The conviction of Jian G., former parliamentary assistant to GermanAfD MPMaximilian Krah, for spying for China is not just a German court case. It is a wake-up call for the entire West. If a parliamentary aide was able to pass on sensitive information to Beijing for years, it means that our democracies are permeable to hostile operations that undermine the trust of citizens and the stability of institutions.

We have already reported on a similar case, the confession of a former Scottish Reform UK MEP of having taken Russian bribes, in the following article: Russian money to Welsh Eurosceptic: Gill’s confession confirms years of suspicion. And in Italy?

Hybrid warfare and interference: Europe under attack

The problem is not episodic. Foreign interference in Europe is multiplying: from the hacking of critical infrastructures to disinformation campaigns and the targeted recruitment of political and technical personnel. China and Russia have realised that they no longer needconventional armies to weaken the West: all they need is access to our digital networks and the placement of well-placed figures within the institutions.

This is where the role of alliances comes into play. NATO remains the pillar of Euro-Atlantic defence: born to counter direct military threats, today it is also the most solid platform for coordinating intelligence and cybersecurity capabilities. NATO structures dedicated to cyber defence, such as the Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Tallinn, are examples of how a common response can be built by networking skills and resources that no European country alone could guarantee.

Alongside the Atlantic Alliance, theEuropean Union has a responsibility to create an internal system of political and economic protection. It is unthinkable that national and European parliaments become easy targets for infiltrators. The EU must set common standards for personnel screening, strengthen financial transparency mechanisms and coordinate national counter-espionage authorities. Here, shared sovereignty is not a loss, but a condition for survival.

Europe facing the defence challenge

The Krah case shows that Europe can no longer afford naivety. Much greater investment is needed in intelligence, cybersecurity and institutional resilience. But above all, a leap in mentality is needed: recognising that the defence of freedom is not only played out at military borders, but also in parliamentary halls, servers, think tanks and financial systems.

The West already has the tools to face this challenge: NATO as a strategic shield and theEU as a guarantor of political and institutional cohesion. The question is whether it will also have the political will to use them. Because every time a foreign agent manages to infiltrate, it is not just a secret that is stolen: it is the very credibility of our democracies that is called into question.