Rovana Plumb, the bloc’s likely next transport boss, is shrouded by a number of bizarre controversies that have raised concerns amongst the MEPs due to confirm her position in the coming weeks. The former Romanian minister was nominated to become her country’s next European commissioner but her candidacy has run ointo serious trouble. Just one of the scandals linked to the Romanian that have raised eyebrows includes Ms Plumb attempting to apparently avoid a special tax on 4×4 vehicles – which she introduced as transport minister. She “forgot” apparently.
Romanian media reports in 2014 claim that she had “forgotten” to declare her Audi Q7, which had been registered in Bulgaria to allegedly avoid the tax.
A Romanian anti-corruption body once attempted to investigate Ms Plumb because they believed she was involved in the purchase of an island in the Danube River that was state property.
The investigation was blocked after the country’s parliament refused to offer its consent.
Ms Plumb has denied any wrongdoing in connection with both allegations.
Liviu Dragnea, the jailed former leader of Romania’s Social Democrats, is considered a close ally of the Commission candidate.
He was jailed for three-and-a-half years in May for illegal party payments.
The EU Parliament’s scrutiny of Ms Plumb, however, centres on €1 million worth of loans used to fund political party donations and property purchases.
The legal affairs committee have questioned whether the loans could be repaid in an “open and transparent manner”.
The Romanian government is believed to be prepared to replace Ms Plumb with an alternative candidate to solve the crisis.
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They are angry that the EU Parliament’s legal affairs committee is being urged to change its mind to avoid a row with Budapest.
France’s Sylvie Goulard, a former French defence minister, is a suspect in a case involving alleged fictitious jobs being used to support her domestic party when she served as an MEP.
Belgium’s Didier Reynders has seen an investigation into allegations of corruption and money laundering dropped.
He was accused by a former spy of being involved in corruption schemes in the Congo, Kazakhstan, Libya and Belgian state contracts.
A case investigating the misuse of MEPs expenses Poland’s Janusz Wojciechowski was closed last week.
The EU’s Olaf anti-fraud office said he had unduly been paid €11,234 by the Parliament but the sum has since been repaid.
Ms von der Leyen’s 27 candidates will face public grilling by MEPs over the next two weeks ahead of a crucial vote on her entire top team.
The new Commission will not allowed to be take office on November 1 if just one candidate is rejected by MEPs.