A Greek Member of the European Parliament from the leftist SYRIZA party, Nikos Pappas, has admitted that he "reacted wrongly" following an alleged assault on a fellow Greek journalist at a bar in Strasbourg on Tuesday night.
In his first public statement since the incident came to light, Pappas described the event as a response to a "provocation" but acknowledged that he should have handled it differently. He said he would refrain from providing full details out of respect for the journalist's family—he is a father of two—and the journalist's "exact state" at the time.
The alleged victim, Nikos Giannopoulos, a reporter for the Greek news outlet News24/7, claimed that Pappas tripped him without warning as he was leaving the bar with a colleague around 11:30 p.m. and then attacked him.
Pappas, who is under investigation by French police, emphasized that the matter would be addressed through official channels and noted the presence of eyewitnesses. He also suggested that some had rushed to judgment without hearing his side and implied that the journalist's account may not be complete.
In response, SYRIZA leader Sokratis Famellos has removed Pappas from the party's European parliamentary delegation and called for his immediate expulsion from the group.
The incident occurred while Pappas was socializing with colleagues and members of a press delegation in Strasbourg.
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