Disinfo: Bulgarians have not seen any significant benefits from membership of the EU and NATO

Summary

Bulgarians have not seen any significant benefits from EU membership. Furthermore, they benefited even less from joining NATO.

Disproof

These claims are false. Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007; as a result, its GDP, exports, average annual wages, as well as a share of products created in their economies by the industrial sector increased. In 2006, before joining the European Union, Bulgaria’s GDP was estimated at USD 34.4 billion; in 2016, this figure increased to USD 52.4 billion. In 2006, the GDP per capita was equal to USD 6 107.71 and in 2016 it increased to USD 7 926. European countries account for 78% of Bulgarian exports. Find out more about how Bulgaria benefits from EU funding. In addition, the EU accession process helps the countries concerned build their capacity to adopt and implement EU law, as well as European and international standards. For similar disinformation cases about Bulgarian membership of the EU see here and here. Regarding the NATO claim, all the countries of Central and Eastern Europe which have joined NATO over the past decade have enjoyed peace, security and cooperation with their neighbours since then, Bulgaria included.

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publication/media

rs.sputniknews.com (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 160
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 25/07/2019
  • Outlet language(s) Serbian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Bulgaria
  • Keywords: economy, Economic difficulties, NATO
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Disinfo: The new Ukrainian parliament is not going to comply with the Minsk Agreements

Firstly, we need Ukraine to be neutral. Ukraine, which will not join NATO. But it’s necessary to raise another question. With the last elections, Ukraine completely cut off the Donbas. It is obvious that new Parliament will not comply with any Minsk agreements. It doesn’t need it.

Jul 24, 2019
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the Minsk agreements, portraying Ukraine as a primary violator of the cease-fire. In March 2015, the European Council linked the duration of EU sanctions on Russia to the complete implementation of the Minsk agreements, acknowledging Russia's responsibility to uphold the Agreements. The EU has condemned systematic restrictions to the freedom of movement of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, by Russia-backed armed formations in Southern Donetsk and non-government-controlled areas along the Russian border. According to the latest reports by the OSCE Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, there are violations of the Minsk agreement on both sides of the conflict. The analysis of the Atlantic Council shows, that the majority of violations can be attributed to Russia-backed armed formations.

Disinfo: Present-time Poland and Piłsudski regime are politically identical

The current political regime in Poland and Józef Piłsudski’s regime are identical. Their common characteristics are the preservation of nominal democratic institutions, right-wing conservatism and worsening relations with the USSR / Russia.

Jul 24, 2019
Disproof

This message is consistent with recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on the undemocratic EU and its individual member states. It is aimed to discredit the current Polish political system by drawing analogues with the interwar undemocratic regime of Józef Piłsudski. Whereas a number of remote similarities between the two were taken out of context, it is groundless to claim that the Józef Piłsudski interwar political regime is identical to present-time democratic Poland. Poland is placed rather high in authoritative democracy rankings, be it the Democracy Index by the Economist Intelligence Unit, or the Democracy Ranking compiled by the Association for Development and Advancement of the Democracy Award.

Disinfo: Skripal case was invented to cover up paedophilia scandals in the UK

The Skripal scandal began when it became known that Theresa May, the former prime minister of the UK, covered up paedophilia scandals back when she was a Home Secretary.

Jul 24, 2019
Disproof

Conspiracy theory, repeating one of the many pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about the Skripal poisoning. The disinformation message implicitly refers to the so called Westminster paedophile dossier which was assembled by the British Member of Parliament Geoffrey Dickens. It was suggested that some of the files concerning paedophiles allegedly associated with the British government were deliberately destroyed or disregarded by the Home Office. It is groundless to allege that Theresa May attempted to cover the paedophile claims because it was she as Home Secretary who in 2014 triggered further inquiries on whether the Home Office failed to act on allegations made by MP Dickens in 1980s. Writing in the Daily Telegraph in March 2015, Theresa May said the public were yet to grasp the full scale of the problem and called it a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" to examine the institutional child abuse in the UK. The disinformation messages implying UK government conspiracy behind the Skripal case are frequently used by the pro-Kremlin media to obfuscate Russian involvement in the Skripal poisoning.