Former British diplomat Ian Proud says European Parliament ban on Imedi TV signals pressure on free speech in Europe

Former British diplomat and global crisis management expert Ian Proud on Monday said the European Parliament’s decision to ban Imedi TV from working inside the European Parliament building for one year was “another sign of pressure on freedom of speech in Europe”.

Proud discussed the recent elections in the United Kingdom and also addressed the European Parliament’s sanctions against Imedi TV.

“At the moment, I am very busy following developments in Britain. Keir Starmer’s government is facing difficulties, and his team showed very poor results in the recent local elections. The Reform Party now holds the advantage”, he said.

“Some people describe this party as nationalist. What is notable is that the party mainly speaks about issues related to Britain, while the largest parties in the UK are focused on global-scale politics, such as the war in Ukraine, which still shows no sign of ending, a possible war with Iran, and many other developments around the world. This is interesting. It is also possible to draw several parallels between the Reform Party and Georgian Dream party”, he continued.

Proud further emphasised that Europe was now in chaos, and ending the war in Ukraine through negotiations was impossible at this stage

“There are no new ideas being heard in this regard. A few days ago, the European Parliament banned Imedi journalists from working inside the Parliament building for one year. I fear this is yet another sign of pressure on freedom of speech in Europe, so a great deal is happening”, he concluded.