Frank Furedi

Qatargate and the dubious moral authority of NGOs 

Members of the European parliament attend a debate entitled 'Suspicions of corruption from Qatar and broader need for transparency and accountability in EU institutions' [Getty]

The Qatargate scandal haunting the European Union is not merely about corrupt politicians and officials. The deplorable role of a non-governmental organisation is at the heart of the scandal, which highlights the interlocking of NGOs and EU parliamentarians and decision makers.

The most interesting feature of the corruption scandal surrounding the detention of the EU parliament’s vice-president Eva Kaili and politicians and EU apparatchiks is their connection to a supposedly squeaky-clean NGO called Fight Impunity. The

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