Contrary to the concerns, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was implemented stably making the hearts of football fans around the world beat. However, a bribery scandal broke out at the end of the tournament, creating a chilling atmosphere.
The issue started in earnest when the Netflix documentary ‘FIFA Uncovered’ was released, which said that Qatar had formed a secret association with the International Football Federation (FIFA) to host this tournament. The recent bribery scandal is being evaluated as bad news that will pour cold water on the efforts of Middle Eastern countries trying to globalize football by escaping the desert with oil money.
On 2 December 2010, Qatar was chosen to host the 2022 World Cup. It was surprising that Qatar, which is a desert, decided to host the World Cup, but many people were shocked when they won the right to host the World Cup. in the end.
The average temperature in June in Doha, the capital of Qatar, is 40 degrees Celsius. Qatar promised to install air conditioners in football grounds, but concerns from officials and fans as well as players who have to run the game have grown. Even the time of the competition was changed from summer to winter. Many said it wasn’t a smart decision, but that’s it.
Unexpectedly, however, an incident occurred that raised suspicions that the European Union (EU) parliament was involved in corruption related to the World Cup in Qatar. It all started when Belgian prosecutors charged EU Vice President Eva Kylie with bribery. Kylie’s indictment, which erupted at a time when the heat was on before the semi-finals of the Qatar World Cup, highlighted the other side of the World Cup.
Kylie’s deputy chairman was found to have kept cash at home, believed to be a bribe, during the seizure and search, and the pretext disappeared. Authorities seized 1.5 million euros in cash. The country that provided the bribe is known only as a Middle Eastern country, but it has been shortened to Qatar. Why did Qatar bribe Vice Chairman Kylie? It is analyzed that he asked to turn a blind eye to the controversy that arose before the World Cup. Perhaps the bribery is not limited to Vice Chairman Kylie. Qatar was criticized for violating the human rights of workers in preparation for the World Cup.
There is no way that the 7 spectacular stadiums built in the desert could have fallen from the sky. It’s not just the arena. It was a national project to virtually renovate Qatar, including airports, ports, roads, and various accommodation facilities. Migrant workers from South Asia were in charge of the construction work on the poor site, where the daily temperature was above 40 degrees.
Vice Chair Kylie brought the forgotten human rights issue back to the surface as the World Cup progressed. The organizing committee has already confirmed that around 400 migrant workers died during the construction of the stadium. The number of deaths estimated by the Western media is more than 6,000, more than 10 times the estimate of the organizing committee. This is why the criticism that this World Cup is a ‘bloody World Cup’ is coming out.
It is assumed that Qatar lobbied and even offered bribes to politicians when public opinion on human rights abroad worsened before the opening of the World Cup. It was the power of bribery that got Kylie back to Europe after watching the opening game of the World Cup from VVIP seats and meeting Qatar’s Minister of Labour, Albin Samik Almari, and passionately defending Qatar.
Calling out critics of Qatar’s bullies, Kylie said, “The World Cup in Qatar shows that sports diplomacy has driven historic change in the Arab world.” His opposition shocked his fellow Members of Parliament, and even pushed for a visa waiver for Qataris to visit EU countries.
After the arrest of Vice-Chair Kylie, the EU visa-free entry scheme for Qatari nationals, which was due to be processed in parliament, as well as the decision on the air agreement between the EU and Qatar were postponed indefinitely. The European Parliament also blocked Qatari officials from entering. The European Parliament is also expected to investigate the public diplomacy lobbying of foreign countries.
This incident is likely to spread further. Belgian authorities plan to expand their investigation in the future, believing that more MPs may have taken bribes in Qatar. It is certain that the image of Qatar and the Middle East as well as European politics will deteriorate further if additional politicians take bribes.
It seems that Qatar is not the only one lobbying Europe. Qatar has denied the allegation, but Belgian authorities are said to be investigating the possibility that Morocco is also involved. If Morocco, the first African country to progress to the semi-finals of the World Cup, is found to be a corrupt country, the achievements of its players could suffer a fatal blow.
The incident happened as Europe diversified its energy supply lines to the Middle East in the wake of the war in Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron watched the semi-final between his national team and Morocco at the venue despite the bribery controversy and said he would also attend the final. In a situation where the geopolitical situation of the Middle East has grown amid the recent energy crisis, it is a willingness to strengthen relations with the Middle East with the World Cup as an opportunity.
The bribery scandal could damage the countries of the Middle East which are trying to rise in the wake of the World Cup and the war in Ukraine. It means that this World Cup, which is expected to be a symbol of the rapid rise of the Middle East, could turn into bad news as Saudi Arabia beat the mighty Argentina, who belong to the emperor of football Messi.
The United States is also said to be paying close attention to this issue. As the European Parliament is deceived by the lobby of foreign countries, the United States has room to check its lobbying with other countries as well. Unlike Europe, the United States has implemented the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), which registers lobbyists responsible for lobbying foreign countries.
Baek Jong-min, Asia Economy Opinion Manager cinchange@asiae.co.kr
