the dangerous “friendships” of MEPs

Former MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri has decided to sit down to eat. In February, wearing a “repentant” cap, this 67-year-old Italian, charged with “corruption, money laundering and criminal organization”, confided in Belgian justice, delivering new elements in the sprawling case known as the “ Qatargate” – in exchange for a reduced sentence. In front of the investigators, he, according to the press, traced the obscure links between Morocco, Qatar, Mauritania and the European Parliament, revealing certain strategies of influence which weaken the hemicycle.

In this case, which targets MEPs in particular, five people have been imprisoned in Belgium – including the now famous Eva Kaili and her companion, Francesco Giorgi, collaborator of an Italian MEP. In total, more than one million euros were seized. Three months after these revelations, work is launched to reform the institution.

Troubled networks

Beyond suitcases of banknotes and cascading gifts from third countries, it is the “friendship” networks of MEPs that are targeted. Pier Antonio Panzeri was none other than the president of the delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union of the Parliament from 2009 to 2017. The Belgian Marc Tarabella, also incriminated, was the vice-president of the Delegation for Relations with the Arabian Peninsula. He and Eva Kaili will know on Friday if they are being held in preventive detention.

In addition to the €250,000 that Marc Tarabella should have received by the end of the legislature in 2024 (according to the revelations of Pier Antonio Panzeri), the Belgian MEP was also pinned for not declaring a “mission” in Qatar, paid by the emirate. Such a trip should have been notified to Parliament. The elected official first mentioned a simple “omission”, before admitting the fraud.

“It’s a pot of honey”

If the names of the members of the delegations are known, the same is not true for the friendship groups, which are also singled out. Bringing together deputies and representatives of third countries (or regions or territories anywhere in the world), these political forums escape all control. They are neither transparent nor listed anywhere. And yet, these groups do exist, by the dozens. Among the 14 proposals put on the table by the President of Parliament, Roberta Metsola, to strengthen ethics within the institution, the idea of ​​​​removing them is in good place.

“The friendship group, from what I have seen, is a pot of honey”, testifies the European deputy Arnaud Danjean (Les Républicains). “States come to defend their cause by saying to you: ‘The best thing would be for you to come and do a study trip on the spot! And then, you can come with your wife, your children… And you take the opportunity to stay a bit and visit the country, we have such a beautiful tourist heritage!” The offers are frequent. “It was offered to me just this summer”, continues the MEP, who underlines that for him, it was “out of the question” to go all expenses paid to this “Central Asian country”. He admits having belonged in 2010 to the Parliament’s friendship group with Serbia, but having quickly understood that “friendship groups are useless, and it can very quickly turn into something a little weird”.

Towards more transparency

For his colleague François Alfonsi (Greens), a member of two friendship groups – one with Kurdistan, the other with Nagorno-Karabakh – a distinction must be made between friendship groups which aim to support the “poorest populations the most deprived who have problems of territorial conflicts” of the links that are tied which can result in “acts of corruption which are unbearable”.

The current rules of procedure do provide that “individual MEPs may set up intergroups (…) in order to hold informal exchanges of views”. However, these groups must be “fully transparent” and cannot “carry out activities which could lead to confusion with the official activities of Parliament”. However, this obligation of transparency has fallen by the wayside. By reforming its operating rules, the European Parliament must, in any case, take up a challenge: to regain the trust of citizens before the next elections in 2024.

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A twisty investigation

December 9, 2022. As part of an investigation for corruption for the benefit of Qatar, the Belgian prosecutor’s office requests sixteen searches. “Bags of tickets” are found at Eva Kaili, Vice-President of the European Parliament (S&D). More than half a million euros was discovered at the home of former Italian MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri.

December 15. Morocco’s involvement in the scandal is confirmed.

January 17. Pier Antonio Panzeri agrees to collaborate in exchange for a prison term not exceeding one year. It involves the Belgian Socialist MEP Marc Tarabella, arrested, but also two colleagues and compatriots, the Italians Lara Comi (EPP, right) and Andrea Cozzolino (S & D).

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