Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

EU’s Schinas rejects any link to Qatar corruption scandal

EU’s Schinas rejects any link to Qatar corruption scandal

The Greek commissioner faces scrutiny over positive comments about Qatar’s labor rights reforms.
No bribes, no influence. Just a career of transparency and “light.”

That was the full-throated message from European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas on Tuesday, as speculation swirled in Brussels over who might be ensnared next in an expanding probe into allegations of Qatari corruption infiltrating EU institutions.

Schinas has faced scrutiny as one of the EU’s leading figures engaging with Qatar on issues like workers’ rights ahead of the World Cup, and on removing visa restrictions for the country.

“Let me be very clear and very simple because I think this is the moment to be clear and simple,” Schinas began, speaking to reporters in Strasbourg, where the European Parliament was meeting. “Across the year, all my public statements on Qatar are fully, 100 percent compatible with the position of the Commission.”

After a series of raids in recent days unearthed evidence involving a Parliament vice president, Eva Kaili, attention has turned to Schinas and his recent praise for Qatar’s efforts on labor reform — a stance seemingly at odds with well-documented worker exploitation in the country.

Schinas recently lauded Qatar’s “considerable and tangible progress on labour reform,” calling for those improvements to be sustained. And the Greek commissioner, whose portfolio includes some sports issues, also tweeted his approval when he represented the EU at the World Cup opening ceremony last month.

“Qatar, the first Arab and the smallest country ever to host the Cup, delivered reforms & merits a global success,” he said. 

On Tuesday, Schinas defended the position as simply that of the EU itself — as well as of the experts. 

“This is the European Commission: We are not improvising here,” he said, pointing to reports from the International Labor Organization that he said also reflected his comments. 

“Thank God I tweeted,” he added. “You can imagine what type of criticism I would have gotten if I hadn’t tweeted everything I did, everything I said, in the light of day.”

Look at his entire career, he proclaimed: “For me after 32 years of public service, there is only light.”

The Greek commissioner said it was essential that Europe be represented at the World Cup, given its international importance and symbolic role as a post-pandemic restarter. 

“Europe could not be absent of the occasion,” he said. 

Asked directly if he had ever received gifts from Qatar, Schinas offered a list of knickknacks. 

“Yes, I have received a football, a box of chocolates,” he said. “I think that I left both to the driver that was driving me to the stadium.”

Schinas has also been working with Qatar on an EU initiative to lift visa requirements for Qatar and Kuwait, meaning Qataris would no longer need a visa when traveling to the EU for up to 90 days in any 180-day period — either for business, tourism or family purposes.

That move, which was on the edge of finalization in the European Parliament, has now been held back in light of the unfolding corruption investigation.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz: “The Current Welfare State Can No Longer Be Financed”
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
Wizz Air passengers screamed as storm-battered flight diverts to Bologna
European postal services halt U.S. deliveries after Trump imposes new tariffs
Urban explorer finds abandoned luxury restaurant left to decay
Fidesz leader labels Péter Magyar a ‘bluffer’ amid escalating political spat
French rope park operator arrested for denying entry to Israeli children
Újpest thrashes Zalaegerszeg 4-1 to secure first win in five matches
Profit-margin cap costs retailers 13 billion forints a month, warns trade group
Curiosity rover finds coral-like rock on Mars hinting at watery past
U.S. green policy rollback drives investors to Europe’s sustainable finance market
Special funerals rise in Hungary: boat, aerial and forest burials gain popularity
Hungary’s Kiskunság region turning into semi-desert after extreme drought
Kopasz Bálint wins world kayak 1000 m title in Milan, making him triple world champion
Budapest’s Keleti railway station to close for four weeks for track overhaul
Balaton could be unfit for swimming by 2035 and dry by 2050, scientists warn
Leaked guidelines show Meta’s AI allowed flirty and racist interactions with children
Filming of ‘Emily in Paris’ halted after assistant director dies on set
Filipino guest workers sue after Hungary moves to deport them for pregnancy
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
A monster hit and a billion-dollar toy empire
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
Canada: Nurse Suspended and Fined 93 Thousand Dollars After Stating the World’s Most Well-Known Fact Since the Creation of Adam and Eve, That There Are Only Two Genders
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
U.S. Treasury Secretary Whitney Bessent Backs Stablecoins to Boost Treasury Demand
Spain to Declare Disaster Zones After Massive Wildfires
Three-Minute Battery Swap Touted as Future of EVs
Beijing Military Parade to Showcase Weapons Advances
×