GroenLinks-PvdA leader Frans Timmermans supports Volt faction leader Laurence Dassen's proposal to uncover the truth about Dutch politicians who may have been guilty of spreading pro-Russian positions in exchange for bribes. “If someone is mentioned, the lower stone should be raised,” says Timmermans in Op1 on NPO 1.
News from the Czech Republic has kept the Dutch political scene busy in recent days. Voice of Europe revealed that several Dutch politicians have close ties to the Kremlin and Russian President Vladimir Putin and have allegedly received money to take pro-Russian positions.
A matter of time
It is not yet known exactly who is interested. It is also not known whether these are (current) members of the House of Representatives or, for example, members of the European Parliament.
It is said that the names will be published soon by Czech intelligence. However, Dutch law stipulates that when it comes to politicians, intelligence services are not allowed to reveal their identity. The question remains whether the public will find out who the politicians involved are.
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Names may come to light through the press. Or through a centuries-old law from 1855: the Law of Ministerial Responsibility and Official Violations of Members of Parliament, Ministers, and Secretaries of State. This law stipulates that if five deputies file charges – and a majority of the House of Representatives supports this – against a colleague for committing an official crime, a committee composed of deputies can be formed to investigate. This could eventually lead to a case.
“The bottom stone must be raised.”
This has never happened in the Netherlands, but this does not prevent Volt leader Laurens Dassen from resorting to treatment when the names of Dutch MPs are actually mentioned. When asked whether Frans Timmersmans, as leader of the GroenLinks-PvdA party, would become one of the five deputies and support Dasen in his proposal, he said: “I think so.”
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Volt's leader, Lawrence Dasen, wants to use an old law dating back to 1855 to explain possible interference by the Russians in Dutch politics. @F__termans Supports him. “But there are also other options. You can also revoke diplomatic immunity.” #in1 #WNL pic.twitter.com/4RG9SMhyUf
— Op1 (@op1npo) March 29, 2024
Timmermans comments on this. “There are also other ways,” he says. “You could also revoke MPs’ parliamentary immunity and then they could simply be prosecuted.”
“But,” Timmermans continues. “If someone is named, the lower stone should be lifted and then the prosecution should also be moved. Through this law or in another way, because it is an official crime.”
Financial openness
The leader of GroenLinks-PvdA wants to use this situation to reinforce his call for all parties to be more open about finances. “Open the books and show where your money comes from,” says Timmermans, who focuses specifically on the Freedom Party and faction leader Geert Wilders. “They never want to provide insight into where their money comes from.”
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By: Vic Ten Wold
