Subject: The Brief: Fake news is old news in Brussels
From: EurActiv <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 7 Mar 2017 15:57:25 +0000

The Brief: Fake news is old news in Brussels      subscribe
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    <http://eurac.tv/6_ZW?sid=33541>    Today's EU policy news,
07.03.2017, 5PM

       = Fake news is old news in Brussels =

      === By  James Crisp <http://eurac.tv/6_ZB?sid=33541> ===

 Fake news is big news but in Brussels it is  also old news
<http://eurac.tv/6_ZC?sid=33541>.

  Tactical leaks ahead <http://eurac.tv/6__L?sid=33541> of legislative
proposals are a well-worn tool to heap political pressure on internal
opponents in the Commission.

 But it is at the European Council summits when the EU fake news machine
really cranks into gear. If you listen carefully you can already hear the
cogs being oiled ahead of Thursday's summit.

 EU leaders disappear for hours at a time behind closed doors, leaving
journalists entirely dependent on national and EU officials for a running
commentary on the talks.

 This system is open to abuse because it is largely dependent on trust, and
on second or third-hand information from those in the room with the big
beasts of Europe.

 The hacks and hackettes of the press corps need to write or broadcast
something while waiting for the deal.

 And EU spin doctors have form when it comes to putting out misinformation.

 Often, the information spoon-fed to the media is trustworthy. But not
always, and the only way to cross-check is to speak to a number of
different officials from different member states.

 Even then, the press is vulnerable to a concerted effort to pull the wool
over its eyes.

 Many journos bitterly remember a Friday evening summit during the Greek
bailout crisis. Shortly before the markets closed, a unit of officials
fanned out across the Justus Lipsius.

 They briefed that a deal was close. In fact, it wasn’t agreed until the
following Monday morning.

 Positive stories were filed but, afterwards, suspicions grew the briefings
were a ploy to bolster the euro before the markets closed for the weekend.

 There are rumours of national officials, after a couple of beers,
confessing to feeding journalists lies to lift the boredom of the hours of
tough negotiations.

 Such things are hard to prove and accusations of fake news  cut both ways
<http://eurac.tv/6_ZD?sid=33541>. But The Brief recalls one instance in
particular that shows how some in the EU view the press.

 One journalist took a high-ranking official to task over an inaccurate
briefing given during David Cameron’s ill-fated EU reform negotiations.
The official, who is close to Juncker, confessed to having twisted the
truth.

 He told the astonished pressman, “That was a tactic. I have tactics,
when I speak to journalists, I don’t speak because I’m a nice guy. I
want to achieve something.

 “You write it, somebody reads it. I instrumentalise you.”

      == The Roundup ==

 The undoubted winner of question of the month, if not year, goes to James
Franey of Euronews. He cheekily asked Geert Wilders, “What’s your
favourite part  of the Koran <http://eurac.tv/6_ZE?sid=33541>?” before
literally quoting Islamic chapter and verse to the stunned far-right
leader.

 Much to the sickening glee of Belgian Immigration Minister Theo Francken,
EU judges ruled <http://eurac.tv/6_ZF?sid=33541> that member states can
refuse visas to refugees seeking asylum in a test case decision. The
Migration Policy Group was not impressed  with the ruling
<http://eurac.tv/6_ZG?sid=33541>.

 Hungary approved the detention of asylum seekers in container camps
<http://eurac.tv/6_ZH?sid=33541> on its borders today. Its prime minister
called immigration “the Trojan horse of terrorism”.

 Multi-speed Europe got the backing of the eurozone’s "big four"
<http://eurac.tv/6_ZI?sid=33541> at Versailles yesterday. France, Germany,
Italy and Spain agreed that more EU integration for those that want it
should be the way forward.

 But multi-speed Europe ain’t that simple. Just ask the countries pushing
ahead with their own version of the  Financial Transaction Tax
<http://eurac.tv/6_ZJ?sid=33541>.

 The European Patent Office announced that the  long-awaited EU patent
<http://eurac.tv/6-ci?sid=33541> will be ready to roll out at the end of
the year. The body is confident the UK will remain in the unitary patent
even in the event of hard Brexit.

 Poland’s opposition to the reappointment of Council President Donald
Tusk threatens to overshadow <http://eurac.tv/6_ZK?sid=33541> an EU
summit this week. Here  is Tusk’s letter <http://eurac.tv/6_ZL?sid=33541>
to member states ahead of Thursday’s meeting of leaders.

 Germany is pushing for more EU cooperation on defence
<http://eurac.tv/6_ZM?sid=33541>. Angela Merkel has rejected
Erdogan’s “absurd” Nazi comparison <http://eurac.tv/6_ZN?sid=33541>,
after Germany cancelled a number of rallies for the Turkish president on
security grounds.

 Germany and France’s far-right are seeing eye-to-eye
<http://eurac.tv/6_ZO?sid=33541> on a number of issues, including Russia,
as crucial elections in both countries draw nearer.

 François Fillon’s presidential campaign
<http://eurac.tv/6-cj?sid=33541> took another blow yesterday as five MEPs
abandoned ship, including Republican heavyweight Alain Lamassoure.

 Budget Commissioner Günther Oettinger met with anti-racism and gay rights
groups toda <http://eurac.tv/6-d3?sid=33541>y. The International Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association fiercely criticised Oettinger
for his homophobic comments about gay marriage last autumn.

 The EU will co-chair a conference on the future of Syria
<http://eurac.tv/6_ZQ?sid=33541> next month, where world leaders will
discuss how best to resolve the conflict in line with the UN’s
resolutions.

 Europe has launched  a fourth satellite <http://eurac.tv/6_ZR?sid=33541>
to monitor changes in air pollution and forest cover.

 Jorge Valero delves into the murky past of Hungary’s  Russian-built Paks
II <http://eurac.tv/6_ZS?sid=33541> nuclear plant.

 And in news no one wants to hear, Belgian frites can  give you cancer
<http://eurac.tv/6_ZT?sid=33541>.

 *Sam Morgan contributed to this Brief.*

      == Look out for... ==

 Tomorrow is International Women’s Day. Nine Commissioners have published
 a joint statement <http://eurac.tv/6_ZY?sid=33541> to mark the occasion.
Tomorrow, Commissioner Jourova will give  a press conference
<http://eurac.tv/6_ZZ?sid=33541> on issues such as female genital
mutilation and gender inequality with leading business leaders and
campaigners.

 *Views are the author's. *

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