Politically shocked by claim about Russian rubles to the Netherlands: ‘Services must investigate this’

During a scheduled agenda meeting, various parties in the House of Representatives on Thursday asked for explanations and action from the cabinet and security services.

According to the Czech secret services, various European political parties – including in the Netherlands – have been bribed by Russians affiliated with the Kremlin. Given the Russia-friendly texts, parties in parliament point to Forum leader Thierry Baudet, but he – and PVV leader Geert Wilders – deny accepting money from Russia.

Geert Wilders first wants to know whether it is ‘all correct’, he said on Thursday: “If this is true… that Moscow directly or indirectly pays politicians, then I want to know who they are.” Speaker of the House Martin Bosma thinks it is wise for the security services to look at the reports, he reports after a telephone consultation with Forum leader Thierry Baudet about his threat against Jesse Klaver on Wednesday evening. “I think the services should look at this,” says Bosma. “They are equipped for that, so I would certainly welcome that.”

NSC leader Pieter Omtzigt wants the cabinet to ask the Czech services and government for an explanation: “I hope it is not correct, I say honestly. But there are concrete indications in the press, we have to request documents from the Czechs.”

Committee Secretly

Omtzigt cannot answer the question of whether the Dutch security services should have been informed, says the NSC leader: “That is a relevant question, but I am also a member of the Secret Committee. And because I’m in there, I can’t tell you anything about it. That is why this must now be discussed publicly.” In the Secret Committee, party leaders of larger factions are regularly secretly updated by security services MIVD and AIVD.

But now that the reports from the Czech services are public, party leaders also want to discuss such information publicly, Omtzigt, Caroline van der Plas and SGP leader Chris Stoffer emphasize.

After a conversation with Bosma, Baudet acknowledged that he went too far when he threatened to ‘hit Jesse Klaver in the mouth’ because Klaver asked about Forum’s ties with Russia. “I was cheered on, I shouldn’t have said it,” Baudet said in a short video on messaging service X on Thursday.