stunned; wayward. Here are a few choice words used by an EU leader to describe the corruption scandal raging in the European Parliament.
Speaking to Politico’s EU Confidential podcast, Slovenia’s Prime Minister Robert Golob expressed his disbelief at the system that has allowed alleged bribery of European officials to flourish.
In an interview on the sidelines of last month’s European Council meeting in Brussels, he told Politico, “When it comes to former parliamentarians, former members and former staff members, I was stunned to hear what they have so far.” It was a kind of regime.” ,
The businessman-turned-politician is a relative newcomer to the European Council table, having been appointed prime minister last May.
“I’m new to the scene. It’s something that’s totally: ‘Wow, this isn’t democratic. Was it really organized like this until now?'” he told POLITICO. It’s like inviting to happen.”
“There was practically no control over what was going on in Parliament, which is really mind boggling to me,” he said, adding that “if not addressed properly it could have a negative impact. ”
His comments reflect a widely expressed view among EU leaders. in private At last month’s summit: that the scandal threatens the credibility of the entire EU, especially ahead of next year’s European Parliament elections.
In an interview with Politico last month, European Council President Charles Michel Said The accusations of countries including Qatar seeking to buy influence in Brussels are “dramatic and damaging to the EU’s credibility” and make it harder for the EU to deal with a number of competing crises.
Former Belgian prime minister Michel said, “We first need to learn a lesson from this and come up with a package of measures to avoid such things in order to prevent corruption in the future.” Of the 27 member states of the European Union.
Four individuals, including Greek MEP Eva Kaili and former MEP Antonio Panzeri, have been arrested until March 2021 as part of an investigation by the Belgian authorities. The allegations – including sensational details of cash found in suitcases and apartments and multiple raids. Homes and offices across Brussels — have rocked the European Union.
Golob’s comments come as European Parliament President Roberta Metsola is set to unveil new rules to link the legislative body’s rules to transparency and ethics in a bid to repair the European Parliament’s damaged reputation.
Among the measures are proposals to strengthen protections for whistleblowers, new rules on how NGOs are funded and European lawmakers on how to negotiate with representatives of non-EU countries.
Furthermore, the European Commission is about to accelerate its proposal – first suggested three years ago – to set up a new EU-wide independent ethics body.