MEP Harms calls to boycott 2018 World Cup in Russia

In an interview to Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung on 2 December, Member of European Parliament Rebecca Harms called upon politicians and visitors to boycott the 2018 football World Cup in Russia, Yevropeiska Pravda reported. "Politicians and visitors should keep away from the 2018 World Cup," Harms said, adding that Russia is not the country where such an event, which stands for fairness and bridge building, should be held. She considers the behavior of German ex-President Joachim Gauck, who did not travel to Sochi for the Winter Olympics in 2014, to be exemplary. "His example should apply to the World Cup next year," said Harms. She stressed that thanks to the World Cup, Russian President Vladimir Putin will have too much attention, which is wrong. "He basks in glory on the stage of a supposedly neutral sport in the presence of international guests as he continues his anti-democratic policies that no democrat can approve of," Harms added. Additionally, Harms criticized the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA), which ignored the accusations of Russia in corruption and doping.

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