Eva Kaili, the disgraced Greek MEP, at the heart of a European Parliament corruption scandal has announced plans to relocate to Italy at the end of her term.
Speaking to Corriere Dela Serra, Ms. Kaili said she was disillusioned by the European Union and her political party for not coming to her defence during the scandal that rocked the European Parliament in 2022, sparking deep soul-searching, confusion, and indignation in the corridors of Brussels.
A flamboyant former news anchor and rising star within Greece’s socialist party, Ms. Kaili was arrested at the start of more than 20 raids waged by Belgian police, discovering 150,000 euros in the Greek MEPs Brussels apartment alone.
Her partner Francesco Giorgi, a political aide, along with former Italian MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri were implicated. Her father, too, was jailed after being caught lugging a suitcase filled with 750,000 euros, from a luxury hotel near the European parliament.
As one of the assembly’s 14 vice presidents, Kaili served as the European Parliament’s representative to the Middle East. But it was her strong and open interest in Qatar that had colleagues quickly nicknaming her Qatar lobby spokesperson and the scandal that ensued “Qatargate.”
In the interview, Ms. Kaili openly accused European Parliament President Roberta Metsola of failing to safeguard the freedoms and privileges of its members.
She has seen her parliamentary immunity lifted for allegedly accepting bribes from countries like Qatar and Morocco in exchange for political favours. She faces a final trial and if found guilty, may be sentenced to prison under Greek law.
Ms. Kaili said her choice of Italy largely stemmed from the country’s opposition to politically-motivated trials and respect, as she put it, for the presumption of innocence.
The scandal that kept Ms. Kaili jailed for two months has prompted a broader discussion on the integrity of European institutions and the role of judicial power in politics.