Alleged corruption in the European Parliament (EP) linked to China’s technology multinational Huawei has reignited doubts about the transparency and integrity of European Union institutions. With the unresolved Qatargate scandal fresh in the memory, this new case—already dubbed “Qatargate 2.0”—once again highlights the close relationship between certain MEPs and large corporations. If accurate, a recent report published by several Belgian media outlets spells out the challenge of preventing EU-wide graft.
On Thursday, March 13th, authorities sealed the office of an assistant to Bulgarian MEP Nikola Minchev in Strasbourg. According to the Bulgarian news outlet 24 Chasa, Minchev confirmed the news and announced the termination of his assistant’s contract. That same day, more than 100 officers participated in operations in Portugal and Belgium, resulting in the arrest of 21 people whose identities have not yet been revealed.
Now an investigation conducted by europeanconservative.com can reveal that at least 25 meetings took place between European parliamentarians and Huawei representatives from 2020 to 2023. These meetings covered various topics, from digital legislation to technological inclusion projects. However, the lack of transparency surrounding them raises questions about their true purpose and the potential favoring of the Chinese multinational’s interests.
From November 2020 to November 2023, meetings between MEPs from different political groups and Huawei were recorded.
For a list of MEPs’ meetings with Huawei, CLICK HERE
- December 2020: Irish MEP Barry Andrews (Renew) discusses trade issues in an online meeting.
- December 2021: Polish MEP Robert Biedroń (S&D) discusses female leadership within the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality.
- January 2022: Maltese MEP Cyrus Engerer (S&D) speaks on the circular economy within the Committee on the Environment, Public Health, and Food Safety.
- February 2022: German MEP Axel Voss (European People’s Party; EPP) addresses artificial intelligence (AI) with Huawei in the Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence in the Digital Age, while Italian MEP Brando Benifei (S&D) addressed the Artificial Intelligence Act at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
- May 2022: Spanish socialist Iratxe García Pérez, president of the S&D group, discusses Huawei’s impact in Spain with the company. Adrián Vázquez (Renew) also addresses the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive while Pilar del Castillo Vera (EPP) discussed the EU Data Act as the text’s rapporteur.
- June 2022: Portuguese MEP Pedro Silva Pereira (S&D) discusses the Green Deal and digitalization with Huawei.
- July 2022: Hungarian MEP István Ujhelyi (S&D) discusses transport and telecommunications (a meeting repeated in November 2023 within the Transport and Tourism Committee).
- October 2022: in Gredos, Spain, a Huawei-sponsored event called The Women’s Academy for Rural Innovation took place, aimed at expanding feminism in rural areas led by Berta Herrero, Huawei Europe’s Director of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion—again sponsored by García Pérez.
- Early 2023: Finnish MEP and European Commissioner Henna Virkkunen (EPP) holds a virtual meeting to discuss the EU Cyber Resilience Act. This year also sees Italian MEP Nicola Danti (S&D) and Dutch MEP Paul Tang, the latter in Barcelona, taking part in a forum on the Digital Decade 2030.
- June 2023: Greek MEP Elena Kountoura (The Left) and Romanian MEP Alin Mituta (Renew) address the Gigabit Infrastructure Act (an act later repeated by Mituta).
- July 2023: Spanish socialist Jonás Fernández at the EP discusses technology-related issues in an undisclosed conversation.
- September 2023: Romanian MEP Cristian-Silviu Buşoi (EPP) discusses the Cyber Resilience Act, the Net-Zero Industry Act, and the Gigabit Infrastructure Act.
- October 2023: Bulgarian MEP Tsvetelina Penkova (S&D) discusses the Net-Zero Industry Act as the shadow rapporteur of the text.
- November 2023: former MEP Sara Cerdas (S&D) met with Huawei within the Committee on the Environment, Public Health, and Food Safety (again without specifying the topic discussed).
- November 2023: Slovenian MEP Franc Bogovič (EPP) participated in a Brussels meeting as co-chair of the RUMRA and Smart Villages Intergroup.
Alleged corruption within European institutions when dealing with Chinese conglomerates is not an isolated phenomenon. Even while the Qatargate case—which shook the Parliament with revelations of bribes and opaque dealings—is being slowly memory-holed, issues such as Ursula von der Leyen’s indictment after deleting her messages with the CEO of Pfizer regarding a multimillion-euro vaccine contract have been silenced. Likewise the case of Roberta Metsola’s husband and his links to Royal Caribbean.
It is telling that the presidents of the European Commission and the EP have been involved in scandals of this nature, while the President of the Council, the Portuguese socialist António Costa, is also under investigation for alleged corruption in his country. In short, if the EU’s top leadership is compromised, it is no surprise that similar scandals involving lesser-known figures continue to emerge. Transparency and accountability become empty words when the leaders fail to set an example.
This publication is contacting the MEPs mentioned in this investigation to obtain their statements and clarifications regarding their meetings with Huawei. So far, there have been no conclusive responses.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office has indicated that the investigation focuses on an alleged corruption scheme concealed since 2021. But the key question remains: Have these meetings influenced decision-making within the European Parliament?
