Did Putin “Bought German Elites”?
Bitter criticism from the EU committee
Created: 01/13/2023 17:26
By: Bedrettin Bölükbasi
Russian President Vladimir Putin during a congress in Moscow November 29, 2022. © Mikhail Metzel/AFP
With regard to Russian attempts to influence Europe, a report gives embarrassing details about Germany and speaks of "bought elites".
Munich - It's no secret now: Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin keeps trying to influence the politics or internal affairs of other countries.
At the latest after the case of Eva Kaili over Qatar, the explosive question should therefore arise as to whether Putin has also succeeded in winning over leading European politicians.
According to the news magazine
Focus
, this was the subject of a report by a special EU committee.
Putin influence in Germany?
Greens speak of "bought elites" after EU report
Apparently embarrassing details have come to light for Germany.
The paper dealt with the topic of “elite capture”, the magazine reported.
It is about the appropriation of leading figures for their own purposes.
Accordingly, it is worrying "how political elites in the EU, for example in Germany, have advanced Gazprom's interests and favored constant support for gas supplies from Russia".
In German politics, this statement creates different accents.
The Green MP Viola von Cramon, who was involved in the paper as a so-called shadow rapporteur, chose a sharper tone.
"Due to Germany's Russia policy in the past, we are in a crisis in Europe at the moment, which is partly due to the bought elites in German politics," she emphasized to
Focus
.
In Germany, they "never managed to see through Russia's real ambitions."
The reason, according to the Green MPs: the "bought elites" would have "prevented a real discussion of Russia's goals".
Sabotage actions: Green politician sees Russia behind incidents and calls for vigilance
In view of the situation, the Green politician called for greater vigilance in Germany's critical infrastructure.
"Whether ship or data traffic, motorways or power lines - every day something happens in Germany that points to sabotage damage," she emphasized.
These acts are mostly due to the “sole suspected culprit” Russia.
Therefore, one must think about "charging the Russian state for the damage caused".
She also called for a clearer stance on military support to Ukraine against Russia's war of aggression.
One must be "much clearer" and answer the question about the supply of main battle tanks "undoubtedly positively".
However, some in the federal government "still seem quite insensitive to our Eastern European partners".
Von Cramon is certain: "If we had listened to the Eastern Europeans earlier, we could have saved many lives in Ukraine."
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Christian Democrat warns of "Germany bashing" - and criticizes EU report on Putin's influence
Unlike the Greens politician, the Christian Democrat Sabine Verheyen took a more moderate position.
She admitted that it was "justified criticism" that Germany had trusted Russia for too long.
However, there should be no “indiscriminate Germany bashing”, especially in the Eastern European countries, she warned
Focus
and added: “It cannot be that we as Germany, always lying in the middle, at the expense of our neighbors who are closer to Russia are constantly making a slim foot.”
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According to Verheyen, the evidence in the EU report on the influence of authoritarian countries is not balanced enough.
"In addition to the indications of a Chinese presence in the ports of Hamburg and Rotterdam, the report should also name other places where Beijing's influence is much more massive," the politician complained.
This includes, for example, the port of Piraeus in Greece, which “is predominantly under Chinese control”.
In the large port of Hamburg, on the other hand, it is only "a single terminal with a minority stake of the Chinese," says Verheyen.
The EU report points out that alongside Russia and China, Iran is also attempting to infiltrate critical infrastructure and supply chains in the EU.
In Austria and the Czech Republic, China is trying to get involved in the development of key technologies.
In Spain, Russia is even meddling in the Catalan separatist movement, the paper warns.
(bb)
