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‘European parliament under attack’: What we know about the Qatar bribery claims

The EU has been hit by a growing scandal that alleges Members of the European Parliament accepted huge cash bribes from figures working on behalf of World Cup host Qatar. Here's what we know so far.

Published: 12 December 2022 23:03 CET

'European parliament under attack': What we know about the Qatar bribery claims

Members of the European Parliament attend the opening session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France, on December 12, 2022. (Photo by FREDERICK FLORIN / AFP)

What’s the story?

Leaders of the EU Parliament have accused foreign powers of trying to corrupt European democracy, as a
probe into alleged bribes from World Cup host Qatar widened.

Belgian investigators, meanwhile raided offices in the parliament‘s Brussels base, seeking to seize computer data to track the alleged web of corruption.

Searches were carried out at the homes of MEPs and their associates in Belgium and around a million euros in cash has been recovered after allegations that Qatar has been seeking to burnish its image.

Belgian prosecutors said 600,000 euros ($630,000) were found at the home of one suspect, 150,000 euros at the flat of an MEP and several hundred thousand euros in a suitcase in a hotel room.

Who is in trouble so far?

One of the European parliament’s vice presidents, Greek socialist Eva Kaili, has been charged with corruption by Belgian prosecutors and her assets have been frozen by her homeland.

On Tuesday the European parliament’s MEPs voted 625 to one to strip Greek socialist MEP Eva Kaili of her vice presidential role, despite her lawyer declaring that she was innocent and “has nothing to do with Qatar’s bribes”.

As the 44-year-old former TV news presenter sat in a Brussels jail cell, her colleagues in the Strasbourg parliament are scrambling to distance themselves from the taint of scandal.

On Wednesday, a Belgian judge will decide whether to maintain Kaili and three co-accused in custody pending trial.

Three of Kaili’s associates have also been charged, after bags of cash were found in her home shortly after she returned from an official visit to Qatar, and a second MEP’s house has been searched.

Eva Kali #EUCorruption #Griechenland pic.twitter.com/1uoL6cEYTh

— Enrique Cortes (@irEnriqueCortes) December 12, 2022

Kaili visited Qatar just ahead of the World Cup and praised the country as a “frontrunner in labour rights”, a sentiment she has repeated on the floor of the parliament.

Kaili has been remanded in custody by an investigating magistrate in Belgium and has not travelled down to Strasbourg, the parliament‘s official seat, for the plenary session.

She received a new legal blow on Monday, when Greek authorities froze the 44-year-old former television presenter and her relatives’ assets.

Belgian prosecutors revealed on Sunday that four suspects had been charged “with participation in a criminal organisation, money laundering and corruption”.

The arrests followed raids in Brussels which prosecutors said turned up €600,000 ($630,000) in cash. Police also seized computers and mobile phones.

A group source told AFP that three MEPs have stepped down from committee positions pending the investigation and a fourth, Belgian socialist Marc Tarabella, has “suspended himself”.

Tarabella’s home was searched on Saturday, but he has not been formally charged.

What does this mean for the EU?

The Parliament‘s president, Maltese conservative Roberta Metsola, vowed to members meeting at their seat in Strasbourg on Monday that the body’s integrity would be restored.

“Make no mistake,” Metsola said. “The European Parliament, dear colleagues, is under attack. European democracy is under attack and our free and democratic societies are under attack.”

EU foreign ministers, arriving in Brussels to discuss sanctions against Iran and Russia, warned that the scandal threatens the credibility of European institutions.

“The allegations against the vice president of the European Parliament are of utmost concern, very serious,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

“It is a question of confidence of people into our institutions, and this confidence and trust into our institutions needs higher standards.”

EU member state ministers meeting in Brussels, like Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney, warned that the scandal was “damaging”.

“This is really an unbelievable incident that must now be cleared up, without ifs and buts, with the full force of the law,” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said.

“Because this is also and especially about Europe’s credibility and consequences must follow.”

What’s the response from Qatar?

The Gulf monarchy, which is currently hosting the football World Cup, denies any involvement. “Any claims of misconduct by the State of Qatar are gravely misinformed,” a Qatar official told AFP.

Qatar had been hoping that its diplomatic outreach, and the glow of hosting of the World Cup, would secure EU visa liberalisation for its citizens.

Qatar is a key energy supplier to Europe, and plays an important intermediary role in several diplomatic tangles, but it has also been criticised for the alleged mistreatment of migrant workers, most notoriously those who built the World Cup stadiums.

