Britain turned back a German MEP at the border
The United Kingdom denied entry to German MEP Petr Bystroň of the “Alternative for Germany” party, who was scheduled to speak at a large demonstration in London. The decision was explained on the grounds that his presence in the country “is not in the public interest.” This was reported by t-online.
In the UK, on the eve of a major street protest, a political scandal erupted, once again raising the issues of security, radical movements, and the limits of what is permissible for foreign politicians on the country’s territory.
Petr Bystroň, a German MEP from the far-right “Alternative for Germany” party, was officially denied entry to the UK and will not be able to participate in the demonstration in London, where he had planned to address the rally participants. According to t-online, the politician received a notice from British immigration authorities stating explicitly: “Your application for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) has been rejected.”
His speech was scheduled for an event organized around the well-known British activist Tommy Robinson, who has repeatedly found himself at the center of controversy due to his anti-Islamic and far-right statements. British immigration authorities explained the decision rather briefly and bluntly: “We are satisfied that your presence in the United Kingdom is not in the public interest.”
Thus, the politician not only lost the opportunity to speak at the planned event but also became a figure in yet another conflict between the freedom of political activity and the security rules that Britain is increasingly applying to foreign guests in sensitive political contexts.
The United Kingdom denied entry to Dominik Tarczyński, a Member of the European Parliament from the Polish Law and Justice party. The politician had planned to attend the so-called patriotic march, which is associated with far-right circles.
On Tuesday, May 12, another junior member of the British government resigned and called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to step down as leader of the Labour Party. The decision was made after the party suffered electoral losses in last week’s elections.
Already, 41 Labour Party MPs have publicly called on British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to step down as party leader.
Earlier, Starmer spoke of growing tensions in relations with the U.S.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, during which they discussed increasing pressure on the aggressor. The leaders paid particular attention to combating the Russian shadow fleet and London’s contributions to the PURL program to strengthen the Ukrainian army.
