Is there a risk of foreign interference in France’s next municipal elections? “It exists” answered Céline Berthon, Director General of Internal Security, guest of RTL’s morning show this Monday.
The head of the Directorate General of Internal Security (DGSI) explained that “recently it is Russia that stands out” when it comes to these kinds of facts. He specifically mentioned the “phenomenon of foreign interference in elections” that occurs in other countries and is often linked to Russia, such as what happened recently in Moldova.
Vandalism on French soil
Several investigations into acts of vandalism on French soil were able to reveal “that individuals acted from abroad and perhaps a number of them, responding to calls coming from Russia”, he explained. He recalled that “France has taken an important position in terms of support for Ukraine” and “for these reasons, France has become a target of Russian interests”.
In late October, four Bulgarian nationals received prison sentences for vandalizing the Shoah Memorial in Paris in May 2024. The investigation highlighted an act that was “possibly connected to actions to destabilize France orchestrated by Russian intelligence services”.
The case is part of others linked to foreign interference: Stars of David were spray-painted in the Paris area, pigs’ heads were left in front of several mosques, or even coffins were placed at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.
Céline Berthon indicated that interference could also come from other countries. “We can imagine that we have a number of strategically competitive countries that are in direct or indirect confrontation mode with us,” the DGSI chairman said. This “risk” of interference “exists and is one of the priorities we are developing,” the Director General of Homeland Security assured.
