The magazine sums up the developments in the scandal that has rocked Brussels. into the scandal that has so far rocked Brussels and concerns the involvement of Qatar in the internal affairs of the European Union is attempted by the European edition of the American magazine Politico.[/P]As it says in its analysis of the now infamous Qatargate, in which the involvement of the detained Greek MEP, Eva Kaili, is being examined, this case is turning into the biggest scandal in the European capital in decades.
At first, the culprits were not big names by Brussels standards, Politico reports. "A former member of the European Parliament, some parliamentary aides and a trade unionist with wide influence in European trade unions. All were allegedly funded by World Cup host Qatar. But by last Friday night it was clear by now that it was not just a story in involving small names. Eva Kaili, vice-president of the European Parliament and Qatar defender, was taken into custody by Belgian police. The case also centres around an NGO that, until recently, counted some of the biggest preachers of left-wing politics among its board members," the magazine writes in describing the case.
"The state of Qatar categorically rejects any attempts to link it to allegations of misconduct," a Qatari official said in an emailed statement Sunday morning to Politico, with the magazine following up with questions about the case.
Who is Eva Kaili?
As one of the 14 vice presidents of Parliament, Kaili is one of the institution's most powerful players and, as a former news anchor with celebrity status in her native Greece, one of the most glamorous figures in Brussels. But Eva Kaili has also emerged as one of Qatar's most vocal defenders, Politico writes. She recently called the country a "pioneer in labor rights" after meeting with the country's labor minister, despite strong international concerns about conditions for workers who build stadiums. A member of the centre-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D) party, her portfolio includes specific responsibilities related to the Middle East.
Her partner Francesco Giorgio is an adviser for the Middle East and North Africa region in the European Parliament and founder of an NGO called Fight Impunity, which aims to promote "accountability as a central pillar of the architecture of international justice." Most importantly, the president of Fight Impunity is Pierre Antonio Pangieri, a central figure in the case.
[BR][BR]Who else is involved?
Former parliamentary aides, especially those with ties to Fight Impunity, are also under scrutiny. In addition to Georgie's arrest, police also sealed the office of another parliamentary aide working for the Fight Against Impunity, currently serving as an aide to Belgian S&D MEP Marie Arenas.
According to Italian news network Ansa, Niccolò Figà-Talamanca has also been taken into custody.
According to the Italian news network Ansa, Niccolò Figà-Talamanca has also been taken into custody. He is the director general of another NGO, No Peace Without Justice. Focused 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 shares the same Brussels address as Fight Impunity, at 41 Rue Ducale.
Emma Bonino, former Liberal MEP and Foreign Minister for Italy, founded No Peace Without Justice. She is listed as an honorary board member of Fight Impunity. She and Figà-Talamanca did not immediately respond to requests for comment through Peace Without Justice.
As an indication of Panzeri's connections, former French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, former European Commissioner for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos (who clarified today that his participation had received Commission approval), former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and former MEP Cecilia Wikström are also listed as honorary board members.
Mogherini resigned from the board on Saturday morning, according to a spokesman for the College of Europe, where Mogherini is now rector. Avramopoulos said in an email Sunday morning that he, Cazeneuve and Wikström had also resigned "immediately when we were informed on Friday."
The list of staff at Fight Impunity has apparently been deleted. However, online records show George and other current parliamentary aides holding key roles in January.
Is this limited to the European Parliament?
No, Politico writes. Also arrested: Luca Visentini, who just last month became secretary general of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). Before that, he was the long-time head of the European Trade Union Confederation. (He did not have to move for the new role: Both the global and European organizations are headquartered at the same address in Brussels, Rue Albert II.)
Construction unions have been some of the leading critics of Qatar's record on workers' rights ahead of the World Cup. But even before Visentini took over, the ITUC was a notable exception. Sharan Burrow, the previous head of the ITUC, urged outside critics of the country's labor laws to "go and take a look at the change" in a video released by Qatar's labor ministry in June.
Why does Qatar want to apply pressure?
Qatar is hosting the World Cup, but instead of benefiting the country, it has garnered a slew of negative comments. Accusations of bribery in the bidding process and slave conditions for foreign workers made many 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) defenders of Doha in S&D.
On 24 November, for example, as the plenary voted on a resolution "condemning the deaths of thousands of migrant workers", Eva Kaili took to the floor to praise Qatar's "historic transformation" brought about by the World Cup. Similarly, 10 days ago, she turned up to vote in favour of liberalising the visa regime for Qatar and Kuwait in Parliament's justice and home affairs committee - even though she is not a member of the committee.
Ms Kaili also alienated MEPs at a panel dedicated to the Middle East when she freelanced her own trip after Doha cancelled the group's visit.
The Parliament's Delegation for Relations with the Arabian Peninsula (DARP) was planning to go to Qatar just before the World Cup in November to visit the tournament facilities and monitor changes in labour laws. However, with just one month's notice, the Qatar Consultative Assembly, known as the Shura Council, requested that it be postponed. Instead, Ms. Kaili went to Qatar the week the full delegation was supposed to be there and fully praised the emirate's labor reforms. According to the local press, she said she was there representing 500 million European citizens who see the country's progress as a representation of shared values."
"She went behind my back," said Hannah Neumann, the German Green MEP who heads DARP. Doha knew the criticism she would receive from DARP and therefore chose to visit the Greek politician "knowing that her statements would be less critical."
How big a case is it?
The Qatar scandal could be "the most blatant case" of alleged corruption Parliament has seen in years, Transparency International head Michiel van Hulten said. Alberto Alemano, a law professor at HEC Paris, called it "the most shocking corruption scandal in EU history."
German Green MEP Daniel Freund, co-chair of the parliament's cross-party anti-corruption group, called it one of the "most serious corruption scandals in Brussels in recent decades."
Van Hulten said the Parliament has 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 would almost certainly have no investigative or enforcement power.
Freund argued that non-EU countries should follow the "relatively good lobbying rules already in place" in Brussels. Currently, countries do not have to register on the EU's transparency register of interest groups, for example, and MEPs do not have to report these contacts. "The EU needs to improve this immediately," Freund said."
Incidentally, Panchery's NGO Fight Impunity is not on the transparency register. This is an obvious violation of existing rules for EU-based groups that want to present their arguments to the Parliament. Under the latest guidelines for transparency registers, NGOs are required to include extensive details of their funding.
How is the case for Qatar progressing?
The blow is already great. The S&D has called for the proposal on visa liberalisation to be put on hold and the Green rapporteur said he would vote against the measure if it comes to a vote next week. The Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee planned to go to Saudi Arabia and Qatar in the coming weeks. Now it has been cancelled meaning a top Doha rival is drawing all the attention."
"Any association of the Qatari government with the reported allegations is unfounded and seriously misinformed," the official Qatari statement issued Sunday said. "The State of Qatar works through commitment to institutions and operates in full compliance with international laws and regulations." it added.
What's next in the European Parliament?
Late on Saturday, Parliament President Roberta Metsola suspended all "powers, duties and tasks" of Eva Kaili related to her position as vice-president. To fully revoke her title requires a decision by the Parliament's conference of presidents and then a vote in plenary.
When the plenary meets 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, with a vote scheduled for Monday evening.
Justice will be the judge and we will fully respect her decision.
Source: protothema.gr
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[Cyprus Times] Politico: What Qatar wanted from the EU and the role of those involved
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