The president of the European Parliament has criticised Boris Johnson's suspension of the UK parliament, warning that the decision seemed to date from another era.
David Sassoli told reporters in Brussels that parliaments were "the house of democracy" and that debate should not be shut down at such a crucial juncture.
"I'm in favour of parliaments being open permanently, particularly when they're deciding on the destiny of a great nation such as the United Kingdom. Everyone was very struck, I think, by the decision," he said.
"I think it dated back to a time when parliaments were a bit different, but in today's Europe, parliaments are the house of democracy, they're the voice of the people – and if you can't discuss the destiny of a country in a parliament where can you do it?
"That's why we were struck by the decision taken by the prime minister. I think it's good for parliaments to stay open, that's the way we like them."
The leaders of the European Parliament's mainstream political groups on Thursday agreed a resolution noting the "strong opposition in the House of Commons and beyond" to the prorogation of the UK parliament. The MEPs agreed that the decision makes a no-deal Brexit more likely.
Additionally, when the move to suspend the UK's legislature was first announced, dozens of MPs backed an emergency question to the European Commission calling on it to invoke rule of law procedures against the UK.
On Wednesday Scotland's highest civil court ruled that it the prime minister's suspension of parliament was unlawful. The case will now go to the UK Supreme Court, with hearings starting next Tuesday.
Mr Johnson this morning denied lying to the Queen when he advised her to prorogue parliament. However, Mr Johnson has declined to give a sworn statement to the court setting out his reasons for shutting down the legislature.
The UK government claims prorogation of parliament is a purely political decision and that the courts should not be involved.
Mr Sassoli, an Italian member of the parliament's socialist group, has been president of the parliament since the European elections. He replaced Italian conservative Antonio Tajani in the role.
