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European Parliament Elections 2019

  • Text
  • European
  • Parliament
  • Elections
  • Meps
  • Parliamant
  • Brussels
  • Strasbourg
  • Russia
  • Plenary
  • Euobserver
It is difficult to acknowledge you don't know something. A few months ago, several thousand Europeans were asked hundreds of questions for the Eurobarometer poll. One of those questions was: "Do you agree with the statement: 'I understand how the EU works'." Only 10 percent totally disagreed with that statement. Another 29 percent "tended to disagree". Peculiarly, three percent said they did not know whether to agree or disagree.

Russia and far-right to

Russia and far-right to battle EU 'Gay Satan' Sexual hate speech is set to be an ugly meme in Russia and the EU far-right's campaign for the May elections, but the pro-EU side also has a compelling story to tell. By Andrew Rettman In 2018, prosecutors around the EU working to solve serious cross-border crime turned to Eurojust for assistance in more than 4 000 cases Eurojust provides hands-on support to criminal justice across borders, ranging from quick action through the on-call 24/7 service to setting up joint investigation teams and coordinating joint action days for complex investigations. Over 2 000 cases concerned the types of crime that pose the most serious threat to Europe: terrorism, migrant smugging, cybercrime and organised crime. Criminal Justice On-Call Want to find out more? Follow the presentation of our Annual Report 2018 in the European Parliament (LIBE Committee) on 2 April. Follow us on Twitter @Eurojust

Russian leader Vladimir Putin with Margarita Simonyan, the editor-inchief of RT, which is part of a €980m a year state media machine. Photo: Kremlin.ru Sexual hate speech is likely to be an ugly meme in Russian anti-EU propaganda ahead of European Parliament (EP) elections in May. The Kremlin wields formidable media firepower and also uses more sinister "technologies" to meddle in EU democracies. WEST AS 'GAY SATAN' The archetypal image of 'the West' as a black, gay, Satan-figure was incanted on stage by Russia five years ago. It came in a pageant by the Night Wolves, a Kremlinsponsored biker club, in the Crimean city of Sevastopol. The stakes are high, as Russian president Vladimir Putin tries to help the EU far-right to reach unprecedented levels in the EP, thereby destabilising Europe's institutional architecture. Propaganda can make an impact in a political environment where narrow margins decide outcomes. But the pro-EU side also has a compelling story and it remains to be seen how many hearts Russia and its far-right EU friends can win. In the show, Alexander Zaldostanov, the biker chief, intoned the words of Russian writer Alexander Prokhanov. "The black sperm of fascism splashed upon Kiev," he said. "In the golden apse of St Sofia [Kiev's cathedral] ... was conceived a deformed embryo with hairy face and black horns", he added. It was August 2014 and Russia had just annexed Crimea from Ukraine. 25 — EUROPEAN PARLIAMANT ELECTIONS 2019

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