In what he claimed was a protest against a German proposal at a meeting of the European Parliament, Polish MP Korwin-Mikke stood up and gave fellow MPs a Nazi salute – and paraphrased the Nazi tribute to Hitler in order to disparage the current German proposal.
The parliamentarians were voting on a proposal by Germany to introduce a single ticketing system for travel across the European Union. Currently, each country is responsible for its own rail, bus, and air ticketing system.
Advocates say the proposal will encourage the use of public transportation, but opponents say that it will damage local economies in less-prosperous European countries.
Speaking to MPs in English, Korwin-Mikke raised his hand in the Nazi salute, telling them that the only thing that seemed to be on the Parliament's agenda was unification. “This time it is ein reich, ein volk, ein ticket,” paraphrasing the Nazi slogan ein volk, ein reich, ein fuhrer (one people, one empire, one leader).
Korwin-Mikke, 72, leads the far right Coalition of Polish Republic's Renewal Freedom and Hope in Poland, and is no stranger to controversy. Several months ago he slapped one of Poland's top politicians in the face.
He is also well-known for his anti-Semitic and anti-feminist viewpoints, once saying that he would propose a law to ban female voters.