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German politician ‘filmed taking Russian money’ (www.telegraph.co.uk)

submitted 7 months ago by rimu@piefed.social to c/world@lemmy.world

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A German politician has been filmed taking large sums of cash from a Kremlin-supporting broadcaster, Czech intelligence has claimed.

Petr Bystron, who is standing for Alternative for Germany (AfD) at European parliamentary elections in June, allegedly received €20,000 (£17,000) in cash from the manager of a Russian propaganda network while sitting in a parked car, recordings indicate.

Mr Bystron, who also sits on the Bundestag’s foreign affairs committee, has previously denied allegations of taking Russian money as a “defamation campaign”.

The Security Information Service (BIS), the Czech Republic’s domestic intelligence agency, now says Mr Bystron met with Artem Marchevsky, who allegedly managed a Kremlin-backed propaganda front called Voice of Europe, at least three times in the past six months.

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[-] cabron_offsets@lemmy.world 144 points 7 months ago

AfD, fucking russian stooges.

[-] casmael@lemm.ee 15 points 7 months ago

Of course fucking of course, I wasn’t askin’ I was tellin’

[-] SuddenDownpour@sh.itjust.works 130 points 7 months ago

Some user at a .ml community the other day was mocking the idea that Russia was trying to destabilize Europe, comparing someone else's depiction of Russia as if it was an EU4 country. This is another piece of evidence that Russia has been financing far right politicians, parties and think tanks in several countries, including Germany, France, Italy and Spain.

[-] SturgiesYrFase@lemmy.ml 105 points 7 months ago

Despite being on .ml, there's a real issue with Tankies here. They hate the USA which...like fair enough, not exactly a paragon of virtue them. But then they go waaaay the other way and think China and Russia are utopian meritocracies, it's fucking bizarre.

[-] SuddenDownpour@sh.itjust.works 71 points 7 months ago

There's a very common mental trapping in humans where, once you've identified a serious problem or antagonist, you immediately become more sympathetic to its opposites or declared rivals. A lot of them had a genuine, valid concern with a capitalist society that was screwing them over, turned that into an identity, and ended up in echo chambers where that fallacy wouldn't be called out. It's difficult to get them out of there because they feel like they have to defend their identity and their social group, so in the rare cases where they meet someone who does understand and share their valid anti-capitalist positions but is capable of reasonably calling out their campist bullshit, they immediately jump to think it's just "another lib" and refuse to engage.

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 34 points 7 months ago

There’s a very common mental trapping in humans where, once you’ve identified a serious problem or antagonist, you immediately become more sympathetic to its opposites or declared rivals.

Which is why I'm very proud of the World News community not to let the justifiable Israel hate go overboard into Hamas support. Most, if not all, of us appear to be smarter than that and know that the Palestinian people are who need to be supported.

[-] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 25 points 7 months ago

Yeah, the Hamas support is weird. Hamas isn’t a popular front or anything, they’re also fucking over the Palestinian people. They took power and stopped holding elections many years ago.

The people I want to succeed are the Israeli and Palestinian people seeking to build a positive peace and a constructive cohabitation. That’s the anti Zionism I was sold on. And yes the first step is for Israel to stop massacring civilians.

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[-] SturgiesYrFase@lemmy.ml 22 points 7 months ago

That tracks. Though I'd say it's often less "refuse to engage" and more "refuse to engage in good faith". They definitely engage enough to yell things with fingers in their ears.

[-] Blackmist@feddit.uk 25 points 7 months ago

From their basements in Utah.

[-] EnderMB@lemmy.world 33 points 7 months ago

There is a strong argument that Brexit was the result of Russian influence.

[-] Burn_The_Right@lemmy.world 12 points 7 months ago

If this could be proven, I would hope the punishments would be extreme. Brexit (and the conservatism that caused it) has practically ruined Britain.

[-] EnderMB@lemmy.world 13 points 7 months ago

It basically "was" proven through exposes through Cambridge Analytica, Arron Banks, and their ties to Russian benefactors. There are also strong ties of Russian influence to notable political influencers like Nigel Farage, alongside those that provided funds to the Conservative party.

I don't think it's really possible to get more proof outside of Vladimir Putin literally stating on the record that he was involved.

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[-] Roflmasterbigpimp@lemmy.world 96 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Can we finally ban this anti-democratic, Russian-psyops-spreading POS of a political Party? I fucking hate the AFD with a burning passion you can't imagine. Everyone who votes for these fuckers just need to fucking cope that the war is over. Democratic Germany best Germany! Get rekt fascist keks.

[-] raspberriesareyummy@lemmy.world 18 points 7 months ago

Democratic Germany best Germany!

While I agree on the AfD sentiment, we're not exactly living in a democracy. When money/corporations have way more influence on politics than voters, that's not even remotely resembling democracy.

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[-] avater@lemmy.world 86 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Funny isn't it...all the time our right wing assholes talk about foreign traitors but in the end it's always them. I bet their Nazi grandfathers are rotating in their graves at lightspeed 😂

[-] IcePee@lemmy.beru.co 8 points 7 months ago

But Erich Honecker is laughing.

