When the European Parliament met in December, there was great horror at the internal corruption scandal surrounding members of the Socialist Group.

Belgian investigators had just searched offices and apartments and found 1.5 million euros in cash, including 900,000 euros with Vice President Eva Kaili.

She was immediately removed from office.

In a resolution, the deputies also committed themselves to drawing far-reaching consequences from the case.

541 voted in favour, with only two votes against and three abstentions.

Last week, Parliament President Roberta Metsola sent the parliamentary groups a paper with fourteen specific reform proposals.

However, they now have a divided echo.

For some they go too far, for others not far enough.

Thomas Gutschker

Political correspondent for the European Union, NATO and the Benelux countries based in Brussels.

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Two proposals in the paper in particular met with opposition.

For example, resigning MPs should be forbidden from lobbying in Parliament during a "cooling-off phase".

This would apply for as long as MEPs receive a transitional allowance – which is six to 24 months, depending on their affiliation.

Such a regulation is tantamount to a "ban on working", complains a Liberal member of parliament, while the transitional allowance is supposed to make it easier to return to the labor market.

Others also express reservations, but do not want to be quoted with them.

If all costs are covered for "friends".

The proposal is a direct consequence of the current scandal.

The Italian social democrat Pier Antonio Panzeri lost his mandate in 2019 and subsequently founded a human rights organization.

In fact, however, it seems to have been more of a front organization to influence MPs for Qatar and Morocco.

In the case of Panzeris, there is also the fact that, as a former member, he retained access to parliament with a special pass, even though his organization was not registered in the transparency register.

Would that have changed anything?

Only if Panzeri had disclosed his actual clients – which neither they nor he himself had an interest in.

The second proposal, which is the subject of discussion, relates to stricter transparency rules.

According to Metsola's proposal, all MPs and their staff should disclose contacts with third parties related to legislation in Parliament or resolutions.

So far, such an obligation has only existed for a narrow circle: committee chairmen, rapporteurs on legislative projects and the so-called shadow rapporteurs in the other parliamentary groups.

Even that sometimes leads to problems, it is said.

For example, company representatives refused to hold talks on a proposed law affecting China - they did not want to appear as stakeholders in this context.