Foreign interference a ‘huge challenge,’ French PM says during Canada visit

Foreign meddling attempts are a “huge challenge” that require countries to keep their citizens informed, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said Thursday during an official visit to Ottawa.

“We are seeing it in many places,” Attal said, including online, where cyberattacks and misinformation are often part of the foreign interference landscape.

Last month, the French government said it was experiencing attacks with “unprecedented intensity” and established a special crisis centre to restore online services.

“What we need to do is to alert everyone about the risks of this interference,” Attal told a joint news conference with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

It came just one day after Trudeau testified at a Canadian inquiry into interference attempts in the last two federal elections.

In his testimony, Trudeau described pushing back on intelligence he was provided, including by asking detailed questions about the extent to which it was substantiated.

Asked about that testimony on Thursday, Trudeau said leaders must think critically and question the information they are given, although he still has confidence in Canada’s security apparatus.

“No government, no leader, should simply be a passive receiver of information and intelligence,” he said, adding that leaders have a role to play in “questioning sources and pulling out contradictions.”

“That actually is part and parcel of the work that we all need to do to make sure that everything is done to keep Canadians safe,” Trudeau continued.

“It is a very active role that we play.”

Trudeau was also asked to comment on concerns over far-right populism that abound in Europe.

He said in French that when push comes to shove, he is confident that members of the public will be able to see