Mgr. et Mgr. et Mgr. Tomáš Zdechovský

Statement by the @EPPGroup CONT Coordinator The joint statement by S&D, Renew, Greens and The Left is a political attack that deliberately distorts what actually happened in the Committee on Budgetary Control. The EPP has never defended the misuse of European taxpayers’ money. On the contrary, we have consistently supported a thorough examination of any suspected financial irregularities, regardless of which political group is involved. What we reject is the attempt to replace due process with political theatre. The CONT Committee is not a court. It cannot declare legal responsibility before the competent authorities have completed their work. Parliament must respect legal procedures, the presumption of innocence and the division of responsibilities between political institutions and investigative bodies. The procedure supported by the EPP ensures that Parliament formally communicates the identified concerns while allowing the competent administrative, audit and judicial authorities to carry out their work independently. That is how the rule of law functions. It is deeply regrettable that some political groups are using this issue to attack political opponents rather than to protect the EU budget. Such behaviour risks undermining the credibility of Parliament’s oversight role. The EPP will continue to support: * full transparency, * complete cooperation with all competent authorities, * recovery of any funds found to have been spent unlawfully, * and equal treatment for every political group under the same legal standards. There must be zero tolerance for fraud, but there must also be zero tolerance for politically motivated justice. The protection of European taxpayers’ money deserves facts, not political campaigns. Tomáš Zdechovský Coordinator EPP in Budgetery Contol Committee