The Hungarian Prime Minister reacted to the "Qatargate" corruption scandal in the European Parliament.Continue reading
The corruption scandal involving the European Parliament’s left-wing vice-president overshadowed the EU summit, according to Viktor Orbán.
The arrest of the European Parliament’s vice-president, Greek Socialist MEP Eva Kaili, was a hot topic at the EU summit in Brussels on Thursday. Ahead of the summit, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo criticized the institution for not being able to handle corruption within its ranks.
Apparently, Belgian justice is doing what the European Parliament has failed to do,”
De Croo said.
“It is time to drain the swamp here in Brussels,” Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in a video message from the EU summit.
He stressed that the summit was overshadowed by Eva Kaili’s arrest.
According to the Prime Minister, everyone has known that Brussels is full of corruption cases, but “now it has reached such a level” that police had to take action.
Everyone is speculating about which Brussels politicians might still be involved, many believe the links could go all the way to the highest levels,
he said, adding that EU leaders called on the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, to pursue a thorough and comprehensive investigation into the corruption scandal in Brussels.
This week, Orbán posted a meme pointing out that the so-called Qatargate scandal is rather ironic from a Hungarian perspective.
Speaking to journalists, the prime minister’s political director also commented on the corruption scandal. Balázs Orbán said that the scandal concerned precisely those left-wing circles of the EP, that are often accusing Member States of similar acts.
The EP has become a dysfunctional institution, an instrument of ideological pressure. The functioning of the European Parliament must be fundamentally rethought,”
argued Balázs Orbán.
MEPs of Hungary’s governing Fidesz party also reacted to the scandal.
So basically @TheProgressives have fabricated lies about corruption in #Hungary for years, and now their leading politician, the Vice-President of @Europarl_EN, is involved in the biggest corruption scandal in the history of the EU. Hypocrasy at its best.https://t.co/hl3aOMk7L4
— Hidvéghi Balázs (@BalazsHidveghi) December 10, 2022
On Thursday, the chief prosecutor of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office requested the waiver of the immunity of two Greek MEPs, Eva Kaili and Maria Spyraki, a member of the European People’s Party.
Featured photo via Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Fischer Zoltán