Military Space News
CYBER WARS
Maximilian Krah: German MEP hit by China, Russia claims
Maximilian Krah: German MEP hit by China, Russia claims
By Femke COLBORNE
Berlin (AFP) April 25, 2024

German far-right politician Maximilian Krah, who is being investigated for suspicious links to Russia and China, is an avid user of TikTok who has long raised eyebrows over his dealings with foreign powers.

The 47-year-old, the AfD's top candidate for June's EU elections, is at the centre of a deepening crisis after one of his aides in the European Parliament was arrested on suspicion of spying for China.

German prosecutors have also launched a preliminary investigation against Krah himself over reports of suspicious payments received from China and Russia.

Krah cuts a distinctive figure and grabs attention with his outspoken views.

He has spoken of "repopulation" -- a reference to a right-wing view that immigrants are replacing natives -- and was quoted by German intelligence services in a report surveying the AfD for evidence of far-right extremism, according to media.

Krah is one of Germany's most active politicians on TikTok, where he has more than 42,000 followers.

A widower with eight children from three partners, he went viral on the network last year with a clip in which he shared dating advice for young men, claiming: "Real men are right-wing" -- a slogan that has become his trademark.

- 'Vassal of China' -

Born in the eastern state of Saxony near the Czech border in 1977, Krah grew up in communist East Germany, studying first in Dresden after the fall of the Berlin Wall before heading to New York for an MBA.

He joined the AfD in 2016 after defecting from the conservative CDU and became a member of the European Parliament in May 2019.

Even before this week's revelations, Krah had raised suspicions several times over his links to Russia and China.

Reinhard Buetikofer, a member of the European Parliament for the German Greens, told Deutschlandfunk radio this week that Krah had been the "loudest vassal of China" in the institution for some time.

According to German media reports, Krah first spent time in Hong Kong and Shanghai as a student and has visited several times since, saying he has "friends in China".

In a recent YouTube interview, Krah said his hotel accommodation and meals had been paid for by Huawei and other Chinese organisations during a trip to China in 2019.

"We're talking about a train ticket and two or three hotels and a meal," he said. "So what?... Of course I paid for the flight myself."

More recently, Krah and another AfD candidate for the EU elections, Petr Bystron, have been forced to deny allegations they accepted money to spread pro-Russian positions on a Moscow-financed news website.

Krah said he had twice appeared on the "Voice of Europe" website but had "of course not received any money for this".

- 'Woke West' -

According to Germany's Der Spiegel magazine, Krah was questioned by the FBI in December over possible payments from pro-Kremlin sources.

Krah has openly called for more friendly relations with Russia and China, including in his 2023 book "Politics from the Right: A Manifesto".

In the book, he writes that countries like China, Russia, India and African nations are "ultimately acting defensively against the universal claim to power of the woke West", according to German media.

In a 2022 interview with China's state-run Global Times, he said Europe should be "open for constructive dialogue with everyone" over the war in Ukraine.

He also argued that Germany decoupling from China would "serve only the interests of America".

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Krah said the investigation against him was "expected and routine given the press situation".

"Preliminary investigations serve to check whether there is any initial suspicion at all. So we are still in the realm of assumptions and insinuations," he said.

He has also vowed to remain the AfD's top candidate for the EU elections.

However, the party has no means of removing him even if it wanted to, since the legal deadline for changing party lists has already expired.

fec/hmn/rlp

GOOGLE

Related Links
Cyberwar - Internet Security News - Systems and Policy Issues

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
CYBER WARS
Far-right German MEP's aide arrested for allegedly spying for China
Frankfurt, Germany (AFP) April 23, 2024
An aide to a German far-right member of the European Parliament has been arrested on suspicion of spying for China, German prosecutors said on Tuesday, deepening concerns about foreign interference ahead of June's European elections. The allegations, coming a day after three other people suspected of spying for China were detained in Germany, sparked an angry reaction from Beijing, which said the arrest was designed to "smear and suppress" China. It was also a new blow for Germany's far-right Af ... read more

CYBER WARS
Spain says will send Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine

France orders firms to prioritise anti-air missile orders

EU disappoints Ukraine by failing to agree air defence deliveries

Ukraine has 'critical need' for air defence: NATO chief

CYBER WARS
UK navy downs Huthi missile targeting merchant vessel: ministry

US nudges Germany on long-range missiles for Ukraine

US secretly sent long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine

Toll in Russian strike on Odesa rises to five

CYBER WARS
Russia fires nine drones at Ukraine, damages hotel in city of Mykolaiv

Italy's navy downs drone headed for Red Sea merchant vessel: ministry

Ship attacked by missiles off Yemen coast

Septentrio enhances drone navigation with advanced GNSS module integrations

CYBER WARS
Enhancing connectivity and readiness at Space Systems Command

Kratos and SES showcase new virtualized SATCOM system for US Army

Troposcatter Technology by Ultra I&C enhances global defense networks

ATLAS Integrates DoD antenna into Hybrid Space Architecture

CYBER WARS
Denmark increases military aid to Ukraine by $633 million

20 Cambodian soldiers killed in ammunition base explosion

Biden approves $95B aid package for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan -- and potential TikTok ban

France, Germany sign deal on 'tank of the future'

CYBER WARS
Swedish parliament group urges $4.9-bn hike in defence spending

French FM calls for greater cooperation on European defence

US defense chief announces $6 bn in security aid for Ukraine

Russian deputy defence minister held over bribery accusations

CYBER WARS
Hungary's Orban to host Chinese leader in early May

Macron ready to 'open debate' on nuclear European defence

Turkey notifies Brussels of support for Rutte's NATO chief bid

European rapid-response force could see light next year: French minister

CYBER WARS
Researchers unveil novel technique for creating atomically thin nanoscrolls

MIT.nano equipment to accelerate innovation in "tough tech" sectors

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.