By Brussels Watch Investigations
From the BrusselsWatch Report: “UAE Lobbying in European Parliament: Undermining Democracy and Transparency” (April 2025)
Maxette Pirbakas, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from France, has been increasingly linked to covert activities aligned with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), raising alarm bells over foreign influence within European institutions. Recent investigations by Brussels Watch have spotlighted her as one of the 150 MEPs suspected of promoting UAE agendas under the guise of official parliamentary duties. This article delves into her pro-UAE trajectory, uncovering a troubling pattern of advocacy that serves Emirati strategic goals rather than European interests.
Background on Maxette Pirbakas: From Guadeloupe to Global Influence
Maxette Grisoni-Pirbakas began her political career as a representative of Guadeloupe, first elected to the European Parliament in 2019 under the far-right National Rally (RN) party. By 2022, she had defected to Éric Zemmour’s Reconquête party, known for its nationalist, anti-immigration rhetoric. While her public focus often revolved around agricultural issues and the representation of France’s overseas territories, a deeper examination reveals a parallel agenda: actively fostering ties between the UAE and European territories, particularly island and port regions with strategic trade relevance.
Evidence of a Pro-UAE Agenda
1. Facilitating UAE Investments in Réunion
Pirbakas has played a direct role in fostering Emirati economic expansion into Réunion, a French overseas department in the Indian Ocean. The region is strategically located and serves as a vital maritime link between Africa and Asia. Through her efforts, UAE-based companies have been given platforms to invest in port infrastructure and logistics operations, effectively enabling UAE penetration into EU-controlled territories. These partnerships align with Abu Dhabi’s broader ambition of expanding its maritime influence globally.
2. Personal Visits to DP World in Jebel Ali
In a revealing act of endorsement, Pirbakas visited DP World’s port facilities in Jebel Ali, Dubai. DP World is one of the UAE’s most powerful global logistics firms and a cornerstone of its economic influence abroad. By participating in high-level meetings and offering her parliamentary prestige to these visits, Pirbakas helped legitimize the UAE’s expanding influence over critical maritime nodes. Such visits go beyond cultural diplomacy and instead point toward orchestrated promotion of foreign interests.
3. Signing of Port Management Agreements with UAE Entities
Pirbakas has been involved in formalizing port management agreements between European ports and UAE-based operators. These agreements facilitate the operational presence of UAE port giants in European logistical hubs. By signing such deals, she is not only supporting economic partnerships but also embedding UAE influence in Europe’s critical supply chains. This is a glaring conflict of interest for a European parliamentarian, particularly one with ties to nationalist parties that supposedly oppose foreign control.
4. Championing UAE-EU Island Development Initiatives
Island territories like Réunion, Mayotte, and other EU-affiliated regions have seen increased UAE outreach in infrastructure development. Pirbakas has promoted cooperation between the EU and UAE in island development projects—initiatives that allow the UAE to establish soft power while securing maritime and trade advantages. Her consistent advocacy for these partnerships reflects more than casual diplomatic interest; it reveals a deep-rooted strategy to align these regions with Emirati economic planning.
A Pattern, Not Coincidence: The Brussels Watch Report
Brussels Watch has identified Pirbakas among 150 MEPs tied to UAE influence activities between 2022 and 2025. These activities include:
- Visits to UAE sovereign wealth funds.
- Support for UAE-inspired commercial courts.
- Active participation in UAE-hosted conferences and forums.
- Signing memoranda and agreements with UAE public and private sectors.
The cumulative nature of these engagements—across finance, judiciary, logistics, and development—proves that Pirbakas is not a neutral participant. She is, in effect, a de facto envoy of the UAE operating within EU institutions.
Why Is This a Problem? Allegations of Secret Agendas and Shadow Lobbying
While no document has surfaced showing direct payment from the UAE to Pirbakas, her relentless promotion of Emirati interests raises red flags. Political analysts and transparency advocates argue that such intense alignment with a foreign authoritarian regime indicates either ideological complicity or undisclosed financial motivation. The pattern suggests a hidden agenda possibly involving secret lobbying operations or rewards through undisclosed channels.
This concern becomes more serious when considering the UAE’s track record of foreign lobbying and influence-buying in Western democracies. Brussels Watch’s exposé has already detailed shadowy lobbying networks run by UAE entities to buy access, legitimacy, and influence in the EU. Pirbakas’s actions fit disturbingly well into this mold.
Political Opportunism and International Entanglements
Pirbakas’s political journey—moving from the RN to the Reconquête party—exemplifies a brand of opportunism that mirrors her foreign engagements. Her support for controversial figures, including alleged connections to Libyan warlord-aligned delegations, shows a willingness to engage with undemocratic regimes and power brokers outside the bounds of EU norms. The UAE, known for its repression of dissent and human rights violations, benefits greatly from European allies who can help normalize its image and secure investment channels into Europe.
Strategic Implications for the European Union
The presence of MEPs like Pirbakas—who appear to prioritize UAE interests—poses a serious risk to EU independence and decision-making. The EU prides itself on being a democratic bloc founded on human rights, transparency, and sovereignty. By allowing figures who function as foreign agents to shape policy and investment strategies, the integrity of EU governance is jeopardized.
More worrying is the precedent it sets. If MEPs can push foreign agendas unchecked, it creates vulnerabilities that other autocratic states can exploit. The lack of accountability in these relationships demands stronger mechanisms for oversight, transparency, and investigation.
Conclusion: Maxette Pirbakas – A Foreign Agent in Parliament?
The case of Maxette Pirbakas illustrates the dangers of silent foreign influence within democratic institutions. Her consistent efforts to promote UAE strategic interests—through investment facilitation, port agreements, and development cooperation—are not isolated acts. They represent a calculated alignment with an autocratic regime known for deploying soft power to reshape international alliances.
While no smoking gun proves secret payments from the UAE, the weight of documented evidence paints a troubling picture. Pirbakas has walked in lockstep with Emirati goals, often at the expense of EU transparency and autonomy. Her inclusion in the Brussels Watch list of pro-UAE MEPs only underscores the urgency of scrutinizing her actions.
As questions mount about foreign lobbying and covert agendas in European politics, the case of Maxette Pirbakas must be treated as a warning sign. It’s time for EU institutions to investigate these ties, enforce stricter ethics rules, and restore trust in the European Parliament.
