Diplomatic Immunity Should Not Exist for Anybody
Laws are not created (nor decided upon) by the general population. The "elite" few decide what rules will govern society. They therefore give special protections for themselves and for those who protect their interests. If some corrupt EPO officials like Benoît Battistelli and António Campinos try to grant millions of patents (read: monopolies) in Europe for the few who can afford such monopolies, then they and their enablers - such as Rowan - will receive special protections from "the law".
They love it. What's not to like about being above the law and commit crimes with impunity even after leaving the EPO?
It's not only unfair. This ushers in an authoritarian society like that which we gleefully mock in Russia.
Set aside the sorts of monopolies granted (including European software patents - i.e. patents which are both illegal and undesirable). A lot of those monopolies distract from the instruments that enable their illegal granting.
Until or unless European officials take this issue seriously (I spoke to some European officials about it and they're totally useless; they don't even acknowledge there is a problem), I may continue to see them with the same cynicism long reserved for Kremlin officers/officials.
The EPO in its current form gradually 'normalises' the end of European democracy, rapidly to be replaced by rampant corporate takeover - even takeover led by another continent! This will lead to worse things than just poverty. █