French Foreign Minister Accuses Elon Musk of Harassing Leaders
Jean-Noël Barrot accused Elon Musk of using X to launch harassment campaigns against European leaders to influence political debates and destabilize democracy.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot accused Elon Musk of orchestrating massive online harassment campaigns against European leaders using the social media platform X. Speaking at an Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development conference on Tuesday, Barrot stated that Musk exploited the virality of his platform to influence political debates.
Barrot warned that authoritarian forces are using social media to polarize public debate and destabilize democracies in anticipation of France's 2027 presidential election. He identified Russia, China, Iran, and the U.S. MAGA movement as sources of hostile narratives that have exploited recent French protests. He further cited interference from Azerbaijan and an unnamed Israeli company.
The French government maintains it will not tolerate foreign interference, which Barrot described as a matter of national sovereignty. These accusations follow comments from Elon Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump, who framed the French protests through the lens of mass migration.
