European Parliament Lifts Romanian MEP Diana Șoșoacă’s Immunity

On Tuesday, April 28, the European Parliament lifted the parliamentary immunity of Romanian MEP Diana Iovanovici Șoșoacă, allowing Romanian prosecutors to continue criminal proceedings against her in a case involving allegations of unlawful deprivation of liberty, antisemitic propaganda, Holocaust denial, and the promotion of fascist, racist, xenophobic and legionary ideas.

The decision follows a request from Romania’s General Prosecutor’s Office and comes after the European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee recommended waiving immunity. The committee had voted in favour of the move by a clear majority, finding no evidence that the procedure was politically motivated.

Romanian Prosecutors Can Continue the Investigation

The case against Șoșoacă includes several allegations, the most publicised of which relates to a 2021 incident involving an Italian journalist. According to the accusation, the journalist was allegedly prevented from leaving Șoșoacă’s office during an interview, an incident that later became part of a broader criminal investigation.

Romanian prosecutors also accuse the SOS Romania leader of promoting extremist ideas and of making statements connected to Holocaust denial and antisemitic propaganda. These accusations are politically and legally sensitive in Romania, where the public promotion of fascist, legionary, racist or xenophobic ideology is punishable under national law.

The waiver of immunity does not mean that Șoșoacă has been found guilty. It only removes the procedural protection that prevented Romanian authorities from advancing certain parts of the criminal case while she served as a Member of the European Parliament.

Who Is Diana Șoșoacă?

Diana Șoșoacă is a Romanian lawyer, far-right politician and Member of the European Parliament. She leads SOS Romania, a nationalist party known for anti-establishment rhetoric, hardline sovereignty messaging and frequent attacks on Romania’s mainstream political class, the European Union and Western institutions.

Șoșoacă became widely known during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she built a large public profile through anti-restriction and anti-vaccination activism. Since then, she has remained one of Romania’s most polarising political figures, combining nationalist discourse, conspiracy-driven messaging and confrontational public appearances.

European Parliament Rejects Political Persecution Argument

Șoșoacă has previously described the case against her as political persecution. However, the European Parliament’s legal assessment did not accept that argument.

The Legal Affairs Committee concluded that there was no clear evidence suggesting that the Romanian authorities had requested the waiver of immunity in order to damage her political activity as an MEP. This point was essential because parliamentary immunity is intended to protect the independence of elected representatives, not to shield them from ordinary criminal proceedings unrelated to their parliamentary mandate.

In this case, the European Parliament considered that the allegations under investigation were not, in the main, protected parliamentary opinions or votes.

A Politically Explosive Case in Romania

The decision is likely to intensify political tensions in Romania. Șoșoacă remains one of the country’s most controversial public figures, known for nationalist rhetoric, anti-establishment messaging, and confrontational interventions in both Romanian politics and the European Parliament.

For her supporters, the case will probably be framed as an attempt to silence an opposition voice. For her critics, the lifting of immunity is a necessary step toward holding elected officials accountable when criminal allegations extend beyond protected political speech.

The European Parliament’s vote now shifts the pressure back to Bucharest. Romanian prosecutors can continue the investigation, while Șoșoacă keeps her seat in the European Parliament unless future legal developments change her status.

Immunity Is Not Impunity

The case also reopens a broader debate about the limits of parliamentary immunity in the European Union. Immunity exists to protect democratic representation, not to create a privileged legal status for politicians.

By lifting Șoșoacă’s immunity, the European Parliament has sent a clear institutional message: elected office cannot automatically block criminal investigations when the alleged facts fall outside the legitimate exercise of a parliamentary mandate.

For Romania, the case will now test both the resilience of the justice system and the political maturity of public debate, already marked by polarisation, extremist accusations and deep distrust of institutions.