Lithuanian MEP Rolandas Paksas is an interesting chap. A former communist, he switched political allegiances once or twice after his country's independence in March 1990. Eventually, in 2002, he settled down as chairman of the Lithuanian Liberal Democratic Party. In fact, after last year's European elections, he was in negotiations with the Alliance of Liberal Democrats in Europe (ALDE), one of the main political groups in the parliament. He changed direction at the last moment - much to the disappointment of the small Lithuanian delegation in ALDE, and joined UKIP's EFD group.
But what made him change his mind? He was bought.
One reason UKIP MEPs are short-staffed is that staff contracts were handed over to smaller delegations as an incentive to join Farage's group. This has proven a useful bargaining chip: for example, whilst many UKIP MEPs have no staff in their offices, the one French MEP, Philippe de Villiers, who actually stood for Libertas in the euro-elections, has three staff members. No less than five French staff members, with political connections to de Villiers, are employed to run the EFD group secretariat.
This is the price that UKIP MEPs pay for the "privilege" of belonging to a political group.
Rolandas Paksas is no political lightweight. In fact, he has been both Prime Minister and President of his country, at various times.
One might ask why he felt the need to abandon high office, and sit as an MEP. This is where it gets interesting.
In 2004, following allegations about his connections with the Russian mafia, Paksas made history by becoming the first European head of state to be removed by impeachment.
He denied the allegations, of course, but eventually he changed tack, and announced that the businessman at the centre of the scandal, Yuri Borisov, who Paksas employed as a special adviser had pressured him into wrong doing.
On April 6, 2004, the Lithuanian Parliament voted on three charges: that he had leaked classified information about the investigation into Borisov; that he had improperly restored Borisov's citizenship; and that he had interfered in a privatisation transaction.
Paksas will fit in well with the EFD - there are lots of crooks there!
And they wonder why Nikki Sinclaire left the group!
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