DISINFO: The EU portrays itself as ideologically "better" than its member states
SUMMARY
The EU portrays itself as ideologically “better” than its member states. In the vociferous election campaigns, it is emphasised that the European Union is an ideologically “better” political institution than the national governments of the individual member states.
RESPONSE
No evidence given. Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative on the EU as a disunited and disintegrating bloc, on the corrupt and undemocratic EU and on the failed European values. The European Union does not portray itself as ideologically "better" than its member states. The EU is a political and economic union of 28 Member States. The EU's values are common to the EU countries in a society in which inclusion, tolerance, justice, solidarity and non-discrimination prevail. These values are an integral part of our European way of life: human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law and human rights. This means that each member state of the EU is considered as equal. These values form the basis of the EU and are laid out in the Lisbon Treaty and the EU Charter of fundamental rights. They are common to the EU and all member states. Political decisions in the EU are taken as openly as possible and as closely as possible to the citizens. The EU is governed by the principle of representative democracy, with citizens directly represented both at Union level in the European Parliament and also Member States represented in the European Council and the Council of the EU.