The President of the European Parliament has warned members that alleged bribery by a foreign power was an attack on democracy, after Belgian investigators charged a senior MEP with corruption.
"Make no mistake," Roberta Metsola told MEPs. "The European Parliament, dear colleagues, is under attack. European democracy is under attack and our free and democratic societies are under attack."
Belgian investigators have charged four people, including Greek MEP and one of the vice-presidents of the parliament Eva Kaili, with "criminal organisation, corruption and money laundering".
Searches have been carried out at the parliament's Brussels site and in several homes and a large quantity of cash has been recovered, following allegations Gulf monarchy Qatar has been seeking to improve its image.
Qatar, which is currently hosting the football World Cup, denies any involvement. "Any claims of misconduct by the state of Qatar are gravely misinformed," a government official said.
But Ms Kaili has been stripped of her vice-presidential responsibilities and, officials said, parliamentary group leaders will meet tomorrow to prepare a vote to strip her of the post.
A wide-ranging internal investigation has been launched, Ms Metsola said, and the parliament will continue to fully cooperate with and support the Belgian authorities' probe.
"I must choose my words carefully in a manner that does not jeopardise ongoing investigations or in any way undermines the presumption of innocence, and I will," she told the parliament as it met in Strasbourg.
"So, if my fury, my anger, my sorrow do not come across, please be assured that they are very much present."
"These malign actors linked to autocratic third countries have allegedly weaponised NGOs, unions, individuals, assistants and members of the European Parliament in an effort to subvert our processes.
"There will be no impunity. None of those responsible will find this Parliament on their side", Ms Metsola added.
And, in a setback to Qatar's diplomatic ambitions, she announced that she would send a report on allowing Qatari citizens an EU visa waiver back to committee, delaying or derailing a decision.
Ms Kaili, who travelled to Qatar ahead of the World Cup and praised the Gulf state's labour reforms, had been lobbying for the visa waiver to be adopted. Investigators said "bags of cash" were found at her house.
Both the centre right and liberal groups in the Parliament have voted against a decision to have a resolution on the Qatari corruption affair put to a vote during this week's plenary meeting in Strasbourg.
One source said it was better to have the resolution voted on in January when more was known about the police investigation.
Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Andrews, a member of the Renew Europe (liberal) group, told RTÉ News: "The scale of this scandal is much greater than originally thought and has the potential to do lasting damage to the European Parliament.
"Improvements on transparency will help but there will also have to be very radical changes in how we interact with foreign authorities," he said.
The decision on having a resolution was passed and that resolution, which has yet to be drafted, will take place on Thursday.
Searches in parliament
Belgian investigators searched offices of the European Parliament today as part of a probe into alleged corruption that has seen a parliament vice-president arrested, prosecutors said.
Belgium's federal prosecutor's office said the purpose of the search at the premises in Brussels was to seize computer data from 10 parliamentary staff.
The latest search is the 20th to have been carried out in Belgium since Friday into alleged bribery by World Cup host Qatar to improve its image at the parliament.
Belgian prosecutors said that during the searches, €600,000 was found at the home of one suspect, €150,000 at the flat of another and several hundred thousand euros in a suitcase in a hotel room.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said allegations of corruption against the vice-president of the European Parliament are of the "utmost concern".
"The allegations are of utmost concern, very serious," she told reporters, reiterating that she was also proposing the creation of an independent ethics body to cover EU institutions.
EU foreign ministers warned that the affair has threatened the European Union's credibility.
Greece has frozen the assets of Eva Kaili, a source with knowledge of the matter said..
As foreign ministers arrived for a meeting with their EU counterparts in Brussels, Minister Simon Coveney said: "It is damaging. We need to get to the bottom of it."
"The European Parliament is a very important institution. I was a member of it in the past, but it's a big part of European democracy. And this is a scandal that we need to expose the truth around so that we can ensure it doesn't happen again," he added.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said: "This is an unbelievable incident which has to be cleared up completely with the full force of law.
"This is about the credibility of Europe."
Belgian prosecutors said they had suspected for months that a Gulf state was trying to buy influence in Brussels.
The investigation comes as World Cup host Qatar is in the global spotlight, amid criticism of its human rights record, including its treatment of migrant workers.
In a speech in the European Parliament on 21 November, as the month-long soccer tournament was starting, Ms Kaili lashed out at Qatar's detractors and hailed the energy-rich Gulf State as "a frontrunner in labour rights".
"They committed to a vision by choice and they opened to the world. Still some here are calling to discriminate them. They bully them and they accuse everyone that talks to them or engages (with them) of corruption," Ms Kaili said.
As they arrived at the EU meeting, ministers were quick to condemn the alleged corruption.
"It is absolutely unacceptable, any kind of corruption," said Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky.
"Qatar is an important partner for the energy of the EU," he noted, while adding: "Of course the relation between the EU and Qatar needs to be built on a set of policies including human rights and labour rights."
Some European diplomats said last month that pressure to maintain good ties with Qatar was increasing as the continent headed towards a winter of energy shortages because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
