Moscow’s influence ‘active’ in all EU political groups, Morawiecki claims

All political groups in the European Parliament are infiltrated by Russia, including the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), as Russians are “masters of propaganda,” former Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki warned in an interview with Euractiv.

On 27 March, the Czech and Polish authorities’ investigation uncovered what they said was a pro-Russian influence operation in Europe involving a pro-Russian propaganda network coordinated by the media Voice of Europe still online from Kazakhstan, and Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), with Belgium’s prosecutor launching an investigation.

“The Russians are very active in every [EU political] group,” Morawiecki said in reaction to the developments, adding he is not “surprised” about the latest scandal, so-called RussiaGate.

Even Morawiecki’s own party, Law and Justice (PiS) and his European political family ECR are not out of risk either, he conceded: “I’m sure ECR is also being infiltrated, or there are attempts to infiltrate, and I wouldn’t be surprised to know that there is this or that member cooperating with the Russians because they are extremely effective in capturing people.”

Morawiecki’s camp in the European Parliament is split over how close they are ready to be to Moscow with French Reconquête! members known for their less hawkish views on the Kremlin than the Polish PiS members who strongly condemn the invasion of Ukraine.

“I’m not surprised with them [Russians] penetrating [far-right] ID [group] – the opposite is the case: I’m absolutely certain that they are also trying to penetrate (…) [centre-right] EPP and Socialists [S&D],” Morawiecki added, deviating the focus from Germany’s far-right party AfD, hit by the scandal. 

“I’m absolutely sure, I can give all dollars betting for this, that they are active in the Socialists [group],” he reaffirmed. 

While no formal accusations have been brought forward yet, media reported, citing Czech intelligence sources, that Petr Bystron, a senior member of Germany’s far-right AfD and a top contender for a seat in the European Parliament after June’s elections, has been accused of receiving € 25,000 from a Russian propaganda network. 

AfD is part of the European political group Identity and Democracy (ID), with which Morawicki hopes to collaborate after June’s EU elections.

The QatarGate cash-for-influence scandal in 2022 involving Morocco and Qatar and socialist MEPs, demonstrated the susceptibility of Brussels to foreign interference.

Morawiecki also made a special mention of Germany, where Russia “left huge assets” after the country’s reunification, justifying his words by bringing as an example recent reports of spying in the country’s military, Bundeswehr.

In March, Russia published a secretly recorded audio tape between high-ranking German air force and Bundeswehr officials on the deployment of Taurus missiles in Ukraine, which the Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius qualified as “part of an information war that Putin is waging” to divide German society.

“What is so much underestimated here in Brussels is the strength of the Russian intelligence and Russian propaganda,” Morawiecki added, arguing the country is using it as warfare against the European Union.

[Edited by Aurélie Pugnet/Alice Taylor]

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