During Thursday’s debate in the Belgian Parliament, the country’s Prime Minister Alexander De Croo revealed that some members of the European Parliament were paid to spread Russian propaganda. He did not provide any names.
“For example, it came to light that Russia approached MEPs but also paid them to spread Russian propaganda here,” De Croo said during a debate on foreign interference.
The Belgian prime minister’s spokesman explained in an interview with the Politico news portal that his remarks were referring to the Czech government’s decision to impose sanctions on the Voice of Europe website, which Prague claimed was part of a Russian influence operation.
Russia wants to influence the elections to the European Parliament
The Czech civilian counterintelligence service, the Information Security Service (BIS), on Wednesday revealed a network organized by Russians that tried to influence the elections to the European Parliament. According to Czech media, the unmasked network allegedly influenced politicians in six countries: Poland, Hungary, Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala, after the government meeting on Wednesday, attended by the head of BIS, Michal Koudelka, said that after receiving information from the services, the cabinet decided to include two people and one company on the Czech sanctions list.
Czech sanctions were imposed on Viktor Medvedchuk and Artiom Marczewski, Ukrainian entrepreneurs and politicians with close ties to the Kremlin. Sanctions also covered the Voice of Europe company used by Medvedczuk, registered in the Czech Republic in the name of a Polish citizen. No further details were disclosed. The entry on the list was justified by “promoting the interests of the foreign policy of the Russian Federation and political and propaganda activities directed against the territorial integrity, independence, stability and security of Ukraine.”
The company entered on the sanctions list has had its assets frozen and cannot transfer any assets abroad. Formally, however, its activities in the Czech Republic have not been banned.
European Parliament deputy spokeswoman Delphine Colard said the Parliament was currently “analyzing the findings” of the Czech authorities regarding Voice of Europe.
