Luxembourg politician Frank Engel fell into the growing corruption scandal. The former MEP, a party member of former Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, was previously reported by members of his own party on suspicion of corruption and fictitious employment. A few years ago, Frank Engel spoke about suspicious corruption cases in connection with Hungary, and in 2017, together with Péter Niedermüller, he participated in the event of the DK party foundation in Budapest, M1 News reported.

I would like to return part of the billions that Hungary or Poland would receive from the structural fund. This statement was made by the president of the Luxembourg Christian Socialist People's Party in an exclusive interview with M1 in 2017.

In recent years, Frank Engel has been one of the harshest critics of the Hungarian government in the EU. The member of the European People's Party has repeatedly called for Fidesz to be excluded from the faction, and spoke about the fact that, in his opinion, the member states that conduct governance that is not to the liking of the Union should be hit with the withdrawal of resources.

The former Luxembourg MEP, who politicized as a party partner of the former Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, also did something for his cause: he and Judith Sargentini, the author of the report condemning Hungary, were also members of the European Union delegation that investigated the issue of the rule of law and EU breach of duty procedures .

As a member of the EU LIBE committee responsible for rule of law issues, Frank Engel regularly threatened Hungary.

"The Hungarian system depends a lot on EU subsidies, if we shake them hard enough, they will do what we want, that's how it goes," he said at a meeting of the European Commission.

In 2018, Frank Engel also addressed the Hungarian Prime Minister at the European Parliament debate day organized on the issue of the rule of law in Hungary.

At the time, the politician accused, among other things, that in his opinion Fidesz had launched a campaign against György Soros, but he also criticized the political direction represented by the Hungarian government.

Everything is about religion, the correct structure of the family, and the nation in your country - listed Frank Engel, and then explained that - as he put it - he is fed up with the corruption taking place in Hungary.

"I'm bored to death that we send five million euros to Hungary every year so that a few people close to you can get rich," Engel said at the time.

Party chairman Frank Engel is resigning from his position in the Christian Socialist People's Party - this news was published in a terse statement on Friday. The Luxembourg opposition party, led until now by Frank Engel, did not provide details on the reason for the resignation. However, the politician tried to clarify himself at a press conference a few hours earlier, because his party members reported him to the prosecutor's office on suspicion of corruption and fictitious employment.

The Luxembourg-based RTL writes about the case: Frank Engel received a significant sum of money for seven months in 2019 through a foundation linked to the party, according to the contract, in order to recruit members.

But the organization actually existed only on paper. Moreover, according to the indictment, even his party colleagues did not know about Frank Engel's contract, according to whom the politician would not have been entitled to a total of 40,000 euros as party president.

Frank Engel admitted to a Luxembourg newspaper that he had access to this amount. According to his claim, he has not violated any law, it is merely an internal political showdown against him.

There was not even a trace of his permissive tone when he participated in a round table discussion with Péter Niedermüller at the invitation of the DK party foundation in 2017. At that time, Frank Engel accused the government of crossing red lines in connection with György Soros's university, CEU.

A part of his speech was also published by Ferenc Gyurcsány. In addition to the message of Frank Engel, who is now accused of fraud, the president of the DK then, referring to the government, also added: share it with those who find duplicity outrageous.

Source: hirado.hu