Press release
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EFA MEPs call for zero tolerance against corruption.
The European Free Alliance group in the European Parliament demands an exhaustive and transparent investigation to get to the root of the recent Qatar lobby scandal.
The EFA group has zero tolerance for corruption and calls for more measures to prevent further cases from occurring. Together in the Greens/EFA group, we call for a specific committee of enquiry to investigate corruption and the influence of third countries in the European Parliament, as well as the creation of a special post in the Bureau of the European Parliament to investigate transparency, integrity and the fight against corruption in the Parliament. We propose the creation of an independent ethics body, banning donations from third countries to political parties and regulating the transition processes of outgoing MEPs.
Jordi Solé, President of the EFA Parliamentary Group, MEP for Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya:
"The shadow of corruption today is tarnishing the reputation of this Parliament. But this threat is not new. We already had suspicions that certain autocratic regimes might be trying to influence the work of this House by illicit means".
"I personally denounced this in 2017 through an amendment adopted by this plenary, which also called for, and I quote, "strong measures to prevent such corruption from taking place, which would undermine the credibility and legitimacy of Parliament's work". But we did nothing."
"I hope we will now act with concrete measures, such as providing ourselves with a truly independent ethics committee. Being aware that, even if we had the highest standards, in the end, whether there is corruption or not, depends on our sense of democratic responsibility and our ethics."
"Against corruption, there are no excuses of any kind."
Diana Riba i Giner, EFA MEP for Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya:
"The #QatarGate reports are serious, especially because they break the basis of what any democracy is founded on: people's trust."
"The image of security forces seizing briefcases containing hundreds of thousands of euros from politicians and workers of this House not only shames us as an institution but deeply disgusts us."
"We must be ruthless: let us set up a Commission of Inquiry; let us set up an independent ethics body with the power to investigate all European institutions; let us ban donations from third countries to political parties and MEPs, and let us introduce a transitional period for former MEPs who leave their seats to ensure that they do not use their influence for purposes such as we have seen in this case.
"Zero tolerance for corruption. Zero tolerance for the corrupt."
Ana Miranda, EFA MEP for the Bloque Nacionalista Galego:
"In the Human Rights Commission of last November 14, in which Qatar was debated, from the BNG, we denounced that the football world cup could not be an excuse to cover up unacceptable situations, such as those related to the working conditions of workers."
Greater transparency and increased control are essential to avoid a repetition of corruption in the European institutions".
"We need to move from fine words to deeds and take firm steps to fight corruption. Her dismissal was the only option".
