Voice of Europe’s YouTube page throws up a parade of EU lawmakers, many of them belonging to far-right, Euroskeptic parties, who line up to bash the Green Deal, predict the Union’s imminent collapse, or attack Ukraine. There is no suggestion that those appearing on the network accepted cash.
The website has its roots in the Netherlands, Dutch daily NRC reported. An entrepreneur linked to the site at the time “worked with” far-right leader Thierry Baudet in 2016 “to bring about the Ukraine referendum,” the paper wrote, referring to a non-binding vote in which Dutch voters opposed a political association agreement between Ukraine and the EU.
Voice of Europe’s website was unavailable on Thursday and its account on X hasn’t posted since Wednesday.
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“It is just a bitter joke to call this operation of Russian interference the ‘Voice of Europe’ but it shows clearly the level of despise Putin has towards our democracies,” Jourová said.
The claim that MEPs were paid to speak up for the Kremlin has raised questions about who might have taken the cash.
A spokesperson for European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said in a statement: “The president is aware of the allegations being made and is looking into specific allegations.”
Clothilde Goujard contributed reporting.
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