Social Democrat MEP Victor Negrescu has called on the European Union institutions to take clear measures to combat religious extremism, anti-Semitism and hate speech after the terrorist attack in Brussels of mid-October.

“This evening, while I was in the plenary of the European Parliament, listening to everyone delivering their written speeches beforehand, I decided to change my speech in order to react to the terrorist attack committed in Brussels by a radical Islamist sympathiser, who claimed to be a member of the Islamic State, during the debate that was just taking place. This tragic event, which according to public data caused the death of two people, must be a wake-up call for the European Union to take clear measures to combat religious extremism, anti-Semitism and hate speech”, said MEP Victor Negrescu in his speech during the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

He insisted that such events cannot be ignored and inaction will be punished by European citizens.

“We cannot sit here in this building and simply ignore what is happening outside the European Parliament. We send our condolences to the families and I hope we realise this very evening the need to act coherently and come up with swift action because, no matter how close we are to the European Parliament elections, if we do nothing, citizens will punish us at the end of the day through their vote”, said the MEP.

Two Swedish citizens were killed on 16 October in Brussels in an armed attack perpetrated by a man of Tunisian origin who had been living illegally in Belgium for several years. The attacker claimed membership of the Islamic State in a message posted on social media.