European Parliament President Roberta Metsola criticised the Belgian judiciary for an error made a month ago when it requested to lift the parliamentary immunity of an MEP in the Huawei case, only to withdraw the request later.
“I will not accept that members of the European Parliament are targeted without a solid basis,” Metsola stated during a press conference at the European summit in Brussels.
She highlighted the case of MEP Giusi Princi, who was publicly named in the investigation only to be cleared of charges hours later.
The investigation is examining whether Huawei lobbyists offered gifts to MEPs to influence them to advocate for the Chinese tech giant’s interests in Brussels.
Eight individuals have been charged with corruption, money laundering, and participating in a criminal organisation.
Four MEPs—Maltese socialist Daniel Attard, Bulgarian centrist Nikola Minchev, and Italian centre-right politicians Salvatore de Meo and Fulvio Martusciello—still face the potential removal of their parliamentary immunity.
Centre-right MEP Giusi Princi was initially among those targeted before Belgian authorities retracted.
“This situation places both the MEPs and the European Parliament in an impossible position,” Metsola lamented.
She emphasised that any request to lift immunity must be well-founded before acceptance by the Parliament, seeking to know the suspicions and evidence concerning the MPs involved.
“If there are credible allegations of wrongdoing, we will be the first to call for action, as we have done,” Metsola warned. “If there are none, we will ensure the rights and immunities of MEPs, as well as the integrity and credibility of the European Parliament, are robustly defended.”
