With her suitcases full of money, ex-parliamentary vice president Kaili is an exception. Many other members of the European Parliament are not corrupt, but benefit from invitations that third parties pay for. So far this is legal. The parliamentarians want to change this.
As a reaction to the corruption scandal in the European Parliament, MEPs want to introduce stricter rules in the fight against bribery. The reforms so far are only a necessary first step, according to a resolution passed with a large majority in Strasbourg. Among other things, the parliamentarians are calling for a ban on paid activities that could create a conflict of interest. Trips that were paid for by third countries should therefore have to be approved in advance. In addition, MPs should submit declarations of assets at the beginning and end of their mandate. A first reform package has already been passed.
For example, German MEPs have some things paid for by third parties on their trips. Numerous politicians are violating their disclosure obligations, according to an evaluation by the German Press Agency. All MEPs from the parties represented in the Bundestag were asked whether they had correctly disclosed travel paid for by third parties as well as events and gifts during the current legislature in accordance with Parliament’s internal rules. In the course of the corruption scandal surrounding the EU Parliament, such – permissible – courtesies have increasingly come into focus.
The list of payments is long: According to the documents, Katarina Barley, one of the Vice Presidents of the EU Parliament, had a night paid for in November 2021 at the luxury hotel Villa Kennedy in Frankfurt when she was at a press ball. A few months earlier, the SPD politician had been paid for an overnight stay in the five-star Hotel Le Méridien in Hamburg by the Strasburger Kreise organization. According to the organization’s website, she gave the 72 invited guests a relentless look at the European Union in her speech. She was also at a 1. FC Köln game in October 2021 without having to pay admission. When asked about the trips, Barley said: “I have registered a total of 13 trips – regardless of whether they are reportable or not.”
The background to this is the bribery scandal that became public in December, in which it is suspected that the governments of Qatar and Morocco are influencing decisions in the EU Parliament. The public prosecutor’s office has accused the accused of corruption, money laundering and membership in a criminal organization. Former parliamentary vice president Eva Kaili, suspected mastermind Antonio Panzeri and other suspects have been in custody since December.
MEPs also called for stricter transparency rules for non-governmental organizations, also because two such organizations could be involved in the scandal. According to the EU Commission, Panzeri’s organization “Fight Impunity” did not receive any EU money, but the second suspicious organization “No Peace without Justice” did. According to the Commission, since 2006 it has received almost five million euros for seven projects that have already been completed. 2.7 million euros have been budgeted for two ongoing projects, of which 1.37 million euros have not yet been paid out due to the ongoing investigation.
In a second resolution, MEPs also called for more speed in setting up an independent ethics committee for the EU institutions. “The EU ethics committee must have teeth,” demanded Green MEP Daniel Freund. “Self-regulation must be replaced, not supplemented by an advisory body.” According to Commission Vice-President Vera Jourova, a proposal by the EU Commission for such a body is to be presented in March.
