Intervju, ki ga je za nemški medij dan pred vrhom med Evropsko in Afriško unijo v Slonokoščeni obali dal predsednik Evropske komisije Jean-Claude Juncker, je očitno vzbudil precej pozornosti. Novinar Max Hoffman je za Deutsche Welle (vir) Junckerja uvodoma vprašal, kaj si misli o suženjskih tržnicah, ki so se pojavile v Libiji. Pogovor je bil sicer namenjen odnosom med Evropo in Afriko, ki ga po padcu Gadafija zaznamujejo masovne migracije iz obale Severne Afrike proti severnim obalam Sredozemskega morja. "Evropska unija ne sme molčati, ko gre za ta nezaslišani problem, ki izvira iz prejšnjih stoletij", je glede suženjskih tržnic v Libiji dejal Juncker in povedal, da je to vprašanje želel načeti že na prejšnjem srečanju Evropskega sveta. "Ne morem spati, ko pomislim na to, kaj se dogaja ljudem, ki so odšli v Libijo, da bi poskušali izboljšati svoj življenje, pa so se znašli v peklu."

Originalni pogovor Junckerja za Deutsche Welle je na voljo tukaj.

Intervju za DW, čigar naslov je "Jean-Claude Juncker: Migranti potrebujejo legalne poti, da bi pršli v Evropo", je vzbudil tolikšno pozornost zgolj in samo zaradi vprašanja migrantov, saj je po zaprtju t.i. Balkanske poti (p)ostalo Sredozemsko morje glavni kanal, po katerem v Evropo prihajajo t.i. nezakoniti prebežniki iz Severne Afrike. Bistvena Junckerjeva poanta je bila, da bo treba v sodelovanju z afriškimi državami najti drugačen, zakonit način vstopa Afričanov v Evropsko unijo. Nikjer ni bilo rečeno, da bo Evropa odprla meje ali sprejela migrante iz Afrike (ali od kje drugod).

Britanska izdaja kontroverznega ameriškega portala Breitbart (vir) je Junckerjev intervju povzela v skladu s svojo uredniško politiko. Že naslov je obljubljal dramatičnost: Evropski predsednik: Brez milijonov afriških migrantov bo Evropa pogubljena (EU President: Without Millions of African Migrants, Europe Will Be Lost). Breitbart je torej z naslovom in "povzetkom" Junckerjevega intervjuja ustvaril t.i. lažnivo novico ali fake news. Iz nekaterih izjav je sestavil dramatičen povzetek, iz katerega bralec, ki Junckerjevega intervjuja ni poslušal, videl oziroma prebral, pride do napačnih zaključkov, saj dobi lažnive informacije. Evropo bodo preplavili "zamorci", ki jih bo Bruselj zdaj kar uradno, tj. zakonito želel spraviti v Unijo. Nekako takšna je poanta njihovega prirejanja izvirnika.

Breitbart: Popolno popačenje Junckerjevih izjav. Fake news.

Ultradesničarski portal Breitbart, ki je zaslovel predvsem po zaslugi Donalda Trumpa - njegov soustanovitelj in solastnik Steve Bannon je bil med ključnimi predsednikovimi svetovalci v predvolilni kampanji in še nekaj mesecev po vselitvi Trumpa v Belo hišo tudi njegov glavni strateg -, je ostal zvest svoji obsedenosti s "fake news", lažnivimi novicami. Besede predsednika Evropske komisije je s kirurško natančnostjo trgal iz kontesta in sestavil v drugačen mozaik - takšen, ki ustreza populistični predstavi o nori Evropski komisiji, delujoči v nasprotju z interesi Evropejcev. Fenomen portala Breitbart je pri nas zaenkrat še brez "uradnega" posnemovalca, čeprav se nekateri portali že nagibajo v podobno smer. Junckerjev intervju za Deutsche Welle je denimo - sklicujoč se ravno na Breitbart - 29. novembra povzel Reporter (vir), kjer so očitno ugotovili, da se populistični članki s protimigrantsko ali protimuslimansko vsebino zelo dobro berejo. Zgodbo, ki jo je po svoji meri preoblikoval že Breitbart, so na Reporterju prevedli oziroma priredili, malce začinili še naslov in zaključek. Junckerju so nalepili pridevnik "škandalozni", na koncu prispevka pa ugotovili, da "Breitbart sicer ne poroča, koliko žganih pijač je Juncker spil pred pogovorom za Deutsche Welle".

Ena izmed slovenskih verzij "fake news" portala Breitbart.

