The case of U.S. sex‑crime suspect Jeffrey Epstein should be investigated at the EU level, according to several members of the European Parliament.
Marie‑Agnes Strack‑Zimmermann, chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Security and Defence, told the “Handelsblatt” that European bodies such as Europol and the EU anti‑money‑laundering authorities must promptly and systematically assess the existing evidence, and, where necessary, work closely with international partners. “Only by working together can cross‑border networks be effectively uncovered” she said.
Vice‑chair of the Green Party in the EU Parliament, Sergey Lagodinsky, also sees a European‑wide review as essential. He added that any credible indications of cross‑border crime, money laundering or political influence should not remain a purely national issue. “When transnational financial flows or organised structures exist, a coordinated evaluation by Europol and the EU money‑laundering agencies is the right approach” he told the same publication, stressing that this should complement national investigations and be under clear parliamentary oversight.
Strack‑Zimmermann emphasized that the revelations surrounding Epstein raise serious questions that should not be contained by continental or national borders. She warned that if political decision‑makers, business actors or financial flows have been compromised or coerced, this becomes “a security‑policy problem for Europe as well”. She also noted that confirmation of a targeted foreign influence operation would be “alarming” adding that “authoritarian regimes deliberately search for vulnerabilities in individuals to destabilise democracies from within”.