These corruption hotspots have generated a corruption scandal, and the response of the Euro Parliament is “shock.”
We are “shocked.” SHOCKED. We are “reeling.”
Scusi, but UD doubts the EP’s shocked. Do they think that if you name your organization No Peace Without Justice, or No Impunity, that makes you a good person? These organizations (now known as No Justice Without a Piece of the Action, and No Punity) are simply names, and any set of values might in actuality be attached to them.
Do you know of any country that calls itself The Democratic Republic of that isn’t a tyranny? Do we really need to review these notes?
Similarly, we are supposed to be shocked because in this scandal all the greedy mfs are socialists?
I mean, let’s not be naive.
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While this scandal has rocked Brussels, the allegations have come as no great surprise to those who know the European institutions, especially the Parliament.
“The Parliament has tolerated a culture of impunity for years,” says Nicholas Aiossa, deputy director of Transparency International EU, an anti-corruption organization. “There is virtually no oversight or repercussions for the way that MEPs spend their allowances and we have seen those funds misused so many times.”
Aiossa believes that institutional corruption is only a small part of what would make an MEP such an inviting target for those seeking to influence European politics.
“The Parliament collectively has a lot of power over the direction of policy that provides access to an enormous market of over 400 million citizens. The MEPs themselves, however, often have a very low profile outside of the Brussels bubble, which probably helps avoid scrutiny.”