Are European Parliament members being paid for 'Russian propaganda'? Belgian Prime Minister makes allegations

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo has alleged that there are members of the European Parliament (EP) who are being paid to spread 'Russian propaganda.' De Croo also announced that Belgian and Czech intelligence services will cooperate to dismantle a 'Russian propaganda network' across Europe.

Speaking at a session in the Belgian Parliament on foreign interference, De Croo noted that there has been close cooperation between Belgian and Czech intelligence services recently to dismantle what he described as a 'Russian propaganda network.'

De Croo, who did not name the members of parliament in question, stated that "Russian organizations have approached members of parliament and provided financial incentives to spread pro-Russian narratives."

De Croo used the expression, "For example, it has emerged that Russia has approached members of parliament here to promote Russian propaganda, and has also paid (them)."

ACCUSED THE OPPOSITION OF TREASON

In the same session, De Croo also accused the far-right Vlaams Belang party in Belgium's Flanders region of being an ally of Russia.

Addressing the Vlaams Belang members of parliament, De Croo said, "With this blind obsession of yours to ruin our country, you have become an ally of Russia, which wants to destroy everything we have built here, our free and prosperous society."

Representatives of other parties also criticized the policies of Vlaams Belang. The Greens accused the far-right party of 'national treason,' while the Flemish Liberals accused them of 'defending the interests of the Chinese and the Russians.'

Reports in the Belgian press had previously alleged that Filip Dewinter, one of the leading figures of Vlaams Belang, had links to Chinese agents.

PROPAGANDA ACCUSATIONS AGAINST VOICE OF EUROPE

The Czech Security Information Service (BIS) announced yesterday that a 'propaganda network' based in Prague and financed by Russia had been uncovered. A spokesperson for De Croo stated to the press that the Prime Minister was referring to the Czech government's decision to impose sanctions on the Voice of Europe news site with this statement.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala had stated that the Czech intelligence unit had determined that the Prague-based 'Voice of Europe' news site, which is financed by Russia, was engaged in 'serious activities directed against the security of the European Union (EU) and his country.'

Fiala stated that the news site produced content aimed at discouraging the EU from providing aid to the Ukrainian army against Russia.

Following these developments, Fiala announced that the Voice of Europe news site, as well as Russian politician and businessman Viktor Medvedchuk and politician and media producer Artyom Marchevsky, had been added to the sanctions list.

News Source: AA