EU’s new “European Union Democracy Shield (EUDS)” committee, which aims to impose more control over tech giants now perceived as aligned with U.S. President Donald Trump, and promote their compliance with “hate speech” laws while imposing more “fact-checking” has gained its chair – French member of European Parliament (MEP) and French President Emmanuel Macron-allied politician Nathalie Loiseau.
The EUDS initiative was first unveiled by EU Commission’s Executive VP Henna Virkkunen, and Loiseau appears to have been given the job in true unelected-Brussels-bureaucracy fashion: this was known before a vote on her nomination took place.
“Nathalie Loiseau will be elected this evening at 6 p.m.,” it was announced early on February 3 by La Lettre (this effective appointment has in the meantime been confirmed).
And it gets worse – another French MEP, Virginie Joron, said that Loiseau had announced she would be elected “the weekend before” those electing her had a chance to vote.
Stalin could never.
However – given the role that “Democracy Shield” is expected to play, namely, control speech/opinions, this odd process is seen by some as basically symbolic of the body’s purpose – albeit it happens to be one that is “denying democracy.”
Loiseau is a member of the European Parliament’s Renew group, whereas Joron is from the Patriots for Europe (PfE); the manner in which the EUDS selected its chief was particularly offensive to the latter since the PfE had hoped to have its own candidate, Antonio Tanger Correa – but that was rendered pointless by the manner in which Loiseau was appointed.
Correa denounced it as a “sham democracy” while Joron slammed the European Parliament’s “theater” where one can get “elected” before the vote.
Loiseau’s political ties and background – beyond those of Macron backers – might shed some light on why she became the EUDS chief. Namely, those include links with one of the outfits receiving funding from U.S. billionaire George Soros – the European Council for International Relations (ECFR).
Loiseau previously responded to those critical of this by saying she was “proud to exert influence” over what she dubbed a top European think tank.
Now, as the EUDS is about to start hunting down supposed “foreign interference,” critics of her appointment are doubtful that the interference of Soros himself in European politics will be the subject of the committee’s interest.