Removing the legal shield for a German MEP in a fraud investigation

The European Parliament, on 10 February 2026, decided to waive the parliamentary immunity of Petr Bystron, a German politician who became an MEP in June 2024.

Bystron was a member of the German Bundestag from 2017 until July 2024. While in the Bundestag he signed an employment contract on 10 November 2021 to hire a staff member as a “clerical officer/typist” for his constituency office in Munich. The contract stated that the staff member would perform clerical duties, but the staff member actually did not work in that role. Because of the incorrect information, the Bundestag administration mistakenly believed the conditions for a flat‑rate allowance were met and paid the staff member about €14 850 in salary.

The German Federal Ministry of Justice, on 24 October 2024, forwarded a request from the Munich prosecutor to the European Parliament to waive Bystron’s immunity so that criminal proceedings could be pursued. The alleged offence is a possible fraud under Section 263(1) of the German Criminal Code, and it is not related to any parliamentary activity or vote.

The Parliament considered its rules, EU protocols on privileges and immunities, German constitutional provisions, and several EU Court of Justice judgments. It found no evidence that the legal action was aimed at undermining Bystron’s political activity. Therefore, it concluded that the immunity could be waived.

The decision instructs the Parliament’s President to send the waiver and the committee report immediately to the German authorities and to Bystron.