Italian foreign minister warns Russia may interfere in country's parliamentary elections

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has expressed concern about potential Russian interference in Italy's parliamentary elections, which are due to take place in 2027.

Source: Tajani speaking ahead of an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers, cited by Italian news agency ANSA, reported by European Pravda

Details: Tajani called for early interventions to prevent Russia from interfering in Italy's electoral process. He also said that the threat extends to the entire European Union.

"I do not rule out attempts by the Russian Federation to interfere in the democratic life of European Union countries, interfering in free democratic elections held in our countries, attempting to influence the will of the people with this reprehensible activity," the minister said.

"We must be vigilant, we must prevent such actions from a country with which we are not at war," he stressed.

Tajani noted that Italy has had a directorate general responsible for security, both politically and operationally, since 1 January, and an operations room specifically responsible for countering cyberattacks, including those from Russia.

In this context, the minister mentioned a cyber incident that occurred during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Rome.

"I remember that during Zelenskyy's first visit, when the plane touched down at Ciampino Airport, I was there to welcome the Ukrainian president. There was an attack on the Foreign Ministry website. There are precedents, and we are vigilant to ensure that democratic life in our countries is always guaranteed," Tajani said.

Background:

• In August, Gabriel Attal, former French prime minister and presidential candidate, filed a complaint regarding a suspected Russian disinformation campaign ahead of next year's presidential elections.
• French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot warned that Paris "will not tolerate any attempts at foreign interference".
• Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha welcomed France's efforts to combat Russian interference in elections and said Ukraine is willing to share its significant experience in countering Russian hybrid influence.

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