Budapest Post

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

Europe’s conservatives go on the attack over Qatargate — but speak too soon

Europe’s conservatives go on the attack over Qatargate — but speak too soon

After days of holding fire, the center-right group took aim at its socialist rival.

In politics, timing is everything.

After days of holding fire over the corruption scandal that has engulfed the European Parliament this week, the center-right European People’s Party went on the offensive on Thursday, attacking the rival Socialists and Democrats for being the main players in the crisis. The EPP slammed the S&D for “hypocrisy” and a “holier-than-thou” attitude.

But they spoke too soon. Within hours, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) announced it was probing two MEPs — not just Greek MEP Eva Kaili, a former member of the socialist group, but also Maria Spyraki, another Greek MEP and member of the EPP.

There is no indication that the EPPO probe is connected to the alleged payments to MEPs by foreign countries, including Qatar and Morocco, but the timing still stings, and undermines attempts to portray malpractice as an S&D preserve.

The announcement that the EU’s top prosecutor is seeking to lift the immunity of Spyraki — a former “MEP of the Year” — has shown that no political group is immune when it comes to investigations into the conduct of parliamentarians, and confirms that yet another probe is underway.

Since the raids by Belgian police last weekend, the crisis rocking the EU had only centered on the S&D — headed by Spanish MEP Iratxe García Pérez. Center stage is Kaili, a (now expelled) member of Greek left-wing party Pasok and one of the most senior members of the group, who was detained by Belgian police last week on corruption charges.

But the S&D’s involvement doesn’t stop there. Kaili’s partner Francesco Giorgi, an adviser on the Middle East and North Africa to Andrea Cozzolino, another Socialist MEP, has been charged. The Italian was previously an assistant to Pier Antonio Panzeri, a former S&D MEP, now also in jail.

Several other officials connected to the S&D have been embroiled in the saga — the offices of an aide to Marie Arena, the chair of the Parliament’s subcommittee on human rights, and an aide to Pietro Bartolo, an Italian socialist MEP and vice-chair of the civil liberties committee, were raided.

The S&D group made some personnel changes on Monday — Arena stepped aside temporarily as chair of the committee, while Bartolo halted his involvement in legislation on visa-free travel for Qatar. But that did not satisfy the EPP, which on Thursday called for Arena to go permanently.
“It is … the responsibility and duty of the S&

D Chairwoman of DROI [human rights subcommittee] to protect the image and the credibility of the Subcommittee and that of the Parliament,” senior EPP officials said in a letter to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.

Since the scandal broke last week, the EPP has refrained from attacking the Socialists, but in recent days there have been growing calls from within the party to capitalize on the scandal. On Thursday it seized the moment, issuing a string of hard-hitting social media posts calling out its rival group.

But the naming of one of its own by the EPPO has flipped the attention back on the center-right camp.


Ironically, the change in tack by the EPP was instigated in part by a pre-summit EPP meeting this morning during which Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis urged colleagues to take a tough line on the S&D.

The Greek prime minister has had more skin in the game than most since the scandal erupted — Kaili, the MEP at the center of the scandal, hails from the opposition Pasok party; whose leader Greek officials admitted they wiretapped earlier this year in a scandal that made international headlines. He urged colleagues to hold the opposition parties to account.

Hours later, one of his own MEPs was named by the EPPO relating to an investigation by OLAF, the EU’s anti-fraud office, regarding fraud related to the EU budget, specifically in relation to the management of the parliamentary allowance. Spyraki, who was previously spokesperson for Mitsotakis’ New Democracy party, said in a statement she had “no connection to Qatargate.”

The ill-timed move to take a more hard-hitting move against the S&D was also backed by German MEP and EPP heavyweight Manfred Weber, the head of the EPP in Parliament — a far cry from his speech on Monday in the European Parliament when he urged MEPs not to use the crisis for “party political battles.”

“The corruption charges against one of our highest representatives of this European Parliament has significantly damaged our institution and affected the trust of people in the European Union as a whole,” he told a plenary session of the Parliament. “The damage to European democracy is too big to be now used for party political battles.”

Politicizing the Parliament’s current woes was always going to be a risky move for the EPP, however. Already, the activities of one of its members, Czech MEP Tomáš Zdechovský, who heads the Parliament’s friendship with Bahrain, have come under scrutiny. Zdechovský visited Bahrain on a previously undisclosed trip in April this year, but he told POLITICO he paid for the trip personally.

“According to the EP rules, MEPs are not obliged to declare trips that are not paid for by third parties. This trip was this case,” he said. “However, having in mind the current situation and allegations that I am facing, I decided to declare this visit as well. It is unnecessary, but as I have nothing to hide, I would like to be as transparent as possible.”

There were mixed feelings about the shift in strategy from EPP members POLITICO spoke to Thursday.

One MEP said it was risky. “There is absolutely no guarantee that this scandal stops here,” the parliamentarian said, warning that it was impossible to know if all EPP members were clean.

But others were strongly in favor. “I think many people see this as an S&D problem, which it is,” said another. “It’s time to call it for what it is.”

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
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×