The Flemish Parliament’s Ethics Committee is to investigate whether the far-right politician Filip Dewinter has breached Parliament's code of ethics through his contacts with China. If this is found to have been the case the veteran Vlaams Belang MP could face a public reprimand. The Ethics Committee will look into the matter next week.
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Flemish Parliament’s Ethic Committee to investigate Filip Dewinter
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Has Filip Dewinter, a politician with over 40 years’ experience, been guilty of unauthorised contacts with Chinese spies? Mr Dewinter himself, that this is not the case and that Court of Appeals’ Prosecutor-General closed a case in which such allegations had been made against in 2019.
Speaking in an interview with VRT News’ weekday evening current affairs programme ‘Terzake’, Mr Dewinter said that "I have never received any money from China. The only things that have ever been paid are expenses for dinners and other kinds of expenses such as travel and the like." During the interview Mr Dewinter implied that the expenses paid to him were minimal but failed to elaborate further.
However, the Vlaams Belanf MP did says that "If there is an investigation, of course I will cooperate willingly".
Green party requested investigation
The Ethics Commission is to carry out its investigation after a request to do so was submitted by the Green party Groen. The Committee will meet next week at the Flemish Parliament to examine Mr Dewinter’s case. Speaking on VRT Radio 1’s morning news and current affairs programme ‘De ochtend’, the Flemish nationalist member of the Flemish Parliament Jeroen Tiebout (N-VA), who is a member of the committee, said that he think’s that it is a good thing that Mr Dewinter is to be investigated. “It is not only important that we do so as MPs, but also for Vlaams Belang too”.
Mr Tiebout is wary of taking Mr Dewinter heavily to task at this stage. "We will first investigate whether the complaint is admissible, whether there is in effect something going on and if there is something going on. There will be several sessions more to check how bad the case is." If Mr Dewinter is effectively at fault, there could be consequences.
Mr Tiebout added that if Mr Dewinter were to be given a public reprimand that this is no small beer. He went on to say that if such a reprimand is issued as an MP you have to ask yourself whether you are still "the right man in the right place".