For some, QatarGate, in which the name of the Greek MEP is involved, Eva Kaili it could be the “most serious”, the “most shocking”, the “most flagrant” corruption scandal to hit Brussels in years.
Belgian authorities carried out at least 16 raids on Friday in which five people were brought in for “alleged criminal organisation, corruption and money laundering offences”. Subsequently, the investigations identified 600,000 euros in cash, phones and computers.
At first, the culprits were not big names by Brussels standards: A former member of the European Parliament, some parliamentary aides and a trade unionist with wide influence in European unions. All were reportedly sponsored by World Cup host Qatar. But last Friday night it was now clear that this was not just a story involving first names. Eva Kaili, vice-president of the European Parliament and defender of Qatar, was detained by the Belgian police. The case also centers around an NGO that, until recently, counted some of the biggest cynics of left-wing politics among its board members.
The Qatari state, for its part, in a first reaction yesterday categorically rejected any attempts to associate him with allegations of misconduct, as an emirate official said.
But what purposes do those involved actually serve? who is involved in the case and what does qatar want? These are some of the questions that Politico answers in its extensive article about the scandal that is rocking the EU capital.
Who is Eva Kaili?
As one of the 14 vice-presidents of the Parliament, Eva Kaili is one of the most powerful players in the institution – and as a former news presenter famous in Greece – one of the most glamorous figures in Brussels. But she has also emerged as one of Qatar’s most vocal defenders. She recently described it as a “pioneer in labor rights” after meeting with the country’s labor minister, despite strong international concerns about working conditions during the construction of the stadiums.
According to police and people with direct knowledge, she has been taken into custody as has her partner, Francesco Giorgi. He is a consultant for the Middle East and North Africa region in the European Parliament. At the same time, he is the founder of the NGO “Fight Impunity”, which aims to promote “accountability as a central pillar of the architecture of international justice”.
The most important thing is that the president of the NGO is Pier Antonio Pancheri, a central figure in the case.
Who else is involved?
Panzeri, an Italian former MEP also from the S&D, is among those arrested. He was arrested on Friday morning. By evening, his wife and daughter were also arrested by Italian police. In the arrest warrant seen by Politico, it is stated that Pancheri is accused of “politically interfering with members working in the European Parliament for the benefit of Qatar and Morocco”.
In addition to Panzeri’s arrest, police also sealed off the office of a parliamentary assistant working for the Fight Against Impunity, who was currently serving as an aide to Belgian S&D MEP Marie Arena. Arena, who took over as chairman of the human rights subcommittee from Pancheri and works closely with the NGO, confirmed that her aide’s office has been sealed off.
According to the Italian news network Ansa, Nicolo Figa Talamanca has also been taken into custody. He is the general director of the NGO, “No Peace Without Justice”. Focusing on international criminal justice, human rights and the promotion of democracy in the Middle East and North Africa, the organization is officially based in Rome and Brussels and has the same address in Brussels as the NGO “Fight Impunity”.
Emma Bonino, former liberal MEP and Minister of Foreign Affairs for Italy, is the one who founded the NGO “No Peace Without Justice”. He is registered as an honorary board member of the NGO.
In a sign of Pancheri’s connections, former French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve and former European Commissioner for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos are also listed as honorary board members. Another top name on the NGO’s honorary board, former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, has resigned from the board, according to a spokesman for the College of Europe.
The list of staff at the NGO “Fight Impunity” has apparently been deleted. However, online records show Yorgi and other current parliamentary aides holding key roles last January.
Is the scandal confined to the European Parliament?
No. Also arrested: Luca Visentini, who just last month became general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). Before that he was the long-time leader of the European Trade Union Confederation.
Construction unions have historically criticized Qatar over labor rights ahead of the World Cup. But even before Visentini took over, the ITUC was a notable exception.
Why does Qatar want to exert pressure?
