A pro-Russian network paved the way for Puigdemont’s arrival in Brussels

At the time, ahead of the non-binding Catalan referendum of November 2014, Russian disinformation strategy begins, who would soon show an interest in European separatism, and compare the cases of Catalonia, Scotland, Veneto and others to European support for the independence of Kosovo and the desire of Eastern Ukraine to become independent and federated with Russia. One of the first notes on the Russian portal Sputnik, launched the same week of the mock Catalan referendum, said: “2014, the year of secession: Venice, Scotland, Crimea, Catalonia.”

In 2016, Sputnik would publish the first fake news about Catalonia with the misleading headline: “An independent Catalonia would recognize that Crimea is Russian”, Latvian MEP Zdanoka from the Russian Federation party has intensified her activism in favor of the referendum with writings, speeches and all kinds of interventions. When a group of MEPs decide to pass themselves off as alleged observers of the illegal referendum of October 2017, they support them. When Puigdemont flees from justice, she meets him. When pro-independence supporters call for protests in Brussels, they approach them all with pro-independence flags, yellow ribbons and condemning posters bearing the faces of people jailed for secession.

As of this week, Zdanoka is being Investigated by the European Parliament for possible ties to Russian intelligence, He has been accused by several Russian, Nordic and Baltic media outlets of being an agent of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB, formerly KGB) since at least 2004. Following a joint investigation, several media outlets published emails showing his conversations with the Russian. Supervisor. , Zdanoka has spread pro-Russian propaganda in the European Parliament and refused to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

in first Condemn Zdanochka’s pro-Russian activism in Brussels He was a socialist. In 2014 the President of the European Parliament, Social Democrat Martin Schulz, then published a condemnatory letter in which he expressed regret over Zdyanka’s intervention, which had defended the annexation of Crimea by Russia, stating that “her statements are completely false.” Zhdanoka was part of a diverse group of politicians and activists who also participated as alleged observers of the Crimean independence referendum, which rejected the annexation by Russia. Was held to justify.

Zdanočka participates in the European Free Alliance, a Group of MEPs in favor of independence movements Among whom are the Catalans Jordi Sole and Josep Maria Terricabras, who left the seat in 2019. In November 2017, Zdanochka gave several interviews in which he criticized Spain, speaking of “European double standards”, as the situation in Catalonia reminded him. of Kosovo, in line with the Kremlin’s official position. The same month, in a speech at the Valdai Forum, Vladimir Putin himself said that Europe “should have thought better” before supporting Kosovo’s independence “given what is happening in Catalonia”.

On November 14, 2017, he joined a protest in front of the European Parliament ,Violations of the rule of law in Spain», as he said in a message on his Facebook profile. Two weeks earlier, Puigdemont had arrived in Brussels, preparing for his next step, which will include candidacy for MEP in 2019. Earlier, a group of MEPs had tried to organize a Puigdemont event within the European Parliament. Socialists and populist activists united to prevent this, given the risk that Puigdemont had barricaded himself in the headquarters of the European legislature as part of an independence protest against the application of Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, which restricted autonomy. Was temporarily suspended. The then President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, and his team of legal services prevented Puigdemont from entering unless he had explicit permission from the judge.

Another example of The intense pro-Russian activity of these MEPs His visit to Syria was in July 2016 to meet President Bashar al-Assad. Zdanočka and the Spanish Javier Cuso of Izquierda Unida participated in this trip. The European Parliament refused to reimburse the travel expenses, considering it an “unofficial visit”. In his interviews and publications on social networks, Zdanocka has mentioned his direct relationship with Oriol Junqueras, MEP between 2009 and 2012, and Raul Romeva, who was MEP between 2004 and 2014.

On the post of MEP, Puigdemont voted against bipartisan proposals three times Investigating Russian interference.