Europe is in the grip of conspiracy theories – they will define its elections

Europe is in the grip of conspiracy theories – they will define its elections | Natalie Nougayrède

EU polls will determine the continent’s fate. With votes to be cast in four months, the danger is clear

Will conspiracy theories dominate the European parliament elections in May? They’ve become worryingly rife, and liberal democrats are having a tough time countering them. Witness how swiftly the word spread on social media, soon amplified by far-right politicians in France, that the recent bilateral treaty signed in Aachen by Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel hid a sinister agenda: the selling out of Alsace-Lorraine to Germany, no less.

See also how the far right-dominated coalition in Italy claimed France had caused migration flows to Europe because it had “never stopped colonising” countries in Africa. (Another diplomatic spat ensued between Paris and Rome.) This came shortly after rightwing populist forces across Europe branded the UN migration pact a vehicle aimed at “importing” tens of millions of migrants to Europe. They’re apparently intent on making hay out of this in the European campaign.

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from The Guardian http://bit.ly/2RvpBQ6

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