Green and Social Democrat MEPs will oppose the start of visa liberalization negotiations for Qataris in the EU on Monday, as the European Parliament is rocked by suspicions of internal corruption involving Qatar. Meeting since Monday in Strasbourg, the MEPs validated the opening of talks between the European Parliament and the EU Member States with a view to finalizing a text that facilitates the visa regime for travelers from Qatar and Kuwait.
This text, which already received the green light from the Member States at the end of June, provides for the exemption of visas for nationals of Qatar and Kuwait traveling to the European bloc for a maximum period of 90 days, subject to a reciprocal agreement. with these two countries. But an anti-corruption operation carried out on Friday by Belgian police, which arrested in particular Eva Kaili, one of Parliament’s vice-presidents, is now upsetting the agenda.
“Zero tolerance for corruption”
The rapporteur for the text, the German Green MEP Erik Marquardt, announced that he would finally oppose the start of the talks. And his political group followed him. “Zero tolerance for corruption. The Greens will oppose the mandate to start visa liberalization negotiations with Qatar on Monday,” Greens MEP co-chair Terry Reintke said on Twitter.
Among those arrested on Friday, in addition to the Greek socialist Eva Kaili, are her colleague Francesco Giorgi -parliamentary assistant-, as well as the former socialist MEP Pier-Antonio Panzeri, who held office from 2004 to 2019.
Suspicious complacency of socialist MEPs
Another consequence: MEPs wondered on Saturday about the attitude of the S&D parliamentarians during the debate and vote, on November 24, on a resolution condemning human rights violations in Qatar. In the chamber, Eva Kaili had considered that the emirate was “a leader in labor rights” and judged that the Europeans “had no moral right to lecture it”, causing a stir.
Pierre Karleskind (Renew, Liberals) then wondered why the Socialists had first voted against the very principle of a resolution, before preventing, in concert with the right (EPP) and the extreme right, the approval of several amendments, including those who condemn FIFA’s attitude. towards the oppression of LGBTIQ rights. “Now I’m afraid to understand…”, this French MEP reacted on Twitter this Saturday.
Source: BFM TV
