Top 3 European Corruption Scandals

The UN Convention against Corruption calls it "a threat to the stability and security of societies undermining the institutions and values of democracy, ethical values and justice and jeopardizing sustainable development and the rule of law." It is believed that transparency of processes, public control and harmonized legislation effectively prevent opportunities for abuse and the level of prosperity of societies and high moral values can minimize the level of corruption in the long run. 

The Latin word "corrumpere" literally means "to spoil." Today, however, the phenomenon of corruption, well known to everyone on the planet, is understood as "the criminal use of rights and official opportunities by officials, public and political figures for personal enrichment."

Facts prove that not only societies in economically underdeveloped or authoritarian countries are susceptible to the "corruption disease"; even countries with the highest GDP, strong judicial traditions, and a steadfast declaration of support for democratic values abuse power.

Qatargate

Photo:Eva Kaili, Source: Wikipedia

Last year, the political establishment of the European Union was shaken up. On December 9, one of the 14 vice-presidents of the European Parliament, Eva Kaili, was detained in the evening as part of a corruption investigation. It was alleged that the high-ranking official and three other related persons allegedly lobbied for the interests of "one of the Persian Gulf countries" in exchange for valuable gifts and generous cash donations.

During 16 searches in Brussels, Belgian police seized cash worth about 600,000 euros. "four individuals have been arrested and charged with participation in a criminal organization, money laundering and corruption," law enforcement officials said in a statement. The events were dubbed "the largest bribery scandal in the European Parliament" in history.

According to the prosecutor, the investigation revealed that the Gulf state, believed by media to be Qatar, had been influencing the economic and political decisions of the parliament for several months, in particular through assistants. However, a Qatari government spokesman called the reports "serious disinformation."

A Brussels spokesman stated to Reuters that the European Parliament would not comment on the ongoing investigation but would cooperate with local authorities as necessary.

By the way, Kaili's duties as vice president included working with the Middle East. In her speech on human rights during the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the official called the country a "leader in labor rights" for abolishing kafala (a system of laws that human rights organizations compare to legalized slavery).

Kaili rejects all suspicions and accuses some MEPs of intimidating and discriminating against Qatar: "They accuse anyone who talks to them or interacts with them of corruption." Earlier, Qatar was already at the center of a corruption scandal, in particular over its bid to host the FIFA World Cup. The country was acquitted by FIFA.

After several months in custody, in mid-April, Eva Kaili was released from prison with an electronic bracelet. At the end of May, the Belgian prosecutor's office announced the lifting of the restrictions. In early June, her lawyers ensured that, despite the corruption charges, Kaili was able to work in Brussels, as she is still a current member of the European Parliament. Although Kaili has not been seen in the European Parliament so far, her lawyer Dimitrakopoulos said that she visited her office last week.

The first imprisoned president

Source:Nicolas Sarkozy, Photo: Wikipedia

In 2018, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was arrested by the police due to an investigation of the alleged receipt of illegal funds from the regime of the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Besides the suspicion of receiving millions of euros in illegal funding during the 2007 presidential race, the French leader and influential politician of the conservative center-right forces was additionally charged with four more cases of corruption, bribery, receiving illegal funding, abuse of power and influence, including as head of state.

In 2021, one of the five investigations - for bribery and attempted influence on a judge - resulted in a prison sentence for the former French president. He was sentenced to three years in prison – two of them suspended and one at home with an electronic bracelet.

At the same time, a more high-profile case is that of Sarkozy's illegal receipt of about 50 million euros from the regime of the then Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi for his 2007 election campaign. The legal proceedings in this case are still ongoing. Sarkozy was also accused of receiving cash from Liliane Bettencourt, the heiress of L'Oréal.

Kremlin gifts

Photo:Manuela Schwesig Source: Wikipedia

Manuela Schwesig, a rising star in Germany's Social Democratic Party and the premier of the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, is embroiled in a corruption scandal. She has been accused of colluding with Russia's Gazprom to promote the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline before the project was canceled and later destroyed.

According to The Times, Schwesig, called by critics a Putin puppet, created an environmental foundation that was actually designed to secretly lobby for the Russian-backed pipeline, deflect criticism from it, and circumvent US sanctions.

In its investigation, Die Welt newspaper wrote that Schwesig's office acts as a "branch of Gazprom". The documents obtained by journalists show a plan to hire "experienced Nord Stream 2 employees" for the "Environmental and Climate Protection Fund" created by the Schwesig administration. Millions of euros for this non-governmental organization mostly came from Gazprom and were used to lobby for the project and mitigate sanctions pressure.

Hundreds of emails and documents obtained by the media show that the German official and politician worked very closely with Nord Stream 2 AG. Norbert Röttgen, a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), called on Schwesig to resign for "collusion with a Russian company and deliberate misleading the public," but Manuela Schwesig merely issued a public apology.

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No recipe for overcoming corruption has yet been found. Corruption seems to be incurable, intricate, and capable of seducing anyone, regardless of position or nationality. Perhaps this is worth remembering today, when the issue of corruption in societies and governments is becoming a key issue in making vital decisions.

Demanding an impeccable reputation and highly effective reforms from Ukraine, a country that has been destroyed for years by the Russian army and propaganda, in exchange for the possibility of receiving only a formalized "promise" to join NATO, it is worth looking in the mirror, isn't it?