EU propaganda? Donald Trump pops up on French campaign ads ahead of Brussels vote
Strasbourg has come under fire after reportedly attempting to sway upcoming EU elections by sticking up pictures of US President Donald Trump across the city in an attempt to encourage people to vote.
The face of the ‘America First’ leader is now haunting locals of the French city as it has been stuck on hundreds of billboards ahead of the vote on May 26 next year.
Trump’s face is partially covered by a big blue star with smaller yellow ones, as per the EU flag. “This time I will register and I will vote,” read the posters which appeared on Wednesday.
Strasbourg, alongside the Belgium capital of Brussels, is where the European Union convenes.
The initiative was blasted by people on social media who accused the masterminds of using Trump’s intimidating face to campaign for the EU, while the ad should have been neutral.
Qui d'autre suivra ce bon exemple? #cettefoisjevote.euLa ville de Strasbourg en France incite à voter aux européennes en brandissant la "menace Trump" https://t.co/PJuu0DXoIW via @rtbfinfo
— Stefania Bettini (@bettini701) November 23, 2018
But head of communications for Strasbourg, Jean-Francois Lanneluc, unabashedly defended the controversial initiative.
“Europe remains a sort of model against the temptation of isolationism, which Trump embodies… We stand behind the message; we evaluated the risks,” Lanneluc said.
It comes amid concern by mainstream parties within the union that they’ll be rocked in the upcoming poll given the surge of anti-establishment movements across Europe.
The EU’s campaign stunt stirred mixed reactions on social media, with French MP Dominique Bilde accusing Strasbourg of “quietly” squandering French taxpayers’ money to peddle a pro-EU agenda.
This was backed by others, who hit out at the French city for using locals’ money to push “propaganda.”
But there were those who supported the quest, with one person calling on other cities to follow suit while welcoming Strasbourg’s“brandishing of the Trump threat.”
Another tweeter nailed it when he said no one can remain “indifferent” to such billboards.
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