S primerjavo treh "novic" smo želeli opozoriti na lahkotnost izkrivljanja izjav ali dejstev. Pogovor Jean-Claudea Junckerja za Deutsche Welle je po "reinterpetaciji", ki so jo naredili na Breitbartu, obšel svet in dosegel neprimerno več ljudi, kot jih spremlja DW. V Sloveniji je izvirnik prebralo morda deset ljudi - no, ta številka bo narastla, če si boste zdaj Juckerjev intervju prebrali vsaj bralci portala+ -, članek v Reporterju pa je videlo nekaj tisoč. Fenomen lažnivih novic je torej kot virus, ki ga je nemogoče ustaviti.

Za tiste, ki vas še zanimajo dejstva, ne pa priredbe, montaže in lažnive novice, dodajamo tudi angleški prevod Junckerjevega intervjuja za Deutsche Welle (ki je sicer potekal v francoščini).

DW: You've said Africans and Europeans should be equals. But now we have a situation in Libya where people are apparently being sold as slaves. Shouldn't Europe be doing more to stop this?

Jean-Claude Juncker: Europe cannot be silent in the face of this outrageous problem, which dates back to another century. Africa is all too familiar with the issue of slavery. I'm appalled by the information that's reaching me from Africa. We know about Libya's problems: Libya is not a state like any other. So it is neither conceivable, nor acceptable, for Europe to close its eyes to this tragedy, a daily tragedy for so many people — children, women, men — in Libya. I had already wanted us to address this problem at a previous European Council meeting. I can't sleep easy when I think about what's happening to those people who went to Libya to try and improve their lives, only to find themselves in hell.

Were you shocked? It was known that the situation in Libya was very difficult, but the extent of it —Africans being auctioned off as slaves — were you shocked?

Yes, I was very shocked. I didn't know until two months ago the full extent of the problem. It's become a constant, urgent situation. No — although Europe has a proper relationship with Libya, it cannot be silent. And it will not be silent. But isn't it also a direct result of the fact that migration controls in the Mediterranean have been reinforced — that it's become more difficult for Africans to get to Europe?

The controls have been improved — they needed to be improved. But the fact that there are a growing number of refugees on Libyan territory who are no longer able to get to Europe across the Mediterranean is not reason enough to rape, kill and rob people in the camps — which are like prison camps, not refugee camps.

Shouldn't we rather be finding legal ways for people to migrate to Europe in order to alleviate these problems in Libya?

Since 2014, and during the campaign for the European elections, and afterward, too, in my address to the European Parliament, I have always argued in favor of legal migration. I believe that if we don't offer legal ways of emigrating to Europe, and immigrating within Europe, we will be lost. If those who come — who are, generally speaking, the poor and needy — are no longer able to enter the house of Europe through the front door, they'll keep making their way in through the back windows. We need to create legal ways to come to Europe, and the Commission has already made suggestions. Europe will clearly need immigration in the coming decades, so we have to provide those who want to come, and are able to come, and whose situation makes it possible for them to come, with legal paths to get to Europe.

Why has there been so much resistance? Why have you not succeeded in implementing this idea?

We've told the member states of their responsibility, and we will see what the member states do about it. The member states, in their wisdom, don't always follow the Commission's proposals. In 2001, the Commission proposed a joint system to protect the external borders. The member states rejected it then, only to demand it now. And now we've implemented these joint controls of the external borders. When it comes to resolving the great challenges of our age, we have to leave it to the imagination of those who are governing the member states and nations. And immigration and migration is a great challenge of our age. It's not just about preparing for the future; we should have prepared for the present yesterday.

Is fear of migration, as well as fear of populism, proving the death of reason among member states?

The populists themselves are dangerous, but they are far more dangerous when the traditional, classic parties adopt their harmful proposals. If the traditional parties follow the populists, they become populist themselves, which is a phenomenon we are already seeing in some EU countries. No, we should not be afraid of the populists; we should embrace those they are fighting.

That's what should happen, but it's not what is happening. Isn't fear overcoming reason with regard to immigration?

No — there are the Commission's proposals, which also have the backing of the European Parliament. Now it's up to the member states to follow the path of wisdom.

You've called for more solidarity with Africa, not just solidarity among Europeans. Is this solidarity more than just financial?

Yes, but it's a solidarity that must touch on all areas of international life. Africa must become aware of the fact that it is already, today, a big international player. Europe must not distance itself from Africa's universal ambitions. Africa is not a continent that will become part of our history tomorrow. Africa has always been a part of history. Certain Europeans just didn't see it that way.