Irish MEPs Mick Wallace and Clare Daly were recently formally sanctioned by the European Parliament’s Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group for what were deemed to be unofficial election observation trips in Venezuela and Ecuador. In a statement, Daly and Wallace rejected the rebuke and said they will be challenging it.
But their censure by the European Parliament comes amid increasing discomfort with the pair’s foreign policy positions including within their own Left group, where they were recently accused by a Dutch MEP of echoing pro-Putin talking points.
The Irish Times Europe correspondent Naomi O’Reilly talks to Conor Pope about the background to this story.
Produced by Declan Conlon, Jennifer Ryan and Suzanne Brennan.
Music by Hugh Rodgers.