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Corruption scandal, why the European Parliament is the weakest EU institution

2022-12-12 19:45:36Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Corruption scandal, why the European Parliament is the weakest EU institution
European Parliament

The corruption scandal involving several officials of the European Parliament has raised questions about the vulnerability of EU institutions to external influences.

The President of the European Commission stated that the situation is of maximum concern.

"For us, it is critical not only to have strong laws, but also that the same laws apply to all institutions, without any exception. So it's a matter of transparency," said Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission.

According to Alberto Alemanno, legal expert at the School of Commercial Studies in Paris, the European Parliament is the weakest institution.

"It is the only institution that has virtually no rules for its representatives, except for weak rules regarding ethics. So basically, a quarter of representatives are exposed to conflict of interest. And this affects not only the image of the European Parliament, but also the integration process and the interests of the EU itself at a time of unprecedented geopolitical changes", he emphasized.

With a deputy speaker of Parliament and an MEP involved, it seems clear that the European bloc needs to re-examine lobbying rules to prevent corruption.

"The European Union has on paper a very sophisticated and advanced ethics and integrity system. However, it contains a number of loopholes and this is the case of the European Parliament. So let's hope that this will be the moment of acceptance, since many political leaders have opposed it, of the need for the adoption of stronger rules", said Alemanno.

According to the internal code of conduct, the legislators of the European Parliament cannot accept gifts worth 150 euros or more, while they are not obliged to report on their meetings with lobbyists or shareholders, unless they are connected.

Meanwhile, the German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, warned that the credibility of the European Union has been called into question in the case of suspected corruption in the European Parliament.

She made it known that this, as she called it, "unbelievable incident", must be fully clarified with the full implementation of the law.

"This is about the credibility of the European Union, so it has consequences in different areas," said Annalena Baerbock.

The Belgian judiciary carried out several checks on Friday as part of an investigation opened in mid-July this year into a suspected criminal organization that penetrated the heart of the European Parliament and is suspected of interfering in trade union politics and corruption through Qatar.

The Federal Prosecutor's Office announced that 16 checks were carried out in several Brussels municipalities and that the checks were carried out as part of a wider investigation into suspected acts of criminal organization, corruption and money laundering.

During the control, 600,000 euros in cash, as well as computer equipment and telephones, were seized. The Belgian prosecutor's office yesterday filed charges against four people suspected of receiving money and gifts to influence the decisions of the European Parliament in favor of a Gulf state.

The European Parliament announced that the powers and duties of the vice-president Eva Kaili were suspended, while the Greek socialists, the PASOK Movement, of which Kaili is a member, announced that she was expelled from the party.


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