The European Parliament decided on 26 March 2026 to waive the parliamentary immunity of Greek MEP Nikos Pappas.

• The request came from the Greek General Prosecutor’s Office on 10 September 2025, asking that Pappas be allowed to face criminal charges for alleged defamation and insult.
• The alleged offence happened on 20 March 2024 during an online interview, when Pappas supposedly made false, insulting statements about a journalist.
• Pappas was not an MEP when the offence occurred; he was elected to the Parliament in June 2024, and the complaint was filed on 10 June 2024.
• The Parliament found no evidence that the case was aimed at undermining his political activity (no “fumus persecutionis”).
• Parliamentary immunity protects actions taken in the course of parliamentary duties, not private conduct.
• Because the alleged acts are unrelated to his duties, the Parliament concluded that immunity should be waived.
• The decision orders the Parliament’s President to send the waiver and the committee report to the Greek authorities and to Pappas.

Broader Context

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) enjoy a legal protection called parliamentary immunity. This exists to make sure politicians can do their jobs — debating, voting, speaking — without fear of being sued or prosecuted for things they say or do as part of that work. The idea goes back centuries and exists in most democracies.

However, this protection has clear limits: it only covers actions taken as an MEP, not private life. If an MEP insults someone in an interview before they were even elected, that is treated like any ordinary citizen's behaviour.

When a national court or prosecutor wants to pursue charges against an MEP, they cannot just proceed — they must formally ask the European Parliament for permission first. The Parliament then examines whether the case looks politically motivated. If it does not, immunity is waived and the legal process can continue normally.

Impact on EU Citizens

For everyday people, this case illustrates an important principle: no one in the EU is fully above the law, even elected representatives. MEPs cannot hide behind their status to escape accountability for things they did as private individuals.

It also shows that EU institutions actively review these requests rather than automatically protecting their members — the Parliament can and does strip immunity when the situation calls for it.

Key Terms Explained

• Immunity waiver — the Parliament's formal decision to allow a legal case to go ahead against one of its members.
• Fumus persecutionis — a Latin legal term meaning "hint of persecution." It refers to signs that a case is politically motivated rather than genuinely about justice. If found, it would have protected Pappas; it was not found here.
• Defamation and insult — making false damaging statements about someone (defamation) or being deliberately offensive toward them (insult). Both are criminal offences under Greek law.