Greek parliament lifts Avramopoulos immunity for Brussels corruption probe
Greek lawmakers clear path for Belgian Qatargate investigation involving Dimitris Avramopoulos
Poinews.com – Greece’s parliament has voted overwhelmingly to remove the parliamentary immunity of Dimitris Avramopoulos, allowing Belgian judicial authorities to proceed with steps connected to the long-running Qatargate corruption investigation.
In Thursday’s vote, 264 of the 266 lawmakers present supported lifting the former European commissioner’s immunity. The remaining two MPs registered themselves as “present” rather than voting for or against the request. Parliament’s Ethics Committee had previously backed the decision unanimously.
The move follows a European arrest warrant issued in June by a Belgian investigating judge. Removing immunity does not establish criminal responsibility. It enables the investigation to continue while the allegations are examined through the Belgian legal process.
Avramopoulos says he wants to cooperate
Avramopoulos, 73, is a New Democracy MP who served as European Commissioner for Migration between 2014 and 2019. Before entering European office, he was mayor of Athens. He has firmly rejected any suggestion that he engaged in wrongdoing and asked parliament itself to lift his protection.
In a memorandum submitted to lawmakers, Avramopoulos said he wanted full cooperation with the authorities handling the matter. He has argued that waiving immunity gives him the opportunity to respond directly to the claims rather than avoid scrutiny.
I have never participated, directly or indirectly, in any illegal activity and I have never acted to serve the unlawful interests of any state or third party.
He said he was not seeking shelter from the inquiry, but wished to provide the relevant facts and demonstrate that he has no link to the acts being investigated.
Fight Impunity connection under examination
A key element of the Belgian case concerns Avramopoulos’s relationship with Fight Impunity, a non-governmental organisation established by former Italian member of the European Parliament Antonio Panzeri. Panzeri is one of the central figures in the broader Qatargate affair.
After leaving the European Commission, Avramopoulos served on Fight Impunity’s honorary board during 2020 and 2021. He has consistently said the association was legitimate and that payments connected with it were disclosed to Greek tax authorities.
My involvement in the organisation Fight Impunity was entirely lawful, vetted, approved, declared and taxed.
The European arrest warrant concerns suspected participation in a criminal organisation, public corruption and laundering proceeds from unlawful activities. Those suspicions remain under investigation; they are not a conviction or a judicial determination of guilt.
A case that shook European institutions
The Belgian inquiry began in December 2022, when investigators carried out searches and arrests linked to claims that foreign governments attempted to influence European Parliament decisions through cash and gifts. The case quickly became known as Qatargate and raised wider questions about lobbying, transparency and safeguards around European political institutions.
Belgian authorities have seized roughly €1.5 million in cash during the investigation. Among the people arrested in the early stages were Panzeri and Eva Kaili, who was then a vice-president of the European Parliament.
Qatar and Morocco have faced accusations that they sought to shape European decisions and improve their public image. Both governments have denied the allegations. The investigation has also encountered substantial delays as legal challenges have questioned whether some procedural measures were lawful.
The Greek parliamentary vote therefore represents a procedural development rather than a conclusion to the case. It removes a barrier that applied because Avramopoulos is an elected MP, while leaving Belgian investigators responsible for testing the evidence and determining whether any formal case can be sustained.
Why parliamentary immunity matters
Parliamentary immunity is intended to protect elected representatives from improper pressure or politically motivated legal action. It is not designed to prevent legitimate criminal investigations. When prosecutors seek action involving a serving lawmaker, parliament may be asked to decide whether immunity should be waived.
In this instance, Avramopoulos’s own request was central to the process. His position is that cooperation with investigators is the clearest means of contesting the allegations. The near-unanimous result in parliament also reflects the Ethics Committee’s earlier recommendation that the request should be accepted.
Further developments will depend on the Belgian investigation, including the outcome of outstanding legal appeals and any evidence assessed by the competent authorities. For now, Avramopoulos maintains his innocence, while the Qatargate inquiry continues to examine alleged influence operations around the European Parliament.
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