The only way to root out corruption in Brussels is to involve national parliaments

The European Parliament’s plenary session on Thursday called on the Commission to initiate a new ethics body to tackle corruption. The Fidesz delegation to the European Parliament is firmly committed to ending corruption in Brussels, but this can only be achieved through profound changes. Instead of sham institutions that control themselves and do not meet the requirements of political independence, we need real change, and this can only be achieved by involving national parliaments.

Fidesz MEP Ernő Schaller-Baross pointed out in his speech that the EU institutions actively resist any kind of rule of law control. They are constantly averting the possibility of control from the Member States in order to ensure that it does not inadvertently threaten their powers and objectives. He stressed that a new, independent ethics body can only be supported if it is set up in full respect of the Treaties and also gives Member States adequate powers.

MEP László Trócsányi said that the text adopted in the EP plenary session is not a comprehensive, well-drafted proposal, but reflects the ideas of the individual political groups. A new ethics body must be capable of effectively fighting corruption, and for this it is essential that it is genuinely independent in its organisation, staff and powers, free of politics and ideology, in line with the requirements of the EU Treaties. Only a genuinely independent body, established by national parliaments and separate from the persons they control, could effectively fight corruption.

“In the absence of the conditions outlined, this initiative is just another step in the service of the EU’s power interests and the political ambitions of the European left”, concluded MEP Schaller-Baross.