Ilaria Salis is at a crossroads: at midday the Strasbourg plenary will vote by secret ballot on whether to revoke her immunity , as requested by the Hungarian government, or to support the thesis that she must be defended because she is the victim of political persecution by Viktor Orban.

The final outcome is uncertain: the votes of the 188 People's Party, the largest group in the chamber, will be crucial . Among them, several Germans, Poles, and representatives from Eastern European countries could likely seize the opportunity to injustice the Hungarian prime minister.

A statement from Manfred Weber, president of the EPP Group, does not bode well: "We support respect for the rule of law and therefore compliance with the European Parliament's Rules of Procedure. Our legal advisers have told us that it is right to revoke Ilaria Salis's immunity because her crime was committed before she took office. We support the rules; the issue must not be politicized."

But some observers are convinced that, regardless of public statements, the center-right majority in Italy would not welcome the idea of throwing Salis back into Hungarian prisons. That photo of her, handcuffed and shackled, chained before the Budapest court, deeply affected Italian public opinion, provoking widespread outrage even within the government's electoral boundaries.

However, on paper, the numbers aren't favorable: the coalition of those who want to see her remain an MEP, made up of the Socialists, the Greens, the Left, and the Liberals, doesn't get more than 310 votes. To achieve an absolute majority, Salis would effectively need at least fifty more.

"Good morning from Strasbourg. Today I will be in the Chamber, with my head held high, to face the verdict of the European Parliament . Thank you for all the thoughts of affection and solidarity, they mean a lot to me," wrote Ilaria Salis on X.

(Unioneonline)