Belgium’s Parliamentary Immunity Controversy
Belgian authorities recently sought to remove the parliamentary immunity of MEP Giusi Princi amid ongoing corruption allegations involving the Chinese tech company Huawei. This request was swiftly withdrawn, highlighting tensions between national and EU institutions, reports 24brussels.
A high-ranking official within the European Parliament, who wished to remain anonymous, emphasized the urgency for Belgium to enhance its professionalism in these matters. “The Parliament, at several levels, is keen to convey the message to Belgian authorities that they need to act up and be more professional. Their mistakes and carelessness can extremely damage the reputation of members and EU institutions,” the official stated.
Under proposed reforms communicated by Parliament President Roberta Metsola, the institution could require requesting authorities to supply basic information prior to publicly announcing any requests for immunity waivers. Currently, all requests must be disclosed during full plenary sessions of Parliament, regardless of their significance.
Lawmakers have also expressed concern over Belgium’s failure to convict individuals involved in the Qatargate scandal, which erupted in 2022 regarding allegations of cash-for-influence schemes. The case faced further complications when the presiding judge, Michel Claise, resigned in June 2023 following accusations of conflict of interest. Legal challenges by defendants regarding the validity of the proceedings are currently under judicial review, 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,” he added.