Member comments

Anonymous - 13 December 2022 at 09:17 CET

I actually think this case demonstrates the robustness of the oversight over the European Parliament and its members. The investigation has highlighted the corruption and criminal charges and due process are now kicking in. This is really a fine example to set for many a country where the corruption is known but no consequences have followed…

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Everything you need to know about next month's European elections in Denmark

Every five years since 1979, voters around the European Union have voted to select their MEPs (Members of the European Parliament) in Brussels and Strasbourg, with the number growing to 720 members in 2024.

Each country gets a number of MEPs roughly proportional to its population, with Germany, the EU’s most populous country, getting the most with 96 seats and Denmark getting 15 seats this year, up from 14 due to Brexit.

Choosing an MEP

A total of 169 politicians from 11 different parties are running for the European Parliament elections in Denmark this year.

Unlike in a general election, where you can only vote for the politicians who are in your constituency, here you can vote for any candidate, regardless of where you live.

MEPs aren’t supposed to act in purely national interests but instead are meant to have a Europe-wide view, which is why you should ideally vote based on what each candidate and party wants to do for Europe, rather than treat the European elections as a referendum on Denmark’s government.

Each MEP elected sits in the European Parliament in a party group comprising MEPS from other countries who share similar values, such as centre-left, far-right, or green, rather than sitting with MEPs from their own country.

Candidates

In the run-up to the election, the Danish political parties decide on who will be their spidskandidater (candidates heading the list) for the European parliament, and these people have the highest chance of being elected. The further down the list a name appears, the less likely that person is to be heading to parliament.

The spidskandidater are normally responsible for running that party’s election campaign and become their spokesman on European issues.

Here is a breakdown of Denmark’s 11 party’s manifestos and their top three candidates:

Social Democrats

The Social Democrats currently have 3 MEPs in the European Parliament: Christel Schaldemose, who has been an MEP for 18 years, Marianne Vind and and Niels Fuglsang. They are all running again, along with 7 other candidates, with Schaldemose pinned as their leading candidate.

The party wants Europe to focus on security, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, immigration, the environment and promoting non-toxic substances. They want Europe to work more together on the challenges of immigration but they want to keep autonomy on other matters relating to Denmark.

While support for Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s party is plummeting in national election polling, it is looking more hopeful for the EU election.

According to an opinion poll carried out by Epinion for Denmark’s state broadcaster DR at the start of May, the Social Democrats stand to get 20.1 percent of the vote in June, only a slight decline from the 21.5 the party won in the last European elections back in 2019.

With Denmark gaining an extra seat in the European Parliament following the UK’s exit, this means the party is set to get four MEPs, up from three in the 2019 election.

The Social Liberal party (Radikale Venstre)

The Social Liberal party promotes itself as Denmark’s most pro-EU party.

The party’s top candidate is 29 year-old Sigrid Friis Frederiksen, followed by Anne Sophie Callesen and Phlip Tarning-Andersen.

The party wants the EU to focus on climate change and reducing greenhouse gases by 65 percent by 2030, which is 10 percent more than the current target. They also want less pesticide use in farming. Their other main manifesto point is a call for less discrimination and more protection of people’s rights, such as the LGBTQ community and the right to abortion. They’d like the EU to have a bigger role than it has currently.

The party is currently set to win 7 percent of the vote, down from 10 percent in the 2019 European elections.

Moderates

Stine Bosse is the leading candidate, followed by Bergur Løkke Rasmussen and Tobias William Marney. Bergur Løkke is a current MEP, having been elected with the Liberals (Venstre) before changing to The Moderate party in 2023. He is the son of party leader and former Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen.

The party’s main campaign issues include peace and freedom in Europe, with joint purchasing and production of defence equipment. They want the EU to work on more green energy solutions, as well as on stronger border and immigration measures. The party wants more European involvement on these issues but thinks there is currently too much bureaucracy in the EU.

In the Epinion poll at the beginning of May, support for the party had fallen to 4.5 percent from the 7.4 percent the party had in a previous poll from March. This has brought it below the threshold of about 6.5 percent to get a seat in European Parliament.

Liberals (Venstre)

The Liberals’ main candidate is current MEP Morten Løkkegaard, followed by another current MEP Asger Christensen and Ulla Tørnæs, who has been an MEP in the past.

