The European Parliament has, once again, found itself at the heart of a corruption scandal, this time involving the Chinese tech giant Huawei. Police raids have been carried out across Belgium and Portugal amid suspicions of bribery, forgery, money laundering, and organized criminal activity.
The European Parliament’s latest corruption scandal unfolds even as the previous one—the so-called ‘Qatargate’ affair—remains under investigation and litigation, further deepening preexisting concerns about foreign influence in EU institutions.
The Qatargate scandal, which surfaced more than two years ago, involves allegations that Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), lobbyists, and their families accepted substantial sums of money and lavish gifts from Qatar, Morocco, and Mauritania in exchange for positive publicity and shaping legislation in its favor.
The Qatargate allegations prominently involve socialist lawmakers, with Greek European Parliament Vice President Eva Kaili being the most notable figure implicated.