BERLIN: EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker has reportedly vowed to crack down on any “fake news” in the build-up to next month’s European election campaigns.
“If governments make claims about the EU or the commission, which do not correspond to the truth, then we will respond,” Juncker said in an interview appearing in Tuesday’s edition of newspapers owned by Germany’s Funke media group.
“I will do this myself in the coming weeks before the election.”
Juncker, the commission’s president, vigorously warned against manipulation attempts to sway voters — even from EU member states. “I have already seen attempts to influence the election of the European Parliament by manipulation, which comes from several corners, not only from outside the EU,” he added.
“States within the union are also trying to steer the electorate’s will in a certain direction with fake news.
“The commission is prepared to fight it all off.”
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been a vocal critic of Juncker, holding the EU chief responsible for allowing the UK to potentially fracture the union once the UK finally sees Brexit through.
“The Hungarian government chief Orban claims that I am responsible for Brexit — although that is stuck down by evidence to the contrary,” Juncker said in response. “The Hungarian government also claims that I am to blame for the division of East and West in Europe — although the commission has done everything to fill the gap.” Elections for the European Parliament will take place from May 23 to 26 across the continent.
Voter turnout at European Parliament elections has dropped steadily over the years, hitting a record low of 43 percent at the last poll in 2014 when Euroskeptic parties made major gains.
EU Commission chief vows to fight ‘fake news’ in poll lead-up
EU Commission chief vows to fight ‘fake news’ in poll lead-up
- Jean-Claude Juncker: If governments make claims about the EU or the commission, which do not correspond to the truth, then we will respond
- Juncker: I have already seen attempts to influence the election of the European Parliament by manipulation
Journalist working for German media arrested in Turkiye
- A Turkish journalist working for the German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) has been arrested on accusations of “spreading false news” and “insulting the president“
ISTANBUL: A Turkish journalist working for the German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) has been arrested on accusations of “spreading false news” and “insulting the president,” the Istanbul prosecutor’s office has said.
Alican Uludag was arrested in Ankara on Thursday, the office said, on charges stemming from posts on a social media account.
Uludag’s lawyer said the journalist was being targeted for articles written for DW about the repatriation of Turkish citizens affiliated with the Daesh group.
“Alican Uludag was taken into custody (...) because of his article entitled ‘Turkiye Prepares to Repatriate Turkish Citizens Affiliated with the Islamic State’,” said attorney Tora Pekin.
Deutsche Welle said late Thursday that the “charges refer to a message published on X about a year and a half ago” in which Uludag “criticized measures taken by the Turkish government that allegedly led to the release of possible Daesh terrorists” and “accused the government of corruption.”
He was “arrested and taken away in front of his family by about thirty police officers. His home was searched and computer equipment was seized,” it said.
He is due to appear before prosecutors in Istanbul on Friday, the prosecutor’s office said.
According to a representative of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Erol Onderoglu, “the arrest of Alican Uludag is part of a process of judicial harassment against serious journalists.”
The media watchdog group denounced “the relentless arbitrary practices that are now targeting a journalist who may have disturbed the authorities because of his investigations.”
DW chief Barbara Massing demanded Uludag’s immediate release.
“That a journalist is treated like a common criminal, taken away by some thirty police officers and immediately transferred to Istanbul, constitutes targeted intimidation and shows the extent to which the government is massively repressing press freedom,” she said in a statement.
