Like a boulder, Qatargate blocked the political careers of the MEPs involved. No one will stand in the next elections in June. Not that Eva Kaili, Andrea Cozzolino, Marc Tarabella and Maria Arena cannot, because technically nothing would prevent it, but the investigations which are always at the starting point without a defined accusation, do not allow them to defend themselves and explain their reasons to the voters to remove, after a year and a half, the veil of suspicion that is still there. And with an absurd measure that would be unconstitutional in Italy, the investigating judge prohibited Kaili, a sitting parliamentarian arrested for an imaginary flagrant offence, from being able to speak about the investigation publicly.
And furthermore, Mr Kaili, Parliament has certainly not shown courage in defending you, not from accusations, but from a procedure which leaves us perplexed in terms of respecting the prerogatives of those elected.
“I find the silence of the entire European Parliament outrageous on such an unconstitutional restriction of my right to defend myself and speak about everything that has been artfully leaked and plotted against me. Hoping for a political advantage, President Roberta Metsola and my S&D party, instead of defending the institutions, tried, before the elections, to hide their inability to respect the principles of the Union and to safeguard the freedoms and prerogatives of the deputies. A dangerous precedent has been created which allows the judiciary to interfere in politics, irreparably undermining the integrity of the European institution. And recently, the Belgian government, considering itself the guardian of who knows what, felt it had the right to interrupt an event in Brussels organized by European conservatives and reformists”.
Are there no conditions for your candidacy?
“I hoped that EU citizens could see the truth before voting in June, but the ban on talking about this case makes it impossible for me to even be a candidate.”
“I will focus on technology policy, and if things go as I expect, I see my future in my commitment to women and children who are victims of the system’s failures.”
At the end of his mandate will he remain in Belgium or return to Greece?
“I’ll probably move to Italy.”
Why is your partner Italian?
«Because it is a country that I consider home for several reasons and because in Italy there is a beautiful word like “guaranteeism” which should be translated throughout Europe. In Italy there are some parties that oppose politically motivated trials and ask for respect for the presumption of innocence independent of the party of the accused person”.
Some voices have also been raised from Italy criticizing the investigations.
«I will always be grateful to the Honorable Deborah Bergamini of Forza Italia, the only politician from a party other than mine who questioned these methods and came to visit me in my darkest times, and to Riccardo Nouri, of Amnesty International Italy, who dared to compare Belgium to Belarus for the methods used against my daughter. I finally managed to meet her the day after their article was published.”
The judicial road is still long, however. And she made multiple appeals.
