Echoes of the EP corruption scandal

The main pro-government daily devotes two editorials in as many days to the case of the left-wing MEPs accused of having taken bribes from a Middle East country (apparently Qatar).

In the first Magyar Nemzet comment on the charges against five left-wing MEPs including Eva Kaili, the Greek deputy speaker of the European Parliament who stands accused of being bribed (by Qatar), László Szőcs writes that corruption is in fact a standard practice within the European Union. French European Commissioner Edith Cresson was found guilty of concluding a fake contract with her dentist; Maltese commissioner John Dalli had to leave his post after being accused of corruption, and a German MEP reported that he had received 1400 offers over two years to lobby for various entities. Szőcs remarks that Ms Kaili regularly voted in favour of EP resolutions accusing Hungary ‘in general terms’ of widespread corruption.

In the second Magyar Nemzet editorial on the issue, Ottó Gajdics also finds the European Union guilty of applying double standards on matters of corruption and ‘noticing the mote in Hungary’s eye while ignoring the beam in their own’. Thanks to the Belgian police, he writes, the bribes originating from Qatar have come to the surface, unlike the support European dignitaries have been receiving from George Soros. Gajdics claims Mr Soros has often been received in Brussels by leading EU officials because of payments made to them and to NGOs they are on good terms with. He concludes by calling it ridiculous of ‘corrupt scoundrels’ to accuse the Hungarian government of corruption.

Tags: corruption, EU