Ursula von der Leyen’s holiday at the villa of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has been criticised by the EU’s watchdog
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has been criticized for spending her holiday at the villa of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
According to EU Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly, the fact that the head of the European Commission stayed at the Greek Prime Minister’s home in Crete in August 2023 points to a “structural flaw” in the EU’s ethical standards.
O’Reilly also noted that the European Commission provided contradictory information about von der Leyen’s trip, and the “incomprehensible” and illegal year-long delay in responding to complaints is a manifestation of maladministration.
As Euronews explains, the EU code of conduct prohibits commission members from accepting hospitality unless it is related to diplomatic or protocol etiquette. However, there are no clear rules for the President of the European Commission, who himself acts as an arbitrator in such situations. O’Reilly stressed the need to address these gaps in the system.
“This is probably a structural problem that the European Commission needs to address to demonstrate to the public that its leadership is responsible,” O’Reilly said. She also expressed doubts that the complaints were dealt with with the necessary speed and attention.
The European Commission rejected the allegations of ethical violations, arguing that the trip was within the norms of political and diplomatic relations. However, as O’Reilly noted, in another report the commission called the visit private and informal, which creates an obvious contradiction that remains unexplained.
The year-long delay in responding to requests on this issue, according to the ombudsman, “is not only inexplicable, but also violates the deadlines set by EU law.” O’Reilly blamed von der Leyen’s team for the delay.
The visit of the European Commission president was first reported by the Greek resource Zarpa News. According to the data, von der Leyen and her husband spent three days in a villa in Chania as guests of Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Critics say this is not the first time the head of the European Commission has behaved questionably. They compare it to an incident in which von der Leyen allegedly exchanged text messages with the head of Pfizer during negotiations on vaccine contracts. That case is currently before the EU Court of Justice.
Former MEP Sophie in’t Veld told Euronews: “Bad governance has become a system. This is how they run Europe, thinking it’s normal.” According to her, the findings should have come as a shock to democratic institutions, but instead officials simply “shrug their shoulders.”
“It’s incomprehensible how you can spend a private holiday with Mitsotakis one day and then hand him a case of misconduct the next,” in’t Veld added.
Despite the criticism, Ursula von der Leyen is likely to be approved for a second five-year term. However, some MEPs, including the Greens, remain skeptical.
