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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German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has issued a compelling call for the expedited integration of candidate countries from the Western Balkans into the European Union
French President Emmanuel Macron has ignited controversy by calling for France's nuclear arsenal to be integrated into the European defense discourse
Brussels has called upon 15 prominent companies, including Lidl, Coca-Cola, and L'Oréal, to halt their advertising campaigns in pro-Kremlin media outlets across Bulgaria
European Commissioner for Internal Affairs, Ylva Johansson, has highlighted the pressing need for increased labor migration in the European Union
The European Parliament has voted to impose a €10,000 limit on cash payments within the European Union
French President Emmanuel Macron issued a stark warning to Europe, urging the continent to confront the challenges of a rapidly changing world
UN Happiness Report: Bulgaria's Astonishing Leap in Rankings
Bulgaria: 3 Regions With Lowest Life Expectancy - EU Report 2022