Political Instability Due to Lack of Transparency in the European Parliament, Irregularities in Opponent Leader Marine Le Pen's Case
Marine Le Pen, a key member of the European Parliament, has been found guilty of embezzling European Parliament funds, causing a stir across Europe and the world. However, Le Pen's case is just one example, pointing to a larger issue of lack of transparency and financial embezzlement within the European Parliament.
Response from Le Pen’s Supporters From Budapest to Washington, Le Pen's political allies have claimed that the case is politically motivated, particularly when the Paris court banned her from holding any political office for five years, which could prevent her from participating in the 2027 French presidential election.
Irregularities in Parliamentary Assistants' Rules and Fund Usage The 720 members of the European Parliament are allocated around $250 million per year for their assistants, which is used for administrative work, speech writing, and legal proposals. However, critics have long argued that this funding is conducive to financial and political corruption.
Only two rules are applicable: family members cannot be hired, and assistants must work on EU-related tasks. However, there are no clear measures for the implementation of these rules. When charges were brought against Le Pen, many of her party members' assistants were found to be performing other duties in addition to their work in the EU Parliament, including serving as Le Pen’s bodyguards.
Revelations of the Qatargate Scandal and Huawei Case In 2022, the Qatargate scandal emerged, where several high-ranking EU members, assistants, lobbyists, and their relatives were accused of accepting bribes from Qatari and Moroccan officials. Additionally, an investigation is underway regarding the bribing of European members by the Chinese company Huawei.
How Does the Parliament Regulate Itself? The European Parliament primarily relies on national judiciaries and the European agency OLAF to investigate embezzlement of funds by its own members. OLAF can only investigate and recommend actions but cannot prosecute accused individuals. However, legal action taken by national judicial systems is rare.
Barriers to the European Parliament's Integrity Initiative The European Union has somewhat tightened transparency policies, but it was insufficient, especially after the Qatargate scandal. The establishment of a new European ethics office was delayed for a long time and could not be implemented due to opposition from major political parties.
This presents a major crisis for the European Parliament, as it appears unable to take necessary action against irregularities and embezzlement.
