Qatargate General Thread

[LAKISYLVANIA]

https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2022/12/10/offices-of-two-belgian-meps-assistants-sealed-by-police-investig/

[CumbrianLefty]

This is looking like quite a big deal.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The extent to which the traditional political Left and labour movement in parts of Europe (i.e. largely in the Mediterranean)* are susceptible to corrupt practice via legacy and sentimental ties to Arab states as a result of late Cold War third pole nonsense is... a problem.

_{*The apparent involvement of some Belgians reflects more the fact that Belgian politicians believe fervently and quite literally that 'where there's muck there's brass'...}

[Zinneke]

The fact that the two Belgian Socialists haven't actually been arrested, only having to step back, but that the Italian ex-MEP and Greek Vice-President MEP did get caught in the act shows who plays in the little leagues and who plays in the big ones. They probably were wise enough to receive their bribes in different means.

Arena was definitely a big part of this though, she is the President of the EP's Human Rights Committee and can choose which NGOs can be heard and who can't. No surprise she decided to call on Fight Impunity, ran by Panzeri who also happens to be her lover...this is a woman who claimed 6000 euros of expenses on a shower in her office so nothing is beyond her.

The extent to which the traditional political Left and labour movement in parts of Europe (i.e. largely in the Mediterranean)* are susceptible to corrupt practice via legacy and sentimental ties to Arab states as a result of late Cold War third pole nonsense is... a problem.

I have to disagree here :

1. The RTBF clearly showed that Tarabella for example was very critical of Qatar until suddenly he had an epiphany (probably in the shape of 500 euro bills, but, as said above, it's a probably) and changed his stance. Arena too was the type to heavily criticise Arab gulf states until suddenly she started saying we should look at things more grey-ish. My point being : I don't think this has anything to do with social democrats being naturally sympathetic to Gulf States, it is pure greed.

2. a centre-right parliamentary assistant was also arrested, and the head of the NGO was part of the whole Panella, Italian liberal circle of friends. The EP is ridiculously corrupt no matter what the political colour, there are plenty of centre-right politicians on the take of Morroco, far right politician getting their paid trips to Russia, etc.

https://twitter.com/AnaMartinsGomes/status/1602631032934748164


Also can we make this a Qatargate general thread?

[LAKISYLVANIA]

Thread is renamed.

[Zinneke]

Here is a good summary of this scandal

https://www.politico.eu/article/eva-kaili-doha-panzeri-qatargate-what-just-happened-at-the-european-parliament/

For me, as someone who has worked in the NGO field in the "Eurobubble", this is the tip of the iceberg. I cannot count the amount of times I have seen in the Human Rights Committee of the European Parliament some weird ass  praise for a random country filmed by like twelve spotty interns.

And the most strange thing is, the EP does not have much foreign policy oversight. This isn't like the US congress, most of the Foreign Policy decision are made in the European Council. Yet just having the title "MEP" is enough for Qatar or Morrocco or some Central Asian rentier state to bribe you to create a series of events and speeches and "written questions" praising them. Some concrete stuff like Visa liberalisation, which Qatar's was supposed to be discussed this week, mean that it is important to keep the EP "onside", but otherwise it's a weird decision to make the focus of the bribes the European Parliament. And at the same time, the European Parliament is the most "influence-able" without being the most influential. A bunch of overpaid shysters looking for something, anything to do if they are not the main legislator on real policies like GDPR will inevitably be in DROI, AFET and the other assorted foreign policy committees and try to monetise the thing by making big speeches and creating side events that serve no purpose other than photo ops.

Then, once said MEP retires, they get a comfy think tank or NGO. If they were well connected as Panzeri was this think tank or NGO will have a board full of celeb politicians. In this case, Panzeri used the fact that he was shagging the DROI chair to get a grant from the European Parliament grants office, and also got the likes of Federica Mogherini and other assorted Eurocratic "names" to be on the board. Others simply get financing from the state that sponsored them as an MEP. EU disinfolab has some great examples of ex=MEPs desperately seeking work to continue their Brussels lifestyle by having their own think tank to shill for a foreign government. It is widespread.

This is why European Parliament President Metsola's attempts to put the blame on outside forces is laughable. This is very much a self-inflicted wound and experts such as Albert Alemanno have said as much and called it out for years. Poor transparency, poor checks and balances, a Parliament that regulated itself and refused more checks, a national police force having to intervene instead of their own internal mechanisms...the whole institution is rotten and hopefully this will really tighten (and downsize) this bloated joke of an institution. Metsola was due to go to a negotiating table with the Commission and Council asking for more resources for the EP. If this scandal escalates, it means she will now be begging for it to even survive as a credible entity, let alone wanting to refinance the whole circus.

[Meclazine for Israel]

Let me guess. Greece is involved.

[GeneralMacArthur]

As someone with influence over the internet's most popular elections blog, where can I go to find a foreign country willing to bribe me to praise their human rights record to my loyal followers?

[Zinneke]

So, the accredited parliamentary assistant and co-founder of the dud NGO, who is Kaili's partner, confessed to a Belgian court that he was a money mover and has implicated Tarabella (the Walloon socialist MEP who, when informed of the scandal, was eating out and apparently unconcerned, Kayzer Soze style) and another Italian socialist MEP who often dealt with the Parliament's urgency resolutions. Morrocco was also using them as assets (not surprised at all given the sudden change of tune of many progressives on the Sarahawi issue).

Here is the cash seized in the operation : 1.5 million euros

 

Honorable mention to MEP Kaili who said she "wasn't aware" of 600k lying in her appartment. I'm about to check under my own sofa.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

As someone with influence over the internet's most popular elections blog, where can I go to find a foreign country willing to bribe me to praise their human rights record to my loyal followers?

Based on some posts, one could argue some atlas users are already bribed.

[Zinneke]

https://twitter.com/EPP/status/1603377414826082306?t=k6KT12uspTC1_fUvifM5IQ&...

Wow, EPP are pulling no punches. How long will it take to expose a couple of their crooks within their ranks for this to blow back on them. I really hope the social democrats, as corrupt and feckless as they are, collapse the unwritten coalition and also bring down as many people as possible with them.

[DavidB.]

Wow, EPP are pulling no punches. How long will it take to expose a couple of their crooks within their ranks for this to blow back on them. I really hope the social democrats, as corrupt and feckless as they are, collapse the unwritten coalition and also bring down as many people as possible with them.

Perhaps not long:

https://twitter.com/jackeparrock/status/1603429475936399366