The office of far-right German MEP Maximilian Krah, who is embroiled in espionage and corruption allegations, has accessed “sensitive” documents from the European Parliament’s trade committee via an internal online system ⁦⁦Camille Gijs⁩ reports politico.eu/article/mep-kr…

Packed Election Playbook just landed: I look at why the EP is a giant target for foreign influence, Hanne Cokelaere analyzes who moved groups since 2019, Victor Jack goes to the Algarve to report on the rise of far-right Chega.

Plus MEP trivia+news on that 🕊

politico.eu/newsletter/eu-…

There are 705 MEP’s European Parliament but when we came to the very last vote today of this 5yr. mandate , there were only 435 members available to vote !!!?? Stamina!! 🤧🤷‍♂️

Jan Zahradil must truly love the Parliament gym to be making it a main feature of his farewell tweet.

Brilliant Euro election poster spotted in Italy for ⁦Lega - Salvini Premier⁩ (HT Eddy Wax ✍️⁩). Must have spotted BBC piece by ⁦Sofia Bettiza⁩ - for much needed context. bbc.co.uk/news/world-eur…

Also: I viewed emails showing an EPP MEP accepted an all-expense paid trip to Pakistan in summer 2022.

The trip didn't happen at that point. The MEP says it never did. The Pakistani businessman who paid for it has another story... politico.eu/newsletter/pol…

A Qatar-friendly NGO lobbied MEPs just before Qatar-gate began in 2022, went quiet and emerged again in 2024. In total 39 MEPs engaged with it somehow, without asking who's behind it.
Sarah Wheaton and I delved into it in EU Influence:
politico.eu/newsletter/pol…

Several highly experienced MEPs have just cast their final votes. Could their exits after more than a decade weaken the next Parliament? Among them: Reinhard Bütikofer Philippe Lamberts Heidi Hautala Jerzy Buzek Arnaud Danjean Paolo De Castro Othmar Karas Agnes Jongerius Petri Sarvamaa

Asking for an interview gets you blocked, apparently.

This is the end, my friends.
With a sober 'Thank you very much' EP president Roberta Metsola drops the curtain on this term marked by a pandemic, wars at the gates of Europe, and some scandals here and there but with the usual awareness that democracy is the best thing we have

Anti harassment training will be mandatory for MEPs in the next European Parliament, we report in today’s Brussels Playbook by Jakob Hanke Vela

The curious tale of ANOTHER obscure Qatar-linked NGO operating in the heart of the European Parliament as recently as February: Democracy Centre for Transparency

In the EU Influence newsletter. For subscribers until tomorrow, by Sarah Wheaton and me.

pro.politico.eu/news/schroding…

Looks like the Maximilian Krah affair is much bigger than just his assistant spying for the Chinese:

Now German prosecutors launched a 'preliminary investigation' against the far-right AfD politician 'in connection with *alleged Chinese payments* for his work' as MEP.

❗️NEW Macron in talks with EU leaders including Meloni to find alternatives to VDL — such as Draghi, we’re told

Some officials interpreted his move as a ploy to extract concessions from her.

With Ania Nussbaum Chiara Albanese Ewa Krukowska Alberto Nardelli
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

Rivaling 🇨🇳 Belt & Road, the EU's Global Gateway should focus more on strategic corridors to avoid a dilution of the €300 billion it'll mobilize. Think African Copperbelt or Caspian Sea.

Not a #probesgonnaprobe - still big

Scoop with Eddy Wax ✍️ ⤵️

politico.eu/article/focus-…

Bonkers story. Elle était censée être la présidente de la commission AGRI en 2019, mais le cordon sanitaire l’a bloquée.

Lots of people revealing their utter lack of a sense of humour right now.

A guy just dropped a condom on the floor in front of me in the queue at the European Parliament canteen. Think it dropped out of his wallet. He didn’t notice.

Symbolic moment in the EP, a microcosm of European politics, as a crying Philippe Lamberts (Greens) bids farewell while being loudly heckled by the far-right.