Left MEPs walked out of the JURI Committee meeting in protest after a pre-negotiated deal between the EPP, ECR, S&D, and Renew to protect Commissioners from scrutiny during the audit of financial conflicts of interest.

Co-chair Manon Aubry (La France Insoumise) stated: « The Backroom deals between the Far Right, Socialists and Liberals are a disgrace. Instead of protecting the private interests of Commissioners, we MEPs must act in the interest of transparency and ethical standards. »

Left MEP Mario Furore (5 Star Movement, JURI Committee coordinator for The Left) added: « The audit of financial conflicts of interest is deeply flawed and politicised. The majority aimed to approve all candidates. The meeting was rushed through in less than an hour, and the questions posed were utterly meaningless. »

The EPP, S&D, and Renew Europe groups flatly refused to make any substantial recommendations—even a proposal that certain Commissioners should be advised to recuse themselves from decision-making processes that may impact companies they or their spouses were formerly involved with.

Left MEP Arash Saeidi, (La France Insoumise), substitute Member to the Committee on Legal Affairs: « We are a political body making political decisions, and it’s clear that legal aspects must be scrutinized by an independent authority with the power to investigate. »

Empowering the Independent Ethics Body, alongside implementing stronger financial disclosure requirements and depoliticizing the entire process, are crucial steps toward restoring public trust. EU Commissioners must operate with the independence and integrity that their roles demand, not with the corporate interests that currently dictate the agenda.