Roberta Metsola, the president of the European Parliament, condemned alleged corruption claims in an address to EU lawmakers on Monday in Strasbourg, France.
"The European Parliament, dear colleagues, is under attack. European democracy is under attack," Metsola said.
"The enemies of democracy, for whom the very existence of this parliament is a threat, will stop at nothing," she added.
"These malign actors, linked to autocratic third countries, have allegedly weaponized NGOs, unions, individuals, assistants and members of the European Parliament in an effort to subdue our processes," she said.
"Their malicious plans failed," she added.
Metsola said she is "incredibly proud" of parliament services for working with Belgian authorities "for some time" to facilitate investigations.
"There will always be some for whom a bag of cash is always worth the risk," Metsola said.
"What is essential is that these people understand that they will get caught, that our services work, and that they will face the full extent of the law, as happened in this case," she said.
