“Qatargate”: the European Parliament pledges to fight against foreign interference
The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola during the plenary session of January 16, 2023. © AP - Jean-Francois Badias
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A month after the start of the resounding alleged corruption scandal, the European Parliament, its president in mind, insisted on Monday on its desire to clean up its practices, in an attempt to restore its image as quickly as possible.
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"
We will take measures to strengthen the fight against corruption and the means to combat foreign interference
", promised Roberta Metsola, in the hemicycle of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, at the opening of the first plenary session of the year. .
Shaken as she is just celebrating her first anniversary as President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola underlined that “
the events of the past month have demonstrated the need to rebuild the bonds of trust with the European citizens we represent
”.
But many elected officials and observers are calling for more drive and audacity to restore the credibility of Parliament, which was struck by lightning in early December via Belgian justice.
In one weekend,
the Greek socialist MEP Eva Kaili
, then one of the vice-presidents (the institution has 14 of them), is locked up, as well as her spouse, a parliamentary assistant, and a influential former Italian MEP, charged with alleged corruption for the benefit of Qatar.
Investigators seized during searches one and a half million euros in small denominations.
Measurement series
A few days later, meeting in Strasbourg, the stunned MEPs immediately withdrew Eva
Kaili
's position as vice-president and demanded changes, in particular the suspension of Qatar's access to Parliament while the judicial inquiry was under way and, at her issue, the creation of a commission of inquiry.
Implicated, the emirate "
firmly rejects
" the accusations of corruption.
Morocco, whose name is also mentioned, denounces
unjustified "
media attacks ".
In mid-December, Roberta Metsola had promised a "
package of far-reaching reforms
", of which she presented a first salvo on Thursday to the presidents of the parliamentary groups, who gave her the green light.
Among these first steps are the restriction of access to the European Parliament to former elected officials, who until now kept the door open, or the registration in the transparency register of all external stakeholders.
►Also read: "Qatargate": MEP Eva Kaili's lawyer, the new laughing stock of the internet in Greece
Roberta Metsola also wants the gifts, trips or meetings of MEPs within the framework of their mandate to be published, as well as the sanctions imposed.
The President of the European Parliament insisted on Monday that this was "
the beginning and not the end
".
"
We will start with the measures that can be implemented quickly
," she argued.
(
With
AFP)
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