The present Commission president was accused of a battle of curiosity in accepting the hospitality of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, simply days earlier than MEPs determined whether or not to grant her a second mandate.
Ursula von der Leyen’s 2023 vacation within the Cretan house of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis revealed a “structural flaw” within the EU’s ethics guidelines, the bloc’s ombudsman Emily O’Reilly mentioned on Monday.
The Commission offered conflicting accounts of the August 2023 journey and its “incomprehensible” and illegal year-long delay in responding to complaints amounted to maladministration, O’Reilly mentioned – findings that critics say are a part of a sample of poor administration by von der Leyen. superior staff.
The EU code of conduct prevents commissioners from accepting hospitality besides in accordance with diplomatic and courtesy protocol – however it isn’t clear how one can take care of moral grey areas when it’s the President, normally the arbiter of such issues, to be on the entrance line.
“This seems to be a structural hole that needs to be addressed by the Commission to ship a transparent message to the general public relating to the accountability of its management,” O’Reilly mentioned, including that she was “not satisfied” that the Commission had handled complaints with due pace and diligence.
The Commission denied moral issues, saying the journey was commonplace when it comes to political and diplomatic relations – however, O’Reilly famous, the Commission had elsewhere mentioned the go to was personal and unofficial, an obvious contradiction that it was by no means defined. reconciled.
A delay of just about a 12 months in responding to a request for transparency on the matter “isn’t solely incomprehensible, but additionally violates the deadlines set by European laws,” O’Reilly mentioned, claiming that von der Leyen’s closest aides , referred to as his Cabinet, have been responsible of a selected slowness.
The three-day go to was first reported by Greek web site Zarpa News, which mentioned von der Leyen and her husband had stayed for 3 days in a villa in Chania, Crete, as visitors of Mitsotakis.
But critics say this isn’t the primary time – likening the problem to the secrecy over textual content messages von der Leyen allegedly despatched to Pfizer’s boss as he negotiated Covid vaccine contracts, a matter which has now gone to the US courts EU.
“Misadministration has turn out to be the system, that is how they govern Europe and so they appear to assume it is regular,” Sophie in ‘t Veld, the previous MEP who made the criticism, advised Euronews, including that the findings ” ought to ship shockwaves by means of any democracy.” establishment, however they only shrug, they do not care.
The European Commission didn’t instantly reply to Euronews’ request for remark.
“The Commission is the supervisory authority of EU regulation… it does this in opposition to nationwide governments, it should preserve knowledgeable distance,” added in ‘t Veld, citing quite a few circumstances the place the Commission ought to have been robust on Athens, together with migrants. rejections, use of spy ware and a corruption case involving railway safety.
“I discover it tough to think about how someday she might be on a non-public vacation with Mitsotakis, and the following day she might be handing him an infringement process,” she mentioned in ‘t Veld.
Von der Leyen seems set to win approval for a second five-year time period in Wednesday’s vote, however members of the European Parliament in teams just like the Greens nonetheless look like wavering.
