DISINFORMATION ABOUT THE EU CONTINUES TO GROW THE MONTH BEFORE THE EU VOTE, WHILE FALSE STORIES ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE DECREASE
The 34 organizations* part of the EDMO fact-checking network that contributed to this brief published a total of 1.643 fact-checking articles in May 2024. Out of these articles, 121 (8%) focused on Ukraine-related disinformation; 104 (6%) on climate change-related disinformation; 250 (15%) on disinformation related to the EU; 152 (9%) on the conflict between Israel and Hamas; 104 (6%) on COVID-19-related disinformation; 97 (6%) on disinformation related to immigration; and 36 (2%) on disinformation about LGBTQ+ and gender issues.
EU-related disinformation reached its highest level, since EDMO’s dedicated monitoring began, in May 2023. It amounted to 15% of the total detected disinformation the month before the EU elections, it was 11% in April. The share is the highest percentage among the topics constantly monitored by EDMO for the second month in a row. Climate change-related disinformation diminished significantly, almost halving. False stories about Ukraine slightly diminished in numbers, as did those about the conflict in the Middle East, while disinformation about other topicsconstantly monitored remained stable.
THE FALSE NARRATIVES PORTRAYING THE EU AS CORRUPT AND THE ELECTIONS AS RIGGED
– In May, false stories targeting the EU were diverse but consistent in portraying it as corrupt or opposed to the different national interests. Some false stories attacked EU leaders. For example, the President of the EU Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, was targeted and described as being linked to Nazism, having a conflict of interest in managing the pandemic phase or even being arrested in the EU Parliament. In France, it was also claimed that she was “not elected by anyone”, following a broader effort to depict EU institutions as anti-democratic.
– During the month, false stories emerged in some countries suggesting manipulation and fraud ahead of the June vote. In Germany, in particular, it was claimed that ballots with holes or corners cut are invalid “since the beginning”, that the voting for the far-right party AfD would follow stricter rules, or even that this party had been excluded from the EU elections. Other false claims circulating in the country – similar to others identified in Spain – seemed aimed at pushing citizens to invalidate their legitimate choices, suggesting multiple voting or signing the ballots, practices that would invalidate the votes.
DISINFORMATION NARRATIVES DESCRIBING THE EU AS OPPOSED TO THE VARIOUS NATIONAL INTERESTS
In general, EU legislation is claimed to be jeopardizing member countries and citizens by several false stories.
– A major strand within this false narrative concerned the recently approved Migration and Asylum Pact and the issue in general, exaggerating its consequences, for example disseminating false numbers about the migrants that member states will have to accept and/or about the money that they can pay as an alternative. This rhetoric has been sometimes exploited also by politicians in their election campaigns.
– In line with this narrative, false stories portraying EU membership as disadvantageous, claiming for example that the EU imposes unfair economic conditions and unreasonable bureaucracy on its member countries, have resurfaced. False claims allege that the introduction of the euro in Croatia led to a doubling of prices, that the European digital identity is imminent and will fully control citizens, and that the European Central Bank is planning to introduce the Digital Euro and ban cash for surveillance purposes. According to disinformation, national governments are ceding supremacy to EU legislation, exposing citizens to these authoritarian measures.
OTHER RELEVANT DISINFORMATION NARRATIVES
– In the run-up to the EU elections, anti-immigration disinformation re-emerged in many EU countries, amplifying racist and xenophobic sentiment. As usual, false stories portray migrants as privileged, violent, criminal, and outnumbering EU citizens. This rhetoric is then recalled in conspiracy theories suggesting the willingness to replace citizens or even that migrants are U.N. soldiers who will be deployed to enforce the next pandemic lockdown.
– Although few in numbers, false stories about LGBTQ+ issues were significant and mostly aimed at demonizing the LGBTQ+ community – for example claiming that sexually explicit books are being distributed to children with the intent to pervert them – and exaggerating its alleged impact on the political sphere.
Read the full report HERE
