Nigel Farage's claim that there was "no accountability whatsoever" in the Brussels/EU system is an absolute assertion that is contradicted by multiple accountability mechanisms that existed as of the December 2011 interview date. First, the European Parliament has been directly elected by EU voters since 1979, providing a democratic accountability mechanism. MEPs must stand for re-election every five years. The Parliament itself exercises significant supervisory powers: it elects and approves the European Commission President and Commissioners, can vote a motion of censure to force the Commission to resign as a body, grants or withholds budgetary discharge, and can set up committees of inquiry. Second, the claim is contradicted by the fact that accountability mechanisms have had real consequences. In March 1999, the entire Santer Commission resigned en masse after a devastating independent report found fraud, nepotism, and mismanagement, and after the European Parliament made clear it would pass a censure motion. This was the first collective resignation in the Commission's history and occurred precisely because of parliamentary accountability pressure. Third, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) was established in 1999 with an independent investigative mandate to combat fraud, corruption, and misconduct within EU institutions. Its creation was a direct response to the Santer Commission crisis. Fourth, just weeks before this interview, in December 2011, the European Parliament approved a new code of conduct for MEPs (entering force January 2012) requiring public declarations of financial interests, disclosure of outside paid activities, and imposing sanctions ranging from reprimands to temporary suspension and loss of elected offices for breaches. While Farage and other critics have legitimately argued that EU accountability mechanisms are imperfect, indirect, or weaker than those in national parliamentary democracies or the private sector, the literal claim of "no accountability whatsoever" is contradicted by the existence and demonstrated use of these mechanisms. The claim is an exaggeration that materially misrepresents reality. Sources: European Parliament, "New code of conduct for MEPs approved" (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20111201IPR32927/new-code-of-conduct-for-meps-approved); BBC News, "EU plunges into crisis" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/297457.stm); The Guardian, "EU chiefs resign en masse" (https://www.theguardian.com/world/1999/mar/16/eu.politics1); European Anti-Fraud Office, "History" (https://anti-fraud.ec.europa.eu/about-us/history_en); EUR-Lex, "European Parliament" (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=LEGISSUM:european_parliament); European Union, "European Parliament – roles and powers" (https://european-union.europa.eu/institutions-law-budget/institutions-and-bodies/search-all-eu-institutions-and-bodies/european-parliament_en)