The conviction of Marine Le Pen for embezzling EU Parliament funds has raised concerns about transparency and corruption within the EU legislature. The case is just one example of a broader issue affecting members across the political spectrum.
Le Pen, leader of the National Rally party, was found guilty of redirecting millions of euros earmarked for EU political work to serve the party’s domestic interests. The party employed staffers who were declared as EU parliamentary assistants but had other duties, including Le Pen’s bodyguard.
Transparency advocates say the case highlights the lack of oversight of spending at the EU legislature. A similar scandal, Qatargate, emerged in 2022, involving high-profile center-left EU lawmakers and officials from Qatar and Morocco.
Other cases include allegations of bribery involving Chinese company Huawei and German far-right lawmaker Maximilian Krah’s aide being accused of being a Chinese agent.
Critics argue that the EU parliament’s assistant fund is ripe for abuse, with some members having dozens of assistants. The assembly has no clear system for enforcing rules on assistants’ duties and those hired by family members.
Transparency International says Le Pen’s conviction highlights accountability but argues the convictions were not ‘lawfare’ as her allies claim. Independent investigations have led to recommendations, but prosecution is rare once member states are involved.
The EU parliament relies on national judiciaries and OLAF to investigate irregularities, with prosecution being rare due to opposition from the largest parliamentary group.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/european-union-parliament-le-pen-corruption-explainer-3293717d677e05f2a66f67e50018d760