The President of the European Parliament, the Maltese Roberta Metsola, announced on Monday 12 December a “internal investigation” to this European institution after the suspicions of corruption which led to the detention of the socialist vice-president, the Greek Eva Kaili. The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office announced, at the same time, new searches, carried out by the Belgian police at the European Parliament to avoid “that data necessary for the investigation disappear”.
It was in a very serious tone that Roberta Metsola spoke today in Strasbourg, shortly before the start of a plenary session. “One of the longest days of my career (…) If my fury, my anger and my sadness do not transcend my words, please know that these feelings are present, as much as my determination to may this house grow stronger”she immediately declared.
???? LIVE | Statement at @Europarl_EN #EPlenary in Strasbourg https://t.co/De0jCxXmjE
— Roberta Metsola (@EP_President) December 12, 2022
Parliament and European democracy “under attack”
The President of the European Parliament affirmed that it is this institution which is attacked, by this case of alleged corruption. “Make no mistake, the European Parliament is under attack. European democracy is under attack and our path to free and open democratic societies is under attack”she said firmly. “The enemies of democracy for whom the existence of this Parliament is a threat will stop at nothing. These clever actors, linked to autocratic Third World countries, will have mobilized NGOs, individuals, assistants and members of the European Parliament to sabotage our processes”she says, without mentioning, so far, Qatar or any other country.
Metsola continues that “their malicious plans have failed”, returning to the investigation carried out by the Belgian police following these suspicions. “Our services, of which I am incredibly proud, have worked with national, legal and judicial authorities to dismantle this network for some time.” She claims that this institution has “acted under the aegis of the authorities to ensure that all legal procedures are followed, that all information is preserved and that IT equipment is secured, that offices are sealed and that house searches can be carried out”she explains.
While she was in Malta, the President of the European Parliament was quickly called back to Brussels last weekend to attend the search of the home of another MEP, Marc Tarabella. “I accompanied a judge and the Belgian police, as required by the Belgian Constitution last weekend”.
She recalls having dismissed Eva Kailli from her duties, announcing the launch of the procedure linked to the end of her mandate. “As a precautionary measure and out of respect for the presumption of innocence, I have removed the mentioned vice-president from all the missions and responsibilities related to her role. I have announced a special conference to initiate an Article 21 proceeding, to end her term as vice president and protect the integrity of this house.”
Roberta Metsola also mentioned the programming of the negotiations which were to focus today on the visa exemption for nationals of Qatar and Kuwait. She coldly announced, “in the light of these investigations”that the reports must be referred to the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper), which approved, in June 2022, the Council’s negotiating mandate on the liberalization of the short-stay visa regime for these two Gulf countries.
An “internal investigation”
The President of the European Parliament also warns her colleagues. “We are not at the exit of the tunnel. We continue to assist investigations with the other EU institutions (…) Corruption does not pay. We played a role in ensuring that this plan could not come to fruition. I have to be clear. The allegations are not about left, right, north or south, but good and bad.”
She particularly asks MEPs not to exploit this scandal for political ends. “I urge you to resist the temptation to exploit this moment for political purposes. Do not underestimate the threat we face”did she say. “I am political like many of you here, to fight against corruption, to defend the principles of Europe. It is a test of our values, our system and our colleagues”.
In the same serious tone, she claims that the network behind this alleged corruption will only benefit “with no impunity” and especially not from “sweep under the rug”. “All facts related to the European Parliament will be affected by these investigations”.
It thus announces an internal investigation, “to see who has access to our premises, to see how these organizations, NGOs and people are funded, what links do they have with third countries”, she explains. The President of Parliament promises to ”shake this Parliament” and asks for help from colleagues. “We will protect those who help us expose crime and we will work to review our whistleblower protection system to strengthen it.”
She describes these events as “challenges”saying to himself “convinced” that the European institutions will come out of it “stronger” and more “transparent”, even though “there will always be a wad of cash worth taking the risk for”. At the end of her speech, she promises nefarious actors to find “this Parliament on [leur] path. We are Europeans, we prefer to be cold than to be bought”.
The raid of the Parliament by the Belgian police is the twentieth in four days in this investigation implicating Qatar; Greek Vice-President of Parliament Eva Kaili and three other people were imprisoned.
“Extremely worrying” and “very serious”
The announcement of this scandal caused a wave of shock within the institution. On Monday, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called suspicions of corruption a “very serious”. “These allegations are extremely concerning. It is a matter of trust in the people at the heart of our institutions. This trust requires high standards of independence and integrity,” said the head of the European Commission.
Josep Borell, head of European diplomacy, for his part declared that he “This is truly an incredible incident which must now be elucidated unequivocally and with all the rigor of the law, because it is also and above all about the credibility of Europe”.
Two MEPs, including the vice-president of the European Parliament, the Greek socialist Eva Kaili, have been arrested since Friday in Brussels.
A total of six people were arrested. In addition to the Vice-President of the European Parliament, her companion Francesco Giorgi and her father, it is an Italian trade union leader, Luca Visentini, and the former MEP Pier-Antonio Panzeri. In Italy, the latter’s wife and daughter were also arrested.
Four of these people were remanded in custody for “belonging to a criminal organization, money laundering and corruption” and two others released by the judge. Vice-president of the European Parliament is among those imprisoned, say media
As part of a four-month investigation, led by a Brussels financial judge, the Belgian police carried out 16 searches in total in various municipalities in Brussels, getting their hands on “about 600,000 euros in cash”as well as “computer equipment and mobile phones” whose contents will be analyzed.
Ces “gifts or benefits offered could be linked to Qatar’s desire to improve its maligned reputation for human rights and the treatment of foreign workers”in particular within the framework of the organization of the World Cup which is currently taking place.
Shortly before the start of the World Cup, Eva Kaili had met in Qatar with the Qatari Minister of Labor, Ali bin Samikh Al Marri. At the end of this visit, she had welcomed Qatar’s commitment to continue labor reforms, according to a tweet of the Union’s Ambassador in Doha, Cristian Tudor.
She could not benefit from her parliamentary immunity because the offense of which she is accused was noted “in the act”, we explain. She was in possession of “Bags of tickets” when she was arrested on Friday evening. She was quickly suspended by the European institution, which stripped her of her title and her power. The Greek Socialist Party, Pasol-Kinal, of which she is a member, soon announced that she had been “discarded”.
Greece announced on Monday morning that it had frozen all its assets through the Greek Anti-Money Laundering Authority. The measure, which also applies to relatives of the elected, concerns “bank accounts, safes, companies and any other financial assets”, depending on the institution.