The Patriots for Europe group in the European Parliament attempted to place a debate on next week’s Strasbourg plenary agenda, focusing on corruption allegations in Ukraine and the potential risks surrounding EU financial support. According to a statement issued on Wednesday evening, the initiative was voted down by the chamber’s left-wing, liberal, and EPP majority.
The group highlighted a roughly 100-million-dollar kickback scandal linked to Enerhoatom, which they claim could involve senior Ukrainian officials. In their view, the case raises serious concerns about transparency and the safeguarding of European taxpayers’ money.
They also pointed to the European Commission president’s request for an additional 135 billion euros from member states to finance Ukraine and war-related expenditures over the next two years. This sum would amount to nearly three quarters of the EU’s annual budget and would necessitate another joint EU loan, they argued.
The Patriots for Europe called it unacceptable to approve such a large financial commitment without resolving corruption concerns. They maintain that a plenary debate would have been essential to protect the EU’s financial integrity and the interests of European citizens.
In a separate statement, the Fidesz–KDNP delegation noted that the pro-war majority of the Parliament—together with the European People’s Party, which includes Péter Magyar’s European political family, as well as Klára Dobrev’s S&D group—blocked the proposal from even reaching the agenda.
According to their assessment, these groups prefer discussions on continuing the war, increasing EU funding for Ukraine, and attacking democratically elected national governments.
They warned that Ukraine is shaken by serious corruption scandals, while billions of euros from European taxpayers disappear into opaque networks amid the actions of what they called the ‘war mafia’. Yet, they argued, the pro-war majority in Brussels, together with the Tisza Party’s European group, the EPP, and the DK-aligned S&D, refuse to schedule a debate on the issue in plenary.
The Patriots’ delegation concluded that they consider this stance unacceptable, given the unresolved corruption cases and the financial burden falling on Europe. They reiterated their demand for an open parliamentary debate and stressed their commitment to protecting Europeans’ money.
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