Slovenian Zoran Thaler resigned from the EP following the lobby scandal. Romanian MEP Adrian Severin called at Brussels by Socialist leader Martin Schulz

Slovenian MEP Zoran Thaler quit his position as MEP following the lobby scandal revealed by the British daily Sunday Times involving other two MEPs including Romanian Adrian Severin and Austrian Ernst Strasser. Strasser already quit yesterday according to sources in the European Parliament, Romanian news agency Agerpres reads.

Three MEPs – Slovenian Zoran Thaler, Romanian Adrian Severin and Austrian Ernst Strasser were willing to sell their services in exchange of sums up to 100,000 euro to some undercover journalists posing as lobbyists. Strasser, former Austrian Foreign Affairs minister announced his resignation on Sunday when the scandal broke.

Martin Schulz, leader of the European Socialist group called on Monday at Brussels Adrian Severin and Zoran Thaler, members of the group. Schulz described the accusations as extremely serious and said that he wants to meet the two and hear their version of the story.

If accusations are true, Schulz said that he will take the necessary measures. Schulz said that being a consultant, using the public image of a MEP is not compatible if the values of the Socialists and Democrats group. Deputy President of the Socialists Hanes Swoboda said that the Austrian MEP already resigned and implied that this is the expectation from Severin also. Swoboda said that the video tape says a thousand words. For now, Severin said that he is innocent and that he will not quit from the EP.