New corruption allegations have emerged against the European People’s Party led by Manfred Weber – not for the first time, but with even greater force. The German politician’s former chief of staff, Ouarda Bensouag, is under investigation in Belgium, where she will assume the position of secretary-general of the party group starting this Friday. Meanwhile, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the EU’s largest political party family for misuse of EU funds.
The Tisza Party, led by Magyar Péter, has declared itself a supporter of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office; however, this hits back at their political family, the European People’s Party (EPP), to which they have recently recruited in the European Parliament.
This morning, even the pro-Brussels news portal Politico’s newsletter reported that the European Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched a corruption investigation into individuals belonging to the EPP. The Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed this. However, no charges have been filed yet.
Two days ago, the conservative Spanish newspaper La Gaceta openly wrote about the investigation into Ouarda Bensouag, Manfred Weber’s former French chief of staff. She is set to assume the position of secretary-general of the party family and its faction from November 1. The investigation revolves around her allegedly accepting money from both the political party and the European Parliament simultaneously, which is contrary to EU regulations. Further details about this have not been disclosed.
The European Unfiltered news portal also reported on this matter, linking it to the Katargate corruption scandal that hit the European socialists last year. The EPP members are not eager to face a similar scandal, especially as Weber, the most influential figure in the EU institutions post-Ursula von der Leyen’s Commission presidency, has personal ambitions driving him. These issues are also related to internal struggles within the EPP.
In relation to Bensouag, it is reported that Michael Alexander Speiser, a influential German EU official with ties to the CDU, is her husband.
Gaceta.es points out that there have been previous corruption allegations against the EPP recently. In 2022, Mario Voigt, who was responsible for the online appearances in Weber’s 2019 EU campaign, was prosecuted in Erfurt, Germany, for profiting from the sale of face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Belgian police also conducted a raid at the EPP’s Brussels office last year in connection with this.
Similarly, an investigation was launched against Belgian Tom Vandenkendelaer, who holds a managerial position within the EPP, concerning an official trip that was paid for externally, which he did not disclose. No charges were filed against him.
