Eufactcheck.eu

02/05/2025

The Freedom of Speech Award, presented by the International Press Institute (IPI) Finland National Committee, has been awarded to author, director, and journalist Elina Hirvonen. The award recognizes her dedicated, persistent, and unwavering work in promoting freedom of speech, social justice, diver...

24/02/2025

claims that .weidel, chairwoman of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), does not hold far-right positions. The AfD is a German party under observation by the constitutional protection agency. A closer look at the facts reveals that is wrong with this statement. You can read in the fact check how .weidel adopts far-right positions.

https://eufactcheck.eu/factcheck/false-ms-weidel-does-not-represent-far-right-positions-but-rather-conservative-and-economically-liberal-ones/

On 24 February 2024, an interview with Sahra Wagenknecht, chairwoman of the Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht party, appeared in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ). FAZ is a German newspaper. In this interview, Wagenknecht stated: “Ms. Weidel does not represent far-right positions but rather ...

12/02/2025

Martin Huber from the Christian Social Union (CSU) in Germany posted on X that “Germany is funding green fridges in Colombia, public transport in Latin America, cycle paths in Peru, gender-sensitive village development in Bangladesh and the protection of farming culture in China. The traffic light coalition distributes money all over the world, but there is supposedly no money for our hard-working farmers?”

After factchecking this post, the statement is mostly true but needs some explanation. While it is true that millions flow into development cooperation every year, it´s not solely the traffic light coalition who is responsible for this.

What do you think – should Germany spend less money on development cooperation?

If you want to find out more about the issue, go visit

Martin Huber, Secretary General of the Christian Social Union (CSU), criticized the priorities of the German government coalition (“Ampel-Koalition”) in a post on X, claiming that the government invests substantial funds in global development projects while failing to support German farmers. Whi...

11/02/2025

Europe is leading in Clean Hydrogen Investments – Fact or Fiction? 🔋🌍

Ursula von der Leyen claimed in 2023 that Europe is attracting more investments in clean hydrogen than the USA and China combined. 💶💡 While it’s true that the EU leads with over $190 billion in announced investments, there’s more to the story:

👉 Only 4% of these investments in Europe have reached the implementation stage (Final Investment Decision).
👉 In comparison, China leads with 35%, and the USA with 15% in project ex*****on.

The race for clean energy leadership isn’t just about announcements — real progress matters! Will Europe catch up in delivering on its ambitious goals? 🌱

💬 What do you think: Can Europe maintain its lead in the hydrogen revolution? Let us know in the comments!

https://eufactcheck.eu/factcheck/mostly-true-we-are-now-attracting-more-investments-in-clean-hydrogen-than-the-us-and-china-combined/

03/02/2025

Global temperatures continue to rise and limiting warming to 1.5°C remains a critical goal to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. However, current emission levels and insufficient global action make this target increasingly difficult to achieve. Experts warn that without rapid and significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the world is on track for warming beyond 2°C, posing severe risks to ecosystems and human societies.

Read more about this topic in our latest factcheck: https://eufactcheck.eu/factcheck/mostly-false-its-still-possible-to-reduce-emissions-so-that-we-can-meet-the-1-5-degree-target/

#1.5degree

“It is still possible for us to reduce emissions in this decade to such an extent that we can meet the 1.5 degree target.” That is how Olaf Scholz began his speech at the COP28 UN Climate Change Conference. He also mentioned the technologies that are available to help us achieve it. A look at .....

31/01/2025

“By 2035, there will be no job that is unrelated to AI” – this is the prediction of Hubertus Heil, Germany’s Federal Minister for Labor and Social Affairs. But how accurate is this statement?

Heil emphasizes that AI will influence all fields of work in the coming years – whether by automating routine tasks or assisting with complex processes. However, jobs that require creativity, social interaction, or craftsmanship may be less impacted by automation.

AI is already shaping the job market today, and its significance will continue to grow in the coming years. While the year "2035" is more symbolic and depends on the pace of technological progress, the statement is largely accurate. AI will transform nearly every profession – the only questions are how and when.

In April 2023, Hubertus Heil, Germany’s Federal Minister for Labor and Social Affairs, stated: “By 2035, there will be no job that is unrelated to AI.” According to him, AI will influence all fields of work in the future — whether by automating routine tasks or assisting with complex process...

30/01/2025

📅 July 2nd, 2016:
In a TV debate before the Brexit referendum, former UK Prime Minister David Cameron claimed that there would be fewer jobs if the UK left the European Union.

