This blog expressed some scepticism when the mainstream media reported anti-EU thugs had attacked Irish MEP Prionsias de Rossa. Typical of the headlines was the BBC’s “Anti-EU gang assaults Irish MEP”, reported as fact even before all sides had publicised their version of the events, and before the police had concluded their investigation.

There’s now video footage available, which at first sight seems to support this scepticism. It appears to show de Rossa lunging for a camera, then ending up on the floor. It doesn’t show anybody attacking the fellow, and it doesn’t show anybody screaming abuse at him as Eamon Gilmore claims.

Certainly, other events might have happened after the footage ends. He might have been attacked on the floor or after getting up. But the evidence we now have suggests that de Rossa initiates the violence, rather than the other way around.

They really don’t like being asked about the theft of taxpayers’ money by members of the European Parliament.

Irish Labour MEP Prionsias De Rossa struck a defensive note when contacted for his view on the matter. ‘‘I’m sick and tired of journalists ignoring the work of MEPs and then when one or two MEPs try to boost their publicity in their own member states, by alleging that all MEPs are involved in wrongdoing, you all sit up and take notice. I’m sick and tired of it. Goodbye,” he said.

Poor old Prionsias. But let me explain how life works: The European Parliament is rightly ignored because it’s not a particularly democratic body. It’s not able to initiate law, and its representatives tend to be elected on laughably low turnouts (24% in 1999 in the UK).

Consequently it talks a great deal, solemnly making resolutions on the full range of progressive issues from overseas aid to human rights in Siberia. When MEPs complain about the state of democracy in some far-off country, you can be sure nobody’s listening.

Debates are… well, not debates. It’s first decided how long a matter should be talked about, then each MEP is allowed a fraction of that time to speak his or her dreary opinion - usually a couple of minutes.

If Prionsas wants the press to stop being so horrid to him and his colleagues, he should campaign to change the way Parliament does business. Most of all, he should campaign to clear up the corruption in which his colleagues are involved. Then, people might start to take him seriously.