Greek MEP hits Commission president over migration, the woke agenda, the Green Deal and Pfizergate
STRASBOURG, 16 September 2026 — Greek MEP Afroditi Latinopoulou accused Ursula von der Leyen of being “the greatest racist against Europeans” in the European Parliament’s State of the Union debate on Wednesday, tying the charge to illegal migration, what she calls the EU’s woke agenda, and the Green Deal — on a day Pfizergate was again in the headlines.
Latinopoulou, leader of Voice of Reason and a Patriots for Europe MEP, spoke for just over a minute in Strasbourg. Von der Leyen sat in the chamber. The Greek MEP then posted the clip on X: “Ms von der Leyen, there is no greater racist against Europeans than you!”
She was on the floor from 12:25:20 to 12:26:35.
Migration
The core of the clip is illegal migration. Latinopoulou accused the Commission of filling Europe with illegal migrants and of pulling neighborhoods apart.
That is her long-running line in Strasbourg: closed borders, no benefits for illegal entrants, and mass returns. She argues front-line states such as Greece carry the cost while Brussels lectures them on values.
Von der Leyen’s own State of the Union speech did address borders. She did not accept Latinopoulou’s framing. She presented migration as a managed security and policy problem, not as an elite project against Europeans.
Woke agenda
Latinopoulou’s attack on von der Leyen as a “racist against Europeans” is the same argument she has used against the EU’s social and identity agenda: that Brussels treats native Europeans as the problem and minorities, migrants and identity programmes as the priority.
She has previously told the chamber to stop calling Europeans racist and to drop what she calls “nonsense” about systemic discrimination. In her telling, speech rules, gender and LGBT policy, minority funding and open-border language are one package — a woke agenda that weakens European nations.
Wednesday’s line fits that record. She did not table a resolution. She used the State of the Union slot to say the Commission president’s moral language on racism and values is pointed at the wrong people.
Green Deal
She also branded EU climate policy “the Green Madness,” repeating her claim that green rules have hit industry, energy costs and competitiveness.
Pfizergate
The clip refers to “messages” and to EPP leader Manfred Weber. That lands as Pfizergate is again being reported.
Pfizergate concerns von der Leyen’s text messages with Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla during the EU’s multi-billion-euro COVID vaccine purchases. Critics say the deal was struck by private SMS, the messages were not kept, and surplus doses wasted public money. Von der Leyen says she spoke to vaccine makers as she would to scientists, that all 27 states signed the contracts, and that claims of a secret or crooked deal are false.
EU judges have already ruled against the Commission on transparency. Von der Leyen has said she no longer has the texts.
On Wednesday Die Weltwoche, citing Politico and Liège prosecutors, reported that the European Public Prosecutor’s Office had taken over the Belgian investigation. Allegations listed in that reporting include interference in public functions, destruction of SMS, corruption and conflicts of interest. No charges have been announced. The EPPO’s own news feed did not issue a statement naming von der Leyen.
Other reporting said a Commission check of her work phone after the first New York Times story recorded “no documents found.”
Latinopoulou’s camp treats that file as proof the same Commission that lectures Europe on values will not account for itself.
Von der Leyen’s speech
Hours earlier, von der Leyen warned that “ultra-nationalists, anti-Europeans, Russian interference and disinformation” were trying to split the Union. She called on Europe to “fight back,” floated “associate membership” for Canada, and set out plans on defence, climate, migration and China.
She did not answer Latinopoulou from the floor.
Tuesday’s other vote
A day earlier the Parliament lifted Latinopoulou’s immunity so Greek prosecutors can pursue alleged forged signatures in Voice of Reason’s 2024 founding papers. She denies the claims and said she wanted the case heard in court. The waiver is not a verdict.
The political point
Latinopoulou’s message in one minute: von der Leyen’s Commission, in her view, opens the door to illegal migration, pushes a woke and green agenda onto European societies, and still has not closed the Pfizer messages file — while calling her side the threat to Europe.
European Parliament lifts immunity of Greek MEP Afroditi Latinopoulou
