French MEP Virginie Joron Denies Claims of “Blacklist” Existence

Virginie Joron, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the far-right group Patriots for Europe, has publicly refuted claims suggesting she is on a “blacklist.” Joron, who is also affiliated with France’s National Rally party, announced her intention to take legal action against several media outlets for allegedly spreading false and defamatory information regarding her status.

In a post on social media platform X, Joron stated that the allegations are entirely unfounded and have been weaponized to undermine her candidacy in the upcoming municipal elections in Strasbourg. She emphasized that she has received written confirmation from the President of the European Parliament stating, “no blacklist exists, that I have never appeared on one, and that I am not subject to any ban.”

Background on the Allegations

The controversy surrounding Joron appears to stem from a 2021 article published by EUobserver, which reported that she, along with seven other MEPs, faced sanctions for participating in what was described as fraudulent election-observation trips. These trips were linked to Russian electoral processes in territories such as Crimea, which was annexed by Moscow in 2014.

The European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE), a coalition of election monitoring organizations, noted that Joron participated in Russia’s 2020 “all-Russian voting” on constitutional amendments as part of a group of foreign politicians deemed biased. This group was characterized as “international experts” rather than neutral observers, raising concerns about their credibility.

Further investigations by Euronews’ fact-checking team, The Cube, revealed that one of Joron’s fellow MEPs, Thierry Mariani, had been involved in similar election-observation missions in Crimea and Kazakhstan. Documentation indicated that Mariani was invited by Russian and Kazakh authorities, which covered his travel expenses. However, The Cube could not locate any public records confirming Joron’s involvement in comparable missions.

Clarification on the “Blacklist” Status

Reports have indicated that the eight sanctioned MEPs were barred from official EU Election Observation Missions (EOMs) and faced possible suspension. Nonetheless, this measure has been characterized as largely symbolic, as EOMs typically consist of specialized observers.

According to sources familiar with the situation, there is no formal “blacklist” for MEPs like Joron. These sources clarified that she is not currently prohibited from participating in observation missions organized by the European Parliament.

Additionally, it is notable that several MEPs, including Joron, were included on a Ukrainian sanctions list in 2021. This decision was enacted by a presidential decree from Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council and was reportedly linked to their visits to Russian-occupied Crimea.

As this situation unfolds, Joron’s claims and the subsequent legal actions against media outlets will be scrutinized, particularly in light of the approaching elections in Strasbourg.