They control the EU's drug mafia
HALL MAFIA
- a series of the hidden rulers
In Brussels corridor mafia is much more common than in Sweden. 1760 registered lobbyists in the EU.
In the midst of the EU Parliament working drug liberals openly - and successfully.
Aftonbladet concludes today examining the hidden rulers.
They control the EU's drug mafia
He wishes to dope FREE Drug liberal Ottavio Marzocchi working openly in the middle of the European Parliament of the Brussels -sel. His organization Cora has even its own office in Parliament.
Photo: ÅKE ERICSON
Sweden could be forced to drop the drugs free
Brussels. On the wall hang pictures of Al Capone and marijuana. From here ruled victory over the Swedish drug policy. In the heart of the EU Parliament is knarklobbyns own headquarters.
It is the day after the meeting in the European Parliament "Justice Committee" - Committee on Civil Liberties, . Ottavio Marzocchi leans back in his office chair. Formally, he was employed as an assistant to the Italian Radical Party, but he is also a lobbyist for the drug liberal organization Cora. ??The group has seventeen EU parliamentarians as members and is also a so-called inter-group - a forum for lobbyists to get in touch with politicians inside in the Parliament. Ottavio Marzocchi have every reason to be pleased. After only a few months in the European Parliament, he can collect the drug lobbyists' biggest victory. From the computer he picks up the final document from the committee meeting on 4 November. - Read the paragraph twelve, says He contented. Releasing the drugs free , the text acknowledges the EU's highest decision-making body, the Council of Ministers, would require an amendment of the UN drug convention. The committee goes so far as to want to decriminalize the use of all drugs - in line with Cora demands. Cora was founded in Italy in 1988 by Marco Pannella, a controversial Italian politician who for seventeen years, the MEPs of the Italian Radical Party. Marco Pannella is ultra-liberal and his ideas are similar to the Swedish Freedom Front's. Today, he has dropped out of the European Parliament to drive the drug lobby in Italy. Cora wants to fight all kinds of prohibitions, especially against drugs. The main argument is that people should have control over their own lives and that crime is decreasing. The drugs would be so cheap that crime is not necessary to fund an addiction. - The restrictive drug policy is a failure. People junkie after all, says Ottavio Marzocchi. He says that Cora has 800 members who pay for the organization. Anonymous donors - We also have a number of donors who wish to remain anonymous. But Ottavio Marzocchi does not want to reveal how large sums Cora gets in anonymous support and the interests that underlie premiums. Just a few rooms further away in the parliament building is the Swedish EU parliamentarian Malou Lindholm (Green Party). She was an uneven battle against party friends in Parliament's Green group. Many Green MEP supports Cora idea - to release the drugs freely. At its meeting on 4 November, the disagreement is so great that Malou Lindholm lyftesutinfördenslutgiltigaomröstningen. She was replaced by German Daniel Cohn-Bendit, one of Parliament's most extreme drug liberals. - It changed nothing, says Malou Lindholm. - The composition was such that I yet realized that the report would be adopted. The meeting was stormy, and drug liberals won. 17 members voted for the final version. Eleven members were opposed. The rest abstained or were absent. Rape of the Swedes - It would be a rape of Swedes not to retain our restrictive drug policies, says Malou Lindholm. The strict Swedish drug policy annoys drug lobbyists. Cora does not see Sweden's hard-line as a threat to the relief of drug laws. Committees report was a partial victory. Now the report is sent on.Parliament must either adopt or reject the document in a vote at the beginning of the year. The same day that Aftonbladet met Ottavio Marzocchi met Cora's core group to draw up guidelines for the important vote. Aftonbladet wanted to visit the meeting, but got a flat refusal. - You would disturb us explains Ottavio Marzocchi. Strong forces supporting Cora. The organization's trump card is the Italian European Commissioner Emma Bonino. She spoke on Cora's congress in Brussels last year, and is on the decriminalization of drugs.Cora is also supported by 61 European parliamentarians who have signed a petition for a lenient drug legislation. The organization is growing While growing organization. Cora is now available across Europe. Strongholds are in addition to Italy, also France, Belgium and Spain. The strong resistance from drug liberals in Parliament has got Swedish politicians to come together across party lines. Both Malou Lindholm (Green Party) and Charlotte Cederschiöld (m) denounces Cora. ??- They are nothing more than a game plan for drug liberals in Parliament, says Charlotte Cederschiöld. Parliament has not itself an opportunity to introduce specific rules. Although the committee's report would be approved by the whole Parliament does not mean the immediate decriminalization of drugs. However, it is a very strong signal to the powerful bodies, the Commission and the Council of Ministers to act. So the battle is likely to continue. Cora is confident about winning. Aftonbladet Thursday :