction, which includes 78 MPs from 18 countries and the fourth largest faction in the European Parliament, could be affected by Kartheiser's exclusion, since 23 MPs from seven member states are required to form a parliamentary group. The Polish PIS in particular is the second strongest party in the EKR.

In view of Kartheiser's planned trip to Moscow, the Luxembourg Foreign Ministry has made a clear position: it is extremely problematic and does not contribute to solving the existing conflicts. The next few weeks will be decisive to clarify the future of Fernand Kartheiser in the European Parliament and its role within the EKR faction.