Qatargate: Legal Affairs Committee lifts Alessandra Moretti’s immunity

Brussels –Belgian prosecutors may proceed against Alessandra Moretti. The Committee on Legal Affairs of the European Parliament voted to lift immunity of the PD MEP, who ended up at the centre of the Qatargate investigation into alleged vote-buying in the European Parliament, which erupted in December 2022. 

The lifting of Moretti’s parliamentary immunity was reportedly approved by a large majority (16 in favour, eight against, and one abstention), and it will be up to the plenary to decide. A positive vote would hand the MEP over to Belgian justice. 

On the contrary,  the Legal Affairs Committee decided to shield Elisabetta Gualmini. For her, the proposal to lift immunity was rejected (7 in favour, 16 against, no abstentions). 

The names of the two MEPs had already circulated during the initial phase of the probe led by investigating judge Michael Claise (later taken over by Aurélie Dejaiffe). Three years on, the inquiry now sees a new twist.