In our first publication, titled 'How the EU and Its High Representatives Turn a Blind Eye to Irregularities Within the Union,' we presented evidence of violations, exposed how those in leadership positions facilitate the circumvention of the rule of law, and highlighted cases of corruption being deliberately concealed by the EU’s leadership. In this article, we will examine Ukko Metsola - the husband of European Parliament President Roberta Metsola - and the favorable conditions she has facilitated for his lobbying activities within the cruise industry.
How Did Roberta Metsola Enable Her Husband’s Lobbying Efforts?
Open sources put Ukko Metsola as official lobbyist for the “Royal Caribbean Group.” According to “Transparency Register”, his name is listed under the position in charge of EU relations:
This reality has not deterred the Metsola family from conducting business as usual. They have even managed to secure EU funding for the Royal Caribbean Group to purchase clean technology, ensuring compliance with green regulations. According to environmental activist Vicky Cann, who spoke to Politico, Ukko Metsola actively lobbied EU institutions to finance the company he represents, effectively allocating taxpayer money to bring it into alignment with EU regulations.
Although Mr. Metsola told journalists that he had ceased his lobbying efforts targeting members of the European Parliament, Mrs. Metsola’s actions during this period suggest otherwise.
Fact 1. In meetings with the Commission’s departments responsible for transport and climate change, as well as through email exchanges and public statements, Ukko Metsola expressed support for the green transition, describing it as an 'opportunity' for Europe to reform a shipbuilding sector. However, it later emerged that in 2023, Royal Caribbean had requested EU funding for fuel cell research. Ultimately, this lobbying contributed to the adoption of a regulation subsidizing the energy transition in the EU’s cruise industry.
According to media reports, Ukko Metsola influenced the European Commission regarding amendments to the regulation on EU funds. Last May, the Royal Caribbean Group urged EU institutions to subsidize the cost difference between fossil fuels and more expensive environmentally friendly alternatives. In essence, Ukko facilitated the company’s compliance with EU regulations - using EU taxpayer money to do so.
Fact 2. Ukko Metsola told Politico that he and his wife had decided to keep their personal lives entirely separate from their professional endeavors. He stated that 'during Mrs. Metsola’s term in office, she would refrain from making any statements regarding the cruise industry.' He further asserted, 'Even before my wife became the president, as an MEP for now over 11 years, she has never said anything about shipping, let alone cruising.’ However, journalists uncovered that she had breached this arrangement on at least two occasions.
First instance: In her video message on the occasion of EU Maritime Day, she said, 'The importance of the maritime industry to Europe’s wellbeing and prosperity cannot be overstated.' 'Climate ambition is essential,' she stated, and went on to say that the shipping industry’s progress rested on the EU “setting attainable targets and ffering financial incentives.’
Second instance: Roberta Metsola voiced similar views at the Malta Maritime Summit in 2022.
When journalists asked Ukko Metsola about it, his response was ‘I am surprised,’ and ‘I honestly wasn’t aware.’
Despite the fact that Madame President’s statements align with the requests made by her husband in the respective sector of the industry, her spokesperson said she was simply stating the broad position of the Parliament as its members had voted and had done nothing out of the ordinary.
Vicky Cann with the Corporate Europe Observatory argued that president’s public statements regarding her husband’s industry fell short of the president's duty to set a higher standard.
Business Ties in the Shadow of Roberta
There are numerous instances of Mr. Metsola leveraging his wife’s position of power. According to an article in Politico, Mrs. Metsola’s political influence has significantly enhanced Ukko Metsola’s reputation.
On one occasion, Ukko and Roberta Metsola, along with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib, attended a New Year’s reception hosted by Belgium’s Queen Mathilde. However, it remained unclear in what capacity Ukko Metsola was present at the event.
The second instance occurred in May 2023, when the Hanoi Times published an article about an event for attendees of King Charles III’s coronation. Journalists quickly took note of a striking photograph capturing a handshake between the French President and Vietnam’s then-President, with two individuals visible in the background. One was European Council President Charles Michel, while the other was none other than Ukko Metsola - whose presence at the event raised questions about how he had gained access.
