French Prime Minister Attal: “We see Russian interference in European elections”

France has a strategy for countering disinformation during the European elections, in which Russia’s interference is already clearly visible. This was stated by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal during his visit to Canada.

“Now this (foreign interference in the elections, ed.) is a big problem for us. We see clear interference, especially from Russia. This is evident in social media and other areas. I think we should warn everyone about the risk of this interference. This includes disinformation and fake news,” Attal declared, according to Ukrinform.

Attal emphasized the importance of having “a strategy that would allow us to counter disinformation.”.

“It is therefore very important to continue working on these issues. In France, we have an appropriate strategy, especially for the European elections, but also for the global security of our country,” the French prime minister said.

Gabriel Attal added that cyberattacks also pose a serious threat to Europe.

“Our companies, our small and medium-sized enterprises, are threatened by interference and digital attacks,” the French Prime Minister said.

The Liberals and Greens in the European Parliament are calling for an investigation into allegations that the Kremlin paid MEPs to interfere in the upcoming European elections. The media reported that Russia is already spreading disinformation ahead of the 2024 elections using fake online accounts and bots.

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A synchronized probe by many EU nations into a Russian network of influence that reportedly financed far-right MEPs has aroused alarms in the EU. According to the prominent Spanish media outlet EL PAIS, Russia’s hybrid war in Europe employs a variety of techniques, including espionage, misinformation and propaganda efforts, and influence activities, to cause havoc and destabilize Europe.

Read also: Russian propaganda campaign targets France and Brigitte Macron

In the US journalists discovered a vast Russian disinformation campaign, including thousands of fake news stories and bot farms targeting US audiences. The Washington Post reports that Russia has established a vast network of “trolls” with the intention of weakening US support for Ukraine. 

The purpose of the Russian troll network is to incite anti-Ukrainian sentiment by manipulating political discussions in the US Congress and other platforms. Kremlin bot farms have produced thousands of fake news stories, posts, and social media comments supporting American isolationism.