A Heckler's Protest, a Politician's Cunning Last week at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney faced an unexpected interruption during his speech: a lone "U. S. A.! U. S. A.!
" chant from German MEP Siegbert Droese. The outburst came as Carney was advocating for closer ties between Canada and the EU, including a potential new status of associate membership.
The heckling seemed bizarre to many, even childish, but not entirely unexpected given the rise of far right parties like Droese's Alternative for Germany (AfD).