According to European investigations announced in March, a pro-Putin network had been paying right-wing European politicians as part of a “Russian influence operation.” Russia paid European Parliament members to “spread Russian propaganda,” Czech and Polish governments said at the time.
The Washington Post featured the story Monday in its “War in Ukraine” website section, noting that it was reviewing documents “for the first time.”
European Parliamentary elections are this week, June 6-9, in all 27 European Union countries. Far right parties are expected to “win big.”
Lots of money allegedly changed hands
According to March reports by the BBC, “German newspaper Der Spiegel said the money was either handed over in cash in covert meetings in Prague or through cryptocurrency exchanges.”
Czech media, citing intelligence sources, reported that politicians from Germany, France, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Hungary were paid by Voice of Europe in order to influence upcoming elections for the European Parliament.
The Czech government sanctioned ‘Voice of Europe,’ a pro-Russian website, in March.
The now-shut-down [Czech hosted] website disseminated interviews, analysis, and news-like articles with a clear far-right bias and riddled with disinformation and populist elements, according to its digital trail. According to an intelligence source, Prague believes that Kremlin networks used that platform as a vehicle to pay thousands of euros to European politicians, in cash or cryptocurrencies…
For some years now, Russia has been trying to present itself one of the bastions of what is considered the traditional family — formed by a man and a woman — and has also become one of the major disseminators of rhetoric against sexual and reproductive rights, elements that it uses to influence and forge ties with other European ultra-conservative leaders (emphasis added for obvious reasons).
Initially, the Czech government sanctioned Ukrainian ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Viktor Medvedchuk, believed to be the “mastermind” of the operation; Artem Pavlovich Marchevskyi; and the Voice of Europe. The Voice of Europe re-opened in Kazakhstan in April.
In late May, the European Union imposed sanctions on the Voice of Europe. “The EU-wide actions would hit the men – Viktor Medvedchuk and Artem Marchevskyi – and the Prague-based company that runs the website with asset freezes and travel bans, the Czech Foreign Ministry and the Council of the European Union said.”
What about here?
I understand that foreign news is not American media’s strong suit.
But Russian propaganda? After 2016 and 2020? Our news media are still lax and under-serving democracy.
If bribes are happening in Europe, it is naive to believe they are not happening here, too.
Who on the American far-right is in Putin’s pocket? Who is our Medvedchuk and Marchevskyi?
