Europe’s election campaigns are under the constant threat of foreign interference

This illustration photograph shows letters reading "fake news" seen through a magnifying glass, against a laptop screen displaying other illustration images of various alleged fake news, disinformation campaigns or conspiracy theories, in Mulhouse, eastern France, on December 1, 2023 . © Sébastien Bozon, AFP

François-Xavier Bellamy, the top candidate for the conservative Les Républicains party in the upcoming European elections, revealed Monday that he had been targeted by an attempted cyberattack launched by a group believed to be linked to the Chinese government. Coming soon after Socialist Party candidate Raphaël Glucksmann’s announcement that he was targeted by what seemed to be a mass disinformation campaign on social media, Bellamy’s declaration is a stark reminder of the threat of foreign interference that continues to plague parties competing in the June elections.

Bellamy announced on Monday that he had filed a complaint after he was targeted by a cyberattack attempt from a group of hackers called APT31, which several countries – including the US and the UK – believe to be linked to the Chinese government.