Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Monday mocked the European Parliament after allegations surfaced that one of its vice presidents had accepted cash bribes from Qatar to burnish its image.
"Good morning to the European Parliament," Orban wrote on Twitter alongside a 1981 photo of former US presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush in a group of people laughing.
The text over the photo, which is commonly used as a meme, says, "And then they said the EP is seriously concerned about corruption in Hungary."
Orban's barb comes after the EU's executive arm, the European Commission, recommended freezing 13 billion euros ($13.7 billion) in EU funds earmarked for Hungary, because of concerns over corruption and risks to the rule of law.
The commission said Hungary had failed to introduce adequate anti-corruption reforms.
The European Parliament also voted not to release the monies.
But on Friday, the EU's lawmaking body itself became embroiled in a scandal over alleged corruption.
One of the assembly's vice presidents, Greek socialist Eva Kaili, has been charged in connection with allegations of bribery by football World Cup host Qatar.
EU foreign ministers warned on Monday that the scandal threatened to undermine the credibility of European institutions.
"The allegations against the vice president of the European Parliament are of utmost concern, very serious," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
"It is a question of confidence of people into our institutions, and this confidence and trust into our institutions needs higher standards."
Metsola attends police search of MEP's house
In Strasbourg, the president of the parliament, Roberta Metsola -- who at the weekend attended a police search of a Belgian MEP's home -- prepared to address the crisis.
According to parliamentary sources she would meet the leaders of the assembly's rival political groupings and address the issue from the podium at the opening of the week's session.
Kaili has been remanded in custody by an investigating magistrate in Belgium and has not travelled down to Strasbourg, the parliament's official seat, for the plenary session.
She received a new legal blow on Monday, when Greek authorities froze the 44-year-old former television presenter and her relatives' assets.
Several MEPs as well as transparency campaigners have called for tougher anti-graft rules.
On Saturday, Hungarian MEP Balazs Hidveghi accused left-wing members of the European Parliament of "fabricating lies about corruption in Hungary for years".
"Now their leading politician... is involved in the biggest corruption scandal in the history of the EU," Hidveghi wrote on Twitter.
"Hypocrisy at its best," the member of Orban's ruling Fidesz party said.