Qatar is hosting the World Cup, but instead of benefiting the country, it has garnered a lot of negative comments. Allegations of bribery in the bidding process and slave-like conditions for foreign workers have led many to question the choice made for Qatar to host the World Cup. Meanwhile, liberal critics seized the moment to attack the conservative Muslim country’s position on women’s and LGBTQ+ rights. Eva Kaili was arguably the dean of the (large group of) Doha defenders in S&D.
On November 24, for example, as the Plenary passed a resolution “condemning the deaths of thousands of migrant workers,” Eva Kaili took the floor to praise Qatar’s “historic transformation” brought about by the World Cup. Likewise, 10 days ago, he appeared to vote for visa liberalization for Qatar and Kuwait in Parliament’s justice and home affairs committee — even though he is not a member of the committee.
Ms Kaili also alienated MEPs at a panel on the Middle East when she freelanced her own trip after Doha canceled the group’s visit.
The Parliamentary Delegation for Relations with the Arabian Peninsula (DARP) planned to go to Qatar just before the World Cup in November, to visit the tournament facilities and monitor labor law changes. But with just a month’s notice, Qatar’s consultative assembly, known as the Shura Council, called for a postponement. Instead, Ms Kaili went to Qatar the week the full delegation was supposed to be there – and was full of praise for the emirate’s labor reforms. According to local press, he said he was there representing 500 million European citizens who see the country’s progress as a representation of shared values.
“He went behind my back,” said MEP Hannah Neumann, the German Green MEP who heads DARP. Doha was aware of the criticism it would receive from DARP and therefore chose the visit of the Greek politician “knowing that her statements would be less critical”.
How big a deal is it?
The Qatar scandal could be “the most egregious case” of alleged corruption Parliament has seen in years, Transparency International chief Michiel van Hulten said. Albero Alemano, professor of law at HEC Paris, called it “the most shocking corruption scandal in the history of the EU”.
German Green MEP Daniel Freund, co-chairman of Parliament’s cross-party anti-corruption group, called it one of the “most serious corruption scandals in Brussels in recent decades”.
Van Hulten said Parliament had created a “culture of impunity … with a combination of lax financial rules and controls and a complete lack of independent (or indeed any) ethics oversight”. Alemano also predicted that this is just the “tip of the iceberg,” hoping that an accumulation of scandals would create political momentum for an independent ethics system.
What can be done about it?
The Commission is to propose an independent ethics body that would apply to all EU institutions, but it will almost certainly have no investigative or enforcement powers.
Freund argued that non-EU countries should follow the “relatively good lobbying rules that are already in place” in Brussels. Currently, countries do not need to sign up to the EU interest group transparency register, for example, and MEPs do not need to report these contacts. “The EU needs to improve this immediately,” Freund said.
By the way, Pancheri’s NGO “Fight Impunity” is not included in the transparency register. This is a clear breach of existing rules for EU-based groups who want to make their case to Parliament. According to the latest guidelines for transparency registries, NGOs are required to include extensive details about their funding.
How is the Qatar case progressing?
The blow is already great. The S&D called for the proposal to liberalize the visa regime to be put on hold and the Greens rapporteur said he would vote against the measure if it came to a vote next week. Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee planned to go to Saudi Arabia and Qatar in the coming weeks. It has now been canceled – meaning a top Doha rival is getting all the attention.
“Any link of the Qatari government to the reported allegations is baseless and seriously misinformed,” said Qatar’s official statement issued on Sunday. “The State of Qatar works through commitment to institutions and operates in full compliance with international laws and regulations.” he adds.
What will follow in the European Parliament?
Late Saturday, Parliament Speaker Roberta Metsola suspended all of Eva Kaili’s “powers, duties and tasks” related to the position of vice president. To fully revoke her title requires a decision by the Conference of Parliament Speakers and then a vote in plenary.
When the plenary convenes in Strasbourg this week, MEPs are likely to revoke Ms Kaili’s parliamentary immunity. The Left has already formally requested that a debate on the incident be added to the agenda, while the vote is scheduled for Monday night.
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