An evergreen of all elections is classic alarmism that in the upcoming elections, much more is at stake than in all previous elections together. In this regard, the upcoming European elections are no exception. Paradoxically, the people who fight the loudest against fake news are also saying that conservative right-wing parties are a threat for the European Union because of their pro-Russian and anti-European stances.
Those journalists and politicians say that the most dangerous examples are Poland and Hungary with their right-wing conservative governments. They say they want to ruin the European Union. But let’s look at a recent poll on how the citizens of the individual EU countries would vote in a referendum on the withdrawal from the Union. Ninety-two percent of Poles and 81 percent of Hungarians would vote for staying if needed. For example, what about France? Only 60 percent would vote to stay. Even though France is led by Emmanuel Macron, the “Big European”. Isn’t it strange? Maybe those parties are not anti-European at all. They can be Euro-sceptic, but it does not mean they are anti-European.
In the Czech Republic, it is the same. The conservative Civic Democratic Party (ODS) with its leader Jan Zahradil is being attacked all the time. But Zahradil does not want a Czexit. He just wants to reform the EU´s functioning from the inside, prevent further centralization and federalization, and leave more power to the member states, just like for example the Polish Law and Justice does. For pro-European journalists, it’s not enough. Zahradil never showed any sympathy for Russia. He has always been criticizing the regime of Vladimir Putin. Guess what? He was labeled as an agent of the Kremlin.
Finally, let’s say one more thing. Indeed, the European Parliament consists of candidates who are anti-European, and an exit of their country from the EU is part of their program. Whether it is the Czech SPD, the former French National Front or others, these are parties who are much closer with the extreme left, and some nationalist elements. They have almost nothing to do with conservatism and the right. Handling these populist parties together with conservatives is just a continuation of efforts to delegitimize another view of the EU´s leadership that does not see it as a European superstate with the greatest possible suppression of national elements.
