MEP suspended after ‘women are less intelligent’ comment

Janusz Korwin-Mikke, an independent MEP from Poland, has created controversy over his comments about women during a European Parliament debate on the gender pay gap. Video: EPTV

The European Parliament has suspended a Polish politician for 10 days after he said during a debate that women should earn less than men because they are weaker, smaller and less intelligent.

Janusz Korwin-Mikke will be suspended from parliamentary activities for 10 days, forfeit politicians' daily subsistence allowance for 30 days and be banned from representing the legislature for a year, parliament president Antonio Tajani said.

During a March 1st debate on the gender pay gap, Mr Korwin-Mikke, a radical right-winger who leads a marginal party, said: “Of course women must earn less than men because they are weaker, they are smaller, they are less intelligent.”

Mr Tajani said he “will not tolerate such behaviour” and added that “by offending all women, (Mr Korwin-Mikke) displayed contempt for our most fundamental values”.