Russian interference in European politics

Last updated

Starting in 2016, Russia has made efforts to influence European politics, in particular, to promote Russian goals, to undermine support for Ukraine in the Russo-Ukrainian War, and to destabilize Europe.[ citation needed ] An important organization in these efforts is the Voice of Europe, a media outlet led by Viktor Medvedchuk and Artem Marchevsky. The Voice of Europe was established in May 2023, headquartered in Prague. Early investigations by Czech authorities determined that the Voice of Europe was one of several uncovered influence operations on European politics. In 2024 the Czech Secret Intelligence Service (BIS) uncovered a Russian state-financed pro-Russian influence network with the public outlet Voice of Europe, using right-wing and Eurosceptic politicians to influence the European elections and other elections. The network is suspected to have bribed several European politicians from different countries. [1]

Contents

History

In 2016, a website with the name "Voice of Europe" was created in the Netherlands by an entrepreneur who “worked with” far-right leader Thierry Baudet “to bring about the Ukraine referendum,” a Dutch newspaper wrote, referring to a nonbinding vote in which Dutch voters opposed a political association agreement between Ukraine and the European Union. [2]

In 2023, Voice of Europe was relaunched and from then on had an address near Wenceslas Square in Prague. In March 2023, a Polish businessman, Jacek Jakubczyk, took over all shares in the company in the legal form of a s.r.o. [3]

In May 2024, Voice of Europe, which is run by Viktor Medvedchuk, was sanctioned by the European Union. [4]

News reports published by the Voice of Europe have stated that foreigners are responsible for more than half of all serious crimes in Frankfurt, Germany and that French President Macron's campaign on the Russian danger is not appealing to French voters, according to recent polls. Le Monde has reported that the DGSI was investigating a pro-Russian campaign towards the European elections next June. [5]

Investigations, sanctions, and reactions

Voice of Europe has been on sanctions lists since March 2024. [6] Although its financial assets have been frozen, the news site can continue to operate.

In March 2023, the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs alleged that Voice of Europe was a "Russian influence operation" designed to "undermine the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine." [7]

Politicians involved with Voice of Europe

Voice of Europe has provided a media platform for several far-right Eurosceptic parties. The politicians typically promote viewpoints such as: opposing the European Green Deal, predicting the imminent collapse of the European Union, or attacking Ukraine. Politicians promoted by the Voice of Europe include: [8] [1]

Payments to far-right European politicians

Authorities in Germany and the Czech Republic determined that Russia used the Voice of Europe organization to provide funds to far-right, Eurosceptic, politicians (mainly in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Hungary, and Poland) to influence European elections in favour of positions against Ukraine and the European Union. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

The Left in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL is a left-wing political group of the European Parliament established in 1995. Before January 2021, it was named the European United Left/Nordic Green Left.

The European Democratic Group, more commonly known as European Democrats, was a conservative political group that operated in the European Parliament between 1979 and 1992. At its height in July 1979, it had 63 MEPs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Euroscepticism</span> Body of criticism of the European Union

Euroscepticism, also spelled as Euroskepticism or EU-scepticism, is a political position involving criticism of the European Union (EU) and European integration. It ranges from those who oppose some EU institutions and policies and seek reform, to those who oppose EU membership and see the EU as unreformable. The opposite of Euroscepticism is known as pro-Europeanism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jan Zahradil</span> Czech politician (born 1963)

Jan Zahradil is a Czech politician for the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) who had been Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2004 to 2024. Zahradil also served as Member of the Chamber of Deputies (MP) from 1998 to 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viktor Medvedchuk</span> Ukrainian politician, lawyer, and businessman (born 1954)

Viktor Volodymyrovych Medvedchuk, also known as Viktor Vladimirovich Medvedchuk, is a former Ukrainian lawyer, business oligarch, and politician who has lived in exile in Russia since September 2022 after being handed over to Russia in a prisoner exchange. Medvedchuk is a pro-Kremlin Ukrainian politician and a personal friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russia–European Union relations</span> Bilateral relations

Russia–European Union relations are the international relations between the European Union (EU) and Russia. Russia borders five EU member states: Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland; the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad is surrounded by EU members. Until the radical breakdown of relations following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the EU was Russia's largest trading partner and Russia had a significant role in the European energy sector. Due to the invasion, relations became very tense after the European Union imposed sanctions against Russia. Russia placed all member states of the European Union on a list of "unfriendly countries", along with NATO members, Switzerland, Ukraine, and several Asia-Pacific countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European Conservatives and Reformists Group</span> European Parliament political group

The European Conservatives and Reformists Group is a soft Eurosceptic, anti-federalist political group of the European Parliament. The ECR is the parliamentary group of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party European political party, but also includes MEPs from other European parties and MEPs without European party affiliation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alternative for Germany</span> Far-right political party in Germany

Alternative for Germany is a far-right and right-wing populist political party in Germany. The AfD is Eurosceptic, and opposes immigration to Germany – especially of Muslims. The German judiciary has classified the party as a "suspected extremist" party, although it does not reject democracy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thierry Baudet</span> Dutch author and politician (born 1983)

Thierry Henri Philippe Baudet is a Dutch politician, author, and self-declared conspiracy theorist. He is the founder and leader of the far-right Forum for Democracy (FvD), for which he has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2017. He serves as the party's parliamentary leader. A controversial politician due to his political views, as well as his use of personal attacks against his opponents, he was physically assaulted twice while campaigning in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ANO (political party)</span> Czech political party

ANO, officially called ANO 2011, is a right-wing populist political party in the Czech Republic, led by businessman Andrej Babiš, who served as Prime Minister from 2017 to 2021.

