As of: March 28, 2024, 2:41 p.m
By: Nils Hinsberger
Comments
Press
Split
Russia is said to have used the “Voice of Europe” portal to influence European politicians. AfD politicians were also discussed.
Prague/Berlin – The Czech government has put the news platform “Voice of Europe” on its sanctions list. The accusation: The portal is said to be an “influence network financed by Russia,” said Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala at a press conference last Wednesday (March 27). But the influence should extend beyond the borders of the Czech Republic. “Voice of Europe” is being used to covertly finance Kremlin-compliant European election candidates – German politicians are also said to have been paid.
At first glance, the contents of the site were similar to those of a normal news site,
Spiegel
reported . News about politics, business or culture was partly taken from reputable media. But between the inconspicuous reports, right-wing extremist content is also said to have dominated the portal's offerings. The website is now no longer accessible.
AfD politicians are said to have appeared regularly on “Voice of Europe”.
The content of the site is said to have often corresponded to the narratives of right-wing populist parties. The farmers' protests against the governments in Germany and Poland or migration were prominently featured in "Voice of Europe", writes Der
Spiegel
.
But not only their topics found their way into the portal, politicians from some right-wing extremist parties also appeared there. A member of the French Rassemblement National party, a politician from the Belgian Vlaams Belang and representatives of the AfD are said to have appeared on the medium several times. Among them is the AfD's leading candidate for the European elections, Maximilian Krah.
Maximilian Krah. The AfD's top candidate for the upcoming European elections and guest on the Internet portal “Voice of Europe”. (Archive image) © Michael Kappeler/picture alliance/dpa
In a 45-minute interview, he is said to have talked about the alleged US involvement in the blowing up of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines. The US government was “definitely involved in this attack,”
Spiegel
quotes the AfD politician as saying. This is a conspiracy story that is also spread by Russia's ruler Vladimir Putin. “Theoretically, the United States could have an interest in preventing Russian energy from entering the European market,” Putin said in an interview in March 2023.
Politicians are said to have been paid by “Voice of Europe” for their appearances
According to information from the Czech daily newspaper
Denik
, several politicians from six European countries are said to have been paid by “Voice of Europe”. According to intelligence circles, these are “politicians from Germany, France, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Hungary.” The AfD is explicitly mentioned in the report, but without mentioning specific names.
My news
Nasty scam with the Rosenheim cops: Actors pack with atrocities read out in their name
2 hours ago
Flixbus accident on the A9 near Leipzig: Confusion about three missing passengers - investigations into driver reading
She had planned Gottschalk's visit to BR completely differently: Schöneberger lost his composure
Cheese recall: Federal Office warns of health risks – according to the RKI, three groups are particularly susceptible to focus reading
“Brazen” Ukrainian attacks in Russia? Ex-US general warns of “terrible recommendation” read
Shortages of artillery ammunition due to the war in Ukraine: Turkey becomes the most important supplier to the USAread
At the request of
Spiegel
, Krah is said to have said that he had not received any money from “Voice of Europe”. He also only gave two interviews to the medium. In addition to Krah, AfD member of the Bundestag Petr Bystron is also said to have given an interview.
Six European secret services are said to have been involved in unmasking the website. The investigation is said to have revealed that a pro-Russian Ukrainian-born oligarch named Viktor Medvedchuk was behind the network. This is part of Putin's inner circle. The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, is said to have already revoked his Ukrainian citizenship.
Interior Ministry concerned – Germany “important target of Russian influence efforts”
The traffic light coalition reacts with concern to the revelations about the “Voice of Europe” platform. There are fears of further attempts from the Kremlin to divide German society and shake trust in the institutions, reported the
dpa
. “The Federal Republic of Germany also remains an important target of Russian influence efforts,” said a spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry.
“In recent years, Russia has built up a complex network of influence actors and instruments that it can draw on,” said the spokeswoman. The spokeswoman did not comment on the website's alleged payments to German politicians. It was only confirmed that “a Russian influence operation against the European Parliament” had been uncovered.
(nhi)