Story highlights In debate, Janusz Korwin-Mikke said women were smaller, weaker and less intelligent 
 
 The European Parliament has started an investigation over his remarks 
 
 (CNN) The European Parliament has launched a hate speech investigation into a Polish politician after he stated that "women must earn less than men, because they are weaker, they are smaller, they are less intelligent" during a debate this week on the gender pay gap. 
 
 Outraged by his comments Wednesday, another parliamentary member, Iratxe Garcia Perez of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, launched a forceful counterattack. 
 
 "I know it hurts and worries you that today women can sit in this house and represent European citizens with the same rights as you," she said. "I am here to defend all European women from men like you." 
 
 The president of the Socialists and Democrats Group also responded, urging European Parliament President Antonio Tajani on Twitter to "sanction Mr. Korwin-Mikke for his shameful statements." 
 
 Read More ||||| Image copyright AFP Image caption Mr Korwin-Mikke has also made offensive comments about migrants in the past 
 
 A Polish nationalist member of the European Parliament may be punished after he said women "must earn less than men because they are weaker, smaller and less intelligent". 
 
 The parliament's president is investigating whether Janusz Korwin-Mikke broke the body's rules with his remarks to fellow MEPs. 
 
 The rules ban defamatory, racist or xenophobic language or behaviour. 
 
 Socialist MEP Iratxe Garcia-Perez was seen criticising Mr Korwin-Mikke. 
 
 Parliament President Antonio Tajani was urged by the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group to sanction the Polish MEP for his "shameful" comments. 
 
 Penalties for such behaviour range from a reprimand to a fine and temporary suspension, the parliament press office told the BBC. 
 
 Rule 11 of the Rules of Procedure says MEPs' conduct "shall be characterised by mutual respect" and they "shall not resort to defamatory, racist or xenophobic language or behaviour in parliamentary debates". 
 
 Image copyright S&D tweet Image caption Spanish Socialist MEP Iratxe Garcia-Perez voiced fury at Mr Korwin-Mikke for belittling women 
 
 Mr Korwin-Mikke - an independent MEP with his own political party - has been censured before by the parliament. 
 
 Last year he lost 10 days of attendance allowances (€3,060; £2,633) and was suspended for five days for comparing Europe's influx of migrants to "excrement". 
 
 In October 2015 he was suspended for 10 days for making a Nazi salute in the chamber. Italian MEP Gianluca Buonanno was punished for the same offence. ||||| A right-wing Polish MEP has stunned the European Parliament after claiming women should earn less than their male counterparts “because they are weaker, smaller and less intelligent”. 
 
 Janusz Korwin-Mikke is now being investigated over the comments made during a discussion on the gender pay gap. 
 
 The 74-year-old, who has his own party named Poland’s Coalition for the Renewal of the Republic–Liberty and Hope, said: “Of course women must earn less than men because they are weaker, they are smaller, they are less intelligent, they must earn less, that’s all.” 
 
 JANEK SKARZYNSKI via Getty Images Janusz Korwin-Mikke said women should be paid less 'because they are weaker, smaller and less intelligent' 
 
 Spanish MEP Iratxe Garcia Perez was quick to admonish him. 
 
 She said: “According to what you’re saying and your theory I wouldn’t have the right to be here as a member of parliament. 
 
 “I know you’re very upset and very concerned about the fact we women can represent citizens on an equal footing with you. 
 
 “I think I need to defend European women against men like you.” 
 
 "Women must earn less than men" ⁉️ 
 
 
 
 In 2017. In the European Parliament. Unbelievable... @IratxeGarper sets this misogynist straight. pic.twitter.com/YOHu684DLg — S&D Group (@TheProgressives) March 2, 2017 
 
 According to the BBC, Korwin-Mikke could face a fine or temporary suspension if he is found to have broken the parliament’s rules. 
 
 “Defamatory, racist or xenophobic language or behaviour in parliamentary debates” is banned in the European Parliament. 
 
 This is not the first time he has caused outrage. 
 
