Kristoffer Storm has been reported to the police for racist hate speech by his Swedish EU colleague.

Kristoffer Storm of the Denmark Democrats, who sits in the European Parliament, has been reported to the police by his colleague – the Swedish MEP Abir Al-Sahlani.

The report concerns a comment on the social media platform Instagram, but the matter stems from a vote in June.

Here, a majority in the European Parliament voted in favour of a returns regulation, which among other things opened the possibility of return centres outside the EU.

As a celebration of the result – which could potentially lead to more deportations across the EU and came after heated debate in the Parliament – several of the members who had voted in favour began shouting "send them back."

However, it was "a new low, even for the fascists on the far right," according to Iraqi-born Abir Al-Sahlani, who told the plenary chamber that she had never felt as unsafe in Parliament as she did after that vote.

"The shouting from the right was not directed at a political opponent. It was 'send them back.' It was about ordinary people who have committed no other 'crime' than seeking a better life in Europe," Al-Sahlani said.

The Swedish EU politician’s response to her shouting colleagues has been widely shared and commented on social media, and that is where the police report comes into the picture.

While she meets support from some, she also faces criticism from others. Among them, Finnish right-wing politician Sebastian Tynkkynen wrote in a post: "cry more," in response to her comment about feeling unsafe in Parliament. In the comment thread of that same post, Kristoffer Storm writes that "Abir Al-Sahlani should go home."

And that comment has led Al-Sahlani to go to the Swedish police with a charge of racist hate speech.

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"Home to where?"

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Kristoffer Storm has rejected the accusation to several media outlets, including DR.

"In my opinion, it is completely hopeless to accuse me of racism for what I wrote," he says, calling the report "head-shaking."

At the same time, he explains that with the comment he meant she should go home from work – not home to Iraq, as others have implied was his meaning.

"After she stood there making a scene down in the plenary chamber and accused two-thirds of the European Parliament of being racists and creating a bad atmosphere, even though she is the one standing there being genuinely confrontational in her almost hateful speech, I believe she should have packed her things and gone home."

That Abir Al-Sahlani did not interpret it that way, Kristoffer Storm believes is entirely deliberate.

"She just wanted attention. If she really felt harassed by this, I think a natural step would have been for either her or her group to contact me or my group. She did not do that."

He refrains from answering the question of whether the Denmark Democrats could have taken a single issue and blown it up to garner media attention – something he otherwise accuses Al-Sahlani of doing.

"The way she has handled that matter is completely ridiculous in my opinion," he responds instead.

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"A comment below the belt"

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But while Kristoffer Storm does not consider the comment to be racist, other Danish EU politicians do.

Among them, Per Clausen from the Red-Green Alliance, Sigrid Friis from the Radical Left, and Stine Bosse from the Moderates have weighed in.

The latter adds in a comment on the social media platform X that it is comments like this that help make political debate worse.

"It is arrogant, unworthy, and far below the belt when Kristoffer Storm speaks to a colleague that way," Bosse writes.

"Now Kristoffer has been reported to the Swedish police. For racism and 'hate speech' – nothing to be proud of for him or for Denmark," Stine Bosse concludes her comment.

Abir Al-Sahlani herself tells the British newspaper The Guardian that she does not know if she is "disappointed or sad" about the situation.

"I feel sorrow on behalf of European democracy. I mean, is this really the level of our politicians? But I am also disappointed, because honestly, come on. I am your colleague," she tells the newspaper.

DR has tried to get a comment from Abir Al-Sahlani after Kristoffer Storm rejected the accusation, but she has not responded to the inquiry.

Warning: This article was translated by a Large Language Model, in case of doubt, you can always visit the original source.