‘Qatargate’: why should the emirate be interested in bribing MEPs?

The scandal formerly known as Qatargate for payment of bribing MEPs On the part of the small Arab emirate, he is taking his first legal steps while rumors are circulating in the corridors of the European institutions about who will be next to fall.

While attention is focused on names and money, there are already those who are beginning to wonder why Qatar wants to bribe MEPs and are looking above all at an agreement with Qatar Airways.

Initial reports indicated that the arrested European Parliament vice-president, Eva Kaili from Greece, had defended Qatar’s human rights situation and its labor policies when it is estimated that more than 6,000 workers may have died in the construction of the infrastructure necessary for the soccer world cup celebration.

Community sources explain that Qatar attaches relative importance to criticism of human rights.

Another issue with more substance would be the almost approved agreement so that the citizens of Qatar, just 300,000 people because the majority of residents in the Arab country do not have citizenship, do not need a visa to travel to Europe for short periods.

Visas and flights

When looking for what else might be behind those bribes, everyone is already looking at the aviation agreement between the European Union and Qatar, signed and in force but not yet ratified. The open skies agreement was signed more than a year ago but has not yet been ratified. It is an agreement criticized by European airlines but defended by the European Commission because it would have opened “opportunities for both parties”.

Now they begin to wonder why such an unbalanced affair. There is only one airport in Qatar, so European airlines could not operate domestic flights in the country. But the EU, with that pact, allowed Qatar Airways to carry out domestic flights between European airports.

Qatar Airways would gain access to a market of nearly 450 million peopleif European airlines to one of the 2.9 million taken over by the Qatari airline.

European airlines believe Qatar would have unfair competitive advantages in the lucrative flight market between Europe and Asia, especially as direct flights to Russia are suspended for European airlines. Nor do they understand why Qatar Airways is being afforded so many privileges that it is denying its competitors in the Persian Gulf.

Karima Delli, a French environmentalist MEP and chairman of the European Parliament’s transport committee, has already warned that Qatar could interfere in deliberations and could bribe the MEPs of its committee to defend their theses.

In an e-mail sent to the political group coordinators of that committee and to which he had access clarionDelli tells them that “because of recent events, approval of this agreement may be difficult until it is determined that its terms are transparent and fair.”

The negotiators of the agreement (the European Commission) and those who have carried out the dossier so far have turned a deaf ear to the protests of European airlines and sector unions, who believe that the agreement is against the interests of l entire European aeronautical sector, from companies to their workers.

secret services

the flamenco newspaper DeStandard published this Wednesday that the investigation was launched by the Belgian secret services in collaboration with other European intelligence agencies.

State security in Belgium does not investigate political parties or officials, but rather threats against them, and collects information on events that could pose a threat to the Belgian state, including “interference in legislative processes”.

Last year the investigation was launched after interference of this nature in political positions by a foreign power was discovered. DeStandard realize that the secret services have clandestinely visited the home in Brussels of former Italian MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri, one of the inmates. There they discovered, but still not seized, 700,000 euros in cash. They were on the right track.

This information prompted the Secret Service to declassify part of their investigation and bring it to justice on July 22 of this year. The Flemish newspaper reports that the secret services have been monitoring various MEPs for more than a year in collaboration with the secret services of five other European countries.

Brussels, special

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