(CNN) — As the world’s attention focused on the conclusion of the World Cup in Qatar last week, a political scandal was brewing in Europe with the small gas-rich nation at the center.
Belgian authorities arrested four people on December 9 on suspicion of receiving gifts and favors from Qatar as part of efforts to influence decision-making in the European Parliament.
Members of the European Parliament attend a debate titled “Qatar’s suspicions of corruption and a broader need for transparency and accountability in the EU institutions” at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on December 13.
Politicians and commentators in Europe described the incident as the biggest corruption scandal in the continent’s politics. Lawmakers suspended Qatar’s access to the European Parliament and halted legislation related to aviation and visa liberalization.
Doha has strongly denied involvement, warning that a decision to “impose such a discriminatory restriction” on Qatar before the legal process is finalized might affect cooperation.
The scandal is the latest dent in the Gulf nation’s relations with European countries following deep differences recently emerged over the hosting of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Here’s what you need to know regarding the turmoil in Qatar-Europe relations.
What is the bribery scandal that has rocked the EU and how has Qatar reacted?
Belgium’s federal prosecutor said earlier this month that for two years, federal police inspectors “suspected a Persian Gulf country of influencing the economic and political decisions of the European Parliament,” according to public broadcaster RTBF.
Of the four people who were subsequently arrested, the highest-profile person is Greek lawmaker Eva Kaili, who was ousted from her position as one of the 14 deputy speakers of parliament on Tuesday last week.
A lawyer for Kaili’s family, Michalis Dimitrakopoulos, told CNN on Tuesday that her stance “remains innocent and has nothing to do with Qatari bribery.”
Qatar responded by accusing those involved in the investigation of leaking “inaccurate information.” He has also claimed to be singled out in the investigation before its conclusion.
“Qatar was not the only party named in the investigation, however our country has been exclusively criticized and attacked,” a Qatari diplomat said in a statement on Sunday.
Where is Qatar’s relationship with the EU today?
Qatar has largely dominated the European headlines this year for two reasons: gasoline and soccer.
The controversies surrounding the hosting of the World Cup have attracted bad press in Europe, which the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, has described as a “fierce” campaign once morest his country and has questioned “the true reasons and motives” behind it.
The European states participating in the tournament made their positions clear from their capitals, as well as on the football field and in the stands. German players covered their mouths in a pre-match photo in protest of a ban on wearing rainbow-colored armbands, a planned statement once morest Qatar’s anti-LGBTQ rules. A German minister wore the “OneLove” bracelet at the same game in defiance of restrictions on LGBTQ symbols.
But criticism of the tournament in the Western press went beyond LGBTQ issues and the plight of migrant workers in Qatar, prompting regional activists and journalists to accuse Western media of anti-Arab bias.
“The cultural divisions that emerged in Europe during the World Cup are not specific to Qatar, but affect the entire Gulf,” said Andreas Krieg, an associate professor at King’s College London. “What is happening to Qatar is seen as European privilege, narrow-mindedness, Islamophobia and racism.”
Qatar’s role as a potential replacement for Russian energy supplies has also been touted in Europe, as the continent tries to wean itself off gas from Moscow following its war with Ukraine. That might magnify the effect of any tension in Qatari-European relations, said Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a fellow at the Baker Institute at Rice University in Houston, Texas.
“There is a more assertive mood in Doha… born out of a sense that European states are more than ever seeking energy and investment from the Gulf, even as the World Cup coverage has been, in the opinion of many in the entire region, deeply offensive in its tone,” he told CNN.
Qatar, which has the world’s third-largest gas reserves following Russia and Iran, will stand in solidarity with Europe amid energy shortages, Energy Minister Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi told CNN in March. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said earlier this year that Qatar will play a “central role” in his country’s energy strategy and the Gulf nation signed its first gas deal with Berlin last month.
Qatar is also a major investor in Europe. It is one of the UK’s biggest landlords and owns trophy London assets including Harrods department store and the Shard skyscraper, as well as a 20% stake in Heathrow airport. In France, the second largest destination for Qatari investment, it has more than $26 billion in assets and has created some 72,000 jobs.
Is it possible for Qatar to retaliate once morest the EU?
Qatar has expressed concern regarding the “wave of attacks” it is facing in the European media.
After news of the bribery scandal broke, the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, launched a scathing attack on the “enemies of democracy” in a speech before the legislature. She suggested that the bloc was ready to sacrifice its burgeoning energy ties with Qatar as a result. “We are Europeans,” she said. “We prefer to be cold than bought.”
Qatar has worked to dispel the idea that it would use its vast gas reserves as a weapon. When its neighbors, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, imposed a boycott designed to cripple their economy in 2017, Doha continued to supply gas to the United Arab Emirates. Qatar’s friendly relations with Iran can also be attributed to gas diplomacy. The two nations share the world’s largest gas field, known in Qatar as North Field.
In a statement to CNN, Qatar noted its position as a major supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Belgium and warned the EU that the ongoing episode might affect “discussions on global energy poverty.”
But Qatar might find other ways to air its grievance with Europe. After London’s transport authority banned Qatari ads protesting its position on LGBTQ issues, for example, Doha began a review of its investments in the city, the Financial Times reported.
Qatar did not respond to CNN’s request for comment for this article.
Ulrichsen said that European officials and diplomats have tried to push back on the negativity of media coverage during the World Cup. French President Emmanuel Macron made a very public appearance at the tournament, attending the semifinal and final matches. When Qatar’s Sheikh Tamim handed out medals to the tournament winners on Sunday, Macron stood by him.
Krieg said Qatar’s signing of a gas contract with Germany suggests it will not politicize trade deals.
“I think the current warnings voiced by Qatar are a show of force and are unlikely to translate into quid pro quos. Qatar has no tradition of playing hardball,” Krieg said. “They tend to be complacent, but patience has run out. And the Europeans would do well to take Qatari and Gulf concerns into account.”
