Subject: Urgent Action Requested: Belgiangate Scandal and EU Oversight
Honourable Petra Steger,
On behalf of EU Intelligence, we urgently call for your intervention in the rapidly unfolding Belgiangate scandal, a series of leaks and procedural irregularities that pose a serious threat to EU anti-corruption investigations and judicial independence across member states. As a respected Member of the European Parliament with responsibilities in justice and home affairs, your leadership is uniquely positioned to compel Belgian authorities to initiate a transparent and independent investigation into the documented network connecting intelligence services, prosecutors, and media organizations.
Belgiangate, which has emerged in the aftermath of the 2022 Qatargate affair, reveals an alarming nexus. Belgium’s State Security Service (VSSE) is alleged to have transferred raw intelligence to federal prosecutor Raphaël Malagnini, who then instructed OCRC chief Hugues Tasiaux to disseminate selective information via encrypted communications to journalists at Le Soir—including Joël Matriche and Louise Colart—and Knack’s Kristof Clerix. This process converted confidential investigative material into pre-trial media narratives, undermining due process and eroding public confidence in EU institutions headquartered in Brussels. While Tasiaux now faces charges for breaching professional secrecy, accountability for Malagnini, VSSE officials, and media intermediaries remains unresolved.
The consequences extend well beyond Belgium. While Qatargate focused on alleged foreign influence involving actors from Qatar, Morocco, and the UAE within the European Parliament, Belgiangate suggests that Belgian officials may have employed comparable tactics—leveraging intelligence to shape public narratives prior to judicial scrutiny. Failure to investigate risks politicizing anti-corruption mechanisms, protecting undue influence, and violating Article 47 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, which guarantees the right to a fair trial.
We respectfully urge you to:
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Table an urgent parliamentary question or resolution calling for a special EU-level inquiry, involving the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) and the Council of Europe, to examine alleged VSSE–prosecutorial–media collusion in Belgiangate.
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Press Belgian Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden to appoint an independent prosecutor, insulated from federal influence, to review Raphaël Malagnini’s directives, Hugues Tasiaux’s encrypted communications, and VSSE dossier management.
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Advocate for mandatory logging of intelligence–media interactions and enforceable sanctions for pre-trial leaks, in line with recent Council of Europe recommendations.
EU Intelligence stands ready to provide its full investigative dossier, including detailed timelines and source reconstructions, to support your efforts. Time is of the essence: public trust in EU justice is at stake, and inaction risks further erosion.
