Eva Kaili is sitting in Haren women’s prison near Brussels with increasing bitterness. Kaili is now even complaining about “torture” through her lawyers. She was completely isolated for three days, in a cold cell, and was denied a coat. She is only allowed to see her two-year-old daughter once a month.
The former vice-president of the European Parliament was arrested on December 9 on suspicion that she had taken a bribe from Qatar. She is the most prominent figure in a corruption scandal that is shattering the reputation of the whole of Parliament. On Thursday of all days, when the Belgian judiciary extended the Greek woman’s detention, it became known that Parliament President Roberta Metsola was late in publishing gifts and travel invitations.
Metsola, 43, in office since January 2022, has gained stature in the Kaili scandal. She cooperated with the investigators, she held parliament together. Most recently, she presented a 14-point plan intended to impose stricter rules on MPs when dealing with lobbyists. The woman from Malta sees the list that she has now published as evidence of exemplary transparency. It is by no means suitable for a new scandal. But she raises questions.
Don’t the transparency rules include an independently monitored?
A golden model tower from Morocco, a white dress from Bahrain, a scarf from France, a blue miniature sheep from Germany, a vase from the Czech Republic: she reported a total of 125 gifts. She did not keep the gifts, but handed them in to the Parliamentary Administration. She is not suspected of having made any consideration. However, she broke the rules of procedure, which require gifts to be made public by the end of the following month. The same applies to travel. For example, on an official trip to Israel, the hosts paid for two nights’ accommodation.
Metsola says she is breaking with the practice of her predecessors at the head of Parliament, who only made trips and gifts public at the end of their term of office. Even Green MP Daniel Freund, an expert on anti-corruption issues, believes Metsola’s step is exemplary. He calls the delay a “blemish”. The error shows, however, how little seriously Parliament takes its own rules.
Following Roberta Metsola’s example, more and more MPs are reportedly reporting trips and gifts. They don’t have to expect a fine. According to the rules of procedure be able Violations are punished with a complaint or penalties of up to 30 daily rates of 338 euros. she must but not prosecuted. And only the President can pronounce penalties. So Metsola would have to punish himself.
The mastermind behind the Qatar case now wants to be a key witness
The rules don’t work that way, says Daniel Freund. “The rules must be monitored by an independent body, which then also imposes sanctions.” He also thinks that a speaker of parliament should generally not let herself be invited, either by the State of Israel or the European Football Association to the final of the Champions League – so that the impression cannot arise that her good behavior can be bought.
The struggle for new rules for everyday parliamentary life has little to do with the criminal energy that is allegedly behind the corruption scandal. But it will be a long time before Parliament calms down again. Antonio Panzeri, the mastermind, is now making himself available to the investigators as a key witness and wants to testify comprehensively. It is quite possible that, after Eva Kaili, one or the other MP will soon have to go to prison.