The EU Parliament’s 14-point plan against corruption does not go far enough for many Austrian MPs. According to Angelika Winzig (ÖVP), employees and NGOs should also be addressed. Harald Vilimsky (FPÖ) even speaks of “14 tranquilizer pills” that are “really self-evident”.
“I don’t have to tell mandataries that you can’t take 100,000 euros in plastic bags with you, that’s absurd,” he added. Instead, the procurement process for the corona vaccine should be reviewed and the number of vice-presidents in the EU parliament should be reduced from 14 to two or three.
It is not clear to ÖVP delegation leader Angelika Winzig how the “plastic bags full of money” plan should be prevented. According to her, the employees of MEPs and NGOs should also be addressed. “Everyone is willing to contribute to more transparency.” As another example, she described that as an entrepreneur it would be “probably difficult” to accept company files that go in a certain direction.
SPÖ: make assets public
The head of the SPÖ delegation to the EU Parliament, Andreas Schieder, proposed as an additional measure to make MEPs’ financial situation public at the beginning and end of each term of office. According to his colleague Evelyn Regner, there is a need, among other things, for more protection for whistleblowers and for the EU Commission and EU states to be included in the Ethics Council. In addition, trips may not be financed by third parties.
The Greens, who want a special committee on the events, are also demanding similar additional measures. In addition, the transparency register for third countries must be processed. “That’s a bit too slow for us, you could take a more offensive approach here,” Green delegation leader Monika Vana said of EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola’s project.
NEOS: U commissions are ‘toothless’
NEOS MP Claudia Gamon had expected the report from the EU parliament before Christmas. She also called for “tighter disclosure requirements”, but she described the U committees as “toothless”.
As reported, 14 countermeasures were presented about a month after the corruption scandal erupted. This includes announcing all planned meetings with third parties in connection with parliamentary decisions, reporting all trips abroad and the lack of permanent access badges for MEPs.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