The party wants to focus on the defence and safety of Europe, working together with NATO. They want stronger border controls and a reduction in the administrative processes behing investing in green energy. They want Europe to work together on these things, but for the EU to have less influence when it comes to decisions such as the labour market in Denmark.

This is the party that came out top in the 2019 European elections, in one of the last triumphs for its then leader Lars Løkke Rasmussen, overtaking the Social Democrats to become the biggest Danish party in Brussels. But this year the party risks seeing the number of MEPs they have in Brussels halved from the four they won in 2019.

Conservatives

The Conservative’s top candidate is Niels Flemming Hansen. Number two and three are Marcus Knuth and Birgitte Bergmann.

Their top priorities for Europe are defence and safety, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, strengthening border control and climate change, speeding up EU green targets. The party would like a little less EU involvement when it comes to topics like working hours.

The party has won one seat or more in every European election since Denmark joined in 1979. But while the Epinion poll gave it 7 percent of the vote, it doesn’t have far to fall to lose its only seat.

The Conservatives are the only Danish party who sit in the powerful EPP block in European Parliament, giving the a seat at the table with the powerful German Christian Democrats, France’s Republican Party, and Spain’s Partido Popular.

Socialist People’s Party (SF)

26-year old Kira Marie Peter-Hansen is the party’s main candidate and current MEP. When she was voted in the last election, she became the youngest ever MEP at the age of 21. Rasmus Nordqvist is the number two candidate and number three is Villy Søvndal, the party’s former chairman and a former foreign minister.

The party’s main focus is on the EU providing more rules to protect nature, climate and ban harmful chemicals. The party wants the EU to reduce greenhouse gases by at least 65 percent by 2030, which is 10 percent more than the current target. They want EU rules for reducing water pollution and protecting nature and a ban on all harmful and hormone-disruptive chemicals.

The party has done well in the opinion polls so they will be hoping to meet expectations.

Liberal Alliance

Henrik Dahl is the main candidate, hoping to get the party its first seat in European Parliament. Mads Strange and Thorbjørn Jacobsen are the second and third choice of candidates.

The party wants to reduce the documentation demands and rules for smaller companies doing business and exporting to other EU members. They want less EU involvement in the Danish labour market, they want stronger border control and a contribution to defence and military material.

Danish People’s Party (Dansk Folkeparti)

Current MEP Anders Vistisen is the main candidate for the Danish People’s Party, followed by Majbritt Birkholm and Tobias Weische, who is currently political advisor to Vistisen.

The party is against a Europe-wide foreign policy but wants a Danish “strict” foreign policy that includes deporting foreign criminals. They don’t want the EU to expand and include more countries. They want to introduce a permanent border control between Germany and Denmark and want Denmark out of the Schengen Agreement, which allows free movement of EU citizens to travel, work and live in an EU country without special formalities. In the long-term, the party wants Denmark to leave the EU.

Denmark Democratics (Danmarks demokraterne)

Kristoffer Storm is the party’s main candidate, followed by Vivi Altenburg, Magnus Bigum.

The party would like the EU to have less influence on certain rules in Denmark, for example on maternity rules for men, women’s quota and border controls. They want physical barriers erected at borders for immigration control and they want the EU to be self-sufficient when it comes to energy, ammunition and food, rather than rely on Russia and China.

Red Green Alliance (Enhedslisten)

The party’s main candidate is Per Clausen, followed by Frederikke Hellemann and Nana Højlund.

The Red Green Alliance are the only left-wing party who are Eurosceptics. The climate is their biggest priority and they want climate-friendly travel options promoted within Europe, such as halving the price of interail tickets and having express trains and night trains between all of Europe’s big cities. They want more equality, putting a stop to tax evasion and economic crimes. They want the EU to recognise Palestine as a state. The party recognises the importance of the EU working together on issues like climate change but thinks it prevents Denmark doing more on some issues that are bound by EU rules.

Alternative

The party hopes their main candidate Jan Kristoffersen will become their first ever MEP. The second and third choice candidates are Karoline Lindgaard and Petar Socevic.

The party wants the EU to support more ecological farming and they want the EU to do more to protect wild nature on land and water. The party wants a focus on animal welfare, preventing battery farming. They are very much pro-EU and would like the EU to decide even more than they do currently.

It is unlikely the party will gain an MEP seat but they hope the election will increase their visibility among voters.

Who can vote

In EU parliamentary elections, nationals of all EU countries who reside in Denmark can both vote in the elections and run for office. Nationals of non-EU countries cannot vote or run in these elections

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