One month after the resounding scandal of alleged corruption broke out, the European Parliament, thinking of its president, insisted this Monday on its desire to clean up its practices, in an attempt to recover its image as soon as possible.
“We will take measures to strengthen the fight against corruption and the means to combat foreign interference,” promised Roberta Metsola, in the hemicycle of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, at the opening of the first plenary session of the year.
“Rebuilding Trust”
Shocked when she has just celebrated her first anniversary as President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola stressed that “the events of the past month have shown the need to rebuild the bonds of trust with the European citizens we represent”.
But many elected officials and observers are calling for more momentum and boldness to restore the credibility of Parliament, which was struck by lightning in early December via the Belgian judiciary.
On a weekend, the Greek socialist MEP Eva Kaili, then one of the vice-presidents (the institution has 14), is jailed, as is her husband, a parliamentary assistant and an influential former Italian MEP, accused of alleged corruption for the benefit of Qatar. The researchers seized during the searches one and a half million euros in small denominations.
A few days later, meeting in Strasbourg, the stunned MEPs immediately withdrew Eva Kaili’s vice-president post and demanded changes, notably the suspension of Qatar’s access to Parliament while the judicial inquiry was carried out and, if necessary, the creation of a commission of inquiry.
First reforms of the institution presented
Implicated, the emirate “firmly rejects” the allegations of corruption. Morocco, whose name is also mentioned, denounces unjustified “media attacks”. In mid-December, Roberta Metsola had promised a “deep reform package”, of which she presented a first broadside on Thursday to the presidents of the parliamentary groups, who gave her the green light.
Among these first steps are the restriction of access to the European Parliament to former elected officials, who until now kept the door open, or the registration in the transparency register of all external stakeholders.
Roberta Metsola also wants the gifts, trips or meetings of MEPs within the framework of her mandate to be published, as well as the sanctions imposed.
HEC Professor of EU Law, Alberto Alemanno, does not believe that “imposing these little rules is enough to create a new political culture in the European Parliament.” “This scandal is much more serious than the others for the credibility of the European Union. We could have expected a slightly more serious response, a little more structural than in the past,” considers the lawyer questioned by our AFP colleagues.
The Renew group wants a European “HATVP”
The president of the European Parliament insisted this Monday that it was “the beginning and not the end.” “We will start with the measures that can be implemented quickly,” he argued.
MEPs, who are due to debate the new “Qatargate” developments on Tuesday night, are asking them to go further.
The French Stéphane Séjourné, leader of the Renew group (centrists and liberals), insists in particular on the need to create a “high authority for the transparency of public life at the European level”, an idea already put on the table by the European Commission in the past but never materialized.
While fears persist that the scandal will spread, the Belgian court has requested the lifting of the parliamentary immunity of two other MEPs from the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group: the Belgian Marc Tarabella, whose home was raided in December, and the Italian Andrea Cozzolino. Launched urgently at the beginning of January, the procedure to lift immunity, which has several stages, was officially communicated to MEPs on Monday for an expected result in February.
A new Vice President will be elected soon.
On Wednesday, MEPs will also choose a new vice-president to replace Eva Kaili. The candidates for this function will be known on Tuesday night.
“We are not in an imaginary ivory tower,” insisted Roberta Metsola, who promised from the beginning of the scandal that there would be no impunity.
EU ombudsman Emily O’Reilly said the scandal needed to trigger a real “culture change” within the institution.
“Although the style of corruption that we are talking about with Qatargate has a very spectacular side, with tickets, suitcases, etc., corruption occurs on very different levels, and not all of them are visible to the naked eye like what we have. seen in recent weeks on television,” he said.
Source: BFM TV