M.J.R.L. "Marcel" de Graaff is a Dutch politician. He was a member of the Senate of the Netherlands for the Party for Freedom (PVV) from 2011 to 2014. He served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Netherlands in the periods 2014–2019 and 2020–2024. He was co-president of the Europe of Nations and Freedom, and he switched party affiliation to Forum for Democracy in his second term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Věra Jourová</span> Czech politician

Věra Jourová is a Czech politician and lawyer who has been the Vice President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency since 1 December 2019 and previously served as the European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality from 2014 to 2019. She served as a Member of the Chamber of Deputies between 2013 and 2014 and as the Czech Minister for Regional Development in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy</span> Former political group in the European Parliament

Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy was a Eurosceptic and populist political group in the European Parliament. The EFDD group was a continuation for the Eighth European Parliament of the Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD) group that existed during the Seventh European Parliament, with significant changes to group membership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patriots.eu</span> Right-wing to far-right European political party

Patriots.eu, formerly known as the Identity and Democracy Party (ID) and the Movement for a Europe of Nations and Freedom (MENF), is a nationalist, right-wing populist and Eurosceptic European political party founded in 2014. Its Members of the European Parliament sat in the Europe of Nations and Freedom group from 2015 to 2019, then in the Identity and Democracy group between 2019 and 2024; following the 2024 European Parliament election, most of its MEPs sit within the Patriots for Europe group.

Freedom and Direct Democracy is a political party in the Czech Republic. It is led by Tomio Okamura and it holds 20 seats in the Chamber of Deputies.

Forum for Democracy is a far-right political party in the Netherlands, founded as a think tank by Thierry Baudet and Henk Otten in 2016. The party first participated in elections in the 2017 general election, winning two seats in the House of Representatives.

Identity and Democracy was a far-right political group of the European Parliament, launched on 13 June 2019 for the Ninth European Parliament term. It comprised far right, right-wing populist, Eurosceptic and nationalist national parties from six European states. It was the successor to the Europe of Nations and Freedom group formed during the eighth term and almost all of its members merged into the Patriots for Europe group formed during the tenth term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 European Parliament election</span> 10th European Parliamentary election

The 2024 European Parliament election was held in the European Union (EU) between 6 and 9 June 2024. It was the tenth parliamentary election since the first direct elections in 1979, and the first European Parliament election after Brexit. A total of 720 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) were elected to represent more than 450 million people from 27 member states. This election also coincided with a number of other elections in some European Union member states.

A large part of the right-wing populist and far-right German party Alternative for Germany (AfD) supports Russia, its foreign policy, and its allies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maximilian Krah</span> German lawyer and politician (born 1977)

Maximilian Krah is a German lawyer and politician. He is serving as a member of the European Parliament without a delegation or faction being a member of right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD).

References

  1. 1 2 3 Belton, Catherine; Mekhennet, Souad (3 June 2024). "Russia co-opts far-right politicians in Europe with cash, officials say". Washington Post . Retrieved 3 June 2024. A Kremlin-backed media outlet — the Prague-based Voice of Europe — funneled hundreds of thousands of euros to far-right politicians, officials say.
  2. ↑ Vinocur, Nicholas. "Russian influence scandal rocks EU". Politico. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  3. ↑ Crossland, David. "Exposed: hard-right European politicians 'on Putin's payroll'". The Times. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  4. ↑ "EU imposes sanctions on Voice of Europe, businessmen over Russian 'disinformation". Reuters. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  5. ↑ "Czech secret service: Russia paid cash to friendly Dutch and European politicians". Parool (in Dutch). Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  6. ↑ "The Czech Government Approves Listings to the National Sanctions List on the basis of the Proposal by Foreign Minister". mzv.gov.cz. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  7. ↑ "Pro-Russia oligarch accused of running influence operation in EU". Financial Times. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  8. 1 2 "Russian influence scandal rocks EU". POLITICO . 2024-03-29. Retrieved 2024-04-09.
  9. ↑ "Het federaal parket heeft een onderzoek geopend naar Russische inmenging in het Europees Parlement. Dat heeft premier Alexander De Croo vrijdag gezegd". De Tijd (in Dutch). April 12, 2024.
  10. ↑ deutschlandfunk.de. "Affäre um prorussische Desinformation - Generalstaatsanwaltschaft München nimmt Vorermittlungen im Fall Bystron auf". Die Nachrichten (in German). Retrieved 2024-04-09.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.