[-] kent_eh@lemmy.ca 6 points 7 months ago

They know the most about how bribery works, and just assume everyone else is as corrupt as they are themselves.

[-] BigMikeInAustin@lemmy.world 64 points 7 months ago

So, in Germany, does anything happen to this Russia war enabler? Or is it like America where someone just screams "both sides" and "but his tan suit" and all courts and laws get disabled?

[-] SomeGuy69@lemmy.world 20 points 7 months ago

We call them "exceptions" here, they'll kick him out and say everyone else of the AfD is not like that. People will believe it and keep voting for them even harder because now. It's a shit show.

[-] Jesus_666@lemmy.world 19 points 7 months ago

Well, his party is trying to make people forget he's in there for fear of losing votes. Given that this party is the "presentable" face of the hard right I hope he gets as much media attention as possible.

Not sure anything is going to happen to him personally but he's a politician and this is corruption so probably not.

[-] hoshikarakitaridia@lemmy.world 15 points 7 months ago

My logic says yes but mostly it's gonna be PR issues. But reality says there won't be any other consequences because politicians don't like to oust other politicians and courts don't wanna get involved with separation of power issues.

So no but yes but no.

[-] BigMikeInAustin@lemmy.world 6 points 7 months ago

Darn.

Thanks for the info. (Not sarcasm)

[-] Burn_The_Right@lemmy.world 53 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Sure, Germany's conservatives take payments from Putin just like U.S. conservatives, but how many handjobs have they given in a theater full of kids? They need to step up their conservative game.

[-] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 21 points 7 months ago

Pedophilia has a long and storied tradition in German politics. It's just part of their culture.

From the late 1960s until the early 1990s, with the authorization and financial support of the Berlin Senate, Kentler placed neglected youth as foster children in the homes of single pedophile fathers with the ostensible purpose of resocializing them, while explicitly encouraging sexual contact between them.

[-] T00l_shed@lemmy.world 24 points 7 months ago

Jesus fucking christ. What a horrible day to be able to read....

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[-] Fades@lemmy.world 46 points 7 months ago

oh look, it's

another CONSERVATIVE TRAITOR

[-] Goldholz 25 points 7 months ago

The AfD isnt conservative. They are facist to neo nazi.

Bernd Höcke is best friends with nazis and is allowed to be called a facist

[-] monkeyslikebananas2@lemmy.world 17 points 7 months ago

Potato potato

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[-] solidgrue@lemmy.world 43 points 7 months ago

This isn't a uniquely German problem >.>

[-] lurch@sh.itjust.works 53 points 7 months ago

yes, but it's important to know all details about each case, including nationality

[-] tooLikeTheNope@lemmy.ml 11 points 7 months ago

Yep, and here in Fascistelli-d'Italia-land we've won the competition for the "most smartest" one I'm afraid:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2022/mar/09/see-what-you-friend-putin-has-done-matteo-salvini-confronted-in-poland-video

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[-] random_character_a@lemmy.world 40 points 7 months ago

Before Ukraine Russia funded right-wingers because they were anti-EU. Some of them were quite open about it. I don't think anything has changed. Money just takes a longer route and people keep quiet about it.

[-] Vub@lemmy.world 20 points 7 months ago

So BIS/Czechia need to release the video to the public, not just claim they have it.

I hope there will be plenty more information on these nazis coming out before the elections.

[-] disconnectikacio@lemmy.world 17 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

How surprising... not. Here in hungary also the state party (fidesz) and their puppet party "mi hazánk" is controlled by putin

[-] suction@lemmy.world 13 points 7 months ago

Too many Putin-worshipping Russians live in Germany. You can usually tell who they are by their names, when a 20-something guy is named „Karl“ or „Eugen“ or some similarly old-ass German name nowadays, they’re most likely Russian. It’s creepy why don’t they go live with their Führer?

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[-] l10lin@lemmy.world 12 points 7 months ago

Don't know what can 20k euro achieve. Russia must be lacking of money.

[-] IcePee@lemmy.beru.co 13 points 7 months ago

This may have been one of a series of payments. This is only one that leeked.

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[-] cygon@lemmy.world 7 points 7 months ago

Small enough to not get noticed, too little to cover their lifestyle for long, yet too convenient to not take :)

The big paydays usually happen through companies the politician and his ilk are in the board of, which just score very lucrative contracts or orders time after time. Or the politician is hired as a consultant for such companies, collecting fabulous kickbacks. Or the promise of early retirement into "window-looking jobs," employment where they have a title, high income and zero responsibilities.

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[-] someguy3@lemmy.world 11 points 7 months ago

I'd talk them into giving me lots of money, then reveal it, and donate it to Ukraine.

[-] Arghblarg@lemmy.ca 18 points 7 months ago

A noble thing if you could pull it off.

But stay away from windows for the rest of your life and always prepare your own tea.

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[-] Churbleyimyam@lemm.ee 6 points 7 months ago

Bro hadn't heard of Monero.

Seriously though, those Czechs are pretty keen on taking care of shit atm.

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this post was submitted on 22 Apr 2024

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