EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - MEPs on Wednesday changed the rules of the European Parliament to prevent far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen from opening the inaugural session of the next parliament in July.

The move was hastily pushed through parliament via an amendment to a report on the internal workings of the EU assembly after it recently became clear that the French politician, who has downplayed the Holocaust, could assume the prominent role.

The rules were changed just in time to prevent Mr Le Pen from chairing the July opening session

Under the previous rules, the oldest MEP chairs the inaugural session, something that would fall to Mr Le Pen, who was born in 1928, if he is re-elected in June's European Parliament elections.

The amendment, backed by the centre-right and socialists parties, instead says that the task should fall to the out-going parliament president, in this case centre-right German politician Hans-Gert Poettering.