Following a major corruption scandal, the European Parliament has sparked calls for drastic change. This stance came from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, as reported by TASS.
“The scandal in the European Parliament is a clear signal. Anti-corruption guarantees did not work. If public trust is to be restored, the AP should be dissolved,” Orban stated.
He proposed a rebuilt European Parliament comprised of national deputies, with oversight of the EU’s legislative process shifted back to the member states. The aim, according to his remarks, is to create greater accountability, stronger control, and renewed public trust in the Parliament.
On December 15, Orban called for a thorough cleansing of corruption in Brussels. He noted that corruption had long been a known issue and that recent developments had reached a point requiring police action, as cited by his government team.
Authorities are pursuing leads as police recover millions of euros, with the broader question of who else in Brussels might be implicated continuing to unfold.
Scandal in Brussels
In early December, Belgian police detained four individuals, including European Parliament Vice-President Eva Kaili, on charges of forming a criminal organization, corruption, and money laundering. The detainees, linked to social democratic circles, are accused of accepting bribes to push Qatar’s interests, according to official statements and court filings [Source: Belgian authorities].
Former European Parliament member Antonio Panzeri and Luca Visentini, who leads the International Trade Union Confederation, were also taken into custody. Police conducted multiple searches as part of extensive investigations into the case.
The prosecution argues that Kaili and the other suspects promoted positive assessments of Qatar ahead of major events and allegedly concealed human rights concerns in the country. In exchange, prosecutors suggest, they stood to gain money and valuable gifts [Source: official statements].
On December 12, Greek authorities froze Eva Kaili’s assets, including accounts belonging to her relatives. By December 13, most Members of the European Parliament endorsed her removal from the vice presidency, and Kaili was expelled from her Greek political party [Source: Greek authorities/reports].
Belgian media later reported that Kaili’s father was detained at a Brussels hotel, and a cash-filled purse was found, with allegations that the parliamentarian had directed funds to conceal them from investigators [Source: Le Soir findings].
Investigators also seized more than 1.5 million euros in cash and other valuable gifts from the suspects. Kaili herself admitted giving her father a briefcase of cash, according to investigators [Sources: Belgian authorities].
Antonio Panzeri, another key figure, admitted involvement in corruption schemes and was detained in a Brussels apartment where a substantial cash sum was discovered [Source: police statements].
Social democrats against Orban
Historically, the European Parliament has invoked procedures addressing the governance of member states. In 2018, reports highlighted tensions around the Hungarian government under Viktor Orban, with accusations of power imbalance, limits on political freedoms, and corruption concerns.
Orban accused members of the Social Democratic bloc of attempting to penalize Hungary for its stance on immigration and its defense of Christian values. In a related note, a 2022 discussion in Euronews cited remarks by former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt linking Hungary to high levels of EU corruption, a claim that continued to echo in public discourse [Source: Euronews/Open discussions].
Is von der Leyen next?
On December 18, Newsbreak published an open letter by seven MEPs urging EU officials to examine transactions tied to Heiko von der Leyen, husband of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The letter questions the transparency of vaccine contracts with Pfizer and other related arrangements [Source: Newsbreak].
The letter asserts that Orgenesis Inc., where von der Leyen serves as medical director, received a substantial sum from the European Commission. It argues that the appearance of a conflict of interest is heightened by the spouse’s role, a claim described as potentially the largest scandal since the EU’s founding [Source: MEP letter].
Meanwhile, von der Leyen reportedly resigned from a high-level fund supervisory role, though reports indicate that connections with Orgenesis Italy SRL continued to receive grants, and related EU subsidiaries in Europe were not registered in the transparency registry. The ongoing reporting notes questions about disclosures and governance within the EU framework [Source: media reports].