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Court rules Edek MEP did not have to help finance party

Demetris Papadakis

A court in Cyprus has ruled that a private agreement between MEP Demetris Papadakis and his former party Edek was null and void, as it contravened European Parliament regulations.

In a declarative judgement, Nicosia district court said Papadakis was exempt from the obligation to fulfill an arrangement he entered into with Edek in 2019, by which he undertook to divert part of his earnings as MEP to the party.

Although Papadakis did sign the agreement, he had added a caveat that this arrangement could clash with European Parliament rules.

Last summer Edek accused Papadakis of reneging on an agreement he had entered into with them, where upon his election as MEP on their ticket he undertook to uphold certain obligations expected of party officials as stipulated by party rules. Namely, that he would relinquish a percentage of his monthly earnings to the party.

Based on this alleged infraction, Papadakis was ejected from the party.

The MEP subsequently sought declaratory relief from a court to vindicate his position that he was wrongfully ousted from Edek.

In its decision, the court cited case law as well as European Parliament regulations which state that MEPs are not free to dispose of moneys paid to them as they see fit.

Another term of the private arrangement between Edek and Papadakis provided that the latter would pay out of his MEP’s salary the expenses for a European affairs office in Cyprus acting as a liaison between the party and the MEP.

The court said both terms of the agreement obligated the applicant (Papadakis) to finance or otherwise contribute to “aspirations of a political nature that are outside the terms of mandate of an MEP.”

Given that European Parliament regulations supersede national law – in this case Cypriot law – when it comes to how MEPs may dispense moneys paid to them, the court found that Papadakis was under no legal obligation to fulfill the agreement with Edek.

 

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