Caroline van der Plas just reported it anyway. In 2022 and 2023, the BBB leader said, the BBB had received several small amounts (“from one to ten euros”) from a stranger with a Russian last name. To be on the safe side, the full amount – 160 euros – has been refunded. “We want to be as transparent as possible.”
It was a small one fact diverse in an uncomfortable debate about possible Russian influence and bribery, which was conducted without Thierry Baudet. In a long message X the Forum for Democracy faction leader had once again denied “unequivocally and emphatically” that his party would maintain ties with the Kremlin, but immediately announced that he would not participate in the debate: “Fact-free talk about gossip and innuendo – as stated scheduled for today – we consider our parliament unworthy.”
SP MPJimmy Dyke We know that the person who is not present may play a role in this
With his cancellation, Baudet denied the Chamber the opportunity to cross swords with him. This was all the more pressing because outgoing Minister of the Interior Hugo de Jonge (CDA) had refused in a letter to the House to provide names and numbers in the case surrounding the roll-up of the website. Voice of Europe, which according to the Czech government was used by the Kremlin to pay European parliamentarians. According to the Czech newspaper Denik N this would also involve Dutch politicians. But despite an earlier call from Pieter Omtzigt (NSC) for De Jonge to make information public, the minister refused to provide further details – that would complicate the work of the AIVD intelligence service.
Almost all speakers expressed their frustration with the course of events. “We all know that the person who is not present at the debate may play a role in this,” said Jimmy Dijk (SP), “but it is very uncomfortable to say that.”
PVV leader Geert Wilders (who says he has “never accepted a cent” from Moscow) called it “unsatisfactory.”
It was harmful to the House of Representatives and to politics in general, according to all speakers. Wilders emphatically noted that there was no hard information available. “The gist of the letter is not that politicians have been bribed, but also not that it is not the case,” Wilders said. “Without clarity, fog remains and that is harmful to confidence in politics.”
Parliamentary inquiry
A large majority agreed with Wilders on this. But the various parties still differed in their views on what could be done to obtain clarity – or on how foreign bribery and influence peddling could be prevented in the future. Group leader Frans Timmermans (GroenLinks-PvdA) saw most in control by an independent ‘authority’, such as the presidium of the House of Representatives.
Spokesman Jan Paternotte (D66) wanted a parliamentary investigation into possible Russian financing in the period 2014-2022 – since last year parties are no longer allowed to accept donations from abroad. Marieke Koekkoek (Volt) announced a motion calling on all parties to provide as much access to the books as possible – also about the origin of amounts under a thousand euros, the limit that is now in force.
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‘There is something going on between the Czech Republic and the Netherlands’
By appealing for clarity for voters in the European elections in June, Omtzigt ultimately called on Minister De Jonge to provide more clarity about the information that the intelligence services possess. Omtzigt wanted to know whether Dutch candidates on the list for the European Parliament elections were influenced by Russia.
Minister De Jonge responded that it is important to let the AIVD do its work now. “Suppose there is a signal that needs to be investigated, and that is still very weak and not yet properly investigated and you were to make that signal public (…) then you are sure that you cannot actually do anything with it in the future ”, said De Jonge. He promised to provide the House with more clarity “as soon as possible”.
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Tags: Baudet largely absent uncomfortable parliamentary debate Russian interference
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