Politics has always involved a certain amount of misbehavior — but last term proved an outlier, with several major scandals.
This article is part of the Brussels Survival Guide.
Just as important as a to-do list is a not-to-do list.
Members of the European Parliament have to follow many rules — from an official code of conduct to national laws, to European Union regulations. But there are certain things you really shouldn’t do — and a few you probably shouldn’t, but might anyway.
From Qatargate to kickbacks, here’s some immoral advice for politicians on taboo tactics for EU lawmakers and associates.
Don’t accept
cash for influence
Why not? Because it’s illegal and degrades democracy … and could get you arrested and booted from your group.
Not that these consequences prevented the Qatargate scandal, which hit the Parliament in December 2022 and concerned allegations that current and former EU lawmakers, along with an assistant, had accepted money from the governments of Qatar, Morocco and Mauritania in exchange for words and actions on their behalf.
Some of the accused continue to deny culpability, and convictions have proven elusive in part because Belgian prosecutors (allegedly) bungled the case. Still, a dozen arrests and raids have besmirched the reputations of both certain MEPs and the institution as a whole.
It didn’t stop there. This spring, the Parliament was shocked again by allegations that certain EU lawmakers and assistants had accepted Russian money to interfere in the EU election by promoting Russian propaganda. As if we needed Russia for that!
Don’t bully
your colleagues
Why not? It violates codes of conduct and can devastate the victims … plus, it sullies your career and makes you a bad person.
An in-depth POLITICO investigation last year found that from 2019 to 2021, authorities opened 34 new cases of sexual or psychological harassment at the Parliament, imposing punishments in eight cases. Some of the accused claimed innocence and said anti-harassment guidelines were unclear; victims, meanwhile, described suffering anxiety and trauma, including from an alleged culture of indifference.
In the summer of 2023, campaign group MeTooEP carried out an anonymous survey of more than 1,000 Parliament staffers; nearly half of those who responded reported workplace harassment. The Parliament in April agreed a new internal rule requiring all EU lawmakers to take an anti-harassment course — a move in the right direction.
Do take full
advantage of perks
Why? The money is already allocated … so get on that gravy train!
In addition to their fat salaries, MEPs are entitled to hefty allowances. Expenses, travel, medical, end-of-term … not to mention “subsisting” on a mere €350 per day. Get to know the rules so you can maximize your invoices — for example, you’ll have to sign the attendance register and be present for at least half of roll-call votes to get your full per diem. You also don’t need to supply any receipts on how you spend the general expenditure allowance, a whopping €4,950 per month intended for expenses related to running an office.
Don’t forget the staffing budget (see above note about assistant funds). Although you’re not allowed to hire a direct relative as an assistant, there’s no bar to hiring the family member of a fellow lawmaker. You never know when you might need to call in a favor — so milk the EU cash cow!
Don’t swipe
assistant funds
Why not? It’s a financial crime and affects the Parliament’s credibility … not to mention you could be required to pay back the money.
One of the main schemes is kickbacks. Given the Parliament’s generous monthly staff allowance of €28,696, some MEPs hire assistants at an inflated salary and then receive part of that back in cash. Others skip the middleman by hiring fake assistants and just keeping all the dough.
An analysis by Follow the Money found that nearly one in five EU lawmakers has been exposed as misusing assistant allowances — with the true scale of the practice likely far greater. Some high-profile MEPs have been tripped up by such allegations.
MEPs who do this are taking a chance: The European Public Prosecutor’s Office and the European Anti-Fraud Office have made some big busts over the past year, seizing cash and laying charges.
Do take a
lucrative side job
Why? It’s perfectly legal, as long as — and this is the important bit — there’s no conflict of interest. Many lawmakers are doing it.
You’re likely to get away with additional paid work, as long as you keep it separate from your lawmaking duties. According to a May Transparency International analysis, more than a quarter of MEPs listed income from activities outside their salary as lawmakers. And that’s unlikely to be the whole picture, as post-Qatargate reforms — though requiring MEPs to provide more details about outside jobs — don’t require some roles that pay less than €5,000 to be reported.
Rules on what constitutes a conflict of interest are vague enough to leave a massive gray zone. Do you work on files concerning data and digital, but also have a telecoms consulting job? A-OK! Just be sure not to “engage in paid professional lobbying directly linked to the EU decision-making process.” Advanced tip: Get an NDA from your side employer to avoid disclosing exactly how much you make.
Do get others to
write your amendments
Why? Although the code of conduct applies broadly to writing amendments, there’s no specific rule against copy-pasting … and if you do it, the worst that can happen is a slap on the wrist — or being called out by journalists.
It’s a widespread practice. Left-leaning lawmakers copy “suggestions” from like-minded NGOs, while right-leaning MEPs do the same with friendly lobbyists. Of course, you can get input on amendments from anyone — not just NGOs and lobbyists that agree with you.
If you do get caught, sure, you’ll look silly — but who wants to actually do the work they’re paid to perform if someone else will do it for them?
Up next: amendments word-smithed by ChatGPT.
