World
Suspicion of corruption – 600 thousand euros were found in bags
Gifts with money and goods from Qatar – in exchange for charitable speeches? Vice President of the European Parliament accused of corruption.
The Belgian public prosecutor is investigating suspected corruption and the influence of a Gulf state in the European Parliament. The deputy speaker of the Greek parliament, Eva Kaili, and four other suspects were arrested. The background is investigations into suspected bribery, corruption, money laundering and attempts to influence the political decisions of the emirate of Qatar, host of the current World Cup.
In the evening, Kylie is suspended from the position of Deputy Speaker. Her Social Democratic group had taken this step before. Parliament Speaker Roberta Metsola, 44, removed „with immediate effect all powers, duties and functions” from her deputy post, Metsola’s spokeswoman announced Saturday night. And most recently, on Friday evening, Kylie was expelled from her party, the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), on the background of the investigations.
According to the responsible public prosecutor’s office, Belgian investigators have been suspecting a Gulf state of wanting to influence the EU’s political and economic decisions for months. According to information from the German news agency and other media, this is the state of Qatar. There is talk of large sums of money and gifts in kind to people holding political or strategic positions in Parliament with more than 700 MPs.
Corruption and Qatar
The organizers of the current FIFA World Cup have been criticized for years over human rights conditions and conditions for foreign workers. Several members of the then FIFA Executive Committee, which awarded Qatar the World Cup in 2010, were found guilty of corruption. However, Qatar itself has long denied allegations of bribery.
The European Parliament had criticized the awarding of the World Cup to the desert country just two weeks ago, citing „credible allegations of bribery and corruption”. Vice President Kylie expressed himself differently at that time. In front of parliament, she described Qatar as a pioneer in the field of workers’ rights. The World Cup is proof that „sports diplomacy can bring about historic change in a country whose reforms have inspired the Arab world.”
And then Friday hit the prosecutor’s office: at first, 16 searches and four arrests were made. Kylie, one of the Parliament’s 14 deputy speakers, was arrested that evening. Her apartment was also searched, as reported by the newspaper „Le Soir” jointly with the magazine „Knack”.
The former TV presenter has now become the face of the scandal. The 44-year-old was elected to Parliament for the PASOK party which, along with the Social Democratic Party, belongs to the Social Democratic group.
According to information from the German News Agency (DPA), her partner, who works as a political advisor in Parliament, is also among those arrested. According to the public prosecutor, a former member of the European Parliament was arrested, as were his wife and daughter, according to the Italian news agency Ansa. With the exception of Kylie, all the suspects hold Italian citizenship, as during searches in Belgium 600 thousand euros in cash and mobile phones were confiscated.
inclusion
After her arrest, the Greek is under tremendous pressure to give up her position as Vice President. „Of course she can no longer represent parliament,” said Jens Geyer of the Social Democratic Party, an SPD MP. The deputy speaker of the German parliament, Nicola Beer, also expressed hope that Kylie would give up her position. If the suspicions are confirmed, she must give up her seat in parliament.
Caught at work?
In fact, immunity applies to members of the European Parliament. „Members of the European Parliament may not be implicated in investigations, arrested or prosecuted for a statement made in the exercise of their office or for their electoral behaviour,” says the parliament’s website.
The exception: If a person is caught in the act, immunity cannot be confirmed. The EU Parliament can also lift immunity – but the corresponding application must be announced and then transferred to the Legal Affairs Committee. In Kylie’s case, there have been no such announcements yet.
The Greek has been a Member of the European Parliament since 2014 and one of the 14 Vice-Presidents of the Parliament since 2022. From 2004 to 2007, according to her biography on the Parliament website, she was a news anchor and journalist, and later also a PR consultant in Greece.
„Praktyk żywieniowy. Guru bekonu. Irytująco pokorny entuzjasta zombie. Uczeń totalny”.
He presses
People in Georgia have been protesting against a government law for weeks. One expert suspects Russian influence behind the project.
Tbilisi – In recent days, Georgia has witnessed huge demonstrations against the law planned by the government. The law stipulates that NGOs that receive more than 20 percent of their funds from abroad must identify the source of the funds and register with the authorities. According to one expert, the Kremlin may be behind the proposed law in Georgia.
