POLITICO’s top pick for the most lavish gifts of the term goes to French MEP Nathalie Loiseau, who said in 2023 she received two tiny 24-karat gold-plated ornamental mugs and two engraved spoons.
The European Parliament keeps a list of all gifts declared by its members. This registry is mostly filled with things you wouldn’t even want to clutter your basement with: pens, mugs, decorative plates.
But some gems shine brighter than others.
In 2023, the Indian Parliament made this gift to French liberal MP Loiseau, chairman of the security and defense subcommittee. As if that wasn’t enough, Loiseau also received a hand-finished ornamental book of the Indian constitution when she participated in a mission of her committee to India.
“As you know, the Constitution of India is one of the longest in the world, which can give you an idea of the weight of this large ornamental edition,” Loiseau said while commenting on its price.
The text of the Indian Constitution, she said, “had to be taken to Parliament to be handed over to the appropriate departments of Parliament responsible for collecting it, lest our backs be broken.”
Under rules on what to do when given a gift, lawmakers must hand over any gift worth more than €150. These rules were tightened after the Qatargate corruption scandal rocked Parliament in December 2022. The register now includes gifts declared before and after the overhaul.
The big caveat: The Parliament Register only shows declared gifts. We’re going to make a wild guess and say that some MEPs may have decorations on their mantelpieces that haven’t been entered in the registers.
Finalists: The Bahraini government gave center-right German MP David McAllister a big gift: a Samsung tablet sold for more than 400 euros in Belgium. McAllister dutifully delivered the gift to Parliamentary Services. “I don’t believe that simply following standard parliamentary procedure warrants an award,” he told POLITICO.
Honorable mentions: Being President of the European Parliament means that every day has to feel like it’s your birthday. President Roberta Metsola, a center-right Maltese MEP, is responsible for more than half of the gifts declared during the legislature – largely because she declared a large number of gifts immediately after the Qatargate scandal .
If you don’t want the top job but still want the goodies, aim for a role as vice-president of Parliament or chairman of the delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula – these office holders are also showered with gifts.
Things to try: It took German center-right MEP Michael Gahler seven years to declare the glass statue, records show. Talk about transparency.
Chances of being re-elected: LREM had not yet revealed its list at the time of publication.
— Antonia Zimmermann
Politices
