Strasbourg, 25 April 2024
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Credible allegations some MEPs were paid to disseminate Russian propaganda
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German AfD must publicly declare their financial relations, especially with the Kremlin
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Russia is main origin of foreign interference and disinformation in the EU
Parliament calls on the political leadership in the EU and member states to counter Russian interference attempts urgently and vigorously.
Following several recent revelations of Kremlin-backed attempts to interfere with and undermine European democratic processes, MEPs adopted on Thursday a resolution firmly denouncing such efforts. Any such tactics, they say, must have consequences. Parliament is appalled by credible allegations that some MEPs were paid to disseminate Russian propaganda and that several participated in the activities of pro-Russian media outlet “Voice of Europe”, at the same time as Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.
MEPs want EU and member state leaders to deal with Russian interference efforts, not just in the EU institutions but across the Union. There is, they argue, a sense of urgency and resolve to this given the approaching European elections on 6-9 June 2024.
Paying elected representatives to spread propaganda
Referencing suspected Russian interference cases from across Europe, including Bulgaria, Germany and Slovakia, MEPs are concerned by the recent questioning of leading Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) MEP Maximilian Krah by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over suspicions that he received money from Kremlin agents, and by the arrest in Germany on 23 April 2024 of his parliamentary assistant on charges of being a Chinese spy. Parliament calls on the AfD to publicly declare without delay its financial relations, especially with the Kremlin, and to publicly disclose the purpose and exact amount of all payments originating from Kremlin-linked sources.
Joint and vigorous response needed to counter interference
MEPs say that while Russia remains the main origin of foreign interference and disinformation in the EU, other countries are also active. They underline that the EU’s response to these threats can only be effective if it is based on a cross-cutting, holistic and long-term policy approach jointly carried by both the EU and member states.
To beef up Parliament’s own defences, the resolution suggests enhancing its internal security culture, including thorough internal investigations to assess possible cases of foreign interference and the full enforcement of its internal sanctions framework. MEPs also want mandatory security training for MEPs and staffers, appropriate security clearance, and reinforced staff screening.
The resolution calls on the Council to include Kremlin-backed media outlets, other broadcasting and media organisations, and individuals responsible for propaganda and disinformation campaigns in the EU in the forthcoming 14th Russian sanctions package. MEPs want to mirror the sanctions adopted by the Czech government against “Voice of Europe”, as well as Ukrainian pro-Russian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk and his close associate Artem Marchevskyi. They also deplore Voice of Europe’s ability to restart its operations from Kazakhstan and call on EU member states to ensure it cannot be accessed in the EU.
For the full details, the resolution will be available in full here (25.04.2024). It was adopted by 429 votes in favour, 27 against with 48 abstentions.
S&D Group: Voting far right is like giving Putin’s interests a voice in European Parliament
In reaction to the Russiagate scandal – yet another example of the dangerous links between far-right movements and the Kremlin – the European Parliament today adopted a resolution firmly denouncing any attempt to advance Russia’s political agenda within the European Parliament (EP).
For the S&Ds, the recent allegations regarding “Voice of Europe” and the AfD party might constitute sanctionable behaviours under the EP Code of Conduct. If confirmed, this must be met with the firmest possible response. The S&Ds call for a thorough internal investigation in order to assess all possible cases of foreign interference from Russia and other countries in the Union.
Since the beginning of this legislature, the S&Ds have led the efforts to expose the links between the Putin regime and the extreme right, urging for actions to protect our democracy from malicious foreign actors. It was on our request that the European Parliament set up its special committee on foreign interference in 2020.
In this committee, reforms such as strengthening the resilience, integrity, transparency and accountability of this House have already been adopted, namely through the new rules on procedure and integrity, EU Ethics Body and anti-money laundering watchdog. However, the S&Ds are pushing for further reforms within the EP, as due to opposition from the conservative EPP not everything that the progressive S&D Group wanted has been possible. Unsurprisingly, AfD MEPs also voted against the stricter rules on transparecy and integrity.
Andreas Schieder, S&D spokesperson on foreign interference, said:
“Every week, if not day, brings a new revelation about far-right links to the Kremlin or other malign regimes. The Russiagate scandal is just another example of Russia’s efforts in trying to sabotage our democratic systems. We are outraged at the participation of EP Members in the pro-Russian media outlet “Voice of Europe”, which aimed to influence public opinion to undermine EU support to Ukraine. Now, we are learning about the arrest of AfD MEP Krah’s assistant, on serious charges of espionage in China. What next?
“It should be clear for everybody now why the far right opposes stricter rules on transparency and integrity. And it should also be clear that a vote for the far right in the June elections is a vote for Putin’s influence in the European Parliament.
“Putin has been waging hybrid warfare against European democracies for years, and – for years now – we have been sounding the alarm: The French Rassemblement National, the Italian Lega, the Austrian FPÖ, the Hungarian Fidesz and the German AfD are just some of the far-right parties in which Putin has found useful allies. It is not just about the money. Ideologically, these parties are directly submitted to the Kremlin’s agenda. Their aim is to weaken a democratic Europe, lobby for pro-Russian positions – the so-called Russian traditional family values – oppose sanctions and jeopardise European interests.
“And we, the S&Ds, will not stop pushing for more efforts and reforms to protect European democracy.”
Source – S&D Group (via e-mail)
Renew Europe: Far-right is undermining European democracy and poses serious threats to our security
Appalled by the credible allegations that Members of the European Parliament were paid to disseminate Russian propaganda and by the recent arrest of AfD MEP Maximilian Krah’s assistant, following serious charges of being a spy for the Chinese secret service, the Renew Europe Group reiterates its previous calls on Member States to more effectively combat all foreign interferences in the EU as our democracies are at risk.
In a resolution adopted by the plenary, our political group committed to enforce Parliament’s applicable internal sanction framework and called for any sitting MEPs or candidates in the upcoming European elections that have taken money from or been corrupted by the Russian Government or their proxies to be exposed. The far-right parties at the centre of these scandals must publicly declare without any delay their financial relations especially with the Kremlin and to publicly disclose the purpose and exact amount of all payments originating from Kremlin-linked sources.
The approved text also calls for Parliament to introduce mandatory, effective and regular training on security, interference, ethical standards, compliance and integrity for MEPs and for all the staff, together with effective monitoring and surveillance systems to detect foreign interference while respecting MEP’s freedom of mandate.
Renew Europe MEP, Nathalie Loiseau (Horizons, France), Chair of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence, said:
“For too long, Russia and other foreign malign actors have been able to interfere in our democratic processes at European and national levels. Extremist parties at the far-right and far-left of the political spectrum have been complicit of these interferences. Not only have they defended political stances contrary to our values, but they have also been paid for it. Their economical and ideological interests run against our democracies. We call on our Member States and the European Union to do their utmost to protect the integrity of our institutions and elections.”