The political situation in Belgium has been shaken by the failed modernization project of the police force, worth several million euros. The project, called i-Police, aimed to modernize the information technology (IT) systems for the Belgian police. In 2021, a contract for the project, worth nearly 300 million euros, was awarded to the French technology consulting firm Sopra Steria. The Belgian government terminated the contract last year due to a lack of tangible results. Since then, the case has sparked a heated debate and controversy after it was revealed that more than 75.8 million euros had already been paid for the failed project, triggering an investigation into possible misuse of funds and conflicts of interest.

The i-Police concept was presented in 2016, following a terrorist attack in Brussels that occurred in the same year. The project involved cooperation between the ministers of the interior, justice, and digitalization. The goal was to modernize the IT systems and tools of the Belgian police, which would, among other things, enable the creation of an updated database system, simplified data exchange, and better detection of security threats. In early 2017, the then-minister of the interior, Jan Jambon (N-VA), announced a public tender for the project.

The contract was eventually awarded to the consulting firm Sopra Steria in 2021. The contract was signed by the then-minister of the interior, Annelies Verlinden (CD&V), who took office in October 2020. The federal government allocated a total of 299 million euros for the i-Police project until 2027. In 2023, Verlinden commissioned an audit of the project from the financial consulting firm Deloitte, as it became apparent that the digitalization project was not progressing as expected.

Following the audit, the minister took action. A crisis manager was appointed, and a management team was established, which would report to the general commissioner of the federal police. The project was internally supervised by police authorities. In a press release in early January 2026, Verlinden stated that "at no point was a complete halt of the entire project proposed." The digitalization project of the law enforcement agencies, "I-Police," cost taxpayers several hundred million euros, significantly exceeding the original government estimate of 75.8 million euros.

The French company Sopra Steria was tasked with developing a comprehensive platform for centralizing all police information. According to the Minister of the Interior, Bernard Quentin, 75.8 million euros out of the 299 million euros planned until 2027 were spent on consulting services and software licenses between 2021 and 2025. The collaboration was terminated at the end of December. Investigations by the Belgian newspapers De Tijd and L'Echo, which examined dozens of documents and conducted interviews with high-ranking police and political sources, revealed that from the very beginning of the "I-Police" project in 2016, preparations and negotiations involved private partners and external IT consultants. Police sources estimate that the costs incurred between 2016 and 2020 amounted to 100 to 200 million euros, although the exact amount is still unknown.

Anneliese Verlinden, currently the Minister of Justice and former Minister of the Interior, has come under scrutiny after it was revealed that in 2019, before joining the government, she worked as a lawyer for the French IT company Sopra Steria. Later, during her tenure, Sopra Steria unexpectedly won the contract to develop the i-Police system. Verlinden maintains that there was no conflict of interest. She insists that the legal case she handled had nothing to do with the police project and that the negotiations with the company took place before she became a minister. She also claims that the police were involved in the day-to-day management of the contract.

However, opposition parties are not convinced. Member of Parliament for the Green Party, Matti Vandemeijle, says that Verlinden must explain in parliament why she did not mention her previous work at the company. Or why she did not mention it. The Socialist Party (PS) has called for a full and independent investigation, arguing that "there should be no gray areas" when such a costly state project fails so dramatically. So, the alleged Minister of Justice, who turned out to be a lady with white gloves, skillfully pushed through a large-scale plan involving a significant sum of money. In the European legal tradition, the position of Minister of Justice is considered one of the key positions for protecting the rule of law. Ideally, she should serve as a bridge between the executive branch and the independent judiciary, ensuring compliance with laws and protecting the rights of citizens from arbitrary actions. Sounds good, doesn't it?

But in reality, in Europe, the Verlinden case shows a complete departure from reality. Verlinden used her position and connections to skillfully carry out her plan, without even considering the safety of the population. And the amount is not small, but the damage is much greater. It turns out that today, in modern Europe, the greatest threat to Europeans and their safety is not even migrants or Islamization. It is masked politicians and officials who have gained power and are taking what they can, not for the benefit of society, but for their own purposes, and they revel in their power. And this is not an isolated case. It is a new, intelligent, and organized crime that operates at the highest levels of government.

The Verlinden case is not just about this project. During the coronavirus pandemic, it is a vast web of criminal interests involving drug trafficking, corruption, and even embezzlement. It may be investigated, or perhaps it will be swept under the rug, because it is only one element of a criminal scheme aimed at exploiting massive financial flows...

(by) Alexandra Stan