“Then they said…” – This is how Orban mocks the European Parliament

Orban wrote: “And then they said that the European Parliament is very concerned about corruption in Hungary. Good morning to the European Parliament.”

Hungarian Prime Minister Orban’s malicious tweet – according to him, the European Parliament easily overshadows Hungary when it comes to corruption.

It was not a good morning for the European Parliament, which met in Strasbourg on Monday for the last week of the year. Since Friday, it has been at the center of a corruption scandal that is probably unprecedented in Brussels. Bribery and corruption, influence exerted by the Gulf Emirate of Qatar, money laundering and corruption – these are the allegations being made. Greek vice-president Eva Kaili and three other suspects are therefore detained. It’s a disaster for the house.

Morality as the sharpest weapon
The European Parliament would like to be more powerful than it is. However, especially in the field of foreign policy, powers often lie with the governments of the EU countries. Often, parliament only has to demand, to appeal, to appeal, to criticize. Morality as the sharpest weapon.

This is where Orban comes into the picture. There are now numerous parliamentary resolutions condemning the dismantling of the rule of law in Hungary. Most recently, less than three weeks ago, parliament called for full hardship against the government in Budapest. EU member states should freeze EU funds for Hungary in billions.

And now this – a scandal reaching the top of parliament. Kaili, 44, and others are suspected of taking money to influence political decisions on behalf of the World Cup host nation. For example, at EU level, consideration is currently being given to easing visa rules for Qatari citizens.

Commission of Inquiry requested
“The damage has been done to the entire European Parliament, so the democratic, pro-European part of Parliament must respond with great clarity,” Greens leader Terry Reintke demanded on Monday. To bring all the details to light, a commission of inquiry should be set up, she tells the dpa.

At the same time, parliament is working to remove Kaili as vice president as soon as possible. President Roberta Metsola had already revoked her powers from the former TV presenter.

But the revelations come at an inconvenient time not only for parliament, but also for Qatar – which rejects the allegations – in the midst of the ongoing World Cup and thus in front of the world’s public. It is unlikely that the Brussels case will cause lasting damage to Doha. The wealthy country has steadily expanded and deepened its influence in the Arab world, in Europe and beyond in recent years. It has made a rapid rise from a desert state inhabited almost exclusively by Bedouins 100 years ago.

Because most of the suspects are Italians, the case not only caused a stir in Brussels and Greece, but also in the Mediterranean country. The Belgian researchers even speak of an “Italian connection” within this “Qatargate”, as reported by the newspaper “La Repubblica”.

Ex-parliamentarian hid hundreds of thousands of euros
The previous investigations, in particular against Antonio Panzeri – a former trade unionist, for many years a member of the European Parliament for the Social Democrats and then founder of a non-governmental organization fighting for human rights around the world – are widely carried out in the Italian media . Hundreds of thousands of euros in cash were said to have been found with the 67-year-old. His wife and daughter – the latter, among others, a European law lawyer – were arrested on the basis of a European arrest warrant and placed under house arrest. You are accused of favoritism.

Above all, Panzeris’ wife would have been aware of the machinations of which the ex-politician is accused. “We can’t spend $100,000 on vacation like we did last year,” she told her husband in a wiretapped phone conversation. The woman herself spoke of “shady machinations”. When it came to a New Year’s Eve break, she suggested using the credit card of someone she called “The Giant.” The media wrote that it was not clear from the files who that was.

Social Democrats in the crosshairs
In light of these revelations, which target social democrats, Viktor Orban is not alone in rubbing his hands. The right-wing Lega in Rome also demanded over the weekend that the Italian authorities also investigate.

(dpa)