Dutch PM "very concerned" by allegations of corruption in European Parliament

The reports of corruption within the European Parliament are “very concerning,” said Prime Minister Mark Rutte. According to media reports, Qatar may be bribing several Members of the European Parliament. One of the suspects is Greek social democrat Eva Kaili. She was one of 14 Vice-Presidents of the European Parliament.

It is now mainly a matter for the Belgian judiciary, said the Prime Minister during a parliamentary debate about the EU summit later this week. He didn’t want to go into the matter any further. He also did not want to speculate about the possible consequences of the case.

Rutte supports European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s plan to set up an ethics body for the EU institutions. “Such an institution is needed,” said the Prime Minister. It fits in with the way of governing the EU and the Dutch transparency agenda, he said.

Justice in Belgium has been investigating bribery and money laundering for over four months. The authorities have already searched several houses and offices of parliament employees. They seized hundreds of thousands of euros and arrested six suspects. Two were released again after questioning.

Parties in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, are calling for more openness within the European Parliament. A majority wants the Cabinet to advocate in Brussels for a “thorough review of the integrity systems” of the EU institutions in order to promote transparency.