Politico’s negative evaluation: What it writes about Zagorakis’ low attendance at the polls, Eva Kaili’s action and about Lagos who voted from prison

Politico makes its traditional evaluation of the MEPs’ actions, upon completion of their mandate. It focuses on negative reviews and its lists include, for different reasons, Greek politicians.

As expected, special mention is made to Eva Kaili, because of QatarGate.

In particular it says that the glamorous Greek socialist MP, known for her high profile on technology policy files, has been accused of corruption, money laundering and being part of a criminal organization that allegedly received bribes from countries such as Qatar, Morocco and Mauritania in return. parliamentary facilities. Kayli, who has pleaded not guilty, spent more than three months in jail awaiting trial.

President Metsola has devoted much of her political energy over the past two years to cleaning up the Kaili mess – introducing new rules governing the ethics of MEPs and expanding the Commission that investigates foreign interference, while facing questions about her own gifts as president.

Both members changed the face of the European Parliament. With Metsola, the EK sought to change the narrative. With Kaili he got a dose of adrenaline and the audience’s eyes were fixed on his inner workings. Their futures could not be more different.

Metsola is gearing up for her re-election campaign and is running for a second 2 1/2-year term as speaker of a right-shifting parliament.

Kaili continues her fight against the QatarGate allegations, claiming she is a victim of political persecution by the Belgian justice system. Her bid to dismiss the Qatargate investigation is scheduled to go to trial in May. Kaili said she will not be an MEP again.

The case of the imprisoned Lagos

Ioannis Lagos also provides his own chapter in the dedication. The imprisoned neo-Nazi MEP who was elected with Golden Dawn is, naturally, in first place with the most absentees from the votes. It is pointed out that he was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2020 for running a criminal organization, the far-right Golden Dawn party of which he was a co-founder and which he represents in the European Parliament. Before his immunity was lifted, the MEP had also received two penalties for using “abusive language” in the EP, the publication states, among other things.

More curiously, however, is that the Hare is still carrying out parliamentary work from his prison cell, asking questions at the Commission and having tabled amendments to laws until February 2022. Parliament’s remote voting system, installed to continue parliamentary of work during the lockdown periods, allowed Lagos to cast some votes from prison, the report says.

Zagorakis and Konstantinou in the first 10 absentees

As noted, he is not the only politician who had to lose votes this term because he was in prison, the publication points out and refers to Eva Kaili, and the Belgian Mark Tarabella who were arrested for the Cattargate scandal, as well as the Italian Andrea Cozolino in house arrest in Italy under the same investigation.

Also, Thodoris Zagorakis and Athanasios Konstantinou are also in the first 10 MEPs with the smallest participation.

Politico’s table of the 10 most absent MEPs

Politico [MEP unAwards 2024]