According to the letter from USPE, which represents staff working in the Parliament, a security officer working on the gates of the institution’s Brussels building challenged Van Overtveldt as he attempted to enter with his wife, whose entourage pass for family members had expired.
“In response to the security staff’s insistence that he should comply with the institutional rules, he asked to see the badge of the security officer in charge in order to identify her, then angrily threw her document on the floor,” the letter to Metsola, dated, Feb. 16, said.
“Subsequently, when the security guard asked him to be respectful, pointing out that he was talking to a human being, the MEP responded with an offensive remark, comparing her to a pet (his own dog) and thereby humiliating and demeaning her in front of others,” the letter said.
Van Overtveldt said that he doesn’t have a dog or a pet of any kind and is “practically sure I didn’t use that kind of words.”
“If I did so, then certainly that was not appropriate either, that I will immediately admit. But I cannot remember at this moment, it’s a week ago now, what exact words I used. I shouted, without any doubt I shouted, that she had to behave and she had to be calm and more forthcoming,” he went on.
“Probably by raising my voice to the extent I did, maybe I was a little bit intimidating,” said the top lawmaker. “I don’t know how she felt about it. But one should not forget that the way in which she treated the person who was with me … was also quite offensive to say the least.”