The office of AfD politician Maximilian Krah is suspected of spying for China after classified documents were reportedly accessed from his office in the Trade Committee of the European Parliament. The documents, which included analyses of foreign trade strategies and trade negotiation progress, were accessed multiple times despite being labeled as “sensitive” or “restricted”. While it is unclear if Krah personally accessed the documents or if it was done by his assistants, his close associate Jian G. was recently arrested under suspicion of spying for China by sharing information from EU Parliament negotiations and spying on Chinese dissidents in Germany.
Krah, who is the lead candidate for his party in the upcoming European elections, has not responded to inquiries about whether Jian G. had access to the Sharepoint system where the documents were stored. Other MEPs have noted that it is common practice for assistants to have access to such documents. Krah’s name has been linked to the scandal surrounding the pro-Russian media outlet “Voice of Europe”, which the Czech government has sanctioned for being a Kremlin influence operation. The investigation into the document access from Krah’s office comes at a time when concerns about foreign interference in European politics are high.
The European Parliament categorizes documents into three levels of confidentiality, with the documents in question being labeled as either “sensitive” or “restricted”. While Krah’s office did not request any documents labeled as “confidential”, the fact that they accessed classified information raises concerns about the potential security breach. The documents accessed included information on trade strategies of partner countries and details of trade negotiations, which could have significant implications for EU foreign policy.
The incident highlights the vulnerability of EU institutions to potential espionage activities, as it raises questions about the security measures in place to protect confidential information. The arrest of Krah’s assistant for suspected spying for China further underscores the importance of safeguarding sensitive EU documents from unauthorized access. The ongoing investigation into the document access from Krah’s office will likely prompt increased scrutiny of security protocols within the European Parliament to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The implications of the document access from Krah’s office extend beyond just the potential security breach, as they raise concerns about foreign influence in EU decision-making processes. The fact that the documents were accessed multiple times over the past years suggests a pattern of behavior that could have implications for EU foreign policy decisions. The incident serves as a wake-up call for EU officials to strengthen security measures and vigilance against potential espionage activities that could compromise the integrity of the European Parliament and its decision-making processes.
