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That Europe’s lawmakers are universally honest is a fantasy even the most credulous would have been forced to abandon since Qatargate so spectacularly highlighted cash-for-influence in Brussels (the suitcases stuffed with banknotes made it the very caricature of crookedness).
Nor is it surprising that the city is ripe for corruption, given the concentration of legislators and lobbyists. What is surprising is the lack of coordination to combat such malfeasance – as Elisa Braun highlighted in last week’s exposé of tensions between the European Parliament and Belgian prosecutors.
Long story short, Parliament doesn’t trust the Belgian authorities to handle these complex cases, which already cause major reputational damage to the institutions, and are all the more compromising if the investigations are botched. The trust that had been promised to Belgium’s judiciary in the wake of Qatargate has since been withdrawn, following “careless” errors by investigators of this year’s “Huawei-gate”.
Further proof of the strained relations between local law enforcement and the European institutions came as the Parliament again delayed the hearings for the four MEPs involved in the Huaweigate probe, three parliamentary sources told Elisa. This means there will be a ten-month gap between the Belgian authorities’ requests and Parliament’s decision to allow the probe to continue.
Then again, who could expect the Belgian feds to keep the lid on institutional corruption? Beset by a chronic lack of resources and budgetary constraints, Belgium’s anti-corruption unit is at odds to deal with the workload pushed their way by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office. Besides, Belgium’s federal government is currently unable to agree on a 2026 budget (that sets out to save at least €10 billion), whilst Brussels authorities are overwhelmed by drug-related violence.
Clearly a new approach is needed to make sure the EU runs a tight ship. What form this might take isn’t immediately clear; if Belgium isn’t equipped to keep the institutions in check, could the task be handed to a supernational body? Because until a legitimate and capable authority is nominated, it’s only a matter of time before the next scandal-gate makes a mockery of the whole Union.
Roundup
Looking beyond China for critical minerals – The Commission is set to finalise a new plan to reduce reliance on China for critical minerals by the end of the year, following Beijing’s announcement of sweeping export controls on rare earths. The new initiative would boost trade links with third countries and increase domestic mining and refining, and joint stockpiling.
Commission ready to compromise on farming subsidies – The Commission is “ready at the technical level” to give ground on its plan to merge farmer and regional subsidies in the bloc’s next €2 trillion budget. A top MEP told Euractiv that it is “in the interest of the Council that the Commission amends its proposal.”
Cutting the lifeline to global health funds – The Commission may stop funding lifesaving global health and immunisation organisations Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the Global Fund, whose vaccine and prevention programmes have saved over 90 million lives. Since 2021, the EU has contributed €3.5 billion to these global funds, but their operations are under threat since the US slashed its USAID budget.
Across Europe
Sánchez loses Junts support – The Catalan separatist party Junts decided to “unanimously break relations” with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s ruling Socialist Workers’ Party, citing “unfulfilled promises” as Sánchez failed to grant greater powers to Catalonia. The announcement further undermines the fragile coalition government.
Serbia questions EU credibility – As student-led pro-democracy protests continue to sweep Serbia and local trust in Brussels erodes, the EU finds itself in a difficult balancing act as it tries to both uphold its democratic principles and its green industrial strategy.
Macron cyberbullies on trial – Ten people have been put on trial for circulating unsubstantiated claims that Brigitte Macron was assigned male at birth. The Macrons also filed a defamation lawsuit in the United States at the end of July.
