International

Earlier this month I was approached by the major anti-corruption organisation, Transparency International, with a request to establish ‘Intergroup’ – an all-party group of MEPs who share an interest in a particular issue. Naturally, I reacted positively. In the last few years I’ve built up an informal network, which would now have to be formalised. The first steps have been taken: numerous MEPs reacted with enthusiasm to my proposal. If the initiative is successful, we will have another pressure group to counter corruption and nepotism.

In addition to the organisation of political groups, the division of committee membership and of the range of internal parliamentary functions (president, vice-presidents etc.), MEPs must try during this period to work on establishing officially recognised networks around certain topics. Sometimes these are simply corporate lobbyists’ playthings. There’s actually a ‘beer network’, sponsored of course by the breweries. There are, however, networks with nobler motives, such as an Intergroup for small businesses and one for trade unions, and if I have my way there will soon be one concerned with integrity.

Such networks aren’t empowered to take formal decisions. They can nevertheless exert a major influence. Via my previous, still at the time completely informal network, I was able to hold substantial discussions with European Commissioner  Cecilia Malmström, who as a result of our pressure moved the fight against corruption higher up the agenda. It was a pity that she was unwilling to play a pioneering role in the promotion of integrity within the European Union institutions, but it’s always nicer from the Commission’s point of view to criticise member states than it is to hang out their own dirty laundry.

The road to the successful establishment of an Intergroup is long and complex. Each political group has a limited number of opportunities to add their signature to a proposal for Intergroup and you have to have signatures from three groups before you can set up an Intergroup. Judging by initial reactions I think that we’ll succeed, which will mean that we can step up the pressure, directing this not only at the integrity of the authorities in the member states, but to just as great an extent putting the EU institutions themselves into the firing line. Even within the Secretariat of the European Parliament there’s room for a great deal of improvement. Look for example at the social democrat Martin Schulz, who as president of the EP didn’t shrink from easing his friends into jobs in the Secretariat. Soon they won’t only have the SP to deal with, but with a bit of luck a whole procession of Euro-MPs who really want to tackle corruption. So the first priority for the new term is set.