Didier Reynders allegations: What happens next?

euronews (in English)

A money laundering probe into the former European Commissioner could drag on for weeks or months – and it’s unclear whether he benefits from legal immunity.

Transcript

00:00It's quite a commotion for a former EU Justice Commissioner to be subject to an investigation

00:13by the Belgian authorities for money laundering.

00:15Didier Reynders is suspected of having bought tickets of the National Lottery, for which

00:20he was responsible during his term as Finance Minister, and transferring the laundered profits

00:25to his private account.

00:27Could these alleged misdeeds undermine the credibility of the European institutions?

00:34Is the Commissioner responsible for justice and the rule of law?

00:39So if he is implicated in money laundering or illegal activity, that would be a particular

00:46blow.

00:48On the other hand, he is now out.

00:50There is a new Commission that started its work just this Monday.

00:55So it's also a bit, in a way, the problem is already solved as far as the EU institutions

01:01are concerned.

01:04As Justice Commissioner from 2019 to 2024, Reynders led the fight back against democratic

01:09decline in Hungary and Poland, during which EU funds for these countries were temporarily

01:15suspended.

01:16I worked in the LIBE Commission in the previous term, and many times Commissioner Reynders

01:20was on it.

01:21He was spreading fake news about the alleged broken rule of law in Poland, and was demanding

01:28the blocking of funds for Poland.

01:30Today, I, as a Pole, and the people in Poland, perceive the Reynders situation as a peculiar

01:37hiccup from history.

01:38The allegations span a period of several years and date back to his time as Belgian Federal

01:42Minister for Finance and later for Foreign Affairs.

01:45The investigation was opened last year, but the authorities waited with their raids until

01:49the end of his EU mandate.

01:52Five years ago, a former Belgian intelligence officer accused Reynders of corruption and

01:56money laundering in connection with various projects, including arms deals.

02:00At the time, the accusations were dismissed for lack of evidence.

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