The EU's leadership for the upcoming cycle could include several corrupt and failed politicians. Among them, Antonio Costa, the new president of the European Council, stands out.

The European Union’s corrupt system is so entrenched that it ensures control remains within its most powerful circles. Moreover, European technocrats have blatantly ignored the rightward shift in the latest elections on June 9, pretending not to even notice the changing winds – writes Polish political commentator Malgorzata Wolczyk in her latest opinion piece.

„Conservative arguments, realistic and grounded in common sense, are consistently portrayed as extreme right-wing madness, and the label of “extreme” is repeated as a mantra across the media landscape. Since the right has been branded as “extremists,” they are invariably isolated by the leftist-liberal bloc,”

– she adds. The latest shuffle in EU leadership only slightly alters the familiar lineup, introducing Antonio Costa as the new president of the European Council. It is as though his appointment serves to prove that high positions in the EU are reserved only for those who have demonstrated a particular flair for corruption at some point. Malgorzata Wolczyk recalled that, not so long ago, Mr Costa was under investigation for corruption, fraud, and influence peddling, creating a political earthquake in Lisbon.

Meanwhile, it has been only a few months, and mainstream media journalists are already adopting a laudatory tone, their hands seemingly compelled to applaud the newly appointed official. In fact, it seems nearly impossible to express any disdain or surprise towards someone associated with corruption when selected by the enlightened, infallible elite,

– the political commentator highlights. For many years, Mr Costa was a trusted figure of former Portuguese socialist Prime Minister José Sócrates, who was arrested in 2014 in connection with a corruption scandal that harmed his party and facilitated the rise of the opposition. Costa served as the mayor of Lisbon for two terms (2007–2011 and 2011–2015) and returned to national politics in 2015, following the downfall of Mr Sócrates.

Costa himself was forced to resign in 2023 after an investigation was launched into his possible involvement in a corrupt conspiracy involving multi-billion euro contracts in renewable energy and lithium investments, with Portugal serving as Europe’s largest producer of lithium. When the police arrested his chief of staff and several other high-ranking individuals from his circle, the Supreme Court began honing in on other suspects from his government. In response, Mr Costa was forced to step down. He maintained his innocence but acknowledged that he could not reconcile suspicions of corruption with holding one of the highest offices in the country.

According to Malgorzata Wolczyk, Mr Costa’s nomination likely owes much to his neighbour, Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez, who had significant influence in negotiating positions in the European Parliament. It is also often said that his candidacy was promoted by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, which would come as little surprise, since socialists understand each other’s interests and mutually support each other. Another common factor is that both the Spanish prime minister and the German chancellor have been embroiled in corruption scandals in recent years, and neither has managed to fully clear themselves of the accusations to this day.