Monica Semedo
MEP
Member of the European Parliament
for Luxembourg
Assumed office
2 July 2019[1][2]
Personal details
Born (1984-06-15) 15 June 1984 (age 39)
Grevenmacher, Luxembourg
NationalityLuxembourgish
Political partyDemocratic Party

Monica Semedo (born 15 June 1984) is a former Luxembourgish TV presenter and politician who currently serves as a Member of the European Parliament after being elected in 2019.[3]

Political career

In parliament, Semedo has been serving as full member of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and as substitute member of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. In 2020, she also joined the Committee on Petitions and the Committee on Culture and Education.[4] Since January 2021 Monica Semedo is no longer a member of the democratic party and is now referred to as an “ Independent “ renew Europe member. Monica Semedo had been suspended from her duties for 15 days and deprived of her parliamentary allowances for the same period for moral harassment of her three parliamentary assistants. The three had quit together last year.

In addition to her committee assignments, Semedo is part of the Parliament's delegation to the ACP–EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and the MEPs Against Cancer group.[5]

Personal life

Born in Luxembourg, Semedo is of Cape Verdean descent.[6]

Harassment case

In 2020, three of her former assistants filed complaints for psychological harassment. The parliamentary president David Sassoli stated in January 2021 that the accusations were found to be legitimate, leading to the suspension in any parliamentary meetings of 15 days.[7] An official from Sassoli’s cabinet, who declined to be named, said that an investigation by the chamber’s Committee on Harassment had taken evidence from alleged victims, witnesses and experts and documented allegations of “countless offences, insults, aggressive treatment, intimidation and attacks in public” by Semedo against three of her former assistants. “The report is very serious,” the official said.[1]

When the case started, Claude Lamberty, General Secretary of the Democratic Party, announced that there will be no political consequences to fear for Monica Semedo. However, once the press released that it was a dossier of over 100 pages detailing claims from staff members over her management style, the party decided to convey a disciplinary committee to see whether she could be subject to sanctions form DP's side. To this, Monica Semedo resigned from the party and now sieges independently at the European Parliament.[2]

In early 2022, Monica Semedo faced new harassment accusations for a fourth and new assistant. A European Parliament anti-harassment procedure has yet to determine whether these allegations are correct. [3]

External links

References

  1. ^ "Key dates ahead". European Parliament. 20 May 2017. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  2. ^ "Key dates ahead". BBC News. 22 May 2017. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  3. ^ "Le DP gagne un 2e eurodéputé, au détriment du CSV". paperjam.lu.
  4. ^ Mia Bartoloni (November 13, 2020), Movers and Shakers The Parliament Magazine.
  5. ^ MAC MEPs in the 2019-24 legislature MEPs Against Cancer.
  6. ^ "PR e PM de Cabo Verde felicitam eleição de Monica Semedo". Notícias ao Minuto. 27 May 2019.
  7. ^ "Luxembourg MEP Monica Semedo suspended following complaints of "psychological harassment"". RTL. 19 January 2021.
Categories