An Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) MEP has written to the European Commission to request a probe into whether Greta Thunberg’s eco movement could represent a “hybrid threat” to Europe and be “financed and steered” by Russia.
In the written question to the Commission, Jörg Meuthen notes that he has been "following with interest" the measures being taken by Europe to "avert hybrid threats." He describes hybrid threats as being designed to “influence decision-making, to weaken societies and undermine unity.”
But could we really be looking at yet another of the Kremlin’s many feared discord-sowing tentacles wearing the doomsaying teen activist as a sock puppet?
Given that Meuthen’s AfD party colleagues have themselves been questionably accused of being beholden to and financed by Russia, there is a strong scent of trolling from the German MEP’s request. Indeed, almost any political party or figure who is not hostile to Moscow has been pegged as a Russian stooge at some point in time.
Also on rt.com Nobel Peace Prize for Greta? Bad idea, say two-thirds of GermansA climate-change skeptic, Meuthen highlights the Thunberg-led 'Fridays for Future' school protest movement, as well as Greenpeace actions and the presence of civilian rescue vessels in the Mediterranean, saying they are all "managed professionally and have significant sources of funding."
These campaigns, he says, are having a strong impact on politics "to the detriment of other goals" and will ultimately "contribute to a loss of global competitiveness and the impoverishment of Europe."
Therefore, Meuthen asks whether an EU investigation has been conducted — and if so, he says he would like to learn of its findings. One assumes Meuthen is already well aware that the EU has not investigated Thunberg as a “hybrid threat” and is simply trying to point out what he sees as hypocrisy on Brussels’ part.
Additionally, the MEP asks if the Commission is willing to rule out "the possibility that these campaigns are being financed and steered by Russia" before conducting any investigation — a possible reference to the fact that Russia is regularly pinned as the nefarious culprit behind various political figures and movements in the Western world without any evidence to back up such assertions.
Indeed, Russia has often been accused of waging “hybrid warfare” against Europe, but it has typically been fringe parties on the right and left accused of Russia ties due to their reluctance to adhere to prescribed anti-Russia narratives.
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