The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, promised European Union (EU) leaders at their summit in Brussels on Thursday that she will lead a reform process on transparency and deterrents to prevent bribery in the wake of ‘Qatargate’ and so that those for whom «a bag of cash is worth it» know that they will be «found out».
Metsola has announced that this new package of reforms will be ready by 2023 and will include the reinforcement of whistleblower protection systems, the revision of the rules of the code of conduct and how MEPs interact with third countries, an investigation that will be extended to others besides Qatar, while European leaders, who have thanked him for his «frankness», have conveyed their «full support», according to EU sources.
Likewise, the president has guaranteed that «the existing gaps will be filled in relation to, for example, the activities of former MEPs, the transparency register or greater control of who can access the European Parliament».
«It has been a difficult week in Brussels,» acknowledged the President of the European Parliament, after at the end of last week an operation against corruption for alleged bribes paid by Qatar to gain political and economic weight in the EU resulted in several MEPs and assistants of the European Parliament arrested, including the Socialist Vice-President of the European Parliament Eva Kaili.
As Metsola explained, investigations by Belgian authorities indicate that there are «serious suspicions» of people linked to autocratic governments, «peddling influence» in a way that they suspect is intended to «subdue» the EU’s democratic processes.
After thanking the authorities, with whom the Parliament has worked «in harmony», he warned that he will lead a process of reforms in order to increase the deterrents and transparency of the European Parliament.
«There will always be some for whom it is worth the risk for a bag of cash,» Metsola lamented, so he considers it «essential that these people understand that they will be found out.»
Asked if she was approached in a «suspicious» manner by Qatari authorities, Metsola explained that she received an invitation to attend the World Cup, which she declined given her «concerns» about the country.
Thus, she has warned that «there will be consequences», that the EU services «work» and that those who incur in this type of crime «will face the full weight of the law». «That is the rule of law. That is how we respond and rebuild trust because trust, as we know, takes years to build and moments to destroy,» he concluded.
