EU Probe Targets Ex-Belgian PM Guy Verhofstadt

Belgian federal police are conducting an investigation on behalf of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) into former Belgian prime minister and ex-MEP Guy Verhofstadt, according to VRT NWS. The probe, first reported by the magazine Knack and subsequently confirmed to VRT, focuses on the way Verhofstadt directed trainees in the European Parliament — particularly during his tenure as leader of the liberal ALDE group. The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) is also involved.

The revelation adds one of Belgium’s most prominent liberal politicians to a growing list of high-profile European figures under scrutiny over the use of EU resources.

What the investigation covers

According to RTBF, the investigation has been under way since the start of the year and centres on how Verhofstadt managed parliamentary trainees (stagiairs). Investigators are looking in particular at the period from 2009 to 2019, when he chaired the liberal group in the European Parliament, then known as ALDE. Verhofstadt served as an MEP from 2009 until 2024, ending his term two years ago.

Verhofstadt served as Belgium’s prime minister from 1999 to 2008 before moving to the European Parliament, where he became one of the most recognisable figures in EU liberal politics and a co-founder of the Spinelli Group, which campaigns for deeper European integration.

Lawyers: ‘No concrete allegation’

Verhofstadt’s lawyers, Me Christine Mussche and Me Quinten De Keersmaecker, told Knack that their client had only been asked for information and stressed that no formal allegation has been made.

“OLAF has only asked our client for information about the management of a number of trainees in the European Parliament, in which he was not personally involved as group chair,” the lawyers said, as reported by RTL Info. “Verhofstadt himself has not yet been heard and there is currently no concrete allegation against him. He is fully cooperating.”

The EPPO declined to comment on the case.

Context: a widening net

The case touches on long-standing scrutiny of how members of the European Parliament and political groups use EU resources, including the treatment of paid parliamentary traineeships. It also lands in a sensitive national moment: the reports emerged as Belgium’s federal government, led by Prime Minister Bart De Wever, entered a weekend of intensive budget negotiations in early October 2026, seeking roughly 10 billion euros in savings.

Verhofstadt remains a member of the liberal party Anders, the successor to Open Vld, which was renamed on 19 January 2026 after suffering its worst-ever electoral result in 2024. The party was excluded from the De Wever government — the first time since 1995 that the liberals have not been in the federal coalition.

Analysis: cautious allegations, significant stakes

Several factors make this case notable. The involvement of both the EPPO, which is competent to investigate crimes affecting the EU’s financial interests, and OLAF, the bloc’s anti-fraud office, signals that the inquiry concerns the handling of EU funds rather than a purely internal parliamentary matter. The two bodies operate under separate regulations and cooperate on such investigations.

At the same time, the public record remains thin. The EPPO has not confirmed the investigation, Verhofstadt has not been formally heard, and the specific legal classification of the case is unclear. His legal team’s insistence that there is “no concrete allegation” means the probe may yet end without charges — a distinction that is important both legally and politically.

The timing also carries political weight. For a politician long associated with the European project, an inquiry touching on the management of EU-funded trainees carries reputational risk that extends beyond Belgium’s borders, even if the substance ultimately proves limited.

What to watch

Key questions remain unresolved: what exactly is alleged, whether Verhofstadt will be formally questioned, which trainees and which specific period are at issue, and whether other former ALDE staff or officials are also under investigation. As long as the EPPO stays silent, the picture will be shaped largely by the reporting of Belgian media and by statements from Verhofstadt’s lawyers.

For now, the former prime minister has signalled full cooperation, and no concrete allegation has been levelled. But the mere existence of a European investigation involving one of Belgium’s best-known public figures ensures the case will be closely watched in Brussels and beyond.