The name Eva Kaili (44) means nothing to most people abroad so far. But at home in Greece and on the European stage, the Vice-President of the European Parliament is well known. She was one of the youngest ever elected to the Greek Parliament. The “mirror” already praised her in 2011 as “the farsighted”. The Brussels connoisseurs of “Politico” took you to a list of MEPs with the most influence.
Since Friday evening, her name is also known to people who do not have much to do with Greece and Europe. The Belgian judiciary had Eva Kaili arrested on suspicion of bribery by a Gulf state. According to dpa information it is Qatar.
According to media reports, there are connections with the World Cup in the Gulf state. The authorities have not yet confirmed this information. The investigation concerns alleged attempts by a Gulf state to “influence the economic and political decisions of the European Parliament by paying significant sums of money or making substantial gifts”. Although the presumption of innocence also applies to MEPs, the outrage is great.
From TV presenter to political star
At the age of 26, the trained architect was elected to the city council of her hometown Thessaloniki. She had previously succeeded as a presenter at the highly regarded private broadcaster Mega TV. The socialist party Pasok soon caught on to her. In 2007 she was first elected to the national parliament of Athens for Pasok. She also completed a master’s degree in International and European Relations.
But the time in the National Assembly was over in 2012. She was slowed down by Pasok boss Evangelos Venizelos (65), who came from the same constituency and ran there himself. Kaili then reoriented. In 2014 she was elected to the European Parliament. There she made a name for herself in the scientific field. She was also involved in the issues of migration and child protection. She is one of 14 Vice-Presidents of the European Parliament. According to media reports, Kaili is in a private relationship with Francesco Giorgi, an Italian political adviser who was also arrested on Friday.
Flaming defense speech for Qatar
A speech she gave in parliament after a visit to Qatar on November 21 is now attracting a lot of attention. In it, the vice president praised the Gulf state as a pioneer in the field of labor rights. The country opened up to the world. “Nevertheless, some here are calling for discrimination against the Qataris. They bully them and accuse anyone who talks to them of corruption.”
Qatar is “playing a pioneering role in workers’ rights,” said Kaili: “Today, the World Cup in Qatar is proof that sports diplomacy can bring about historic change in a country.”
During her visit to Qatar, the Greek Prime Minister Chalid bin Chalifa bin Abdulasis Al Thani (54) and other government officials met, the Qatar state news agency reported. One of the topics was the situation on the labor market in Qatar.
Despite the criticism – especially in relation to the deaths at the construction sites of the World Cup venues – Kaili stressed during her visit that Qatar had “fulfilled all necessary labor market requirements” and “promptly implemented reforms”. “, writes the “Mirror”. In addition, Kaili stressed that the European Parliament was “deeply interested in strengthening relations with Qatar”.
Does Eva Kaili have “two faces”?
Kaili’s arrest caused quite a stir. Her party announced the expulsion of the 44-year-old politician. The Socialist Group in the European Parliament has also suspended Kaili’s membership with immediate effect. In a statement, the parliamentary group is “shocked by the allegations of corruption”.
The group also supports a thorough investigation: “Given the seriousness of the allegations, we ask that work on all dossiers and votes in the plenum on the Gulf States be suspended until the relevant authorities have provided relevant information and clarifications.”
German FDP politician Nicola Beer (52), also vice-president in the EU parliament, is outraged: “I am amazed,” she told the dpa news agency. The arrest shocked Beer. Kaili was “actually always very involved, pro-European and very correct”. If the accusations are correct, it is clear to Beer: “Someone has two faces.” The reactions of other parliamentary groups in the EU Parliament are similar. The gist: if the allegations are confirmed, Kaili should resign as soon as possible (SDA/bab)