MEPs adopt a text to strengthen the legislative arsenal in the face of the risk of foreign interference

MPs adopted a law against foreign interference on Wednesday June 5. Objective: to enable France to better protect itself against these acts which have increased in recent months.

Last October, Stars of David were found tagged on the walls of 10^e district of Paris, a few weeks after the start of the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip. Immediately, the political and media sphere got carried away, first pointing the finger at anti-Semitic acts. However, after investigation, several clues finally revealed the existence of links with Russia.

This is what we call interference. This is concretely when one country tries to destabilize another and interfere in its affairs. Same principle when false coffins with the mention “French soldiers of Ukraine” were placed last week at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. Ditto when red hands were painted on the Holocaust memorial. We can also cite Azerbaijan, which France also accuses of interference by supporting demonstrators in New Caledonia.

Concretely, this bill therefore plans to strengthen the legislative arsenal against interference and to have more tools, in particular by creating a national register of influence. Foreign actors in French public life would be required to register with the High Authority for transparency in public life. Another measure this time plans to hit the wallet with the establishment of a freeze on the financial assets of countries suspected of interference.

Finally, this text provides for algorithmic surveillance currently reserved solely for anti-terrorism. There is no consensus on this last point and it involves locating connection data on the Internet. If the socialist deputies are rather favorable to it, the communists and rebels are opposed to it. “It is a hastily drawn up text, which opens the way to controls contrary to the rule of law.”judges in particular the LFI deputy Bastien Lachaud.