Protests in Georgia: Experts suspect the Kremlin is behind the law
Thousands of people protested against the law in Georgia on Friday (May 3) with slogans such as “No to the Russian government” or “We will not tire.” The bill was approved on second reading on Wednesday (May 1). But for weeks, people have taken to the streets and confronted police, who have responded to the demonstrations with tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets.
Critics accuse Georgia’s Russia-allied government of modeling the law on Russia’s „proxy law.” “In terms of internal politics, there is actually no explanation for this,” Stefan Mallerius, representative of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Tbilisi, says in ZDF magazine today. The Georgian government withdrew the “Russian law,” as some called it, in March 2023 after massive protests. For Mallerius, the fact that it will now come into force comes “suddenly.”
Georgia: Law through „foreign interference”
The head of the regional program in the South Caucasus suspects „interference from abroad, specifically from Russia.” “There has to be a connection from the Kremlin or the Kremlin region,” he says. Malerios suspects that Georgian oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, who is considered the country’s unofficial decision-maker, is behind the law. Malerius continues to speculate, saying, “He was told or made clear that he had to introduce this law now.” Ivanishvili was the initiator of the inter-party alliance and today’s ruling party, the Georgian Dream.
The law still needs Parliament’s approval on a third reading. This is scheduled to be done within two weeks. Pro-European President Salome Zurabishvili is expected to veto the measure. But pro-government representatives in parliament have a sufficient majority to override the president’s veto. The ruling party aims for the law to enter into force in mid-May. Georgia has been an official candidate for European Union membership since last December. Green Party politician Anton Hofreiter sees Georgia’s accession as being at risk from the law. (FCA/AFP)
„Praktyk żywieniowy. Guru bekonu. Irytująco pokorny entuzjasta zombie. Uczeń totalny”.
He presses
The Russian Black Sea Fleet was partially destroyed or severely damaged in the Ukrainian war off Crimea. Now Russia is rearming and is frantically assembling two new ships for the navy.
MOSCOW – Since the beginning of the Ukrainian war, Ukrainian forces have been inferior to Russia in some respects: Ukraine has fewer soldiers at its disposal and fewer weapons and ammunition. However, the attacking country has repeatedly managed to inflict significant losses on Vladimir Putin’s forces. This is precisely what Russia would like to begin now – assembling its fleet again after several successful attacks by Ukraine on the Russian navy. But it will likely take some time before the warships are deployed.
Ukraine has repeatedly succeeded in attacking the Russian Black Sea Fleet off the Crimean Peninsula
A few weeks ago, Russia’s Black Sea Fleet largely withdrew from Crimea. The sea off the occupied peninsula has long been a popular target for Ukrainian attacks. For example, Ukraine was able to sink the naval flagship “Moskawa” shortly after the war began, followed by other destroyed ships in February and March 2024, such as the Russian patrol boat “Sergei Kotov.”
It is now said that Ukraine has managed to destroy or damage about a third of Putin’s entire fleet. Many of the attacks were carried out with Navy drones.
After heavy losses: Russia wants to expand its fleet in the Black Sea with two warships
Like the Ukrainian center Rapid defense Reports now indicate that Putin is already working to modernize the badly damaged Black Sea Fleet. Accordingly, Russia wants to put a Karakurt-class corvette and a Vasily Bykov-class heavy patrol boat into service soon.
The new additions will be manufactured for the Russian Navy at the Zelenodolsk shipyard in the Russian Republic of Tatarstan. Since 1895, the shipyard has mainly manufactured warships, which were usually later used by the Black Sea Fleet or the Baltic Fleet. The launch is scheduled to take place one day in May, although the Russian Defense Ministry has not yet announced a specific day.
New warships used in the Ukraine war? Russia still has to be patient
However, the launch only symbolizes the end of the manufacturing phase, and further on-water work and testing will follow Rapid defense. In the case of the Karakurt class, it could take up to three years for the ship to be launched after launch, for example Ukraine war can be used. The patrol boat should be much faster. The previous ship, „Sergei Kotov”, which was sunk by Ukrainian forces last March, was in service with the Russian Navy after about a year and a half. It is scheduled that a Ka-27 combat helicopter will be stationed on board the patrol ship, as happened previously on the destroyer “Sergei Kotov.”
