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‘Whatever needs to be done will be done,’ Roberta Metsola talks corruption scandal with Euronews

By Euronews Brussels bureau

Hello, happy new year and welcome back to The Briefing!

We’re picking up things where we left off, with the so-called Qatargate.

As the corruption scandal engulfing the European Parliament continues to widen and send shockwaves, Euronews sat down with the person in charge of putting the house in order: President Roberta Metsola.

“We're looking into everything,” Metsola told our reporter Sándor Zsíros, referring to the review process she’s launched in search of undue influence as part of the alleged cash-for-favours scheme.

“We're looking into trips that have been approved, we're looking into trips that were not declared. We're looking at the process of putting forward amendments, timelines, the way resolutions are negotiated.”

The investigation by Belgian authorities has shone a light on past legislative work, particularly a committee vote in early December that approved visa liberalisation for Qatar and Kuwait, as well as an array of paid-for visits of multiple European lawmakers to the Gulf region.

Alarms bells on possible “spheres of influence,” Metsola noted, “should start to ring earlier.”

“We also need to be (more) aware ourselves,” the President said. “And this is what I will tell all the members (of the European Parliament) and the staff members: if they see something that is not right, something has to be said and something has to be done.”

Almost a month since the corruption scandal erupted, Brussels is still trying to figure out how to deal with the illicit lobbying allegedly conducted by Qatar in conjunction with a network of at least four individuals, including Greek MEP Eva Kaili and her life partner Francesco Giorgi.

The latest revelations have considerably expanded the scope of the investigation, potentially involving two additional MEPs from the socialist group – Marc Tarabella and Andrea Cozzolino – as well as intelligence and diplomatic officials from Morocco.

Both Qatar and Morocco have vigorously contested the claims. Kaili, Tarabella and Cozzolino denied any wrongdoing through their lawyers.

With new twists and turns emerging on a daily basis, Roberta Metsola has embarked on what she calls a “speedy” reform process to restore trust and crack down on misconduct.

“In essence, (to) re-introduce the concept of accountability, integrity and independence,” Metsola explained. “We can be proud of our work, but we can do better.”

The Parliament chief presented on Thursday a first draft package of reforms, seen by Euronews, featuring a total of 14 proposals, such as a cooling-off period for former MEPs, a ban on unofficial friendship groups, the mandatory publication of all scheduled meetings and new rules of access to parliamentary premises.

“I wanted to bring together all possible measures, but they are not exhaustive so they could be better enhanced,” Metsola told Euronews. “Whatever needs to be done will be done. I'm confident in that.”

Transparency International EU and Corporate Europe Observatory, two civil society organisations that monitor EU lobbying, welcomed the proposed reforms as an “overdue” and “promising” first step but criticised the fact they rely on “self-policing” by MEPs themselves.

Asked about this, Metsola defended her package and said she had received a “unanimous mandate” from all the political groups to move forward with her “immediate” proposals.

In her Euronews interview, the President, who at no point mentioned either Kaili or Qatar by name, admitted the lack of compliance with existing rules – rather than the absence of rules – laid the groundwork for the corruption scandal.

“There are rules that were enforced that were not put into place, that were not complied with by Members of the European Parliament or (their) employees. I would like that to completely change,” Metsola said.

“I would like everybody to be responsible for their actions.”

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

THE FRONTLINE Russia’s quest to seize control of Ukraine's eastern city of Bakhmut appears to be hanging on the ongoing battle for Soledar, a town located in Donetsk Oblast which is witnessing some of the fiercest fighting of the war so far. Meanwhile, Western countries pledged to increase their military support for Ukraine. Poland upped the ante this week when it decided to send state-of-the-art Leopard tanks to Kyiv as part of an international coalition. But the export of German-made tanks requires Berlin’s approval. Will Olaf Scholz agree? Pressure is definitely mounting.

GROWING PAINS The cost-of-living crisis is beginning to bite: 46% of Europeans admit their standards of living have already decreased while 39% expect to see a decline sometime this year. Nearly four in ten struggle to pay their monthly bills. However, European support for Ukraine remains steadfast, except in three member states. Read more about the latest Eurobarometer.

DÉJÀ VU The EU’s political agenda has kicked off with a strong sense of déjà vu: coronavirus came back to the forefront after China abruptly lifted its “zero-Covid” policies and triggered a massive spike in infections. With European countries reimposing travel restrictions, our reporter Efi Koutsokosta went to the Brussels airport to see how the new measures are affecting passengers.

MELONI’S PLEDGE Migrant arrivals in Italy have increased by more than 50% since far-right premier Giorgia Meloni took office in October, official statistics reviewed by Euronews show. Andrea Carlo looks into how Meloni’s “naval blockade” pledge is failing to live up to her expectations.

MINTING THE FUTURE On the very first day of January 2023, Croatia became the 20th country to join the eurozone. The kuna, the local currency, has been replaced by the euro. In the season premiere of Real Economy, our reporter Fanny Guarent looks deeper into the country’s high expectations for the euro and sits down with Boris Vujcic, Governor of the Central Bank of Croatia, to know more about the monetary transition. Watch the full episode.

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CZECH MATE Eight controversial contenders, three favourites, two long days of voting. Here’s everything you need to know about this week’s presidential election in the Czech Republic.

THE VELVET DIVORCE Speaking of which, this month marked the 30th anniversary of the breakup of Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic. The so-called “Velvet Divorce” is remembered as Europe’s most peaceful and successful breakup in recent history. With a brutal war raging in Europe, the special occasion has gained a new meaning, writes David Hutt.

POWERFUL YOUTH While global leaders have, on average, getting older over time, their European counterparts have been bucking the trend: their average age is just 53, according to a Euronews analysis. Across the continent, prime ministers and presidents are not just getting younger, they tend to have had less experience in legislative or formal politics, they are also less reliant on mainstream parties and craftily used social media to reach power.

AGEING FOLKS The French government has unveiled its long-awaited reform to increase the retirement age from 62 to 64, an idea that triggered immediate backlash from unions and opposition parties. However, most economists say our ageing population makes pension reform inevitable. Euronews Next reveals which European countries have the lowest and highest retirement ages.

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IT'S IN THE NUMBERS

Russia is losing around €160 million per day due to the combined impact of the EU’s oil ban and the G7’s price cap, a new report has revealed. After 5 February, the daily losses could go all the way up to €280 million and increase even further if the G7 tightens the cap. Russia now earns €640 million per day from selling fossil fuels – down from €1,000 million per day in March.

EDITOR'S CHOICE

The trouble with TikTok: how the popular video app turned into a national security nightmare

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Fame has always been a double-edged sword, with perks and pitfalls alike. Fame has built entire careers and made fortunes. But in the case of TikTok, fame threatens to be a wrecking ball that might knock down the video-sharing app from its absolute peak. Policymakers in Europe and the US are rushing to figure out what exactly is going on behind the scenes in the popular platform. Owned by the Beijing-based company ByteDance, TikTok is suspected of acting as a backdoor for the Chinese government, which many fear could freely access the private and sensitive data from millions of (mostly young) users. A series of media revelations have further fuelled privacy concerns and espionage fears, pushing regulators to launch investigations on both sides of the Atlantic. Some even talk of an outright ban. In a long read, Jorge Liboreiro examines how the video-sharing app turned into a national security nightmare.

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Climate activists from The Last Generation group glued themselves to roads and disrupted rush hour traffic in Vienna, Austria.

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