Corruption allegations in the EU Parliament: Kaili loses powers as Parliament Vice President

The EU Parliament Vice President Kaili, who is suspected of corruption, loses her powers. Today it will be decided whether she remains in custody. The scandal shook the EU Parliament – the demands for consequences are getting louder.

The Greek Vice-President of the EU Parliament, Eva Kaili, who was arrested on suspicion of corruption, will lose all the powers, duties and tasks assigned to her in this function with immediate effect. This was decided by Parliament President Roberta Metsola, as one of her spokeswomen announced. However, parliament itself must decide whether Kaili is to be removed from the post of vice-president once and for all.

The background is investigations by the Belgian judiciary into suspected bribery and corruption, money laundering and attempts to influence political decisions. The media report unanimously that it is about the Emirate of Qatar, the host of the current World Cup. On Friday there were therefore 16 searches and several arrests. Among them is Kaili, one of 14 vice-presidents of the parliament. The 44-year-old was elected to parliament for the Pasok party, which, together with the SPD, belongs to the Social Democratic group.

decision on arrest warrants

The former TV presenter has now become the face of the scandal. Today is to decide whether the Greek politician and four other suspects remain in prison. Then possible arrest warrants will be decided, said a spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office.

According to dpa information, the suspects also include the Greek politician’s partner, who works in parliament as an adviser on foreign policy and human rights. In addition, according to the public prosecutor’s office, a former MEP is among those arrested. According to media reports, all suspects except Kaili have Italian nationality or are of Italian descent.

German MPs call for resignation

Parliament, which likes to see itself as a pioneer in the fight against corruption, is threatened with enormous damage to its image. The SPD MEP Katarina Barley was irritated and disappointed about the corruption scandal in the EU Parliament. “We do not tolerate corruption. Corruption is poison for democracy,” said the vice-president of the parliament in the daily topics. Actually, the parliament has strict rules for the work of lobbyists, stricter than most national parliaments. “But if criminal energy is really involved, then no code of conduct and no obligation to disclose will help. Then you can only use the means of criminal law,” said the SPD politician.

The co-chair of the European Parliament’s anti-corruption working group, Daniel Freund, was shocked by the investigation and called for the allegations to be fully clarified. Otherwise there is a risk of a loss of trust. “And the European Parliament is actually one of the most transparent in Europe. Under these conditions, we cannot discuss visa-free travel for Qatari citizens to the EU. It must first be clarified whether decisions by the EP or the EU were influenced here.”