It's all just so incredibly sleazy. Hundreds of thousands of euros in cash in bags and suitcases, jewelry, expensive watches, hints of luxury vacations sponsored by a Gulf state. Allegedly, the state behind all this is Qatar.
The corruption affair in the European Parliament sounds like the plot of a second-rate mafia thriller. Even as police were executing search warrants on suspects' houses on the weekend, the father of the principal suspect, Eva Kaili, attempted to slip away with €600,000 ($638,364) in a suitcase.
Immensely damaging for the Parliament
Quite apart from the sordid circumstances of this corruption affair, which involves not only the now deposed vice-president, but also a clique of ex-MPs and former parliamentary staff from Italy, the damage to the European Parliament appears to be immense. The vast majority of MEPs give the job their all, working through the night on complex EU environmental legislation, for example — only for a small group of unscrupulous colleagues to destroy their reputation in one fell swoop.
The scandal is also one of shocking stupidity. MEPs earn five-figure salaries, and their expense allowances are more than generous. Why would someone destroy their career out of sheer greed, and then leave the cash lying around in bags and suitcases in hotel rooms and apartments? Did Eva Kaili and her friends assume that none of this would ever come out, that no one would tip off the police? The Belgian prosecutors had been tapping the suspects' phones for some time, so a lot of unpleasant details will come to light.
Their constant propaganda on Qatar's behalf had already attracted attention in the parliament, as had the fact that a leading trade unionist, of all people, was praising the quality of the labor laws in the Gulf state. But it had never occurred to anyone that such blatant, shameless corruption might be involved. Every honest, well-meaning, hard-working parliamentarian feels betrayed, and fears that their reputation has been destroyed.
On Twitter, Hungary's Viktor Orban immediately poured salt in the wound: The corrupt European Parliament, of all things, accuses Hungary of corruption? The EP has indeed been especially vocal in opposing Orban's autocratic government and dismantling of democracy, and has been urging the other European institutions finally to take a stand against him. Now it is itself compromised, and has lost credibility. This is a heavy blow for European citizens' only directly elected representative body.
Once a reputation is ruined...
The worst of it is that the damage done is almost irreparable. The scandal will be remembered for a long time because of its scope and because of the international headlines. It also offers validation for all those, particularly on the right of the political spectrum, who are already agitating against the EU and casting doubt on its policies and institutions.
The European Parliament's actual power is still limited. It has gained more co-determination rights in recent years but its influence still consists mainly of "soft power." However, anyone claiming the moral high ground and using the fight for European values and democracy as a political instrument must be untouchable. A clean record is fundamental to the European Parliament's influence. If autocrats and right-wing populists can point their fingers at MEPs and mock their scandals, it loses a great deal.
New anti-corruption rules won't heal the wound
Of course, the parliament needs new rules to strengthen the supervision of MPs' work and take action against corruption. Until now, this stable door was wide open, because the rules applied only to lobbying by companies, not third countries. There would also be all kinds of suspects requiring investigation: from Azerbaijan — which caused a scandal with a corruption affair in the Council of Europe — to Russia.
However, the best resolutions like these can do is help prevent a repetition of such scandals. They cannot restore trust that has been destroyed; they cannot heal the wound. It's a painful realization for many members of the European Parliament. When the EP presents the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to the Ukrainian people in an awards ceremony this week, both its reputation and the pride in its own institution will have suffered, giving an unusually bitter aftertaste to the celebratory speeches.
This article has been translated from German.