”We are not here to make lives easier for certain individuals, thereby seeking our own personal gain.”

On Wednesday, 10 May 2023, MEP Irena Joveva discussed an update of the EU’s anti-corruption legislative framework at the plenary session in Strasbourg. She underscored that those elected to the European Parliament are there to act for the common good of all people, not to make lives easier for “individuals with deep pockets”, thereby seeking their own personal gain.

The MEP began her speech by listing the most prominent corruption scandals that have shocked citizens, Member States and the European and global public alike. Among them, she mentioned the most recent affair, the so-called Qatargate, while also recalling the “LuxLeaks”, “Galvin report”, “cash-for-influence” and the most notorious “Cresson” affair, which even led to the resignation of the entire European Commission at the time.

These are just a few of the high-profile corruption scandals at European level, and there are many more at Member State level, noted Joveva, adding that this is an extremely big problem, which not only undermines democratic values, but time and again erodes the already fragile trust in politics and politicians:

“We are here to work for the common good of all people, not to make lives easier for certain companies, countries and individuals with deep pockets, and in so doing seeking our own personal gain. It is true that some anti-corruption safeguards and mechanisms are in place, but they are more than clearly insufficient.”

In Joveva’s view, a directive on combating corruption is long overdue, but with the Commission’s current proposal, it is at least finally on the table:

“The proposal finally introduces a single supranational legislation and envisages penalties for corruption crimes. Those who seek to profit will thus finally end up alongside other offenders – behind bars.”

BACKGROUND

During her State of the Union address in September 2022, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged that the Commission would come forward with proposals to tackle corruption. The latest revelations of alleged corrupt practices in the European Parliament have added fuel to the fire, and the Commission subsequently unveiled a proposal for a directive on combating corruption on 3 May 2023.

The European Parliament, as co-legislator, is involved in the examination of proposals to ensure optimal implementation of the rules, political oversight and accountability of those elected. MEPs have taken stock of the European Commission’s anti-corruption proposals in the plenary. The European Union aims to enhance existing frameworks, proactively tackle corruption at the policy-making level, support Member States in these efforts and leverage the annual rule of law report. In addition, the proposal foresees new rules on criminal offences, harmonised penalties across the Member States, and a dedicated regime to target corruption worldwide.

In addition to the latest Qatargate affair, other high-profile scandals in the European Union include the Cresson affair, the “cash-for-influence” affair, LuxLeaks and the Galvin report.

You can watch MEP Joveva’s speech in Slovenian here.