Signal
Submitted
Apr 28, 2026, 14:51 UTC
Investigators raided the Brussels and Strasbourg offices of a former AfD staffer linked to suspected Russian influence operations involving payments to EU parliamentarians including ties to politician Maximilian Krah.
On 29 May 2024, Belgian and French authorities searched offices of Guillaume P., an ex-staffer of AfD MEP Maximilian Krah, in Brussels and Strasbourg. The operation targets suspected Russian influence efforts aiming to manipulate EU parliamentarians, allegedly through bribes approximating 20,000 euros. Guillaume P. is linked to the controversial 'Voice of Europe' platform, accused of spreading Russian propaganda. Krah denies connections to the payments, describing them as private. Parallel investigations include suspicions that Jian G., a longtime associate of Krah, spied for China for a decade. Belgian prosecutors confirmed the raids relate to interference, passive corruption, and criminal association charges connected to these activities. This case exemplifies Kremlin-linked attempts to co-opt European political figures and institutions.
Confidence: High
The article explicitly describes an active Russian influence operation targeting EU parliamentarians involving bribery and propaganda, confirmed by Belgian prosecutors. The involvement of Russian-aligned actors and payments positions this as a hostile hybrid warfare action.
Source URL
https://tagesschau.de/investigativ/ndr-wdr/krah-afd-durchsuchung-eu-100.html
Source reliability
F
Info credibility
6
Event time
May 29, 2024, 00:00 UTC
Event time confidence
pm24h
Location
Brussels and Strasbourg
Primary actor
Guillaume P.
Country
Belgium
Countries
Belgium
Tags
russian influence operations, AfD, Maximilian Krah, EU Parliament, Political corruption, Voice of Europe, Belgium, French-Belgian investigation, Russian propaganda, Chinese espionage
Nodes
Node 2: 5th Column, Node 3: Political Disruptions