Reportage
Salis was saved by one vote in her fight with the far-right over immunity
The Left: ‘We have stated on several occasions that the rule of law in Hungary is completely non-existent. That is why today we are defending the immunity of Peter Magyar, Klara Dobrev and, of course, Ilaria Salis.’
The EU Parliament, meeting in plenary session in Strasbourg, upheld the immunity of Ilaria Salis, the anti-fascist activist accused of assaulting two neo-Nazi militants in Hungary. Salis, who was released from a Budapest prison after fifteen months of detention only following her election as a Member of the European Parliament, saw her immunity confirmed by a single vote: 306 in favor, 305 against, with 17 abstentions and 100 MEPs absent. The vote was held by secret ballot.
Salis had been at risk of losing her legal protection, as the center-right European People's Party (EPP) had formally decided to side with the far-right ECR and ID groups in voting to lift her immunity.
Two factors upended that scenario. The first was the EU’s own previous resolutions condemning the lack of rule of law in Hungary. The second was the interconnected nature of the vote, as other MEPs were also facing requests to revoke their immunity from Orbán’s government. On the strength of these two elements, emissaries from The Left group gathered positive signals the night before the vote.
“We have stated on several occasions that the rule of law in Hungary is completely non-existent,” explained The Left’s co-president, Martin Schirdewan, a few hours before the vote. “That is why today we are defending the immunity of Peter Magyar, Klara Dobrev and, of course, Ilaria Salis. We oppose political persecution. These people are being prevented from carrying out their political duties ... We must defend democracy, which is anti-fascist by nature.”
At the same time, Orbán’s spokesperson – the same one who had recently accused Salis of being a terrorist – condemned her for supporting Greta Thunberg and the Global Sumud Flotilla. The campaign backfired. Shortly after noon, Ilaria Salis acknowledged the victory by raising a triumphant fist toward the parliamentary chamber. “The Hungarian government’s decision to follow Trump’s lead and declare Antifa a terrorist organization says a lot about the European far right, and how it is becoming more radical and closer to MAGA positions,” Salis told il manifesto. “You just have to look at the Lega party in Italy, which is now talking about ‘remigration.’ Did I express solidarity with the Flotilla? It was an act of grassroots diplomacy that rekindled hope for millions of people, and it involved many institutional figures as well as activists like Greta Thunberg. And it must be said that the right wing in Italy, not just the Orbán government, has been waging a hate campaign against me for years.”
Indeed, Lega party deputy leader Roberto Vannacci had gone beyond his usual passive-aggressive tone. Last Monday evening, he released a video of himself on the steps of an airplane, addressing Salis directly to tell her he was on his way to Strasbourg “to vote for the revocation of your immunity.”
When the revocation failed, the Italian center-right erupted in turmoil, with the Trump-style shift of a large part of the EU Parliament opening a potential crack in the governing coalition. Lega leader Matteo Salvini was at the forefront: “Salis is accused of aggravated assault and other criminal conduct in a criminal organization,” he attacked, “but with the trick of a secret ballot, requested by the left-wing groups, even some who call themselves center-right voted to save her from trial.”
Antonio Tajani had previously stated he did not consider Salis “a terrorist” but had assured that his party would vote in line with the EPP’s official position. Returning from a political event in Calabria where he celebrated his party’s success as the top force among the government coalition, the Forza Italia leader responded bluntly to Salvini: “We have always been loyal and consistent; we stated our voting position. But then there is the secret ballot, and there are more than 700 parliamentarians. I believe the center-right should be concerned with winning votes from the public, not with creating internal squabbles.”
If the vote had gone against her, Salis was prepared to fight her extradition. She continues to demand a trial in Italy, under the rule of law, where the charges against her are considered a minor offense. She has not forgotten the German anti-fascist Maja, also imprisoned in Hungary, and says that she will continue her fight from within the EU Parliament. “First of all, for the rights of those deprived of their freedom: prisoners and migrants in Repatriation Centers,” Salis explains. “And then for the right to housing, an issue I am working on in a special committee here in Europe. Next week we will be in Brussels for a European assembly on the right to housing, promoted by The Left. A large delegation of unions, movements, and housing activists will be coming from Italy. I will continue to be where I think I am most needed and where I can make a contribution based on my own story.”
Originally published at https://ilmanifesto.it/salis-salva-per-un-voto-lite-a-destra-sullimmunita on 2025-10-08