“A ‘Russiagate’ looms over the European Parliament two months before the elections” is the title of an article in the Belgian newspaper “Le Soir”. As pointed out, European secret services (Czech Republic, Belgium, Germany, France, Netherlands, Hungary, Poland) identified a network that aimed at disinformation and influencing ahead of the June European elections, through the pro-Russian website “Voice of Europe”. At the same time, it is noted that some MEPs, mainly from the ID group, were allegedly paid by a pro-Russian organization.

The Czechs also announced that their investigation showed that the Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk, especially close to Vladimir Putin, he was the financier of “Voice of Europe”. Arrested in Ukraine, Viktor Medvedchuk was exchanged, along with 44 other Russian prisoners of war, for 200 Ukrainian fighters in September 2022. His accomplice, Artem Marchevsky, a resident of the Czech Republic, was “the driving force”. The two men were placed on the list of persons sanctioned by the Czech Republic.

“Money from Moscow was used to pay certain political representatives to spread Russian propaganda,” added Czech intelligence services, according to Soir.

Responding to the issue in the Belgian parliament, Mr Prime Minister of the country, Alexander de Croix reported that “Russia approached MEPs, but also paid them to promote Russian propaganda. These are not innocent people on social media, but MPs who receive money. There is external pressure and internal cooperation, also in our country, at the highest levels of our democratic institutions,” he stressed. Alexander De Croo spoke of a “regional elected official” and according to the report, everyone is pointing to Philip DeWinter of the far-right Vlaams Belang party.

It is underlined in the article that “at this stage, there is no indication that any Belgian elected official has been paid by this organization” nor is there an ongoing judicial investigation. A representative of the president of the EP noted that Roberta Metzola “is aware of the allegations that have been made and is looking into them specifically.” The social democrats, for their part, asked for an “urgent discussion”, while as reported by the Belga agency, the K.O. Liberals and the Greens have called for an investigation into possible Russian-sponsored interference in the European Parliament. Finally, the head of Renew, Valerie Haye, asked Ms. Metsola to start an investigation.