Both lawmakers will have their legal immunity revoked by Belgian prosecutors for further investigation, if the European Parliament approves.

By Elisa Braun and Max Griera

BRUSSELS — Two Italian MEPs from the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) are resigning from their positions in their political group as Belgian authorities investigate their potential involvement in the Qatargate corruption scandal, according to a statement from the group.

“Alessandra Moretti and Elisabetta Gualmini, both MEPs, have demanded the suspension of their S&D Group membership,” the statement from a spokesperson reads, adding it was approved by the S&D Bureau. 

“We, the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament, take a zero tolerance stance on corruption and corruptive political interference,” the statement added.

“Since the Qatargate scandal broke in December 2022, we have introduced and proposed additional measures to enhance transparency and root out corruption in the European Institutions,” they also said.

The two MEPs, who will now sit with the non-attached lawmakers, are facing their legal immunity being lifted after the Belgian prosecutor’s office put in a request to the European Parliament to investigate their roles in the corruption scandal, the office said Tuesday.

“An announcement concerning the filing of the request will be made on March 10th by the President Roberta Metsola,” a spokesperson from the Belgian prosecutor’s office said.

When asked about the identities of the two members of the European Parliament, they declined to comment.

Contacted, both Moretti and Gualmini were not immediately available for comment.

Moretti was connected to the investigation early on, according to an arrest warrant seen by POLITICO. She was allegedly involved in a “quadrumvirate” with other members of the socialist group like former MEPs Andrea Cozzolino, Marie Arena and Marc Tarabella, the Belgian authorities wrote. 

The actions recorded in the documents included scheming to kill off six parliamentary resolutions condemning Qatar’s human rights record, and working to deliver a visa-free travel deal between Doha and the EU. All the former MEPs have denied their involvement in the Qatargate scandal.

Gualmini had previously disclosed that she had been in touch with some MEPs and parliamentary aide Francesco Giorgi about the socialist group’s position on Qatar.

“I’ve decided not to follow the line taken by some MEPs and Giorgi,” she told Le Soir’s journalists Louis Collard and Joël Matriche in their book. “I can also confirm that I have never been involved in matters relating to Qatar, Qatari ambassadors, missions to Qatar or Qatari events, and that I absolutely did not know and could not imagine that Francesco Giorgi was campaigning for this state.”

Qatargate first came to light at the end of 2022, when former Socialist MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri, Parliamentary Assistant Giorgi and other key figures such as Vice President of the Parliament Eva Kaili were arrested in a series of dramatic raids involving bags of cash and lurid tales of foreign interference at the heart of EU democracy.

Lengthy procedure

The Belgian authorities will have to wait for the Parliament to go through a lengthy procedure before being able to fully investigate the two new MEPs. The lifting of their immunity will lead Parliament President Metsola to announce the judiciary request at the earliest on Monday during a plenary session. 

The European Parliament’s legal affairs committee will then give the two MEPs a chance to say their piece and rubber-stamp the measure before handing it over to the entire plenary of lawmakers for a final vote.

If approved by all MEPs later this month, Belgian authorities will be able to pursue charges against the Socialist lawmakers.

Source: Politico.eu