Corruption Scandal Roils European Parliament

Welcome to today’s Morning Brief, where we’re looking at the corruption scandal roiling Europe, Bangladesh’s unrest, and Peru’s new cabinet. 

If you would like to receive Morning Brief in your inbox every weekday, please sign up here.

Belgian prosecutors charged four individuals on Sunday for their alleged involvement in a suspected Qatari bribery campaign to influence the European Parliament in a scandal that has rattled European nations.

The four people, who were not named, were accused of corruption, money laundering, and participating in a criminal organization. Sunday’s charges mark the latest turn in a lengthy investigation that publicly unfolded on Friday, when authorities raided 16 homes—uncovering $631,800 in cash—and brought six people in for questioning. Two were later released. 

Investigators “have suspected a Gulf country to influence the economic and political decisions of the European Parliament,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement. “This is done so by paying large sums of money or offering large gifts to third parties with a significant political and/or strategic position within the European Parliament.”

Although authorities did not explicitly name Qatar, sources told multiple Belgian and international outlets that authorities were referring to Doha. The New York Times reported that the original six people were Eva Kaili, a vice president of the European Parliament; her father, Alexandros; her partner, Francesco Giorgi; Luca Visentini, chief of the International Trade Union Confederation; Pier Antonio Panzeri, a former member of the European Parliament; and an unidentified sixth person. 

The charges have shocked the European Union, fueling concerns of foreign influence operations and corruption within one of its key institutions. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola responded swiftly, suspending Kaili over the investigation; her Greek party also removed her.

Kaili had been a staunch supporter of Qatar, previously declaring Doha to be a “front-runner in labor rights” despite considerable global scrutiny of its treatment of migrant workers ahead of the World Cup, as Human Rights Watch’s Rothna Begum chronicled in Foreign Policy. 

Qatar, for its part, has rejected the reports of Belgium’s investigation. “We are not aware of any details of an investigation,” a government spokesperson told AFP, adding that “any claims of misconduct by the state of Qatar are gravely misinformed.”

Monday, Dec. 12: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen meets International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol.

Tuesday, Dec. 13: South Africa’s National Assembly debates holding impeachment proceedings against President Cyril Ramaphosa.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz meets Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. 

Tuesday, Dec. 13, to Thursday, Dec. 15: U.S. President Joe Biden hosts a U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit.

Tuesday, Dec. 13, to Friday, Dec. 16: IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi visits South Korea. 

Wednesday, Dec. 14: The European Union hosts a summit with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Bangladesh’s unrest. Demonstrations swept Bangladesh over the weekend, with tens of thousands of people marching through the capital city of Dhaka to protest against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and call for her resignation. Protests were planned by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), an opposition party, which has criticized Hasina for surging fuel prices and human rights violations. Hasina has ruled since 2009 and harshly cracked down on opposition, most recently arresting two leaders of the BNP on Friday. 

“In recent weeks, we have seen an alarming escalation of repression by the authorities, who are carrying out mass arrests of political activists, raising serious concerns about violence, intimidation, and harassment ahead of the parliamentary elections next year,” Yamini Mishra, Amnesty International’s regional director for South Asia, said in a statement last week. 

Peru’s new cabinet. Days after her predecessor was ousted and then detained, Peruvian President Dina Boluarte has named a new cabinet. During the swearing-in ceremony, she had the 17 ministers vow to act “loyally and faithfully without committing acts of corruption.” 

Geopolitics dominated the world in 2022, with Russia’s war in Ukraine and competition between the United States and China impacting everything from energy to food to semiconductors. What trends from 2022 will prove enduring? How will foreign policy shape the world in 2023? 

Join FP’s Ravi Agrawal for an exclusive, two-part conversation with FP columnist and Harvard University professor Stephen M. Walt. The first part will focus on the year that was; the second will look ahead to the next 12 months. Subscribers can send in their questions in advance.

China copes with COVID-19 outbreaks. After loosening zero-COVID restrictions, Chinese authorities are now racing to mobilize hospital resources and establish more intensive care facilities in response to ballooning COVID-19 case numbers. Some businesses have reportedly closed because they don’t have enough COVID-19-free staff available to work. 

• India’s Maddening Russia Policy Isn’t as Bad as Washington Thinks by Derek Grossman

• Don’t Be Afraid of a Russian Collapse by Kristi Raik

• U.S. Plans for a Hypothetical War Limit Aid to a Real One by Jack Detsch 

Although the World Cup trophy won’t be going to England, a Qatari cat will be. After the English team’s crushing loss to France, some players decided to adopt a stray tabby named Dave, though it’s still unclear whom he will live with, the Guardian reported, adding that “[t]he cat was transported to a local veterinary clinic for tests and vaccinations and will spend four months in quarantine before what is presumably a free transfer to Manchester City.”

“He was just there one day, so we’ve just adopted him, me and [soccer player John Stones],” soccer player Kyle Walker said. “Dave is welcome to the table. … Some people really don’t like the cat, but I love him.”