"Friendship groups with a country, with a single interlocutor representing the official position of the European Parliament without control, is a no!"

This is one of the 14 proposals that Roberta Metsola has made and that she intends to carry out to fight against corruption, in the context of Qatargate, because it is "a serious institution".

"A year ago, I promised that there would be a reform for an effective and visible institution, and when there are difficulties, we must make decisions, even if they are difficult", affirms the president of the European Parliament.

The question then arises of a high authority for the transparency of public life which would oversee the three institutions: the Parliament, the Commission and the Council.

Roberta Metsola recalls that the Parliament has already made a request for a proposal to the Commission in this sense, but details the difficulties of implementation.

Unlike the other institutions, "Parliament is open to the press, to representatives of interests, to whoever wants to see the House of Democracy, and must therefore have rules which, perhaps, cannot be applied to the other institutions ".

>> To read also: Lobbying: the European Parliament, a model of transparency in the turmoil of "Qatargate"

"I also have to find solutions for this Parliament, because with 705 MEPs elected from 27 member countries, with all the national laws which are different, the rules of immunity which are different, the judicial laws which are different, how do to have a common rule", she asks.

Roberta Metsola is making it a point to restore the image of Parliament before the 2024 elections, and the election of the new vice-president Marc Angel, a Luxembourger from the Socialists and Democrats group, is a relief for her.

She sees in it the proof that "pro-Europeanism, the pro-European constructive center, always works very well together. Because we have hope in the European project".

War in Ukraine: "we have an obligation"

In mid-December, the Twenty-Seven voted to pay an envelope of 18 billion euros for Ukraine, three of which have already been released.

Roberta Metsola welcomes this, but stresses that the Ukrainians "also need a lot of logistical help (...) and that is why, in this Parliament, there are always discussions about continuing to help the Ukrainians who are fighting for us, who are fighting for our hopes, our freedoms, the values ​​that are common to us. (...) Ukraine must win the war. We have no choice", especially in view of what Parliament has already described as "war crimes" perpetrated by the Russians, in particular in Dnipro (...) Parliament must speak out on this subject, because we have an obligation, not only of reconstruction,

From her first birthday at the head of what she calls "the House of Democracy", she retains "the joy of my parents, of my children who said to me 'Mom, how will our life change?'

And there, we lived in the middle of a pandemic, with a war in Ukraine, and the challenges are many, before the next European elections in 2024: it is a responsibility and a privilege”.

Program prepared by Perrine Desplats, Sophie Samaille and Isabelle Romero

"The project has been co-funded by the European Union under the European Parliament's grants program in the field of communication. The European Parliament has not been involved in its preparation and is in no way responsible for or bound by information, information or views expressed in connection with the project for which only the authors, interviewees, editors or broadcasters of the program are responsible in accordance with applicable law.The European Parliament cannot nor be held liable for damages, direct or indirect, that may result from the realization of the project.

The summary of the

France 24 week invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you!

Download the France 24 app