But the disclosures were just part of a wider, concerted probe into Russian interference in the European Parliament (EP) by European intelligence services, involving also Belgium’s VSSE domestic spy agency.

Disciplinary action must be swiftly taken against any MEPs or [EP election] candidates involved," said the office of Liberal French MEP Valérie Hayer, who first called for the EP discussion.

“A full and transparent internal investigation by the president of the European Parliament is now needed,” her office added.

  • Kornblumenratte@feddit.de
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    7 months ago

    The BIS and ABW have not named names so far, but BIS had a 300-page dossier on illicit payments worth “millions of [Czech] crowns” (tens of thousands of euros), it has said.

    ABW seized €72,000 in cash in raids in the Warsaw region.

    It’s kind of insulting when perhaps-not-Moscow offers just a meagre couple of 10000 € as bribe to our MEPs. And embarassing when they accept such a sum.

      • Kornblumenratte@feddit.de
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        7 months ago

        Well, to be fair – we don’t know what the MEPs were paid for, we don’t even know that they were paid for anything or whether these payments were really illegal.

        Probably these were donations rather than bribes.

        If you donate to people who are on your side to help them gain influence, you’re using your money more effectively than by paying bribes.

  • honey_im_meat_grinding@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    7 months ago

    It’s sad that it’s taking so long when like 10 years ago we had politicians warning us about Russian oligarchs meddling with elections, or as in the UK, killing people with radioactive poison. We could’ve done something then but chose to wait and now the damage has grown larger. It’s like waiting to get cancer, only to yell about it and do nothing, and only start caring when it’s on the brink of terminal/irreversible before actually doing something, instead of actively doing things that reduce cancer probabilities.

  • Dieguito 🦝@feddit.it
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    7 months ago

    MEPs involved should be suspended but no need to do it a couple of months before the elections, because their parties can be affected.