Parliament reviews Hassan flag incident as accounts differ

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said the institution is taking allegations about French lawmaker Rima Hassan’s handling of Israeli and European Union flags at a memorial exhibition seriously and is following parliamentary procedures. Hassan’s office acknowledged that she removed the Israeli flag from its stand but disputed accounts that she threw or trampled the flags, saying the attached EU flag fell accidentally and neither was damaged. The competing accounts remain unresolved. The incident took place Monday, October 5, at an exhibition commemorating victims of the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. Metsola told lawmakers that a member had allegedly thrown the Israeli flag to the ground and that a flagpole had fallen, knocking down the EU flag. She said the person involved would have the right to be heard as Parliament follows the appropriate steps. In a statement, Hassan’s office said she removed the Israeli flag while leaving the exhibition and that the EU flag, attached to the same base, fell because it became unbalanced. The office said neither flag was trampled or damaged.