De Groene Amsterdammer and Investico have reported that there is no evidence indicating that the Forum voor Democratie (FvD) foundation received any donations from Russia or other foreign countries surrounding the Ukraine referendum. Investigative journalists from the two media outlets delved into the 2016 financial records of the foundation, which spearheaded Thierry Baudet’s far-right political party, as part of a lawsuit initiated in 2017.
The financial disclosures of the FvD and its associated foundation have recently been a focal point of public discourse. During a parliamentary debate two weeks ago, members of GroenLinks-PvdA and D66 repeatedly called on Baudet to release the annual financial reports. The situation escalated to the point where, after the debate, Baudet made a threat to physically confront GroenLinks-PvdA parliamentarian Jesse Klaver.
Following this, Czech authorities revealed the dismantling of a Russian “disinformation network” that allegedly paid Western politicians to advocate pro-Russian stances. Dutch media reports suggested potential involvement of Dutch politicians in this network. Given FvD’s pro-Russia positions and reluctance to disclose financial information, speculation arose linking Baudet and his party to these allegations. However, the Dutch government has declined to confirm whether the Czech authorities provided any names to the Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD).
Subsequently, Baudet admitted that he should not have made the threat against Klaver but still refrained from publishing the financial figures. Despite the Chamber of Commerce lacking access to this information, De Groene Amsterdammer and Investico managed to uncover them in the documentation of a 2017 legal case.
In 2017, FvD filed a lawsuit against the Dutch State regarding its handling of the Ukraine referendum. As part of the lawsuit, the FvD foundation submitted its annual donor figures to establish its standing as an “interested party” in the case. The disclosed figures indicate that the foundation received approximately 200,000 euros that year, primarily in the form of small donations below 1,000 euros.
Remarkably, none of the disclosed amounts were explicitly attributed to Russia or any other foreign country. Additionally, it is noted that organizations or political parties typically do not specify donations from foreign entities in their annual reports. Notably, Geert Wilders’ PVV donated 20,000 euros to the FvD foundation in support of “research” endeavors during that year.
