The parliament that prefers avarice to power

If there is one European institution that needs root and branch reform, it is the European Parliament.

This claims to be the Union's democratic showpiece, the vital organ that connects a vibrant 27 nation partnership with its citizens. Its 785 members are supposed to have their fingers on the pulse of the Union's 300 million voters and to use this knowledge to enact or amend European legislation.

Above all, it is supposed to be a shining example to the world of openness, transpare...