The Conservative politician has promised to campaign for “major reform” of lobbying rules.
(Photo: REUTERS)
Brussels Qatar has harmed itself by bribing members of parliament and staff in the European Parliament. Because the general skepticism about the country is now almost limitless.
The emirate’s large-scale image campaign: all in vain. Lobbying becomes an impossible mission for representatives of the Gulf state.
On the other hand, MEPs tend to present themselves as poor victims of evil powers. “The European Parliament is under attack, European democracy is under attack, and our kind of open, free, democratic societies are under attack,” Parliament President Roberta Metsola said in her first reaction to the scandal.
Putting the blame on Qatar is obvious and doesn’t hurt anyone in their own ranks. But the real work begins in Brussels and Strasbourg: Apparently, bribery is still too easy in the European Parliament.
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Parliament passed a resolution on Thursday calling for some reforms. An independent ethics council for the EU institutions should finally be set up.
It will be important for the latter to be able to effectively monitor and take action. Because one mustn’t forget that there hasn’t been such an authority so far, because the parliamentarians are reluctant to be kept a close eye on.
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Tightening up the transparency register is also overdue. So far, only meetings with companies and organizations had to be specified. Representatives of states were excluded – with reference to the necessary diplomatic discretion.
Just a year ago, a majority in parliament refused to publish meetings with representatives of foreign governments. It is to be hoped that the Qatar shock will be enough to prompt parliamentarians to act now.
More: In Brussels, the mood is turning against Qatar