The corruption scandal tarnishes the European Parliament, which has had a reputation as a defender of democracy and human rights. The bribery investigation also casts a shadow over the harsh treatment of Hungary accused of corruption.
10:12•Updated 10:26
The researchers interviewed in morning and Ykkösaamu on Tuesday consider the EU Parliament’s corruption scandal to be an exceptional case, because it involves serious criminal suspicions such as taking a bribe.
– These are the kind of accusations that have never really been heard before in the history of EU institutions to this extent, that several persons at the very core of EU legislative power are being targeted like this, says the doctoral researcher Pekka Pohjankoski.
The corruption investigation shakes the EU Parliament particularly violently because the Parliament has a reputation as a defender of good things. Parliament has systematically defended the rule of law, equality, equality and human rights.
– They are all at the center of this crisis, points out the professor of European political studies Johanna Kantola.
According to media reports, Qatar is suspected of bribery, whose human rights problems have been in the spotlight before and during the World Cup. Deputy Speaker of the EU Parliament Eva Kaili has spoken positively about Qatar. Qatar has denied the allegations of bribery.
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 Deputy Speaker Kaili. The police have searched the parliament, and the authorities have been interested in, among other things, the assistants’ computers.
The EU demands Hungary to root out corruption
The fact that the EU wants to root out corruption from its member country Hungary makes the parliament’s corruption suspicions particularly embarrassing.
The EU has frozen Hungary’s EU subsidies until Hungary makes reforms that improve the state of the country’s rule of law. According to the EU Commission, subsidies given to Hungary have flowed over the years into corruption, for example in public procurement tenders. Also the parliament has criticized Hungary (you go to another service).
The consequences of the Parliament’s own corruption scandal on the operation of the EU remain to be seen, but at least there will be political consequences.
– Even if the parliament’s ability to function is preserved, the image disadvantage is of course a massive disadvantage. Populist political actors will certainly grasp that and use it as fuel, Pekka Pohjankoski estimates.
The EU countries made concessions to Hungary on Monday evening, which got Hungary to accept a support package of billions for Ukraine, which is the target of Russia’s war of aggression.