Nuñez: Georgia Also Affected by Information Manipulation in Electoral Context

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told the Senate that in recent months several European countries have come under the influence of large-scale information manipulation in an electoral context. According to him, these countries include Georgia, Moldova, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Nuñez spoke at a plenary session of the Senate, where a bill submitted by the government on combating foreign interference was being considered. The minister spoke about threats related to external interference and cited the examples of several countries.

According to the minister, the bill provides for a special judicial procedure. It will allow the state to promptly demand the removal of false information that poses a threat to the fundamental interests of the nation.

"Today, there is no doubt that the security of a nation is determined not only within its borders or on its streets. It is also determined in the digital space, where some of our opinions and democratic choices are now being falsified," Nuñez said.

According to him, "European democracies have for several years been facing interference strategies aimed at changing democratic processes and weakening trust in institutions."

Nuñez recalled that on December 6, 2024, the Constitutional Court of Romania annulled the presidential election over suspicions of foreign interference and massive manipulation of online information.

The minister noted that interference in the organization of elections is not necessary for those who seek to weaken democracies. According to him, it is enough to convince people that the elections were rigged.

"For those who seek to destabilize our democracies, there is no need to interfere in the organization of elections or change their results. It is enough to convince people that they were rigged. As a result, doubt becomes a political weapon, and citizens' trust in institutions is its first victim," he said.