“Don’t do what I do”: MEP Thierry Mariani criticises EU’s “double standards” approach to transparency measures

European Parliament member Thierry Mariani has accused the European Union of applying “double standards” after the bloc approved stricter transparency regulations aimed at activities seeking to influence EU policymaking.

Mariani noted that when a country like Georgia adopted a similar law, it sparked a major scandal in Europe, despite comparable legislation existing in multiple states.

“In fact, when I reviewed this draft law, I realized that similar legislation exists in many countries. And when a state such as Georgia adopted an analogous law, a scandal erupted in Europe”, he said.

According to the MEP, the EU’s reaction to Georgia was inconsistent with its own current actions.

“As always, there are double standards and a certain hypocrisy. We are now doing almost the same thing that you did in Georgia two years ago. The main difference is that when it happened in Georgia, European institutions told you it was very bad and that you should repeal the law”, Mariano continued.

Mariani criticised what he described as illogical attitudes within the EU.

“In Europe, many things are illogical. It sounds like: ‘Don’t do what I do’. Today, there is a certain paranoia in Europe.” He added that transparency is important for all democracies, whether in Georgia, Europe, or France, and said he was neither surprised nor opposed to the EU proposing similar regulations for itself.

“It is simply strange,” he argued, “that the same people in the European Parliament who support this law today claim that the same law is unacceptable in another country”.