The corruption scandal at the top of the EU Parliament is sending shock waves to Berlin. SPD boss Klingbeil demands consequences. Commission chief von der Leyen announces that the Qatar statements will be scrutinized by EU commissioners.
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil has called for the consequences of the corruption scandal in the EU Parliament. “It must now also be clarified how something like this could happen and at which points the European Parliament must tighten transparency rules,” said Klingbeil in Berlin in the afternoon. He welcomed the fact that Eva Kaili, the Social Democratic Vice-President of Parliament who had been arrested on suspicion of corruption, was removed from power so quickly. Her behavior and that of other suspects was “in no way acceptable, it cannot be explained, it cannot be tolerated,” emphasized Klingbeil. “These people don’t represent social democratic values, they have to leave our party. I’m glad that action was taken so quickly.”
Kaili sat in parliament for the Greek Pasok party, which forms a parliamentary group with the SPD and other social democratic parties. She was expelled from her party and suspended from the parliamentary group because of the allegations of corruption. In the course of investigations into Qatar’s possible influence on politicians, several members of parliament were arrested on Friday, along with Kaili. Kaili is suspected of taking money to influence political decisions for the World Cup host country. Her partner, the Italian Francesco Giorgi, seven years her junior – a former parliamentary assistant and specialist in human rights and foreign affairs – was also arrested. The two have been together for five years and have a two-year-old daughter.
EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen was also dismayed by the corruption scandal. “The allegations against the Vice President of the European Parliament are very serious,” said the German in Brussels. We know that this causes great concern in terms of the trust that people have in the European institutions. “We need the highest standards,” emphasized von der Leyen. “In my opinion, it would be right for us to set up an ethics committee,” the former defense minister continued. The EU Commission already has such a body.
“It is important to me that we have clear rules and standards with all other European institutions, that we all have the same control mechanisms.” EU Commission Vice Vera Jourova has already begun to hold talks with the European Parliament and the EU states.
The transparency register would now also be closely examined on the part of the Commission. In response to a question from a journalist, von der Leyen explained that all meetings between EU commissioners and interest representatives were recorded there. She had asked whether the contacts of commission members who had commented on the World Cup in Qatar were being examined more closely. The Greek EU Commissioner Margaritis Schinas, who is responsible for sports, had repeatedly visited the country in his function and made positive public statements about the country.
Green leader Omid Nouripour was also concerned. After consulting the party committees, he spoke of a “tangible scandal” that was shaking people’s trust in the institutions in Germany and Europe. “It’s anything but bearable.” It is therefore urgently necessary that “thoroughly clarification” is given, said Nouripour: “Not only who received how much money for what, but who paid how much money for what?” Therefore, there is a need for a committee of inquiry in the EU Parliament. “It’s obvious that there’s a lot going on, and that the investigation isn’t over yet.”
Left-wing European politician Martin Schirdewan expects the corruption scandal in the European Parliament to expand. “I’m afraid we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg so far,” said the leader of the German Left Party in Berlin. Among other things, he called for an investigative committee and a ban on party donations from third countries.
