The European Union padded the crowd for Angela Merkel’s pro-censorship speech in the bloc’s parliament, multiple sources have revealed.
MEPs from the various right-wing groups had opted to boycott the former chancellor’s appearance in Strasbourg on Tuesday, during which she received the EU’s new ‘Order of Merit’ for her time as Germany’s leader.
However, footage from the event depicted the Strasbourg hemicycle as being near capacity for Merkel’s speech, with even the benches occupied by the parliament’s sizable right-wing groups occupied with individuals clapping the controversial German politician.
According to representatives within the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, this is because the EU decided to let non-MEPs occupy their seats during the event.
Some members of the party even suggested that many of those applauding Merkel had been hired to do so, though this claim has been disputed.
“The patriotic factions are boycotting the ceremony, with their seats intended to remain empty as a clear political statement. In an unprecedented move that runs counter to all parliamentary conventions, applauders have been placed in the seats of our MEPs to undermine this message,” AfD MEP Tomasz Froelich wrote online.
“It is utterly outrageous!”
Such claims were subsequently confirmed by multi”ple sources close to EU officials, with a journalist from EU-aligned magazine Der Spiegel writing online that “guests” were let into the parliamentary chamber for the speech as there was spare capacity.
But this has been questioned by Brussels insiders, who have insisted that it is highly unusual for non-MEPs to be let inside the Strasbourg chamber.
While accessing the hemicycles during parliamentary events is sometimes possible in Brussels, full EP sessions in Strasbourg are often highly controlled, with non-MEPs only being given limited access to a cordoned-off seating area away from official members.
“Even parliamentary staff are not typically allowed in the chamber,” Connor Allen, a former Renew Europe group staffer who currently serves as one of Europe’s most influential lobbyists, commented.
The EP has attempted to explain the discrepancy by saying that during the awards ceremony, the parliament was not technically in session. This is despite the event being given prominent coverage by the European Parliament’s own internal media and put up on its official social media platforms.
During the speech, Merkel reaffirmed claims that US tech firms were spreading “disinformation” and “hate” online.
She added that the bloc was right to force regulation onto these “so-called social media” platforms, and that there should be “accountability for lies”.
“I can only encourage you to continue regulating social media,” she said.