European Parliament leader to unveil reforms in corruption scandal
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Strasbourg (France) (AFP) – The president of the European Parliament will seek Monday to preempt a corruption scandal which shook the legislature, by officially unveiling a series of reforms to clean up the multinational assembly.
But many MEPs and observers believe that the changes that will be presented by Roberta Metsola do not go far enough to restore the credibility of the institution.
Parliament has come under intense scrutiny since scandal erupted a month ago with the arrest of one of Metsola’s 14 vice-presidents after Belgian police raided the homes and offices of several MPs, former MPs, parliamentary assistants and heads of NGOs who dealt with legislators.
Belgian prosecutors are investigating allegations of corruption in the European Parliament for the benefit of Qatar and Morocco. The raids yielded 1.5 million euros ($1.6 million) in cash.
Qatar has denied playing a role in any wrongdoing in the case. Morocco claims to be the target of unjustified “media attacks” over these allegations.
Arrested Metsola vice-president Eva Kaili, a Greek MEP who has since lost that high parliamentary post, also said through her lawyer that she knew nothing of the money found in her home.
Kaili remains in custody with three other suspects: Kaili’s boyfriend, Francesco Giorgi, who was a parliamentary aide; former MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri; and Niccolo Figa-Talamanca, head of an NGO suspected of making payments to MEPs.
The three male suspects are all Italian. According to Belgian media, Giorgi made a confession.
All four are charged in Belgium with “criminal organization, corruption and money laundering”. Greece and Italy have launched their own investigations.
Metsola pledged to act quickly to “strengthen integrity, independence and accountability” in parliament. She also said the corruption scandal showed that “European democracy is under attack”.
On Monday, Metsola will kick off the first plenary session of parliament in 2023 in Strasbourg, eastern France, officially announcing measures that have already been put into effect.
These include restricting parliamentary access for former MEPs; record outsiders lobbying, meeting or speaking in parliament; a public register of gifts and travel received by Members; and penalties for breaches.
Still, legal experts and some high-level MEPs have expressed skepticism that these measures go far enough.
“More serious” response needed
Alberto Alemanno, a professor of EU law at France’s HEC business school, said he did not think “imposing these few rules would be enough to create a new political culture in the European Parliament”.
“The scandal is much more serious than the others for the credibility of the European Union,” he told AFP. “We would have expected a more serious, more structural response than in the past.”
Among MEPs, the leader of the centrist Renew group in parliament, Stéphane Sejourne, said the scandal showed the need for a European authority responsible for “transparency in public life at European level”.
Such an idea was put forward by the European Commission in the past but never saw the light of day.
A German Green MEP, Daniel Freund, said MEPs’ assets should be listed on stock exchanges at the start and end of their term, and whistleblower protection should be strengthened.
European Parliament Left Group co-chair Manon Aubry warned that “it is not acceptable” that the deeper reforms that MEPs had demanded immediately after the scandal broke had been watered down.
The alleged corruption case continues to rock the Legislative Assembly.
In early January, at the request of Belgian prosecutors, the European Parliament initiated proceedings to lift the immunity of two other MEPs: a Belgian, Marc Tarabella, whose home was among those searched in December; and an Italian, Andrea Cozzolino.
On Sunday, Tarabella acknowledged that he failed to declare a paid trip to Qatar in February 2020. His lawyer said this was an oversight.
It came days after another Belgian MEP, Maria Arena, admitted she had “forgotten” to declare a similar trip to Qatar in May 2022.
The scandal threatens to overshadow Parliament’s plenary session this week.
After Metsola presents the reforms on Wednesday, the chamber will vote on who will succeed Kaili in his vacant parliamentary vice-presidential chair.
The danger, according to observers, is that the affair – dubbed “Qatargate” by some MEPs and media – could taint the elections for the next European Parliament in 18 months.
Public reaction to the scandal is “much stronger — much more — than European leaders want to admit,” Alemanno said.
© 2023 AFP