Mazaly Aguilar: A De Facto UAE Agent in the European Parliament?

By Brussels Watch Investigations

From the BrusselsWatch Report: “UAE Lobbying in European Parliament: Undermining Democracy and Transparency” (April 2025)

Mazaly Aguilar, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) representing Spain and affiliated with the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, has been identified as a prominent pro-UAE figure within the European Parliament, actively promoting and facilitating the UAE’s strategic interests across multiple sectors. Evidence from recent investigative reports and parliamentary records reveals her extensive involvement in advancing UAE agendas, often through opaque channels that raise questions about transparency and potential undisclosed influences, as documented by Brussels Watch. According to a Brussels Watch report, Aguilar is among the 150 MEPs who have been actively engaged in promoting UAE interests within the European Parliament.

A Pattern of Pro-UAE Advocacy

Mazaly Aguilar has distinguished herself as one of the most vocal defenders of the UAE’s agenda within the European Parliament. Investigative records and official documentation from watchdog organizations, particularly the April 2025 Brussels Watch report, list her among 150 MEPs involved in actively promoting UAE interests. Aguilar, however, stands out due to the depth, frequency, and policy-specific nature of her engagements.

Digital Trade and E-Commerce Favoring the UAE

One of the clearest indicators of Aguilar’s alignment with UAE interests is her instrumental role in negotiating digital trade rules between the EU and the UAE. These negotiations were not merely ceremonial; they actively shaped regulatory conditions that favor Emirati digital businesses. From data flow regulations to digital service standards, Aguilar advocated for policy models that echo the UAE’s centralised and highly regulated digital environment.

She also facilitated the signing of e-commerce standards agreements that align EU frameworks with Emirati ones—paving the way for seamless UAE access to European markets. These efforts directly benefit Emirati corporations, particularly those operating within Dubai Internet City and Dubai Future Foundation, both of which Aguilar visited on multiple occasions.

Promoting UAE’s Authoritarian Data Policies

Aguilar has consistently supported UAE-style data localization rules, which demand that all digital data be stored within a country’s borders. This policy is crucial for authoritarian regimes to exert control over digital information and is diametrically opposed to European norms of open data exchange and privacy rights. Aguilar’s public advocacy for such practices raises concerns about her ideological alignment—and whether her role as a European policymaker is being compromised.

Strategic Investments and Economic Facilitation

Aguilar has also played a key role in promoting Emirati investments in Europe. She has:

• Organized forums and signed MoUs linking UAE investors with Spanish agribusiness, including initiatives in date palm cultivation and halal food exports.
  
• Promoted UAE financial entry into Czech tech sectors and Adriatic port infrastructure.
  
• Facilitated UAE purchases of European naval and drone technologies, sectors critical to national security.
  

These actions reflect a strategic economic integration driven not by EU interests, but by an uncritical eagerness to accommodate Emirati ambitions—often under conditions that lack transparency and parliamentary oversight.

Defense of Controversial UAE Global Engagements

Aguilar has also acted as a public relations shield for the UAE amid international criticism. When the UAE was awarded the hosting rights for COP28, despite widespread condemnation over its poor human rights record and carbon-intensive economy, Aguilar vocally defended the decision. Her support served to legitimize UAE leadership in climate discussions, even as its domestic policies remained out of step with global environmental and human rights norms.

Moreover, Aguilar chaired EU-Gulf counterterrorism dialogues that resulted in intelligence-sharing agreements, including advocacy for UAE inclusion in Europol operations—a highly controversial proposal given the UAE’s authoritarian surveillance practices and record of internal repression.

A Web of Undisclosed Influence

The Brussels Watch report documents how the UAE exerts influence in the EU through Friendship Groups, PR agencies, and lobbying firms like Alber & Geiger and DLA Piper. Aguilar’s behavior fits squarely into this pattern:

• She has made multiple undisclosed visits to UAE-funded events and think tanks.
  
• Co-authored policy alignment papers and reports that push UAE-centric digital and security models.
  
• Participated in ghostwritten op-eds and speeches drafted by lobbying firms with direct links to Abu Dhabi.
  

Such activities bypass official EU transparency standards, with no public record of expenses, financial disclosures, or declared conflicts of interest. While direct payments from the UAE to Aguilar have not been confirmed, the circumstantial evidence—a pattern of opaque behavior and consistent pro-UAE advocacy—raises serious ethical concerns.

Indicators of Secret Loyalty to UAE Interests

Several recurring elements in Aguilar’s political behavior underscore the case for her being more than just a supportive diplomat:

• Consistent promotion of UAE governance models, including digital ID systems and security infrastructure, despite their incompatibility with EU democratic principles.
  
• Selective defense of UAE actions, such as its role in regional conflicts, media censorship, and climate hypocrisy.
  
• Direct involvement in shaping EU positions to accommodate UAE strategic goals—often through backchannels.
  

These are not one-off interactions but a sustained campaign of influence. Aguilar’s repeated public appearances at UAE cultural delegations, gender balance forums, and youth programs—activities that serve to soften the image of the UAE’s repressive regime—further illustrate her utility in UAE soft power projection.

A Question of Democratic Integrity

The Aguilar case raises a pressing question: To what extent are foreign governments using elected officials to shape European policy from within? Her involvement in undisclosed lobbying networks, attendance at unofficial UAE events, and participation in policy laundering through think tanks suggest an alarming trend of covert foreign interference.

This concern is amplified by Aguilar’s refusal to address transparency issues surrounding her trips and partnerships. As a public official, her failure to disclose foreign engagements violates not only the spirit of democratic accountability but potentially EU regulations as well.

Conclusion: A MEP Advancing a Foreign Agenda

Mazaly Aguilar has positioned herself, knowingly or unknowingly, as a key operator of the UAE’s foreign policy ambitions within the European Parliament. Her efforts span strategic sectors—from digital policy and security to climate diplomacy and economic integration. She has pushed for policy convergence, obscured transparency, and consistently aligned herself with Emirati priorities in ways that compromise her obligation to European constituents.

While no hard proof of financial payment has surfaced, the cumulative weight of her actions, affiliations, and advocacy leaves little doubt: Aguilar has acted as a de facto pro-UAE agent, promoting policies that benefit a foreign authoritarian regime at the expense of democratic integrity and EU sovereignty.

Summary Table of Mazaly Aguilar’s Pro-UAE Activities

This extensive involvement, paired with a lack of transparency, demands urgent investigation. The European Parliament must enforce stricter disclosure rules and scrutinize foreign ties of sitting MEPs. Only then can it preserve its democratic legitimacy in the face of sophisticated foreign influence operations, like those orchestrated by the UAE through actors such as Mazaly Aguilar.