Intelligence services fear Russia is plotting violent action to undermine elections across Europe
The French intelligence services are on the alert for saboteurs in the pay of Russia operating across European countries, including France, and who are said to be planning to intervene during forthcoming elections on the continent. The security agencies fear that their methods will not involve simply disinformation but more direct action. The next Kremlin target could be the Polish presidential election later this month. According to intelligence reports, these potential saboteurs have been trained in the Balkans, in particular by a Bulgarian neo-Nazi who is wanted by French prosecutors in connection with the painting of red handprints on the Shoah Memorial in Paris in 2024. Matthieu Suc reports.
ThoughThough the next elections are still a year off, the French authorities are already worried. According to Mediapart's information, France’s domestic intelligence service, the DGSI, has tracked saboteurs in the pay of the Kremlin passing through the country. These individuals are said by one source close to the case to pose a “genuine threat to future elections in Europe”. For according to security reports seen by Mediapart, the “Russian presidential authorities” are no longer limiting themselves to disinformation operations. In recent months, acts of “violent” interference have been reported in several countries holding elections.
