EU Parliament launches probe into fake email seeking to sway internal election
The email comes amid a fierce campaign for the EPP’s vice-chair positions, with voting set for Tuesday.
The European Parliament has initiated an internal probe into a fabricated email purportedly authored by a senior member of the European People’s Party (EPP), allegedly designed to undermine a colleague's candidacy for a prestigious group post. Andrzej Halicki, who received the dubious email, informed the Parliament that it did not originate from him and implored Belgian authorities to investigate the matter, asserting that he is the victim of "unjust accusations based on fabricated emails."
A spokesperson for the Parliament confirmed that "their services have verified the email is not genuine." The email disparaged the work of Portuguese EPP lawmaker Sebastião Bugalho prior to the EPP's vice-chair elections. Bugalho's office declined to comment on the forged emails. EPP lawmaker Pedro López de Pablo stated that the group has been informed about the upcoming investigation.
The Parliament's investigation announcement was made by EPP group chair Manfred Weber to all group members during a closed-door meeting on Monday afternoon, according to four individuals present in the room, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive internal matter. Halicki formally requested the investigation by Belgian authorities to Parliament President Roberta Metsola on Friday.
The email arrives amidst a heated contest for the EPP's vice-chair positions, with twelve lawmakers, including Bugalho and Halicki, vying for ten spots.
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