Belgian judicial authorities have issued a European arrest warrant for former European Commissioner and current Greek MP Dimitris Avramopoulos, marking a major new turn in the long-running Qatargate investigation and pushing one of Greece’s most senior political figures into the centre of the scandal.
The move, reported on Monday by multiple European and Greek outlets, is linked to the Belgian investigation into alleged corruption and influence-peddling networks surrounding the European Parliament. Belgian prosecutors are also seeking the lifting of Avramopoulos’ parliamentary immunity, a step required before any arrest or further judicial action can proceed in Greece.
Avramopoulos, a former EU Commissioner for Migration and one of the most recognisable figures in Greek politics, has rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing. In a public response, he described the case as “completely unfounded,” insisted that he would not hide behind parliamentary immunity, and said he would personally request a full judicial investigation in Greece as well.
At the centre of the latest developments is Avramopoulos’ past association with Fight Impunity, the NGO founded by former Italian MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri, who has been identified by investigators as a key figure in the wider Qatargate affair. Greek media reports say Belgian authorities are examining payments made to Avramopoulos during his involvement with the organisation, with the amount under scrutiny reported at roughly €73,000 to €76,000.
Avramopoulos has acknowledged receiving money from the NGO but maintains that the payments were lawful, fully declared in his tax filings and asset declarations, and unrelated to any illicit activity.
The development significantly raises the stakes in a case that first exploded in late 2022, when Belgian investigators alleged that foreign actors, initially linked primarily to Qatar and later also to Morocco in parts of the broader probe, sought to influence decision-making inside the European Parliament through cash, gifts and lobbying networks. The scandal triggered raids in Brussels, high-profile arrests and a wider reckoning over transparency and ethics in EU institutions.
While Avramopoulos had previously been mentioned in connection with the Fight Impunity network, the reported arrest warrant and immunity-lifting request represent the most serious procedural step involving him to date.
For now, the case remains in a judicial and political grey zone: Belgian prosecutors have moved the file into a far more consequential phase, but there has been no conviction or court ruling against Avramopoulos. What is clear is that Qatargate, nearly four years after it first erupted, continues to cast a long shadow over European politics.