Huawei Bribery Probe Engulfs European Parliament, Renewing Calls for Ethics Reform

Belgian authorities arrest suspects and seal offices as the EU faces fresh corruption allegations tied to Huawei lobbying activities.

Belgian prosecutors have arrested several individuals and conducted 21 searches across multiple regions in connection with a bribery investigation involving Huawei and the European Parliament.
The probe alleges that Huawei bribed current and former EU lawmakers to advance its commercial interests, with offenses reportedly including corruption, forgery, and money laundering from 2021 onward.
European Parliament offices linked to two parliamentary assistants were sealed, and investigators believe payments were disguised as business expenses or directed to third parties.
The scandal has reignited debates over the stalled creation of an EU-wide ethics body, with critics blaming the European People’s Party (EPP) for blocking reforms aimed at increasing transparency.
This marks the second major corruption case involving the European Parliament in recent years, following the Qatargate scandal in 2022, which similarly damaged the institution's credibility.