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| Euro MPs Involved in Scandal 22/03/2011 |
| (2011-03-22) |
| Last updated: 2011-03-23 13:03 EET |
Sunday’s edition of the British daily paper The Times accuses three Euro MPs, a Romanian, a Slovenian and an Austrian, of putting forward legislative amendments in exchange for money. Sunday Times reporters posed as lobbyists and offered the MPs 100 000 euros.
Romanian MP Adrian Severin allegedly sent an invoice to the false lobbyists after informing them that the required amendment had been submitted in due time. The first consequences of the scandal were the investigation opened at the European Parliament and the resignations of the Slovenian and the Austrian MPs.
Adrian Severin has refused to follow suit, convinced that he had been set up because he is unwelcome in the European parliament. He has only accepted to resign as vice-president of the opposition Social Democrat Party and from the group of European Socialists, until the situation clears up. One does not resign if one knows he is innocent, Severin tries to justify his attitude.
Adrian Severin: ‘’You can only resign if you consider the allegations to be true. And the fact that certain appearances created with bad intentions make some believe that the allegations are true, this is not a resignation reason, but an investigation one.’’
The three MPs will indeed be submitted to an investigation of the European Parliament on the ground of documents received from the Sunday Times, deputy president of the European parliament Diana Wallis said. She said that they would have to look into the cases on an individual basis, as well as analyze the far-reaching implications on the institution.’’
A colleague of Severin in Brussels, Monica Macovei is a former Romanian minister of justice and the stout supporter of a firm integrity code in Romanian politics. She called on Severin to hand in his resignation immediately.
Another Romanian Euro MP Marian Jean Marinescu fears the scandal will affect the image of the European institution:‘’The worst part is that this corruption-marred image will take its toll on us and on our activity.’’
The image of the Social Democrat Party, which was related to corruption in the past, will most likely not be spared either, after avoiding the radical solution, that is expelling Severin from the party.
The National Anticorruption Directorate has also taken notice of a potential corruption act, investigating Adrian Severin for income-related irregularities.
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