Was there cocaine on the table at Keir Starmer's EU leaders meeting? France hits out at 'disinformation' slur

The more excitable right-leaning corners of social media exploded over the weekend about a picture of three European leaders.

But it wasn’t a critique of policy or clashing political views - instead it was a rumour that a bag of cocaine and a spoon used to take the drug had been seen on the table just before a photo was taken of Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

The three were on their way to Kyiv, where they were to meet Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

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A picture from the meeting with the controversial white object next to the glassplaceholder image
A picture from the meeting with the controversial white object next to the glass | Getty Images

As they returned, just before some pictures were taken around a table, Macron removed a white object, while Merz picked up a short, thin item.

While most people might tidy up their surroundings before a picture, the way Macron removed the object made some suspicious - and the kind of people who would like to believe that the “liberal elite” is on drugs went into overdrive.

A typical post was from US firebrand broadcaster Alex Jones - who has previously been successfully sued for $1.5bn in a defamation case for repeatedly claiming that the Sandy Hook school shooting did not happen, and that people shown on television were just “crisis actors”. He posted on X this weekend: “DEVELOPING SCANDAL: Macron, Starmer, and Merz caught on video on their return from Kiev. A bag of white powder on the table. Macron quickly pockets it, Merz hides the spoon. No explanation given. Zelensky, known cocaine enthusiast, had just hosted them. All three of the “leaders” look completely cracked out.”

Other people pointed out the white object did look a lot like a tissue, and the “spoon” could in fact be a coffee stirrer or toothpick.

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The French government reacted furiously, posting that “France’s enemies, both abroad and at home” were pushing the drugs narrative. And many people pointed out that slurs about Western leaders using cocaine - with all the decadent, out-of-touch, imbalanced thinking that this implies - have long been Russian propaganda theme.

Disinformation expert Marc Owen Jones posted on X: “Amazes me people spreading the nonsense that Macron picking up a tissue means he's using cocaine, which a lot of disinfluencers online are spreading. It's long been a Russian propaganda trope.”

The storm, which is passing and will fade, is another fascinating example of the crossover in modern online political attacks, where extreme right-wing views - which historically would have had patriotism and even nationalism as their bedrock - now chime with those of Russia.

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