The EU mainstream's no-holds-barred approach

This approach is slowly but surely undermining the credibility of the European institutions.

BELGIUM-POLITICS-JUSTICE-TRIAL-QATARGATE Fotó: SIMON WOHLFAHRT

Democracy works in mysterious ways. A few years ago, Joel Caston, convicted of murder, became the first man to secure an elected office in Washington DC, while sitting behind bars during the local elections. His new office included oversight of the prison where he was serving his sentence. Prison inmates can also be elected to office in India. Although European political life is not yet there, we are supposed to set higher standards for our elected politicians. Especially as the guardians of democracy and the rule of law in the EU have been so vigilant in recent years that they would not hesitate to exclude Hungary from EU decision-making on the grounds of corruption. This was clearly shown by the recent European Parliament resolution approved by the main parliamentary groups, that deemed Hungary unfit to hold the rotating EU presidency in 2024.

Earlier this week, we received different news reports. Greek Socialist MEP Eva Kaili, who is accused of accepting a large sum of Qatari slush money, has not only had her house arrest lifted, but is now also allowed to vote in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, her workplace. What a noble gesture! Ms Kaili,  having sunk knee-deep in corruption and treading in bundles of euros reaching up to her ankle, is now allowed to vote - together with her comrades - at a time when corruption in Hungary happens to be back on the agenda in Strasbourg. Not a sign of any inhibition or self-restraint. Belgian socialist MEP Marc Tarabella, another suspect in Brussels' corruption scandal, also voted against Hungary.

These people have a knack for spotting the speck in someone else's eye while failing to see even a huge plank in their own, which comes as no surprise, if we take into account that they are executing a predetermined political task. After all, they were not recruited as philosophers on morality, so they are not required to have too many qualms. Regarding this hypocrisy, Hungarian Justice Minister Judit Varga said she would not be surprised if Ms Kaili was appointed rapporteur in a case involving corruption.

The case of a senior official at the European Commission who happens to lead a Brussels directorate general in charge of developing the EU's neighborhood and enlargement policy while owning a luxury hotel in Bali also speaks volumes about inhibitions, of their lack thereof. Are Eurocrats really paid this well? While Gert Jan Koopman, a native of the supposedly prudish Dutch nation, was raking in dollars from holidaymakers in the Indonesian holiday resort, one of the EU's "main problems" was that Hungary allowed government politicians to sit on university boards of trustees. Conflict of interest, just like corruption, appears to be governed by one specific law now known to physicists as Koopman's theorem: it only ever happens in other places, never with us...

This is slowly but surely undermining the credibility of the European institutions. It could also reinforce, among other reasons, such as the excessive (armed) support for Ukraine, the process in which

recent elections in several EU countries, including Italy, Finland and Spain, have witnessed a right-wing turnaround. In France, Poland and Austria, the forces opposing the EU mainstream are also rather popular. Indeed, the National Rally, Law and Justice and the Austrian Freedom Party, all friends of the Orban government, are now the strongest opposition parties in their countries.

The double standard of corruption, the hoarding of slush monies and warmongering rhetoric is pushing the European mainstream further away from ordinary people, while news about Ms Kaili, Mr Tarabella and their likes is only widening the gap.

Cover photo: Eva Kaili (Photo: Simon Wohlfahrt)