Extremism

EU Security Scare: Islamic State Propaganda Found on Parliament Drivers

The administrative authority of the European Parliament has expressed security concerns after the discovery of CDs containing Islamic State (IS) propaganda in the possession of two chauffeurs with its external driving service.

Several sources with knowledge of the situation told SPIEGEL that one of the discoveries had been made in Strasbourg, where the parliament holds its plenary sessions, and the other in Brussels, where most of its work is conducted. Both employees of the private chauffeur service were fired and police are investigating. After obtaining information that other chauffeurs in the service had criminal records, the European Parliament Presidium made the decision on April 11 to discontinue the use of private driving services and will instead hire its chauffeurs as direct employees of parliament in the future.

In the memo documenting the decision, officials stated they had found the police records in the course of additional security checks of the employees.