An investigation published by delouis on 10 November 2026, as part of the collaborative investigative project Signal Jam, reveals how pro-Kremlin narratives circulating on social media are finding their way into the Dutch House of Representatives.
The investigation examines parliamentary questions in which Van Houwelingen repeats narratives associated with Russian disinformation campaigns, including claims that the West provoked the war in Ukraine and allegations of Western “false flag” operations.
The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that some of his questions explicitly contain disinformation. To avoid amplifying these narratives, the government sometimes deliberately limits its responses to reaffirming official policy.
According to Claes de Vreese, professor of Political Communication at the University of Amsterdam, introducing such claims into parliamentary proceedings can lend them legitimacy, regardless of whether they receive substantive answers. The investigation also draws on data collected through Signal Jam, which monitors the spread of pro-Kremlin disinformation on social media. Multiple Journalism is one of the partners participating in Signal Jam.
Its findings illustrate how narratives originating in online influence networks can enter institutional political debate. However, the investigation found no evidence that Van Houwelingen was acting under direct instructions from Moscow.
