The role of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election has been heavily discussed. But Kremlin-backed media operations, including Russian news agencies Sputnik and RT, are pushing news "stories" aimed at impacting upcoming elections in the Netherlands, France and Germany.
From Bloomberg:
In a throwback to Soviet-era propaganda efforts, Russia's sprawling state-run media empire is buzzing ahead of elections this year in the Netherlands, France, and Germany—putting Europe's political establishment on alert after intelligence agencies accused Russia of meddling in the U.S. presidential race. Sputnik and RT, a state-owned global TV network, “make it their daily business to put out fake news,” Richard Ferrand, secretary-general of Macron's En Marche! party, told France 2 television on Feb. 13.
In Germany, the Kremlin's global media operation is giving lavish coverage to populist far-right and leftist parties critical of Chancellor Angela Merkel's open-door immigration policy. In France, Macron's sudden rise has undercut the candidacy of conservative François Fillon, a former prime minister who's called for warmer relations with the Kremlin and an end to sanctions on Russia. Stories by Sputnik and RT have been largely sympathetic to Fillon, who's been hurt by allegations that he gave his wife and children no-show government-paid jobs, and to Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Front, stressing her pro-Russian and anti-European views. Both outlets have been harder on the pro-European Macron, suggesting that the former economy minister used his position to help foreign banks and companies.
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