Marc Tarabella | |
|---|---|
| 👁 Image | |
| Born | (1963-03-11) 11 March 1963 (age 63) |
| Occupation | politician |
Marc Tarabella (born 11 March 1963) is a Belgian politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament for the French Community of Belgium from 2004 to 2007 and from 2009 to 2024. He was a member of the Parti Socialiste, part of the Socialist Group. In February 2023 he was charged with corruption and money laundering in connection with the Qatar corruption scandal at the European Parliament.
Early life
[edit]Tarabella was born in Ougrée, a suburb of Seraing from a family originally from Versilia, Italy.[1]
Education
[edit]- 1986: Degree in sociology, University of Liège
- 1988: Seconded to the office of the Premier of the Walloon Region
- 1990: Customer adviser, General Savings and Retirement Fund
Political career
[edit]Career in national politics
[edit]- 1988–1994: Member of the Anthisnes Municipal Council
- since 1994: Mayor of Anthisnes
- 2000: Member of the executive of the Huy-Waremme Federation of the Socialist Party
- 2003: President of the Rural Foundation of Wallonia
- 2002: Belgian coordinator of the committees supporting Ingrid Betancourt
Member of the European Parliament
[edit]In parliament, Tarabella sat on the European Parliament's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development. He was a substitute for the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and a vice-chair of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
In January 2021, Tarabella became a member of the Italian left-wing party Article One.[2]
Amid the Qatar corruption scandal at the European Parliament in December 2022, Belgian police searched Tarabella's home.[3] He subsequently suspended himself from the S&D group, and his Walloon Socialist party revoked his membership. He also stepped down as member and vice chair of the European Parliament’s delegation to Qatar and other Arabian Peninsula countries.[4]
In February 2023 the European Parliament voted to waive immunity for Tarabella. He was subsequently arrested, charged with corruption and money laundering and remanded into custody. He denied any wrongdoing.[5] In April 2023 he was released from prison and the following month released from house arrest.[6] He returned to parliament, but did not stand for re-election in 2024.[7] In October 2024, he was re-elected as mayor of Anthisnes.[8]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ ""Caro Salvini, è lei il fannullone": lo sfogo di un europarlamentare belga-versiliese". Il Tirreno. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
- ^ Marc Tarabella, deputato belga del Pse, aderisce ad Articolo Uno. Benvenuto!, YouTube
- ^ Ali Walker and Sarah Wheaton (11 December 2022), Belgian MEP’s home raided in Qatar graft probe Politico Europe
- ^ Eddy Wax (12 January 2023), Qatargate: Marc Tarabella steps down from EU Parliament Gulf delegation Politico Europe.
- ^ "Belgian MEP Marc Tarabella charged in Qatargate probe". Politico Europe. 11 February 2023.
- ^ "European Parliament bribery scandal: Tarabella and Giorgi released from pre-trial detention". The Brussels Times. 9 May 2023.
- ^ "Dernière séance plénière pour l'Anthisnois Marc Tarabella : "18 ans d'Europe que je quitte sur une année moche"". L'Avenir (in French). 26 April 2024.
- ^ "Élections communales à Anthisnes : Marc Tarabella reste bourgmestre et conserve sa majorité absolue". rtbf (in French). 13 October 2024.
External links
[edit]👁 Wikimedia Commons logo
Media related to Marc Tarabella at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website
- Personal profile of Marc Tarabella in the European Parliament's database of members
- Declaration (PDF) of financial interests (in French)
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- 1963 births
- Living people
- Belgian sociologists
- MEPs for Belgium 2004–2009
- MEPs for Belgium 2009–2014
- MEPs for Belgium 2014–2019
- MEPs for Belgium 2019–2024
- Socialist Party (Belgium) MEPs
- Socialist Party (Belgium) politicians
- People from Anthisnes
- People from Seraing
- University of Liège alumni
- Belgian people of Italian descent
- Belgian MEP stubs
- Walloon politician stubs
- Belgian mayor stubs
- MEPs implicated in Qatargate