In response to the ongoing ‘Qatargate’ corruption scandal, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has called for the abolition of the European Parliament. Politico.eu reports:
Orbán said that the recent scandal in the Parliament showed that anti-corruption safeguards have “failed miserably.” … Orbán proposed creating a new parliament, consisting of national delegates.
According to Euronews.com,
Orbán blasted the European Parliament for recent revelations of a cash-for-favours corruption scandal that allegedly involved Qatar and borrowed a phrase from former US President Donald Trump, saying that it was time to “drain the swamp” in Brussels.
In place of the current parliament, the Hungarian prime minister envisioned a delegate-based model that would return power over the EU to its member states.
The so-called Qatargate scandal is centered around an investigation of alleged corruption involving some 60 members of the European Parliament. The story broke when five members of the parliament were arrested on December 9th.
According to CNBC.com, one of the accused, Parliament Vice President Eva Kaili, was removed from her leadership position “after Belgian authorities arrested her” on December 12th. The arrest was part of a four-month-long probe into “corruption, money laundering and criminal organization.”
The Washington Examiner reports that Kaili is one of three suspects accused of taking “large bribes.” As part of their investigation, Belgian authorities have reportedly seized a total of €750,000 in cash. The corruption probe has also affected the International Trade Union Confederation, ITUC, whose secretary general Luca Visentini recently stepped down amid accusations that he had taken money from a person central to the Qatargate investigation.
