The homophobic comments to Uspaskich are a warning from the liberal leader of the European Parliament

In a letter to Uspaskich, Romanian politician Dacian Ciolos, chairman of the political group Renew Europe, said the content of his video was completely unacceptable, hateful and clearly homophobic.

“I will give you the opportunity to explain your behavior, but I must demand that you withdraw these intolerable homophobic comments and apologize both to the public and to your colleagues in the Renew Europe group for the pain it has caused,” Ciolos wrote in a letter to BNS.

The faction leader said an apology and explanation was expected by noon Thursday. According to Ciolos, Uspaskich’s explanation will be evaluated by the group’s members on Monday, January 18.

According to Mr. Ciolos, in the absence of an explanation or if the group members decided that he was not satisfied, a vote would be taken to remove Mr. Uspaskich from the group.

This letter was also sent to other members of the Renew Europe group.

In this way, the group leader responded to the live video of V. Upaskich broadcast on Facebook on Sunday, where he despised LGBT people, calling them “pedic” and “perverts.”

“Today, in some European countries, it is even dangerous to say that you are a representative of natural orientation. I do not want my conversations, the program, to be commented on by pediatricians of all kinds, because it is not a program for them anyway. I mean pedicures, perverts, those to whom fate, life thus gave them, it is not their fault, that there is a kind of longing that a man dressed as a woman feels. Most of these people do not advertise, but who put their shin under their skirt and go out into the street, scream, they are pediatricians, perverts and those things should not be tolerated, ”said V. Uspaskich during the broadcast on Sunday.

Renaissance, a group of MEPs that unites party members and Macron supporters in the Renew Europe group, has called for Uspaskich’s removal.

“We strongly condemn them and call for the expulsion procedure to be started. We support LGBTI people in Europe,” they said in a statement.

Renaissance shared a post by MEP Aušra Maldeikienė on the social network. Maldeikienė, a member of the European People’s Party, told BNS that representatives of the Renew Europe group had contacted her and asked for a record of Uspaskich’s speech in response to a political post on the social network. This recording was delivered by an assistant to MEP A. Maldeikienė.

The Seimas Freedom Faction announced that it had also appealed to the leaders of Renew Europe regarding the suspension of the membership of V. Uspaskich.

“I wrote a letter to Mr Ciolos, president of the Renew Europe group in the European Parliament, about Mr Uspaskich’s homophobic statements. The liberal faction should evaluate such behavior and make a decision on the suspension of V. Uspaskich’s membership in the faction “said Ieva Pakarklytė, the largest of the Freedom Faction, in a comment sent to the SNB.

V. Uspaskich has not yet been contacted by BNS.

V. Uspaskich has recently been criticized in Lithuania for making false statements that mineral water can cure the coronavirus. The State Food and Veterinary Service is investigating these statements.