It remains to be seen how useful Russia’s frantic attempt to rebuild the Black Sea Fleet will be in the Ukraine war. However, one thing is clear: the country ruled by Vladimir Putin will suffer more damage in the ongoing war. In addition to military objectives, there are also… The number of casualties among Russian soldiers is enormous. However, putting an end to the war does not appear to be on Putin’s agenda. A major offensive is currently being planned for the summer, and forces in eastern Ukraine are also trying to advance into Ukraine. (Prophet)
„Praktyk żywieniowy. Guru bekonu. Irytująco pokorny entuzjasta zombie. Uczeń totalny”.
World
The Russian economy now stands on the verge of conditions similar to those experienced by the Soviet Union
He presses
Despite expected GDP growth, Russia suffers from high inflation and revenue shortages. The future of war financing remains uncertain.
MOSCOW – Within a few years, the Russian economy has turned into a war economy. It is now completely dependent on arms production and trade China and its ongoing oil and gas business, which continues to find buyers despite Western sanctions. Despite the World Bank’s forecast that GDP may reach 3.2% this year, the economic situation in Russia is not rosy at all. With inflation so high, fears of expropriation and labor shortages due to forced conscription, the country faces greater challenges than ever before.
The Russian economy is losing relevance: inflation is still high
Newsweek Reports indicate that the Russian economy will contract starting in 2025 and then steadily until the end of the decade. According to the International Monetary Fund, GDP will not exceed 1.8 percent next year. The war economy is not a sustainable economy, and as long as President Vladimir Putin continues his bloody war in Ukraine, economic dependence on the conflict will continue to increase. Despite significant interest rate increases by the Russian Central Bank last year, the inflation rate remains at 8%. The central bank expects the average inflation rate to reach 4.8 percent for the year 2024.
It remains uncertain how Putin plans to finance his war after 2024. Russian economist Igor Lepsiz said in an interview with a newspaper in early April. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ): “It seems to me and other economists that Russia will still be able to finance the war this year, but then it is not clear where the money will come from.”
The state’s sources of income are getting smaller and smaller, which is only now becoming clear. Gazprom is an example of this, as it recorded losses for the first time in its history in 2023. Instead, the state is incurring more and more debt, the repayment of which will constitute a heavy burden on the budget in the near future. According to experts, the main problem is the current shortage of skilled workers, which is exacerbated by mobilization in Russia. “The state is expanding the arms sector, which then takes over the healthy cells of the civilian economy like a cancer,” says Igor Lepsiz.
Putin will do everything in his power to win the war against Ukraine
Lipsez expects Putin and his power structure to do everything in their power to continue raising money for the Ukraine war – even if it means collapsing the financial system or cutting the population’s pensions. According to Lepsis, pensions have not already been adjusted as they should be due to the high inflation rate.
Vasiliy Astrov of the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (WIIW) shares this assessment. He believes that Putin will always find a way to continue the war. „Putin will not run out of money for war,” the Russian expert said last week. Astrov added: “For the Russian economy, the question is what will come after the war, because it is currently completely dependent on it.”
Due to the shortage of skilled workers and the state-controlled war economy, real wages in Russia rose by about eight percent last year, while private consumption increased by 6.5 percent, according to a report by the institute specializing in Eastern Europe.
Russia’s economy: Putin accepts sacrifices
However, Igor Lepsiz does not believe that anything will change in Putin’s power if economic problems become more evident among the population. “Any deterioration in the economic situation will not lead to mass protests. Even if food can no longer be bought except with stamps, as happened in the Soviet Union, which I believe will soon become possible, people will put up with it. Then people starve, pensioners take only cheap medicine and simply die. He told the radio that the political situation will not change had won.
„Praktyk żywieniowy. Guru bekonu. Irytująco pokorny entuzjasta zombie. Uczeń totalny”.
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