🔍 Now that Brexit has been in effect for some time, it can be said that this statement was true.

Read our full factcheck here: https://eufactcheck.eu/factcheck/true-there-would-be-fewer-jobs-due-to-brexit/

On July 2nd, 2016, roughly three weeks before the Brexit referendum, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, David Cameron, appeared on a TV debate broadcast by the English channel Sky News. During his appearance, he urged his fellow citizens to vote against the United Kingdom (UK) leaving the....

28/01/2025

🌍 True: Europe faces security challenges and potential defense spending gaps in the coming years.
In a recent interview, Wolfgang Ischinger, former German ambassador to the U.S., pointed out Europe's growing security concerns. He highlighted geopolitical uncertainties stemming from Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the implications of Donald Trump's re-election. He also warned of a possible gap in defense spending over the next few years – he focuses especially on Germany with his statement.
Our fact-check concludes that this statement is true. While the concerns are well-founded, questions remain about the exact scale of future spending gaps and their financial implications.

📊 Read the full analysis here:
https://eufactcheck.eu/factcheck/true-europe-faces-security-challenges-and-potential-defense-spending-gaps-in-the-coming-years/

Europe is facing various challenges: Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the re-election of Donald Trump are causing uncertainty. Wolfgang Ischinger, former German ambassador to the United States, warns in an interview with Sandra Maischberger: “We have a security problem in Europe......

25/01/2025

In an interview, beer ambassador of 2023 and Chairman of Free Democratic Party Johannes Vogel says: “Every medical professional knows: The dose makes the poison. And when it comes to alcohol, most people manage to stay within a harmless dose.” Nevertheless, scientific studies show that alcohol can be much more harmful than initially thought. According to the latest WHO recommendations, there is no risk-free level of alcohol consumption. Vogel's statement is therefore mostly false. What is true is that the more you drink, the worse the effects of alcohol can be. What is not true, however, is that a small amount of alcohol is not harmful. You can read more about this in the fact check.

The former “Ambassador of Beer” Johannes Vogel (Free Democratic Party) was interviewed in the Tagesspiegel newspaper. He spoke about his role as “Ambassador of Beer” and the topic of alcohol. He said that the amount of alcohol is crucial and that people manage to consume a safe dose. This t....

24/01/2025

Alice Weidel, co-chair of the German political party , stated in a television interview that Germany has the highest costs for energy supply worldwide, which she claimed is making its noncompetitive. This statement oversimplifies the economic reality in Germany. Does Germany really have the highest prices? And which other factors make an impact on industrial competitiveness?
To find out more, read the latest .

On November 7, 2024, Alice Weidel, co-chair of the party AfD, stated in a ZDF television interview that Germany has the highest energy costs worldwide, which she claimed was making its economy noncompetitive. This claim turns out to be mostly false. The interview took place after the German govern.....

23/01/2025

On the MDR talk show „Fakt ist!“ Lea Reisner, candidate for the Left Party, explained that 86% of men who came to Germany in 2015/16 are now working – more than the 81% of men who were born in Germany.
However, a closer look at the data shows that this statement is only partially correct. According to the IAB study, the employment rate for men who arrived in 2015/16 will actually be 75% in the year 2022. The 86% refers to refugees who have lived in Germany for at least 8 years.
– and a precise presentation is essential to avoid misunderstandings. Find out more in our fact check: https://eufactcheck.eu/factcheck/mostly-true-of-the-men-who-arrived-in-germany-in-2015-16-86-percent-are-now-working/

“Of the men who arrived in Germany in 2015/16, 86 percent are now working. That’s more than the average number of men who were born in Germany, which is only 81 percent.” This statement was said by Lea Reisner, candidate of the party “Die Linke”, on May 22 2024 in the MDR talk show Fakt i....

21/01/2025

Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) claimed in a TV duel with Alice Weidel (AfD) that German defense spending had risen from 34 billion euros to 90 billion euros over the past 10 years. While her statement is based on NATO figures, other sources show a different picture. In our latest fact check, we break down the numbers and explain the discrepancies. Check the full details in the article linked below.

👉🏼 https://eufactcheck.eu/factcheck/true-germanys-defense-expenditures-have-increased-from-34-to-90-billion-euros-in-ten-years/

On October 9, 2024, a TV debate aired on the German news channel “Welt” featuring Alice Weidel and Sahra Wagenknecht. During the debate, Ms. Wagenknecht claimed that Germany’s defense expenditures had risen from 34 billion euros in 2014 to 90 billion euros in 2024. This statement is true. T...