Cabinet does not want to name politicians in affair surrounding alleged Russian bribery: ‘Can damage AIVD’s work’

De Jonge writes that mentioning names ‘that circulate in the reporting (…) is contrary to the task’ of the intelligence service and would not ‘serve’ national security. “Moreover, this does not fit with the legal obligation to maintain confidentiality of the service’s working methods.”

De Jonge does write that if it is necessary for the House ‘to be informed about this’, this will be done ‘via the Committee for the Intelligence and Security Services (CIVD)’. This is also called the Secret Committee, which includes the faction leaders of the largest parties. Please note: PVV leader Geert Wilders is in there, Thierry Baudet of Forum for Democracy is not.

Statements from the Czech intelligence service, the equivalent of the Dutch AIVD, caused a stir in the House of Representatives last week. The Czechs announced that the Russian-run and paid news site Voice of Europe would have paid hundreds of thousands of euros to European politicians, including an unknown number of Dutch people. It was not clear who this would be, but the accusing finger went straight to PVV leader Geert Wilders and Forum for Democracy leader Thierry Baudet.

Those two let themselves through Voice of Europe interview. In fact, Wilders said afterwards that the site served ‘as an antidote’ to ‘fake media’. “I look at your valuable and unique work with great admiration.”

Wilders and Baudet have long been accused of taking a pro-Russian course. The PVV leader made a friendly visit to Moscow in February 2018 – after the attack on flight MH17 in July 2014. While Baudet called Russian President Vladimir Putin ‘a great guy’ after the invasion of Ukraine and said he maintained contacts with someone ‘who works for Putin’, leaked apps showed.

In 2020, the secret service AIVD was also forced to inform Baudet due to ‘serious indications’ that Russian agents had approached him, reported de Volkskrant. Baudet dismissed the conversation with AIVD director Erik Akerboom as ‘vague and unreal’, otherwise the issue remained foggy. Baudet could no longer shake off the hint of close ties with Russia, whether for payment or not.

Secret

De Jonge outlines in his letter that disclosure of names, if there is any evidence of bribery at all, could damage the work of the AIVD. It is ‘of decisive importance’ for the service, writes De Jonge, ‘that confidentiality and source protection are guaranteed’. “Also in the investigation of covert influencing activities by state actors. Commenting on specific matters can therefore harm the work of the services and therefore national security.”

De Jonge writes that he has been in contact with the Czech authorities ‘to ask’ whether they plan ‘to make more information public’. “The answer was that that is not the case now.”

Informed

According to De Jonge, the AIVD knew that the Czech secret service would come up with the alleged bribery scandal. He emphasizes that several media outlets have mentioned names of European politicians and not the Czech secret service. Next to the Czech newspaper Denik N it concerned, among other things, the German Der Spiegel and the French Le Monde.

With De Jonge’s statement, many questions remain. Because if the AIVD had concluded that there were no indications for the Czechs’ claims, Wilders and Baudet would have been rid of the suspicions for now. Last week, Baudet was repeatedly asked by GroenLinks-PvdA and D66 about his alleged ties with Russia and possible payments. The House of Representatives will debate the issue on Tuesday.