Do as I say, not as I do – the European Parliament
So much of what the EU countries do in putting pressure and providing support to developing countries when addressing corruption is laudable and yet, at the European Parliament, they seem to shrink from transparency and accountability. Euractiv investigated the most recent European Parliament allegations regarding undue influence by Huawei, as their implications that corrupt behaviors occurred. At the heart of the matter is the fact that parliamentary members have immunity, and waivers must be issued by the EP, by a vote after review by the Legal Affairs committee. The Belgian authorities have noted that they need some discretion, as investigations are incomplete, and they can be undermined if significant information must be shared, jeopardize their probe by tipping off suspects as well as reputational damage to MEPs if details were leaked. Highlighting the situation, showing the significant pushback, it was noted that “[s]ix months after the immunity waivers were requested, Parliament has yet to set a vote, with MEPs still arguing over whether to lift their colleagues’ protections and criticising the prosecutor’s approach behind closed doors.” As someone who has worked in countries where European donors have lectured local authorities about the absolute need of transparency, this does make one wonder if there are two sets of rules.
Why should we care and what should we do? As is the case in much anti-corruption work, there is a significant amount of gray in actions. We can be assured that the MEPs who are being investigated no doubt have important reasons to slow down the Belgian authorities. Yet six months seems like a very long time to decide what can or cannot be shared. We should care because we, in the developed world, should lead the way and be more transparent. And, we should have clear deadlines, which we require of our recipients. What we should do in these situations is realize that maybe our systems need review and that we should use the same criteria we require of others. At the end of the day transparency and accountability are essential and should be a requirement so that the European Union citizens can feel confident that the European Parliament is leading in the fight against corruption, not being dragged along kicking and screaming. From a distance, six months seems more like kicking and screaming, rather than candor.
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