Qatar has become the focus of corruption suspicions in the European Parliament.
Qatar, connected to the European Parliament’s corruption network, has tried to promote a positive image of the country by influencing EU decision-makers, says an academy researcher at the University of Helsinki Timo Miettinen in Monday night’s A-studio.
The Belgian police have arrested four people on suspicion of corruption, money laundering and participation in the activities of a criminal organization. One of them is the deputy speaker of the EU Parliament Eva Kaili.
– I read Kaili’s statements about Qatar, and they were like formulations of what type of country Qatar is straight from the papers of an influential communications agency, Miettinen states.
According to Miettinen, there have been scandals related to corruption in the EU institutions before, but usually the party that tried to influence was, for example, a company. According to Miettinen, what makes the most recent suspicion extraordinary is precisely the fact that it is a state actor.
Although so far only the Persian Gulf state has been officially discussed in connection with the investigation, the suspicions of the payer of the bribes are strongly focused on Qatar. Chairman of the parliament’s grand committee and former MEP Hassin’s fairy tale (green) thinks that the EU Parliament could have reacted to the issue much earlier.
– Kaili went to Qatar alone and while there made these laudatory statements about the country’s development. It could already have been a reason for the Parliament’s own institutions to start investigating what is behind this.
Hassi and Miettinen say that in the future it would be essential to improve the EU Parliament’s internal control practices. Miettinen also emphasizes that it is important to recognize the speech patterns of authoritarian states.
– You have to look at the bluff behind these stories and messages.
Watch Monday’s A-studio at Areena.