14
Feb
2023
Watch
Establishment of an independent EU Ethics Body (debate)
Dear Chairman, Honourable Commissioner, colleague and colleague, perhaps we should put all this in a clear context. On the one hand, a professional moral code should have moral reflections and judgments. Some have sunk, however, in the Qatargate affair, which is not only a moral dilemma but a criminal act, and we need to make a difference here. There is no question that we need to work on improving transparency and integrity in decision-making at European Union level. However, we are also witnessing continued attempts to interfere in democratic processes that have particularly intensified election cycles. With this in mind, it is important to put in place mechanisms to ensure that the highest standards of transparency and universal rules for political action are respected. However, the Parliament is not the police. Parliament is not prosecuting and we need to know clearly what its competence is. Establishing an independent ethics body can be a step forward, but in what sense? It is important that we put in place a system that ensures checks on levels in our institutions, takes into account the balance of responsibilities. In the spirit of democracy and democratic debate, however, we must not close our doors, but we must put in place filters to protect the interests of the European Union and our citizens, because remember: there are particular interests, there are interests of democratic interference in our systems and often destabilising factors interfering in different ways with our European values. Colleagues, we also need to establish clear rules, for example for lobbyists, but as I said, do not close the door to anyone. Our citizens have wide open eyes and have had confidence in this institution. So let’s retaliate with this trust and not let ‘Qatargate’ happen again, but let’s take care of what, who and where it works.