The Cyprus National Paralympic Committee has sent a formal letter to the European Parliament, requesting an official examination of remarks made by MEP Fidias Panayiotou that it describes as offensive towards people with intellectual disabilities.
Reference to remarks made during podcast appearance
According to the letter, the Committee formally condemns public comments made by Mr Panayiotou during a podcast broadcast, in which he used the term “pelloi”, a derogatory word in the Cypriot dialect meaning “mad”, when referring to people with intellectual disabilities.
The Committee states that the use of this term constitutes a serious violation of the dignity and rights of persons with intellectual disabilities.
“Not humour, not a slip of the tongue”
The letter stresses that the language used is inherently demeaning, stigmatising and offensive, and cannot be interpreted as a linguistic mistake, humour, or a momentary lapse of judgement.
Instead, it is described as a form of verbal violence that reinforces discrimination, social exclusion and harmful stereotypes. The Committee underlines that when such language is used by an elected member of the European Parliament, the matter goes beyond personal opinion and becomes an issue of institutional responsibility and democratic accountability.
EU legal and ethical obligations cited
The Committee recalls that the European Union is founded on the principles of human dignity, equality and non-discrimination, as enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which the EU has ratified and is legally bound to uphold.
On this basis, it calls for the incident to be formally examined by the competent bodies of the European Parliament, including committees responsible for ethics, equality and members’ conduct.
Apology “not sufficient”
In its concluding remarks, the Cyprus National Paralympic Committee makes clear that a possible apology, while expected, does not exhaust the seriousness of the issue nor remove the need for institutional investigation.
It emphasises that respect for persons with disabilities is not optional, but a binding moral, legal and political obligation.