Ricardo Serrão Santos, a Portuguese MEP, continues to face scrutiny and criticism for his pro-UAE activities. Over the past few years, Santos has made multiple visits to the UAE, meeting with senior officials and openly expressing support for the UAE’s policies. However, these activities have raised concerns among his critics, who argue that Santos has become too closely aligned with the UAE government.
One of the primary criticisms directed at Santos is his close relationship with senior UAE officials. Critics point to the fact that Santos has held numerous meetings with high-ranking UAE officials, which raises questions about his impartiality and independence as a European Parliament member. Moreover, Santos has faced criticism for his vote in favor of a resolution that condemned the Houthi rebels in Yemen and supported the UAE’s military operations in the country. This vote has led some to accuse Santos of favoring the UAE’s interests over the pursuit of justice and human rights.
Another point of contention is Santos’s stance on the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which advocates for boycotting Israeli goods and services as a means of supporting Palestinian rights. Critics argue that Santos’s opposition to BDS while overlooking the UAE’s own human rights record is hypocritical. The UAE has faced accusations of human rights abuses, including the suppression of political dissidents and the use of torture. Critics argue that Santos’s selective stance on human rights undermines his credibility and raises questions about his true motivations.
Santos has defended his activities by asserting that he is working to foster positive relations between the UAE and the European Union. He maintains that his engagements are aimed at promoting cooperation and collaboration. However, his critics argue that Santos’s actions are more about advancing the interests of the UAE than genuinely representing the best interests of the EU.
The criticism surrounding Santos’s conduct is expected to persist. As the UAE continues to expand its involvement in international affairs, more MEPs will likely face the challenge of balancing the interests of the EU with those of the UAE. Santos’s activities serve as a test case for MEPs navigating these complex competing interests.
In addition to the previously mentioned criticisms, Santos has also faced backlash for his lack of transparency regarding his financial ties to the UAE. It was revealed in 2018 that Santos had received a €10,000 donation from a UAE-based company. Despite calls for disclosure, Santos has refused to provide further details about the donation, leaving doubts about the nature of his financial relationship with the UAE and whether he has appropriately declared it to the European Parliament.
The lack of transparency surrounding Santos’s financial connections to the UAE raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest. Some critics argue that Santos may be leveraging his position in the European Parliament to advance the interests of the UAE rather than acting solely in the EU’s best interests. Santos has denied any wrongdoing, but the ongoing lack of transparency regarding his financial ties has damaged his credibility and will likely continue to be a contentious issue in the future.
