France denounces cyber attacks blamed on Moscow

Suspected Russian cyber attacks on the French presidential campaign are "unacceptable", France's foreign minister has said, adding it was clear that pro-Europe candidate Emmanuel Macron was being targeted.


A spokesman for Mr Macron, who is currently riding high in the polls, has accused Moscow of being behind a flurry of cyber attacks on his campaign website and email servers over the past month.

"It's enough to see which candidates, Marine Le Pen or Francois Fillon, Russia expresses preference for in the French electoral campaign," Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said in an interview with Journal du Dimanche.

"Whereas Emmanuel Macron, who is pro-Europe, is being targeted by cyber attacks," he added.

"This form of interference in French democratic life is unacceptable and I denounce it."
Ms Le Pen, of the far-right National Front, is anti-immigration and anti-European Union, while Mr Fillon is the conservative Republicans candidate who is pushing for closer ties with Moscow.
 [rte.ie]
19/2/17