European Institutions
“Qatargate” corruption scandal rocks European Parliament
A bribery scandal involving several high-profile current and former MEPs has sent shockwaves through Brussels. After a long-running investigation by the Belgian Secret Service into foreign interference by the Qatari state, the Belgian Federal Police carried out a series of raids in European Parliament offices and properties in Brussels on 9 December. Eva Kaili, a Greek MEP who was seen as one of the Parliament’s rising stars and was serving as one of the 14 Vice-Presidents, was arrested – along with her partner and parliamentary assistant, Francesco Giorgi. During subsequent raids, police discovered €150,000 in neatly stacked piles of banknotes in Kaili’s flat, €600,000 in the home of Pier Antonio Panzeri – an influential former Italian MEP who is alleged to have been the head of the corruption ring – and €750,000 at Kaili’s father’s Brussels hotel room.
Kaili is alleged to have directly lobbied in favour of Qatari interests during Parliamentary interventions, including on a resolution for Qatari visa deals. She had previously praised Qatar for being a “frontrunner of labour rights.” Several MEPs denounced Qatar’s “aggressive lobbying” and asked for more transparency regarding lobbying practices from third countries, as well as more accountability from EU officials. The President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola declared that European democracy itself is facing an “attack” while calling for an internal investigation. As of 30 December, Kaili, Georgi and Panzeri all remain in custody in Belgium. (link and link)
Sweden publishes programme and priorities for upcoming Council Presidency
On 14 December, Sweden presented its priorities for the upcoming Presidency of the Council of the EU, which is kicking off on 1 January 2023 for a period of six months. In the Justice and Home Affairs section, the programme is rather ambitious as it aims to make progress on several new and existing files, such as the revision of the Environmental Crime Directive, the Prüm II Regulation and the Directive on information exchange. The Swedish Presidency also announced that it will work on a new Directive to combat violence against women. Regarding migration, the programme mentions the Pact on Migration and Asylum and its ambition to ensure coordinated cooperation with third countries, as well as the need to deal with the migration consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which the OECD estimated to almost 5 million refugees across the EU and other member countries. (link)
Country News
- Belgium: On 14 December, riots broke out in Brussels following Morocco’s advance to the World Cup semi-finals, and the police arrested around 100 people amid clashes between rival fans at the end of the game. (link)
- Bulgaria: On 6 December, a Bulgarian border police officer was filmed shooting a migrant in the chest as he was trying to enter the EU and seek asylum. (link)
- Croatia: On 8 December, the Council adopted a decision to admit Croatia into the Schengen area. From 1 January 2023, checks on persons at internal borders between Croatia and other countries in the Schengen area will be lifted. (link)
- Cyprus: In December, Frontex Deputy Executive Director Lars Gerdes met with the Cypriot Minister of the Interior as the agency is monitoring the high migration flows recorded in Cyprus from the beginning of 2022 and prepares to increase support on the ground. (link)
- Czech Republic: On 8 December, the Czech Foreign Minister announced that the Chinese authorities closed two “secret police stations” located in Prague. (link)
- France: On 14 December, the French police raided the headquarters of President Emmanuel Macron’s political party as part of an investigation involving ties between consulting firms and France’s presidential campaigns in 2017 and 2022. (link)
- Germany: The German police ended a hostage situation in a shopping mall in Dresden on 10 December following an operation that lasted several hours. (link)
- Greece: On 5 December, violent protests broke out in Thessaloniki after the police shooting of a teenager who allegedly filled his vehicle at a gas station and drove off without paying. The police officer who allegedly shot him was arrested and suspended from duty. (link)
- Ireland: Recent data shows that resignations among newly recruited Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers doubled in two years, mostly because of unattractive pay. (link)
- Italy: A report published in December by a Spanish civil rights group shows that Italy hosts the highest number of unofficial Chinese “police stations” used to monitor the Chinese population abroad. (link)
- Luxembourg: On 5 December, the Internal Security budget was presented to the Luxembourgish Parliament, with 67 million euros planned for all police services, as well as an increase in police personnel. (link)
- Poland: On 14 December, Poland’s police chief has been hospitalised after a gift he received from Ukraine exploded at the police headquarters in Warsaw. (link)
Other News
EU and NATO condemn attacks on police in Kosovo as tensions rise
On 11 December, unknown attackers exchanged gunfire with the police and threw a stun grenade at the EU law enforcement deployed in the region following the arrest of a former police officer. The attacks occurred after hundreds of Serbs from Kosovo gathered at the roadblocks erected on two border crossings from Kosovo towards Serbia. Although no officers were injured, the EU’s chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, condemned the attacks and asked for calm to be “restored” in order to avoid escalation. A NATO spokesperson also declared that the transatlantic alliance calls “all parties to avoid provocative actions”. (link)
EU to abandon police cooperation deal with Israel
After years of negotiations, the European Union decided that it won’t be moving forward with an intelligence cooperation agreement between the Israeli law enforcement authorities and Europol. This decision was reportedly delivered to the Israeli ambassador to the EU on 2 December. This cooperation agreement was finalised in September and aimed to facilitate the transfer of information between Israeli and EU police in the fight against crime and terrorism. Israeli officials suspect this decision was motivated by a new right-wing government taking shape in the country, as Members of the European Parliament like Grace O’Sullivan (Greens) warned that “the EU should not be doing deals with illiberal democracies, especially in the area of security”. (link)
Look Ahead
- 10 January 2023: Law Enforcement Working Party (Police)
- 12 January 2023
- CEPOL is hosting an informative webinar on the 2023 Exchange Programme. More information here.
- The European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) will meet to discuss violence against women and domestic violence, the information exchange directive and the e-evidence regulation.