STRASBOURG ― A Socialist lawmaker under investigation in connection with the “Qatargate” corruption scandal will not have her parliamentary immunity lifted after the European Parliament voted against the move.

The decision means it will be more difficult for Belgian authorities to carry out certain parts of any investigation into Elisabetta Gualmini, such as questioning her or searching her home, or bringing her before court.

The center-right European People’s Party and liberal Renew supported Gualmini’s Socialists and Democrats group in voting to keep her immunity.

But the Parliament backed a request to lift the immunity of a second Italian Socialist MEP, Alessandra Moretti.

The S&D wanted the legislature to maintain both immunities, arguing that the alleged wrongdoing claimed by Belgian prosecutors did not match the level of evidence provided in the immunity waiver request.

Belgian reliability

In the run-up to the vote, S&D lawmakers lobbied their colleagues in favor of Moretti. They also tried to gather enough support to call a secret vote on the immunities, according to The Left Co-Chair Manon Aubry.

That would have allowed lawmakers to be more comfortable in breaking with party lines to try to shield Moretti from prosecution.

“If the MEPs are not guilty, then let the justice do their job, and they are not going to be proved guilty with a proper judicial system,” Aubry said, in reaction to some EPP and S&D MEPs who questioned the reliability of Belgian prosecutors. “I don’t think we can compare the Belgium judicial system with the Hungarian one, for example.“

Qatargate is a scandal dating back to December 2022 that involves allegations that Qatar and other countries paid to influence lawmakers and officials at the European Parliament.

Gualmini is accused of receiving help from other Qatargate suspects to get the job of S&D group vice chair and use it to manipulate discussions and decisions on Qatar within the group.

Moretti is being investigated for allegedly receiving benefits in exchange for speaking favorably about Qatar, according to an internal note from the legal affairs committee seen by POLITICO.

Both MEPs deny wrongdoing.

Gualmini and Moretti did not reply to requests for comment. A spokesperson for the S&D did not reply to a request for comment.

Gualmini’s immunity was maintained with 382 votes in favor, 254 against and 19 abstentions. Moretti’s was lifted with 497 votes in favor, 139 against and 15 abstentions.