Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-000976/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Alexandre Varaut (PfE), Gerolf Annemans (PfE), Nikola Bartůšek (PfE), Angéline Furet (PfE), Filip Turek (PfE), Marie-Luce Brasier-Clain (PfE), Christophe Bay (PfE)
In the run-up to the German federal elections on 23 February 2025, fears of foreign interference were on the rise[1] and the Commission was urged to take measures to safeguard the integrity of the ballot[2].
These fears were targeted against Russia, but also the United States, and in particular Elon Musk, owner of the social media network X (formerly Twitter). In response, the Commission stated[3] that Elon Musk’s attitude would form part of its investigation into X, which it is currently conducting in the context of the Digital Services Regulation.
Given their potential impact on the democratic debate in Europe, these circumstances give rise to the following questions:
- 1.At the time of its reply, does the Commission have any evidence or indications of foreign interference in the German federal elections?
- 2.If so, can the Commission identify the perpetrators and state the specific elements on which these suspicions are based, indicating the corresponding legal classification for each?
- 3.Can the Commission distinguish the nature of these acts from other incidents which occurred during the recent European elections[4] and which were not classified as interference, which may give rise to fears that the accusations of interference are in fact being used as a political means to eliminate certain candidates?
Supporters[5]
Submitted: 6.3.2025
- [1] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/german-task-force-tackle-foreign-meddling-before-election-2024-11-29
- [2] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/france-germany-others-urge-eu-commission-protect-elections-europe-foreign-2025-01-30
- [3] https://fr.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/01/09/la-commission-europeenne-va-enqueter-sur-le-debat-entre-elon-musk-et-la-cheffe-de-lextreme
- [4] For example, the call by three European leaders to vote for a candidate in the French presidential election of 2022 (https://www.francetvinfo.fr/elections/presidentielle/presidentielle-2022-trois-dirigeants-europeens-appellent-a-choisir-le-candidat-democrate-au-second-tour_5093920.html) or the visit by the President of the Commission to Moldova on 10 October 2024, ten days before the referendum on membership of the European Union, to encourage Moldovans to move ever closer to the Union (https://enlargement.ec.europa.eu/news/press-statement-president-von-der-leyen-moldovan-president-sandu-2024-10-10_en).
- [5] This question is supported by Members other than the authors: Jean-Paul Garraud (PfE), Julie Rechagneux (PfE)