fact-check uncheckable

Uncheckable: “The biggest lie from this election is that nuclear energy will help to achieve the climate goals”.

Fact-check, Uncheckable

In the first national election debate, broadcasted by RTL4, leaders of political parties in the Netherlands were asked to take a stance on several important issues. One of the statements, about climate change was: “In order to achieve the climate goals the Netherlands must build new nuclear power plants”.  Conservative parties such as the VVD (liberal party), the PVV (nationalist party)…

fact checking

Mostly false: “Around 20 percent of illegal migrants are bringing the coronavirus to Austria”

Fact-check, Mostly false

In a press release on February 24th, 2021, the right wing Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) stated that around 20 percent of illegal migrants who are picked up by the border police in the Austrian state Burgenland “are bringing the coronavirus along to Austria.“ The statement is mostly false. The FPÖ-statement refers to unnamed police sources…

False: “The average monthly retirement pension in Latvia is 77 thousand rubles”

Fact-check, False

On July 3rd, 2020, the Moscow City Duma held a meeting during which Deputy Yevgeny Stupin presented a draft of federal law on the abolition of pension reform. A video of his speech (in Russian) was posted on the YouTube channel “Совесть Некрасовки” (Сonscience of Nerkasovka). In his report, Mr. Stupin proposed to increase pension…

Mostly true: “Lockdown in Slovenia is one of the longest in Europe and a thorough one”

Fact-check, Mostly true

On 7 December 2020, Slovenian Minister of Economic Development and Technology Zdravko Počivalšek made a statement about the second lockdown in Slovenia. In television programme Studio City he said that generally speaking Slovenia has had one of the longest “lockdowns” in Europe. He also stated Slovenia had a thorough system that, in his opinion, did…

fact checking

Mostly false: “Dutch finance minister claims healthcare costs exceed 100 billion euros. He is off by 30 billion.”

Fact-check, Mostly false

On 28 February the Dutch minister of finance and leader of the Christian democrat party CDA, Wopke Hoekstra, participated in an election debate broadcast by RTL. During this debate, he stated that the costs of Dutch healthcare exceed 100 billion euros. In a response on Twitter, member of Parliament Fleur Agema, number 2 on the…

UNCHECKABLE: “Russian workers are twice less productive than Italian ones”

Fact-check, Uncheckable

On November 10, 2020, at 20:28 the Internet version of the Russian edition of “Nezavisimaya Gazeta” published an article with the headline: “To Catch up with Italy Russia has to Fire Half of its Workers”. Anastasia Bashkatova, Deputy Head of the Economics Department of “Nezavisimaya Gazeta” quoted First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov saying that…

True: “Only 4% of Dutch nature reserves are in good condition and the number of wild animals has halved since 1990”

Fact-check, True

“Only four per cent of Dutch nature reserves are in good condition. The number of wild animals has halved since 1990,” states Dutch political party D66 in its election programme for 2021. With these statements, D66 tries to convince Dutch citizens to support the party in the upcoming national elections. D66 promises to create more…

Mostly true: “The Netherlands has one of the largest social housing sectors in Europe but the waiting list for social housing averages nine years”

Fact-check, Mostly true

Dutch political party VVD states in its current election programme (2021) that the Netherlands has one of the largest social rental sectors in Europe but that the waiting lists for social housing average nine years. The party promises to make social housing more available to people with smaller incomes by stimulating richer people to move…

Mostly true: “Tourists in Barcelona will not be able to rent an apartment”

Fact-check, Mostly true

Since the 26 of August, 2020, in Barcelona in the north-east of Spain, there is a ban, according to which Barcelona citizens cannot offer tourists accommodation in their apartments. The same day polish newspaper claimed that “Tourists in Barcelona will not be able to rent an apartment”, but this interpretation isn’t completely true.  On August 26th, the Autonomous Government of…