Roberta Metsola, the President of the European Parliament, has long positioned herself as a staunch advocate for transparency and integrity, especially in the wake of the 2022 Qatargate scandal. In an effort to combat corruption, Metsola spearheaded a new ethics code aimed at enhancing transparency within the European Parliament. The code required senior members to declare conflicts of interest, including those related to their family, personal life, or economic interests.

However, despite these bold moves, there remains a glaring exemption: Metsola herself. If the new rules applied to her as they do to other senior officials, she may have been obliged to disclose her husband Ukko Metsola’s position as the top EU lobbyist for Royal Caribbean Group, the world’s second-largest cruise company and a significant environmental polluter.

Ukko’s role, while not a secret, remained largely unacknowledged by the wider public, even as he worked to influence green legislation that Roberta would later sign into law. Royal Caribbean’s lobbying efforts coincided with the Parliament’s landmark green legislation. Despite this, there’s no indication of any rule-breaking, as the current regulations do not require the President of the European Parliament to disclose such information.

Nicholas Aiossa, Director of Transparency International EU, pointed out that Metsola’s exemption highlights a serious issue. “There’s no reason why President Metsola — or any president — should be exempt from filing such a declaration,” Aiossa said, underlining the ethical dilemma of having a family member actively involved in lobbying efforts within the institution.

Although Ukko was registered as a lobbyist, his proximity to the President, without the need for formal disclosure, could easily raise eyebrows. Despite his attempts to avoid direct lobbying of MEPs following Roberta’s rise to the presidency, the fact that his position as a key player in Royal Caribbean went mostly unnoticed exemplifies a double standard in transparency.

Metsola’s spokesperson, Jüri Laas, rejected claims that Ukko’s employment raised any conflict of interest, arguing that as President, her role was distinct from those of other officials subject to the ethics code. Laas defended the exemption, stating that the rules targeted positions linked to specific portfolios and were thus more vulnerable to conflicts of interest.

Nonetheless, the situation has drawn attention to the limitations of the Parliament’s transparency rules. The absence of a requirement for Metsola to disclose her husband’s role, even as she publicly advocated for transparency, appears contradictory. The omission of disclosure raises questions about the efficacy and fairness of the rules she champions.

Further complicating the picture is Ukko’s deep involvement in the cruise industry, one of the most environmentally damaging sectors. Royal Caribbean lobbied for public funds to support its transition to greener operations, a position that Ukko, as their lobbyist, strongly advocated. While Roberta’s spokesperson maintained that she never used her position to further her husband’s agenda, her statements praising the maritime industry in official contexts, such as at the Malta Shipping Conference in 2022, cast a shadow of doubt.

This discrepancy between Roberta Metsola’s public persona as a champion of transparency and the reality of her situation suggests a double standard. While she fights for stricter ethics rules for others, her own exemption from those very rules undermines her credibility.

Roberta and Ukko’s long-standing partnership, both personal and professional, has certainly contributed to their rise to power. But this very partnership has also blurred the lines between public service and private interest. Their influence in Brussels is undeniable, but so too are the questions surrounding the transparency of their relationship and the ethical standards that Roberta Metsola claims to uphold.

^{Illustrations by Sam Hadley for POLITICO}