All posts tagged: Parliaments

The Parliament’s misspent €1.5 million – POLITICO

The Parliament’s misspent €1.5 million – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

European political parties are misspending their cash, while the public is left in the dark about what’s going on. The European Parliament’s department of finance found political parties and foundations had misspent €1.5 million during the 2024 EU election campaign. Zoya and Ian discuss which parties are the biggest offenders. They also explain how the European Parliament — with the help of complex bureaucratic processes — helps these parties avoid broader scrutiny. Also on the pod, EU finance ministers are meeting today to discuss getting financial support for Ukraine from countries outside the bloc. While we’re on the topic of geopolitics, Zoya and Ian have some breaking news about a major personnel change at the EU’s foreign policy arm, the European External Action Service. Finally, a Spanish MEP was outraged when an inauthentic Galician octopus dish was served at the Parliament’s canteen. We take a look at some other institutional food fights. Do you have insider info on any big job moves happening in Brussels — or elsewhere? We’d love to hear them! Send a message to our WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29. Source link

EU Parliament’s reputation at stake in access debate, new anti-fraud chief says – POLITICO

EU Parliament’s reputation at stake in access debate, new anti-fraud chief says – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Klement’s push for clarity over the scope of OLAF’s access comes ahead of an anticipated EU review later this year of rules governing the watchdog’s work, part of a broader revamp aimed at improving fraud prevention in Europe. It comes amid wider scrutiny of how EU institutions handle allegations of corruption and misconduct. The issue came into sharp focus during the 2022 corruption scandal known as Qatargate, a Belgian probe into alleged attempts by Qatar and Morocco to influence decision-making in the Parliament. OLAF investigators complained at the time of being blocked from accessing lawmakers’ offices and laptops. EU institutions have a “moral obligation” to “embrace transparency,” Klement wrote in OLAF’s annual report for 2025, released Monday. The body concluded eight cases last year involving Parliament staff members, the report said. “We don’t have any problems with most of [the EU institutions]. With most of them we cooperate without any issues,” Klement told POLITICO. But it’s debatable whether the agreements OLAF has with certain institutions are “enough as a legal basis for the cooperation,” he …

Von der Leyen snubs Parliament’s latest no-confidence debate – POLITICO

Von der Leyen snubs Parliament’s latest no-confidence debate – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

No other commissioners will be present at the debate in Strasbourg, according to two officials. A vote on the motion, which is all but certain to fail, will take place on Thursday. During previous debates on censure motions, von der Leyen and her team of 26 commissioners turned out in force to project unity. This time, the message is different: the Commission is no longer playing ball. The shift reflects growing fatigue inside the Berlaymont at a parliamentary tool that was used three times against von der Leyen in the second half of 2025. Two of those motions were brought by the far right and one by the far left. All failed. Support from just 72 of the Parliament’s 720 lawmakers is needed to trigger a motion of censure, and many lawmakers from the center-right European People’s Party, the Socialists and Democrats, and the liberals of Renew say the ease of launching censure motions has diluted their impact. EPP spokesperson Pedro López de Pablo said these “useless efforts” to bring down the Commission “drive me …

The House | 175 Years Not Out! Parliament’s Cricket Club Celebrate Their Anniversary

The House | 175 Years Not Out! Parliament’s Cricket Club Celebrate Their Anniversary

Published by Sam Flores

The club marked their 175th anniversary at Highclere Castle 4 min read24 December 2025 Parliament’s cricket team has been playing since 1850. Graham Stuart and Andrew Bingham tell Noah Vickers about the sport’s lasting popularity among MPs, peers and staff The Lords and Commons Cricket Club this year marked an extraordinary 175 years since its first recorded match on 22 June 1850. On that day, members of both houses competed against amateur wandering team I Zingari at Vincent Square.  “It’s quite likely that we played games before that, but we have no record of it,” says club chairman Graham Stuart, the Conservative MP for Beverley and Holderness.  “Quality was an issue from the beginning,” he adds, “which is why, in one famous match against I Zingari again, in 1870, we had 24 players against their 11.  “What I’m not sure of is whether that was enough for us to win. I assume from the fact that we don’t have it in the records that we didn’t, that even 24 of us wasn’t …