Russia, China but also Turkey are the countries that most attempt to intervene in French political life, says the annual report of the French parliamentary committee, which is based on information from the country’s competent services.

The interference takes either the classic form of espionage, or activities related to the use of cyberspace and information manipulation operations, the report states.

According to the authors of the report, “the level of threats of foreign intervention is at a high level, in a tense and unhindered international context. The authors further emphasize that while intelligence agencies can use “various means of deterrence to prevent foreign interference,” these tools “are not sufficient by themselves in the long run.” They propose the establishment of an “ad hoc legislative framework to prevent foreign interventions modeled on American law”, the use of the asset freeze procedure “for any person or structure involved in actions detrimental to the maintenance of French national cohesion or intended to advancing the interests of a foreign power».

They also suggest “a European response” and they estimate that these different measures could be grouped “in a bill to combat foreign interference” which, as they emphasize, has taken “a new dimension in recent years”, mainly due to a “radical change in the geopolitical context” .

They emphasize the “large-scale information manipulation campaigns’ that have taken on an ‘unprecedented scale’, stressing that ‘fake news is a weapon of war against the West’. They characterize Russia as an important player and describe “its signature”, its business methods, with particular reference to the media Russia Today and Sputnik, but also to China, whose diaspora plays an important role, in addition to “political strategy and a network public and private institutions and key individuals».

Turkey is also willing to intervene, report the authors of the report, with the aim of “controlling the Turkish diaspora as a relay of the ideas of Ankara’s power, i.e. hostile to the Kurds and Armenians”, but also by using “religious practice” , “a powerful lever for advancing a political ideology.” In this regard, it mentions the financing of places of worship in France and the posting of imams to French mosques, which “allowed Turkey to influence Islam in France.”

Another modus operandi for Turkey is, according to the report, “entering politics through participation in local and national elections”, active presence in social networks, etc. The report deplores “naïveté» of French elected officials, top civil servants, business and academia against foreign interference.