MEPs are demanding the Parliament president strengthen internal reporting mechanisms.
Lawmakers are demanding European Parliament President Roberta Metsola “set aside” any peers suspected of involvement in the Huawei bribery scandal, according to a letter signed by 28 members of the European Parliament and seen by POLITICO.
“While fully respecting the independence of the ongoing judicial investigation and the presumption of innocence of all individuals involved, we cannot ignore the potential threat these allegations pose to the independence and credibility of our institution,” wrote lawmakers from the Socialists and Democrats, Renew Europe, Greens, and The Left.
Four people so far have been charged on counts of corruption and criminal organization as part of an alleged cash-for-influence campaign by Chinese technology giant Huawei.
Linked MEPs should be prevented from participating in files related to digital policy, cybersecurity, trade with China, foreign interference and telecommunications, the letter says.
Police raided offices belonging to parliamentary assistants on Monday evening. No MEP offices were searched but earlier media reports claimed Belgian authorities were investigating a dozen current and former lawmakers.
Metsola responded to questions about the scandal for the first time on Tuesday, saying the “alarm bells” set up in the wake of the 2022 Qatargate cash-for-influence scandal as part of wider reforms helped identify the Huawei case.
“It is also thanks to the rules that we put in that these things can get caught and can get caught earlier,” she said.
The letter also asks the Parliament president to facilitate the implementation of the European Union ethics body, which has been blocked by the European People’s Party — Metsola’s own political family — and far-right factions.
As debate on transparency rulesheats up, the right-wing bloc has recently blocked the appointment of ethics experts and axed the budget of the ethics body — meant to set up common behavioral standards and transparency requirements across EU institutions.
Paula Andrés Richart contributed reporting.
