Allegations of espionage have rocked the European Parliament, sparking outrage among members. The arrest of an accredited assistant to an MEP, accused of being an employee of the Chinese secret service, has sent shockwaves through the institution. The suspect is accused of passing information about negotiations and decisions in the Parliament to intelligence clients.
This revelation comes amidst ongoing investigations into a separate scandal involving allegations of cash payments from a pro-Russia interference network to several lawmakers in exchange for favorable treatment. The European Parliament has been grappling with a series of foreign interference scandals in recent years, including a previous case involving alleged bribes from Qatar and Morocco.
The Parliament’s President, Roberta Metsola, has expressed willingness to waive immunity for those under suspicion but has requested more information from law enforcement. Members have called for an internal probe and condemned the alleged foreign interference, expressing concern that autocratic regimes are attempting to influence policy-making and elections in the European Union.
In a statement, Valérie Hayer, leader of the liberal family Renew Europe, urged citizens to participate in the upcoming elections to prevent the rise of far-right parties that are accused of having ties to foreign powers. Both Hayer and Terry Reintke, co-chair of the Greens group, have warned that accredited assistants may have had access to confidential proceedings and interactions with Chinese dissidents.
Anna Fotyga, a Polish member of the hard-right European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), said she was not surprised by the arrest, citing years of alerts about threats from Russia, China, and other hostile regimes.
Meanwhile, Beijing has dismissed the reports as disinformation and a malicious smear, accusing Germany of engaging in anti-China political manipulation. The allegations have further strained relations between China and the European Union, which is already dealing with concerns over economic dependence on China and its human rights record.
