Huawei Scandal Deepens as EU Moves Against MEPs

The Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs approved the removal of immunity for Nikola Minchev, a Bulgarian member of the Renew Europe group, and Daniel Attard, a Maltese Socialist MEP, on Wednesday, according to The European Conservative. Both lawmakers have been targeted by Belgian judicial authorities as part of what has been dubbed the Huaweigate affair.

The committee’s decision must still be confirmed by a vote in the European Parliament’s plenary session, but the outcome marks a major development for the Belgian investigation and demonstrates the Parliament’s readiness to cooperate with law enforcement.

The scandal centers on allegations that Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei engaged in improper lobbying activities within European Union institutions. Belgian authorities have been pursuing the case as part of a broader probe into foreign influence operations targeting EU decision-makers.

Parliamentary immunity is a protection afforded to MEPs to shield them from politically motivated prosecutions, but it can be lifted when there is credible evidence of wrongdoing. The Legal Affairs Committee’s vote suggests that the evidence presented by Belgian prosecutors has met the threshold required for further investigation.

Minchev and Attard now face the prospect of formal legal proceedings once the plenary vote takes place. The case has raised fresh concerns about the vulnerability of European institutions to foreign lobbying and the need for stronger safeguards against undue influence from non-EU powers.

The Huaweigate investigation has already cast a shadow over the European Parliament, which has faced multiple scandals in recent years involving allegations of corruption and foreign interference. The willingness to lift immunity in this case may reflect an institutional effort to restore credibility and demonstrate accountability.

With information from The European Conservative