Manfred Weber, chairman of the European People’s Party (EPP), is reportedly trying to secure a highly paid post, worth at least €18,000 a month, in the European Parliament’s administration for his long-standing associate Udo Zolleis. According to parliamentary sources, the Bavarian strategist is being lined up for a director’s position in the Research Service that appears to have been created especially for him. Officially, the role is meant to “stimulate academic research interest in the work of MEPs”, but critics are already describing it as classic jobs-for-the-boys in the shadow of the crisis.
Alexander Jungbluth, MEP for the ESN Group, commented:
“This is nothing short of a scandal. Mr Weber clearly seems to regard public service as a self-service counter for his mates. And, conveniently, not in Brussels as is usually the case, but in Strasbourg – which is much closer to Tübingen, where Mr Zolleis is a university professor. This kind of cronyism shows just how out of touch and morally bankrupt the political establishment has become.”
