“Qatargate”: MEPs denounce the slowness of reforms against corruption
General view of the European Parliament in plenary session in Strasbourg, France, December 13, 2022. REUTERS - YVES HERMAN
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
Within the Parliament, several elected officials denounce the timidity of the measures presented to fight against corruption and call for the creation of an independent ethics committee, endowed with the power of sanctions.
Advertisement
Read more
With our special correspondent in Strasbourg
,
Daniel Vallot
Two months after the alleged
corruption scandal
in the European Parliament involving in particular Qatar, Manon Aubry, elected on the left, lets her anger explode.
“
Last December, when the “Qatargate” scandal, which should now be called “Marocgate”, broke out, all the deputies came hand on heart to say that our democracy was under attack.
Two months later, one by one, the measures that were voted on and decided by our Parliament were buried
”.
For the MEP, the President of the European Parliament
Roberta Metsola does not go far enough
to fight against corruption within the hemicycle: "
You see that once the emotion has passed, a certain number put dust under the carpet by hoping that in the end 'business as usual' will prevail
”.
The fear of the policeman
To really fight against corruption, some MEPs propose to create an independent ethics committee.
The Belgian ecologist Philippe Lamberts takes as an example the High Authority on the transparency of public life established in France.
“
When we get a recommendation or an exhibition from the High Authority for the Transparency of Public Life in France, in general those concerned do not like it too much.
It's a bit like the fear of the policeman, you need that
”.
Time is running out in the eyes of MEPs who are calling for strong measures against corruption and who are worried about the devastating impact of “Qatargate” on European voters.
► To read also:
"Qatargate": a mainly Italian network, operated by Qatar and Moroccan intelligence
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
Qatar
European Union
Corruption