EU election in 2019, experts warn of Russian influence

On the European elections in may, Russia also looks exactly. However, the Kremlin is not, leave it and warn security experts: Moscow attempts to form the new EU Parliament for their own advantage.

Anja Bröker, WDR

For the chief of the Estonian foreign intelligence service, Mikk Marran, is clear: Russia wants to destroy the unity of the Europeans - for example, in the question of EU-Russia sanctions. So Marran explained in the annual report, 2019, the authority that was published in this week:

"to achieve that, Russia is prepared on the internal politics of other States influence. The topic this year, particular attention if the EU member States choose their representatives for the European Parliament."

With a view to the European elections in may, the Kremlin will try to "likely to take in the large member States of the EU influence. Germany, France and Italy are a particular focus, as from there, about a third of the members of the European Parliament", - stated in the report. In addition, in these States, the political parties make their support for the current policy of the Kremlin against the West.

"the end justifies the means" - according to this principle, Russia had acted in the past and will do so also in relation to the forthcoming EU election.

Estonia security authorities warn long before the Russian influence in Europe. German security experts, the differentiated see. "Because the NATO military wants to go together now very closely with the European Union, the EU is definitely stronger in the Russian focus," explains Sandro Gaycken, which advises, among other things, the Federal government in IT security.