 He was suspended in 2015 for making a Nazi salute in the parliamentary chamber and has also been punished for using racist language. 
 
 London Labour MEP Seb Dance, who hit the headlines last month held for holding a sign behind Nigel Farage accusing him of lying, told The Independent that Korwin-Mikke “crossed a line”. 
 
 He said: “He undermined the value and worth of his colleagues because of their gender and in so doing demeaned not just them but himself. 
 
 “He has crossed a line and must lose the right to be taken seriously on anything. ||||| A right-wing politician provoked a furious response after saying women should earn less money than men because they are “weaker", "smaller" and "less intelligent”. 
 
 Polish MEP Janusz Korwin-Mikke, who has repeatedly courted controversy with his opinions, was speaking to a near-empty European Parliament during a gender pay-gap debate. 
 
 The Eurosceptic started by explaining that no women are ranked in the top 800 of a physics olympiad in Poland. 
 
 The 74-year-old then said there are no women in the top 100 world chess players. 
 
 “Of course women must earn less than men because they are weaker, they are smaller, they are less intelligent, they must earn less, that’s all,” said Mr Korwin-Mikke. 
 
 Spanish socialist MEP Iratxe Garcia Perez can be seen grimacing at Mr Korwin-Mikke’s chess explanation. 
 
 She responded: “According to what you're saying and your theory I wouldn't have the right to be here as a member of parliament. 
 
 "I know you're very upset and very concerned about the fact we women can represent citizens on an equal footing with you. 
 
 “I think I need to defend European women against men like you.” 
 
 Mr Korwin-Mikke, the creator of the Coalition for the Renewal of the Republic – Liberty and Hope, who was born into Nazi-occupied Warsaw, has previously referred to black people as n******. 
 
 He once told The Observer newspaper that women’s attitudes are influenced by the men they sleep with, because semen “penetrates the tissue”. 
 
 Mr Korwin-Mikke has previously been fined for using racist language at a debate. 
 
 Full video: 
 
 "European Parliament President Antonio Tajani has started an investigation which may result in sanctions against Polish MEP Janusz Korwin-Mikke for sexist remarks made during the plenary session on Wednesday night," said a European Parliament spokesman. 
 
 "Penalties range from a reprimand to a fine and temporary suspension." 
 
 London Labour MEP Seb Dance, who last month held up a sign accusing Nigel Farage of being a liar, told The Independent: “The tenets of free speech and parliamentary privilege are important, but so too is respect for the right for everyone to be treated equally. He (Mr Korwin-Mikke) undermined the value and worth of his colleagues because of their gender and in so doing demeaned not just them but himself. He has crossed a line and must lose the right to be taken seriously on anything. 
 
 “Too often, nationalists and extremists hide behind free speech when spewing out their hatred and bile. They must be held to account and there must be consequences. 
 
 “If there’s a rule that’s been broken, he should be punished accordingly. If not, then it’s the chair’s discretion who gets called to speak - there should be an agreement to exclude him”.
– A member of the European Parliament is facing possible punishment after stating that women "must earn less than men because they are weaker, smaller, and less intelligent," the BBC reports. According to the Huffington Post, the statement was made by 74-year-old Janusz Korwin-Mikke while the parliament was discussing the gender pay gap. Korwin-Mikke is an independent member of parliament who founded his own right-wing political party, Poland's Renewal of the Republic—Freedom and Hope, CNN reports. His statement may have broken the European Parliament's rules against racist, xenophobic, or defamatory conduct, for which Korwin-Mikke could be fined or suspended. Other parliamentary members quickly spoke out against Korwin-Mikke's statement. One member from the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party said she would defend European women against men like Korwin-Mikke. And London Labour parliamentary member Seb Dance tells the Independent that Korwin-Mikke, who he calls a nationalist and extremist, "crossed a line and must lose the right to be taken seriously on anything." Korwin-Mikke has been punished by the European Parliament in the past for likening migrants arriving in Europe to "excrement" and giving a Nazi salute in front of the parliament. He's previously said women shouldn't have the right to vote and was investigated for incitement to rape.