Belgian, Czech, and Polish spies are chasing down MEPs who took Russian money ahead of EU elections, as those linked to one pro-Russia website hire lawyers and cry "slander".

But the disclosures were just part of a wider, concerted probe into Russian interference in the European Parliament (EP) by European intelligence services, involving also Belgium’s VSSE domestic spy agency.

Disciplinary action must be swiftly taken against any MEPs or [EP election] candidates involved," said the office of Liberal French MEP Valérie Hayer, who first called for the EP discussion.

“A full and transparent internal investigation by the president of the European Parliament is now needed,” her office added.

  • Kornblumenratte@feddit.deEnglish
    29·
    3 months ago

    The BIS and ABW have not named names so far, but BIS had a 300-page dossier on illicit payments worth “millions of [Czech] crowns” (tens of thousands of euros), it has said.

    ABW seized €72,000 in cash in raids in the Warsaw region.

    It’s kind of insulting when perhaps-not-Moscow offers just a meagre couple of 10000 € as bribe to our MEPs. And embarassing when they accept such a sum.

      • Kornblumenratte@feddit.deEnglish
        1·
        3 months ago

        Well, to be fair – we don’t know what the MEPs were paid for, we don’t even know that they were paid for anything or whether these payments were really illegal.

        Probably these were donations rather than bribes.

        If you donate to people who are on your side to help them gain influence, you’re using your money more effectively than by paying bribes.