Belgium's Socialist Party sparks row over Epstein files, Bannon link

A political dispute has erupted in Belgium after the Francophone Socialist Party (PS) referenced newly released Jeffrey Epstein case documents in connection with the 2018 collapse of the government led by then-Prime Minister Charles Michel. The PS claims the files reveal networks of political influence beyond the sex trafficking crimes.

The core allegation and Bannon messages

The PS pointed to media reports based on the documents, which include messages between Epstein and former Trump strategist Steve Bannon. In these communications, Bannon reportedly boasted that the Belgian coalition government fell shortly after he delivered a 2018 speech in Brussels opposing the UN Global Compact for Migration. The nationalist N-VA party left the coalition days later, causing the government's collapse. The PS framed Belgium as a "test case" for international far-right strategies to destabilize democracies.

Fierce political backlash and accusations

The PS's social media post prompted immediate condemnation from other political groups. The liberal Reformist Movement (MR), which was part of the 2018 coalition, rejected any implied connection between the Michel government and Epstein's crimes. MR lawmaker Stephanie Cortisse accused the PS of creating a misleading and dangerous association. The centrist Les Engages party warned against making "questionable shortcuts" that could fuel populism rather than combat extremism.

PS clarification and ongoing debate

In response to the criticism, the PS clarified that its intention was not to accuse Belgian figures of criminal activity but to highlight alleged transnational far-right networks and the potential for foreign interference in domestic politics. The party insists that references to Belgium in the Epstein files, as reported by media, warrant scrutiny. The controversy underscores how the release of the Epstein documents continues to reverberate in international politics, intersecting with domestic debates about migration and sovereignty.