Greek Foreign Minister, George Katrougalos has accused Manfred Weber, the European Peoples Party (EPP) candidate for European Commission president, of “reproducing fake news.” The Foreign Minister was responding to a tweet posted by Weber and in which he claimed that Athens was refusing “70,000 Greek nationals the right to vote from the UK in the EU elections.”
It is worrying that the Greek Government is using Brexit as an excuse to refuse 70,000 Greek nationals the right to vote from the UK in the EU elections. No other EU country has done that. In a democracy, limiting voting rights is very problematic. https://t.co/po3uSkR1kq
— Manfred Weber (@ManfredWeber) February 28, 2019
The EPP’s Spitzenkandidate who claims to become European Commission President has obviously missed the latest developments on the issue and the problems the Brexit will create in the EU elections. News that EU nationals living in UK would have to move to another country in order to vote for the EU elections is older than a month.
In a statement issued on February 2019, the Greek Interior Ministry said that: “Our fellow citizens who live, work or study there will take part in the forthcoming European elections. Although the possibility of voting is limited by the existing electoral legislation only in the countries of the European Union to which Great Britain will cease to belong after 29 March 2019, according to the current data, the government has already established relevant legislation in the context of the EBRD initiative announced to address the consequences of BREXIT.”
“What is really worrying is a Spitzenkandidat who is reproducing fake news without first checking their (in)accuracy. This is the official common statement on the issue of the Ministers of Interior and Foreign Affairs of Greece, dismissing the claim and issued several hours ago,” Katorugalos said in a tweet with alink to the statement.
What is really worrying is a Spitzenkandidat who is reproducing fake news without first checking their (in)accuracy. This is the official common statement on the issue of the Ministers of Interior and Foreign Affairs of Greece, issued many hours ago. https://t.co/GkdY9HTFMB https://t.co/KAM5nV4mM0
— George Katrougalos (@gkatr) February 28, 2019
Katrougalos’ tweet was also picked up by European Parliament Vice President and SYRIZA MEP Dimitris Papadimoulis, who noted:
EPP candidate for European Commission @ManfredWeber is spreading fake news without being informed by Greek Govt. Not only he is ultra right-wing, but he is also clearly unsuited for Commission’s top job. That’s why he is endorsed by only 4% of voters according to recent poll. https://t.co/58tYflsQ9B
— Dim. Papadimoulis (@papadimoulis) March 1, 2019
Weber’s problem is not only that he is blindly embraces New Democracy rhetoric, he also has little knowledge about EU affairs.
Instead of pathetically trying to intermingle in other state’s affairs, EPP chairman Manfred Weber could start packing his coffers.
PS I heard, the State of Bavaria is eagerly waiting to welcome its immigrated son to return back….
