The Chairman of the European Commission of Ursula von Der Lyen is accused of a possible conflict of interests because of her summer holidays in August 2023 at the Greek Prime Minister Kiriakos Michokotakis in Crete. This caused a wave of indignation among European politicians and the public, calling into question the ethical standards of the highest leadership of the European Union.
In August 2023, photos of the Greek media appeared in which Background Der Lyen and her husband were visited by Michotakis and his wife. This trip has provoked serious questions about transparency and compliance with ethical standards, as EU rules prohibit policies to use sponsorship funds for personal travel, if not paid for by universities, governments of Member States, or international organizations such as UN or G20.
Former Soviet Union Eths Eye Veld has filed a complaint with the European Ombudsman, emphasizing that the European Commission "deliberately ignored numerous sensitive political issues related to Greece." Among them she remembered:
- problems with counter -migrants,
- Investigation of a boat tragedy with migrants,
- Scandal with spy software directed against politicians and journalists in Greece.
In her opinion, the silence of the EC on these matters may be associated with the trip of von der Liaien to Greece.
The European Ombudsman Emily O'Reilie stated that the situation with the trip of the EC Chairman testifies to the "structural deficiency" in the ethical rules of the European Commission. In addition, the annual delay in response to the transparency of this trip was called "unacceptable" and violating the time restrictions provided by the EU legislation.
The European Commission rejected the accusations, stating that the trip of von der Liaien had a "political and diplomatic nature" and therefore did not contradict the rules. However, according to the Code of Conduct, there are no special provisions for the head that could clearly regulate such cases.
