Brussels Was this speech bought – and if so, how much did it cost? A vice-president of the European Parliament, Greek Social Democrat Eva Kaili, took the floor during a debate on Qatar on November 21 and raved about reforms in the country.
The World Cup is proof of how the sport could achieve a “historic transformation,” she said. Qatar has become a pioneer for workers’ rights and inspires “the Arab world”.
Kaili and five other suspects were arrested on Friday and over the weekend. They are suspected of taking bribes. Experts speak of the biggest corruption scandal in the recent history of the EU. According to the Belgian public prosecutor’s office, it is about the attempted influence of a Gulf state. From what is known, this is Qatar.
The investigators searched 16 offices and apartments in Brussels. They seized data carriers, smartphones and around 600,000 euros in cash. On Sunday, the judiciary issued arrest warrants for four suspects. “They are accused of involvement in a criminal organization, money laundering and corruption,” the prosecutor said. According to media reports, the 44-year-old parliamentarian should also be included, as well as her life partner and ex-EU MP Pier Antonio Panzeri.
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Two other detainees were released by the examining magistrate. Among them is said to be the General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, Luca Visentini. In addition, the house of another MEP was searched on Saturday evening – there was initially no information about his identity.
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The threads seem to come together at the non-profit organization Fight Impunity, which says it fights for human rights. Its president is Panzeri, a prominent former MEP from Italy.
In Panzeri’s Brussels apartment alone, the investigators secured 500,000 euros. The Italian judiciary has also become active: police officers arrested Panzeri’s wife and daughter in the Bergamo region.
Kaili, 44, was expelled from her party, the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (Pasok), on Friday evening, party leader Nikos Androulakis confirmed. The Greek has been an MEP since 2014 and one of 14 Vice-Presidents of Parliament since 2022, responsible for relations with the Middle East, among other things. She started her career as a newsreader and journalist, later she worked as a PR consultant in Greece.
“We will do whatever we can to support the cause of justice.”
(Photo: dpa)
Although the clarification is only just beginning, one thing is clear: the reputation and legitimacy of the EU Parliament are threatened with serious damage should the suspicion of corruption be confirmed. Parliament presents itself as the moral authority in the institutional structure of the EU, which is why the allegations of corruption are particularly serious.
Parliament Speaker Metsola seems to have recognized the danger: “Our Parliament is firmly opposed to corruption,” she assured, emphasizing that Parliament would cooperate fully with all relevant law enforcement and judicial authorities. “We will do everything we can to support the cause of justice,” Metsola said.
Suspicion of influence for several months
The transparency rules of the EU Parliament are stricter than those of the Bundestag. Nevertheless, corruption experts see serious deficits. “It is true that this is the most egregious case of alleged corruption that the European Parliament has seen in many years,” said Michiel van Hulten, the director of Transparency International’s Brussels office, a former MEP himself. But it is not the only one.
“For many decades, Parliament has allowed a culture of impunity to develop.” There is a lack of “independent ethical oversight.” This must now change. It is necessary to create an “EU ethics body with investigative and enforcement powers”.
The CDU MEP Dennis Radtke also sees a need for change. “We urgently need to get together in Brussels and check whether the lobby register and the transparency rules are sufficient to rule out any influence on MEPs by third countries or interest groups,” he demanded.
MEPs, like Commission officials and representatives of the European Council, must make public which lobby groups and organizations they have met with. In the case of contacts with third countries, however, there are gaps in the transparency regulations. Kaili seems to have taken advantage of that.
According to the public prosecutor’s office, the Belgian police have suspected for several months that a Gulf state is trying to influence the political and economic decisions of the European Parliament. Substantial sums of money and gifts in kind are believed to have been distributed to individuals in Parliament who held a political or strategic position. One goal could have been to facilitate entry into Qatar.
In April, the EU Commission proposed lifting the visa requirement for Qatar for short-term stays. Parliament should vote on it next week. As a consequence of the corruption affair, several factions now want to stop this process.
“We will vote against visa easing for Qatar in this week’s upcoming plenary vote,” said co-group leader Terry Reintke. The mere suspicion of corruption and bribery damaged the reputation and credibility of the European Parliament.
The SPD MEP Bernd Lange spoke on Deutschlandfunk of a fundamental blow to the European Parliament. The SPD politician demanded that all EU decisions regarding the Gulf state of Qatar should now be put to the test.
Parliament Vice President Katarina Barley (SPD) said on ARD: “We do not tolerate corruption. Corruption is poison for democracy.” Actually, the EU Parliament has strict rules for the work of lobbyists, stricter than most national parliaments. “But if criminal energy is really involved, then no code of conduct or duty of disclosure will help either. Then you can only use the means of criminal law,” said Barley.
The already difficult relations between Qatar and the EU are now likely to deteriorate further. The emirate wants to use the World Cup to improve its image – and is outraged by the allegations by Europeans that women and minorities are being oppressed in Qatar. Geopolitically, the small Gulf state is of great importance. The EU hopes Qatari liquefied gas will help replace pipeline gas from Russia. Most recently, however, Qatar had agreed on an extensive gas deal with China.
Looking back, it’s almost as if Kaili foresaw her troubles. She seemed to feel persecuted by Qatar critics. In her November 21 parliamentary speech, Kaili complained that “some here” discriminate against Qatar and “accuse corruption of everyone who talks to them or is in contact with them”.
More: The allegations of corruption undermine the legitimacy of the EU Parliament – to the delight of Viktor Orban