Saturday marks a full year since a corruption scandal shook the European Parliament and raised alarms across Brussels and capitals throughout North America. On the eve of this milestone, newly leaked documents from a Belgian investigation reveal that corruption within the Parliament has persisted for years. This episode is widely known as Katargate.
New information
The documents published reveal the breadth of the bribery operation inside the European Parliament, detailing more than 300 attempts to sway parliamentary democracy.
According to reporting, the principal suspects — including former MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri and his advisor Francesco Giorgi — allegedly kept notes for four years, meticulously logging activities intended to influence Parliament decisions.
The files indicate that those accused used their influence to affect the Parliament’s work, including six resolutions condemning the human rights situation in Qatar and pushing for a visa-free agreement between the Gulf state and the European Union.
Among the materials Politico obtained was a spreadsheet from Giorgi’s laptop, seized from his Brussels apartment. The document lists activities planned for 2018–2022, including more than 300 engagements that carried substantial compensation.
The materials portray a network described by the suspects as a group of colleagues inside the Parliament, whom they referred to as their “soldiers.”
Brussels officials noted that the conspirators tried to exploit foreign officials’ limited understanding of how EU democracy operates. Giorgi testified that he and his ally sometimes briefed paymasters about operations outside their actual influence, with Panzeri allegedly misrepresenting the scope of his authority in shaping parliamentary work.
This was framed as a misunderstanding of how Parliament functions
— Giorgi told investigators.
The documents portray a long-running, multi-year effort to exert questionable influence over parliamentary proceedings, according to observers.
Parliament’s response, in the view of Transparency International EU’s acting director, appeared weak and modest relative to the seriousness of the charges, a point echoed by officials quoted in Brusaels’s reporting.
The leak also sheds light on the actions of Eva Kaili, a Greek socialist MEP central to the case. After her arrest, she claimed to simply want to open a dialogue between the EU and Qatar through parliamentary diplomacy. The papers show, however, that she invited the European Parliament President, Roberta Metsola, to the World Cup in Qatar. Metsola’s spokesperson stated that the president does not respond to informal requests and that official events require formal channels; tickets for the World Cup were never accepted by the president.
Kaili has consistently asserted her innocence, denying any improper payments from Qatar or other foreign actors.
The corruption allegations first surfaced in December 2022 with Kaili’s arrest on bribery suspicions linked to Qatar, and the investigation continues in Belgium. In parallel, Greek authorities are examining the case, where Kaili faces potential imprisonment if found guilty. The Greek inquiry also looks into money-laundering concerns, including whether funds were moved into Greek real estate and other assets.
Earlier this year, Kaili’s legal team announced that the Brussels Judicial Council, with the consent of the investigating judge and federal judge, had authorized Kaili to travel to Strasbourg to fulfill parliamentary duties.
Another figure linked to Katargate, Belgian MEP Marc Tarabella, appeared at European Parliament sessions again in May after a period of house arrest. In June, his electronic monitoring bracelet was removed and he attended a Fisheries Committee meeting in Brussels for the first time since his arrest. Italian MEP Andrea Cozzolino was also involved in the inquiry during a June visit to Belgium for questioning.
Overall, the Katargate investigation continues to unfold, highlighting how influence operations can intersect with formal lawmaking processes and the serious consequences for those involved.
This summary reflects parallel reporting and the ongoing legal proceedings surrounding the case, with attention to updates from multiple jurisdictions and the broader implications for EU governance and anti-corruption efforts.