In a recent instance, MEP Giusi Princi was named in Parliament due to a request from Belgian authorities to lift her immunity for an investigation into alleged corruption linked to the Chinese tech company Huawei. This request was soon withdrawn.
“The Parliament, at several levels, is keen to convey the message to Belgian authorities that they need to act up and be more professional,” said a high-ranking Parliament official, speaking anonymously on sensitive matters. “Their mistakes and carelessness can extremely damage the reputation of members and EU institutions.”
Under the plans conveyed by Metsola to political group leaders, she could require requesting authorities to provide essential information before publicly announcing immunity-waiver requests. Currently, any request, regardless of its content, must be announced in the full plenary session of Parliament.
Parliament lawmakers criticize Belgium’s failure to secure any convictions in the 2022 Qatargate cash-for-influence scandal. Michel Claise, the judge overseeing the case, resigned in June 2023 due to alleged conflicts of interest, and the defendants have questioned the legality of the proceedings, which are being reviewed by the courts, according to a spokesperson for the Belgian prosecutor.
“If proceedings begin soon and convictions follow, then the process has worked,” said Green MEP Daniel Freund. “But if no one is convicted, if key evidence is ruled inadmissible, or if procedural errors derail the case, then we do have a serious problem.”
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