Federal prosecutors in Belgium have kicked-off a legal action regarding alleged payments from Russian operatives to members of the European Parliament with the aim to sway the imminent elections. Over the previous weeks, security services from the Czech Republic and Belgium have disclosed a Russian disinformation network spreading propaganda implicating existing MEPs. Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo announced in a media briefing on Friday that federal prosecutors had recently initiated processes against those suspected of involvement.
According to the investigation, Russian operatives have both approached and paid European members of parliament to advance their agenda. De Croo noted that monetary payments had been completed with the intention of meddling and promoting pro-Russian narratives. The Belgian security services are looking into this claimed “bribery.”
De Croo did not disclose the identity, nationality or political affiliations of the implicated MEPs due to the confidential nature of the information. This news breaks less than two months prior to the European Parliament elections slated for June 7th.
The Belgian Prime Minister stated that the primary aim of Russia was to bolster support for pro-Russia candidates in the European Parliament and establish their narrative within the institution. He added that the objective of this initiative by Russia was to diminish public support for Ukraine in the war. Stressing on the need to address this threat, he said, “We will not tolerate such a type of Russian menace in our midst.” He called for actions both at the national and EU level.
He noted that while the cash transactions didn’t occur in Belgium, the interference certainly did. The federal prosecutors have begun an inquiry based on declassified reports from their intelligence services. De Croo stated that Belgian authorities are seeking an immediate meeting with Eurojust, the EU’s criminal justice agency, to discuss worries about Russian interference in the election. He plans to address the issue with EU leaders at the upcoming European Council summit in Brussels. His message, he noted, was “We need to be vigilant because we can see that certain things are going on.”
The moderate Prime Minister of Belgium voiced that it may be worthwhile for political figures to assess whether the EU prosecutor’s office has sufficient authority to combat potential international meddling. The Belgian foreign minister, Hadja Lahbib, informed a media briefing about the recent expulsion of several Russian diplomats from the country, who were under suspicion of espionage. The government is endeavouring to form an alliance with technology titans in preparation for elections, owing to escalated threats from misinformation.