Interestingly, this is not the first case of the conflict of interest for Mrs. Metsola who is known as an ardent advocate for transparency, accountability, and fighting corruption. In 2022, Metsola attempted to appoint Matthew Tabone, her sister’s husband, as a chief of staff. However, she was in the midst of the Qatargate scandal, and allegations of nepotism prevailed, making her withdraw the appointment. However, in August 2024, she eventually appointed him as the head of her cabinet as president of the European Parliament.
It is worth noting that Tabone joined the European Parliament in 2013 as the head of Metsola’s office when she was elected as an MEP. He married her sister in 2015, yet their professional collaboration continued.
Roberta Metsola: Breaking Her Own Rules
In 2023, Mrs. Metsola made headlines with another action, rightfully placing her under a scrutiny. Roberta Metsola declared 142 gifts she received on a public register for MEPs. However, she missed the deadline for MEPs to declare their gifts in relation to 125 of the items on her list.
Among those:
⏺ Gold model tower from Moroccan politician Naam Mayara
⏺ White dress with golden embroidery from Fawzia Zainal, speaker in the parliament of Bahrain
⏺ Scarf from French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne
⏺ Sennheiser wireless earphones from the German Bundestag
⏺ Vase from the Czech presidency of the EU Council
⏺ White blouse from Moldova’s President Maia Sandu
⏺ Book about Bruges from the rector of the College of Europe, Federica Mogherini
⏺ decorative plate from Uzbekistan’s ambassador to Benelux countries.
One of the gifts that she has recorded is one from the United Arab Emirates’ Foreign Minister, which she received in February 2022. It is described in the register as an “icon & drawer with individually wrapped dates.” A plaque on the gift itself describes it as a “shield representing Expo 2020 logo.
Metsola also received expensive Champagne, chocolates, cakes and other items.
Once again, Roberta Metsola failed to adhere to the rules, registering 125 items several days past the deadline. According to the Code of Conduct, every Member of Parliament must declare received gifts by the end of the same month or, at the latest, early the following month.
Bribery, corruption, inefficient management and pressure – these are the irregularities that have characterized Metsola’s early leadership years in the European Parliament.
Metsola, fon der Layen, Eva Kayli ...
Regrettably, the 'Metsola' case is not an isolated incident within the European Union’s leadership. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s husband, Heiko, has also faced similar allegations.
Last year, eight MEPs from the Greens/European Free Alliance pointed out that Orgenesis, where Heiko von der Leyen happened to be a director, twice received European funding, and asked Transparency Commissioner Věra Jourová to investigate his involvement.
According to the same MEPs, one of such projects was a gene and cell therapy project by an Italian subsidiary of Orgenesis that was supported by the EU. Heiko von der Leyen was elected to sit on the supervisory board of the project. It was only after Italian media reported on his involvement that he had to resign.
Another significant case is Qatargate—the arrest of former European Parliament Vice President Eva Kaili and her husband, Francesco Giorgi, for their involvement in a large-scale political corruption and money laundering scheme. MEPs Pier Antonio Panzeri, Marc Tarabella, and Andrea Cozzolino faced the same fate. This criminal network was accused of lobbying on behalf of Qatar, pushing its interests to secure favorable resolutions, and offering bribes. The €5.4 million they received was reportedly distributed between Kaili (60%) and Panzeri (40%). During the investigation, police discovered that Kaili had exchanged messages with Metsola and made numerous requests.
Furthermore, during the investigations authorities seized four apartments, a house, luxury car and thousands of euros in cash.
Roberta Metsola is one of the three most influential figures in Europe. Throughout her career, she has demanded that those around her uphold the law, embrace accountability, and steer clear of corruption. Yet when it comes to herself and her family, she refuses to lead by example.
During her four years as president, the media has reported very little about her husband’s dealings - something experts attribute to a highly sophisticated PR strategy.
However, it is difficult to believe that everyone in Parliament remains unaware of the repeated circumvention of the Code of Conduct. On the other hand, it appears that MEPs have simply grown accustomed to the culture of impunity within the walls of the European Parliament.
