Deputies and senators denounced, in a report, France’s lack of preparation against the threat of interference from several countries. They are also putting forward several avenues to guard against it.
Are elected officials, senior civil servants, businesses and also academic circles in denial about the threat of foreign interference? In any case, this is what the parliamentarians of the intelligence delegation think, whose annual report, published this Thursday, November 2, is damning. The document thus evokes a threat “protean, omnipresent and durable”, which is explained by a radical change in geopolitical context.
According to these deputies and senators, the international scene has thus moved from a world of competition to a world of confrontation: authoritarian regimes on one side, Western democracies on the other, still with classic espionage. The Pegasus affair is an example, named after this spyware sold in particular in Morocco, which made it possible to spy on Emmanuel Macron and a good part of the government. But the danger that is growing is fake news with large-scale information manipulation campaigns, such as during the 2016 American presidential election, the British referendum on Brexit, or even the MacronLeaks in 2017 ( the posting online of thousands of pirated documents within the En Marche movement).
Three countries particularly active in terms of interference
Russia is cited first, with different operating methods. Parliamentarians even speak of “Russian signature” by pointing out, for example, the appointment of former European leaders to the boards of directors of large Russian groups. This is the case of former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and former Prime Minister François Fillon, even if both were forced to resign over the Russo-Ukrainian conflict. As for fake news, the report estimates that the closure in France of RT television and the Sputnik press agency has made it possible to reduce the scope of the information war.
Second country singled out: China, with a strategy of infiltration of public and private institutions. In particular, the financing of medium-sized university structures, targeted because they sometimes lack resources and recognition.
Turkey is also cited but to a lesser extent, notably using the diaspora to relay positions hostile to Kurds and Armenians. But also with entry into politics or even religious practice, with the detachment of imams within mosques previously authorized and which allowed Turkey to influence Islam in France. An active presence on social networks also makes it possible to disseminate messages hostile to laws, such as that on separatism.
Intelligence delegation calls for new law
A whole series of recommendations is thus listed. The parliamentarians recommend in particular making it compulsory to register actors influencing French public life on behalf of a foreign power, as is done in the United States or the United Kingdom. Control of foreign stakes in strategic French companies should be expanded, with the assets of any person or structure favoring the interests of a foreign power frozen.
The report also suggests setting up an algorithm, with the cooperation of internet service providers, to better detect the actions of foreign intelligence services, while the practice is currently limited to anti-terrorism.