Under-fire Belgian MEP Marie Arena has pulled out of a healthcare conference in the European Parliament. Arena was supposed to be part of a panel discussion on lobbying but ducked out after she came under scrutiny for having previously lobbied on behalf of her son’s company in the assembly.
She was meant to be on a panel at the conference of Eurocare, focusing on industrial lobbying in healthcare. Observers said that was surprising, given she has been accused of using her power as an MEP to lobby for her son’s firm, which he operated with the son of the former chief investigator in the Qatargate scandal engulfing Europe.
Eurocare is an alliance of non-governmental and public-health organisations advocating the prevention and reduction of alcohol-related harm in Europe.
After seeing the list of speakers for the event, Brussels Signal contacted Eurocare, which reported that Arena had cancelled her attendance.
The Belgian MEP had initially seemed to have escaped unscathed regarding the Qatargate inquiry but that might change given recent revelations.
On December 12, 2019, she hosted a conference on what was titled the “Cannabis Renaissance” in the Parliament. The event was held in collaboration with the pro-cannabis non-profit organisation ACTIVE, of which her son, Ugo Lemaire, was and still is chairman.
At the time, her son had just set up a business, cannabis-products firm BRC & Co, with six friends, among whom was the son of Michel Claise, who was until last week the lead investigator in the Qatargate probe. To many, Arena’s behaviour appeared to be in conflict with the Code of Conduct for Members of the European Parliament, which stipulates that MEPs should act in the general interest, applying integrity, transparency, diligence, honesty, and responsibility.
To further muddy the waters, BRC & Co used the same accounting firm as non-profit organisations run by former MEP Antonio Panzeri, the chief witness in the Qatargate probe and a very close friend of Arena. Panzeri also allegedly offered Arena’s son free tickets to the football World Cup in Qatar.
Apparently, Arena is much more closely connected to Panzeri and Claise than previously thought. That is raising eyebrows as Panzeri, on whom Belgian investigators have been leaning heavily, has struck a plea bargain deal. Claise, meanwhile, was forced to recuse – disqualify – himself from the Qatargate case on June 19 after it became public his eldest son was in business with Arena’s son.
Arena and Claise have known each other for at least five years, it is believed, raising tricky questions about the nature of their relationship. It has been revealed that Arena, who has been named in police reports but neither accused nor interviewed by Qatargate investigators, asked Claise to come to the European Parliament on more than one occasion to advise her on parliamentary business.
Earlier last week, what seemed to be a ‘selfie’ photograph emerged of Arena hugging Panzeri. Despite one public statement suggesting that Panzeri had “betrayed” the Parliament, he and Arena maintained an “important” relationship, according to a lawyer representing one of the Qatargate accused.
Arena’s office has not replied to a request for comment.
🔔The conference room is fully-booked but you can still attend the event!
🔴Follow this link to register to attend the event online: https://t.co/1Cuf8Jhbkk#CDoH #AlcoholRightToKnow pic.twitter.com/I1nkQemyHv
— EurocareBrussel (@EUROCAREBRUSSEL) June 23, 2023
