The Irish government has been accused of paying for ‘pro-EU propaganda’ after it sponsored an article about the European Union in one of the country’s major newspapers.
One of Ireland’s premier broadsheets has been accused of publishing “pro-EU propaganda” after posting a puff piece for the bloc which was seemingly paid for by the Irish government.
It is far from the first time a major Irish newspaper published paid state propaganda, with the country’s premier paper of record famously printing a full-page advertisement extolling the virtues of Ireland increasing its ties with China last year which was paid for by the Chinese Communist Party.
Published on Sunday morning by the Mediahaus-owned Irish Independent newspaper, the piece succinctly titled “A bright future ahead with the support of the EU: How Ireland is becoming resilient, diverse and empowered”, extolled the virtues of green policy, immigration, and the transnational bloc’s single market.
The article, which also calls on all EU citizens to “explore and celebrate Europe Day”, begins and ends with a notice saying that it was “Sponsered by Rialtas na hÉireann/Government of Ireland”.
“Three thousand words of pro-EU propaganda paid for by the Irish taxpayer. It’s like paying for our own demise,” Irish Freedom Party President Hermann said while describing the paid-for coverage to Breitbart London.
“Some of the lines are comical in their fabrication,” Kelly continued, noting the article’s claim that the EU is funding projects in Ireland. “Ireland is a net cash contributor to the EU budget since 2013, and now gives roughly €750 million per year. ”
“Why are we paying old men we did not elect or able to get rid of… to make our laws?” the party president went on to say. “We only sell 38% of our goods to the EU. Why are we in a political and monetary union for a minority of our trade? EU membership is a self-destructive madness.”
Ireland’s media outlets as a whole seem to be used to being paid to publish political propaganda for various organisations, both national and international, with a number of publications and media outlets in the country running an advertising campaign paid for by an NGO which has received funding from controversial billionaire George Soros.
However, perhaps the most damning example of Irish publications printing propaganda for pay is when the country’s paper of record, the Irish Times, took coin from the CCP to publish an article calling for the deepening relations between Ireland and the authoritarian state.
Titled “China’s Development and Its Implication for Ireland”, the piece reportedly penned by the communist country’s ambassador to Ireland talked positively of China’s controversial Belt and Road initiative, and claimed that his regime was popular with the Chinese people.
According to a report by local outlet The Burkean at the time of the piece’s publication, the full-page colour advertisement may have cost as much as €34,000 (~$35,500) according to the newspaper’s own advertising listings.
Ironically, the Irish Times print edition containing the CCP advert also reportedly contained an article in which the publication stated that it had rejected running a sponsored piece by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, saying that it was an attempt by the Hungarian government to bypass the “usual editorial process”.