European Parliament investigates French MEP Rima Hassan over October 7 exhibition flag incident

Incident at the Strasbourg exhibition

European Parliament authorities launched a formal investigation on Tuesday after French MEP Rima Hassan of La France Insoumise removed an Israeli flag from a commemorative installation. The incident occurred on Monday, 5 October 2026, inside the parliament building in Strasbourg, where an exhibition had been organized to honor the victims of the 7 October 2023 attacks in Israel. According to parliamentary officials and recorded video footage, Hassan detached the Israeli flag from its holder, which caused the European Union flag mounted on the same support to fall to the ground. Several lawmakers present at the site alleged that the flags were subsequently trampled, though Hassan strongly contested that claim.

Disciplinary inquiry and official reaction

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola addressed the plenary chamber on Tuesday morning, confirming that parliamentary security and administrative services had documented the episode and are reviewing the video records. Metsola explained that the assembly is initiating formal procedures that could lead to disciplinary penalties against the French lawmaker, while guaranteeing her right to be heard during the process. A parliamentary spokesperson confirmed that an official assessment of the facts is underway.

A member of this Assembly was filmed apparently degrading an exhibition commemorating the victims of the terrorist attack perpetrated in Israel on 7 October.

Metsola emphasized that the institution must protect open discussion and avoid disruptions of commemorative exhibitions within its premises.

We cannot tolerate acts of this kind that could deter people from expressing themselves, we cannot tolerate material damage, and we cannot tolerate attempts at intimidation rather than debate.

Political defense and intent

Hassan and her staff issued a statement shortly after the event, arguing that no flags were deteriorated or trampled. Her team explained in a written communication that the European Union flag fell inadvertently because of an imbalance when the Israeli flag was removed. Hassan, who sits with The Left group, stated that her act was a political protest directed at the Israeli government and its military campaign in Gaza, which she characterized as an ongoing genocide, rather than a protest against the memorialized victims. Speaking later in the hemicycle, Hassan reiterated that commemoration should not be conflated with political support.

One can perfectly, as we have done with our group, commemorate the victims of October 7 without associating oneself with the genocidal Israeli state.

Cross-party political reactions

The event prompted reactions from across the political spectrum in Strasbourg. Right-wing French MEP François-Xavier Bellamy criticized the act on Monday evening, stating that knocking down the flags represented complicity with those seeking to reintroduce antisemitic hatred in Europe. European Parliament Vice-President Pina Picierno accused Hassan of profaning the exhibition, while Nicola Procaccini, co-president of the European Conservatives and Reformists group from Fratelli d'Italia, also publicly denounced the altercation. Centrist MEP Nathalie Loiseau of the Renew group condemned Hassan on social media platform X, stating that the action took place just before the anniversary of the attacks. A parliamentary source indicated that Hassan will be summoned to provide her account before the presidency decides whether to impose formal disciplinary measures.