For several European leaders, such as Viktor Orbán and Marine Le Pen, the corruption scandal in the European Parliament is proof of the European Union’s double standards, writes Politico.
For years, certain politicians have clashed with the European Union over their understanding of the rule of law, discrimination against minorities, and maintaining unwanted ties with, for example, Vladimir Putin. Now that the corruption scandal has erupted in Brussels, the far-right leaders feel the opportunity to change the game in their favor. They are preparing accusations against the European Union, which allegedly allowed large-scale corruption, while at the same time teaching others how to run their country.
As a result, right-wing politicians, from Le Pen in France and Orbán in Hungary to Andrzej Duda in Poland, may seek to use the corruption scandal as a political weapon and incite anti-EU sentiment ahead of the 2024 European Parliament elections.
Le Pen said on Twitter that her party was under fire for a perfectly legal loan from a bank, while Qatar allegedly brought suitcases of cash to the European Parliament. Orbán, on the other hand, published a picture on Twitter of laughing world leaders and wished good morning to the European Parliament.
Good morning to the European Parliament! @Europarl_EN pic.twitter.com/VYXGeSOwul
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) December 12, 2022
Politicians from Poland’s ruling Law and Order party made a similar remark, noting that Eva Kaili, one of those caught up in the corruption scandal, had been a vocal critic of Poland. Brussels has regularly reprimanded Poland for violations of the rule of law.
The leading officials of the European Union, including the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, have strongly condemned the incident and vowed to eradicate corruption in all institutions of the European Union. In total, more than 60,000 people are employed in all bloc countries.
However, among far-right politicians, who in many places position themselves as the main opponents of the “bureaucrats of the European Union”, such promises do not find listening ears. They point out that the accusations only highlight the double standards of the European Union, which is said to be quick to condemn Poland and Hungary, but at the same time unable to clean up its own mess.
Even on the left wing, some politicians have admitted that the accusations, which so far affect only the socialist and democrat groups in the European Parliament, are seriously undermining trust. They show the right-wing, who receive Russian money, and the socialists, who have accepted Qatari money, as equal.