Italian MEP wears Angela Merkel mask to European Parliament session

Far-right representative Gianluca Buonanno disrupted a speech by Jean-Claude Juncker

Italian Member of the European Parliament Gianluca Buonanno (L) wears a mask depicting German Chancellor Angela Merkel as he shakes hands with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker during his address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, F (Reuters)

A far-right Italian MEP has caused stir in the European Parliament by wearing a mask of Angela Merkel to a session.

Gianluca Buonanno, a representative from the Northern League party, shook hands with Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker while wearing the mask of the German chancellor.

Mr Buonanno later claimed that Mr Juncker "does what Merkel says".

The stunt is thought to be a statement about the European Union's handling of the European refugee crisis.

The MEP had previously posted a picture of a man wearing a mask with the slogan "Merkel: Syrian refugees for us. African migrants for Italy’.

Today Mr Juncker announced a new refugee quota plan for the economic union.

Ms Merkel has also been at the forefront of accepting refugees into Germany, where more than 800,000 are expected to be welcomed this year.

Under Mr Juncker's Europe-wide proposal, 120,000 refugees would be distributed among EU nations with binding requirements for each country.

“It is true that Europe cannot house all the misery in the world. But we have to put it into perspective,” he said.

“This still represents just 0.11 per cent of the EU population. In Lebanon refugees represent 25 per cent of the population, which has just a fifth of the wealth of the EU. Who are we to never make such comparisons?”

Countries refusing to take refugees could face financial penalties from the European Union.