Putin Propaganda increasingly evident at European Parliament – Andrews

Irish voters must be aware of threat of Russian interference in upcoming elections

Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Andrews has warned of a growing threat of Russian interference in the upcoming European Elections, stating that Putin’s propaganda has become increasingly evident at the European Parliament.“There are mounting concerns about Russia’s growing influence over the current European Parliament. And there is no doubt that Russia is seeking to dramatically increase this influence following the elections in just two months’ time,” the Dublin MEP commented.“Tactics include the use of spyware, artificial intelligence, and the direct grooming of election candidates - all aimed at achieving Putin’s goal of influencing decision-making at EU level and undermining our democracy.“We have seen two of our own sitting MEPs, Mick Wallace and Clare Daly, take decisions that are straight from the Kremlin’s playbook.  When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning Russia. Just 13 out of the 705 MEPs voted against this.  Clare Daly and Mick Wallace were two of them.  Another was a Latvian MEP now under criminal investigation for Russian interference, and with whom Clare Daly and Mick Wallace have attended several events. “More recent revelations have linked Clare Daly and Mick Wallace to a Russian spy, who allegedly provided Clare Daly with briefing documents detailing what she should say when speaking about his prosecution.“The stark reality is that there is very real danger to the make-up of the European Parliament after June 7th’s elections and the potential implications for Ireland are serious.  A thriving Ireland is dependent on its membership of a democratic European Union, and we must retain our strong position at the top table of decision-making.  Our economy, our standard of living and the quality of life in our communities all very much depend on this.  With just two months to go until polling day, voters in Ireland and across all 27 EU member states must be careful about how they use their votes.”