Dutch parliament chair concerned about Russian influence on upcoming European elections

Tweede Kamer president Martin Bosma has asked the president of the European Parliament to take action to guarantee the integrity of the European elections and the candidates therein. He referred to reports from the Czech Republic that Russia was paying European politicians as part of a propaganda campaign.

In a parliamentary debate on the Czech revelations, the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, passed a motion for Bosma to convey their concerns. He did so in a letter to European Parliament president Roberta Metsola last week.

“With European parliamentary elections approaching, these [pro-Russian propaganda] activities not only pose a threat to the security of the Czech Republic and other European member states, but also affect the integrity of the upcoming elections,” he wrote. “In that light, I ask you to take appropriate action before the European elections and to report back to us.”

Bosma said that the Netherlands realizes its responsibility to take measures to counter foreign influence, but “the European Parliament has a duty to ensure that its own electoral process is transparent.” He said that the Tweede Kamer was concerned “about the limited time that remains to ensure that this is the case.”

The European elections are from June 6 to 9. Voters in the Netherlands will cast their vote on June 6.