The Parliament’s misspent €1.5 million

Political parties are misspending their cash, while the public is left in the dark about what’s going on. The European Parliament’s department of finance found political parties and foundations had misspent €1.5 million during the 2024 EU election campaign. Zoya and Ian discuss which parties are the biggest offenders. They also explain how the Parliament — with the help of complex bureaucratic processes — helps these parties avoid broader scrutiny. Also on the pod, EU finance ministers are meeting today to discuss getting financial support for Ukraine from countries outside the bloc. While we’re on the topic of geopolitics, Zoya and Ian have some breaking news about a major personnel change at the EU’s foreign policy arm, the European External Action Service. Finally, a Spanish MEP was outraged when an inauthentic Galician octopus dish was served at the Parliament’s canteen. We take a look at some other institutional food fights. Do you have insider info on any big job moves happening in Brussels — or elsewhere? We’d love to hear them! Send a message to our WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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The Parliament’s misspent €1.5 million is an episode from POLITICO's EU Confidential by POLITICO.

This episode is 13:26 long.

This episode was published on May 5, 2026.

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