The Great EU Budget Heist: 5 Billion Euros Gone in 2022!
In 2022, the European Public Prosecutor's Office revealed a substantial 5 billion euro damage to the EU budget due to the misuse of EU funds
Giovanni Kessler, the head of EU anti-fraud authority OLAF, has had his immunity from prosecution lifted, EU authorities have confirmed.
He is to be inquired by Belgian authorities in relation to a lobbying scandal dating back to 2012 in which he is suspected of involvement for unlawfully recording a phone conversations.
An inquiry from Politico revealed earlier this week a pending decision from the EU Commission to revoke his immunity had taken longer than usual.
New Europe reports the decision was taken in a restricted session of the weekly College meeting of the Commission on March 02.
Other media outlets quote Commission sources as saying the delay had been related to an attempt at applying pressure on Kessler to step down.
New Europe cites a "well-placed source" saying that EU Budget and Human Resources Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva had been offering Kessler a different position in exchange for his resignation, in a move that would have helped him keep his immunity.
In 2012, EU Health Commissioner John Dalli resigned in relation to an OLAF investigation of his possible involvement in a lobbying scandal with a tobacco company. Kessler's ties to the scandal are now to be investigated.
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European leaders have reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to Ukraine, pledging urgent assistance to bolster the nation's defense capabilities
In a recent release of the Authoritarian Populism Index 2024, Bulgaria emerges as a focal point for understanding the intricate interplay of political ideologies shaping Europe's landscape
Eurostat's latest report revealed a slowdown in annual inflation across the European Union, with the figure dropping to 2.6% in March 2024 from 2.8% the previous month
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A scheduled conference of far-right European politicians, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and former British MEP Nigel Farage, was abruptly halted by police in Brussels
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