Recently, the Polish media showed information about a shocking affair involving the EU ‘elite’. It was revealed by French journalist Jean Quatremer. The author of the text exposing scandals among Eurocrats was a guest of Michał Rachoń on the program “Minęła 20”.
“I’ve been in office in Brussels for 30 years and I regularly expose scandals. Journalists who work here are reluctant to cover these kinds of scandals. About 20 years ago, I exposed the French commissioner scandal. During the six months of the affair, the French press was silent on the subject. Criticism of the EU is perceived as criticism of the idea of the EU,” said Michał Rachoń’s guest at the beginning.
“I’ve written two series of articles that show that some of the people who are responsible for EU policy – people who represent the European People’s Party, where the CDU and CSU from Germany dominate, they are the ones who are involved in these scandals that I describe. There are frauds in the community budget. We’re also dealing with paid patronage or contacts that shouldn’t be there. Meetings between politicians and business executives. There is a separate state within the European Union. This party (European People’s Party – editor’s note) feels completely untouchable. These people think that the EU budget belongs to them and they do not have to obey the law. In a democracy, this should lead to resignations, at least as far as the Court of Justice and the Commissioner for Budget and Administration are concerned,” said Quatremer.
The central figure in the scandal is Karel Pinxten, head of the European Court of Auditors. A French journalist’s investigation found that Pinxten was taking private vacations to Africa and Asia with European taxpayers’ money. In addition, he has met at unofficial dinners and hunts with politicians of the European People’s Party, business owners, and judges of the European Court of Justice.
“He (Pinxten – head of the European Court of Auditors – editor’s note) was convicted by the Court of Justice of the European Union. He had fake trips. He claimed to be going to Cuba and countries in Asia and Africa. He was supposedly going there to check how EU funds were being used, but in fact, he was going on holiday. Other members of the Court of Auditors were also involved,” he specified.
Nine of the 27 CJEU judges have resigned from ruling on the scandal involving the president of the EU Court of Auditors. The presenter asked the guest if he had evidence to support the information he was giving.
“I have documents which confirm everything I say,” assured Quatremer.