Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares warned at the World in Progress (WIP) forum that external actors may be seeking to influence European electoral processes through unrest amplified on social media. He referred to state and non-state forces and said the timing was particularly sensitive because elections are scheduled for November 29.
The discussion, held with French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, addressed recent disturbances in Paris and Barcelona. Albares defended the right to protest but described the violence as the work of a very small minority. He said attempts to amplify images of disorder could serve to polarise society.
Albares also argued that groups including the far right benefit from weakening European cooperation and the continent’s multilateral model. Darmanin said the unrest in France involved people frustrated by their circumstances, alongside what he described as a nihilist element seeking to attract young people from the ultra-left.
The conversation then turned to the future of Europe if the far right were to come to power in France and Spain. Darmanin warned that a victory by Marine Le Pen, the leader of National Rally, would fundamentally alter Europe and called for the continent to strengthen its capacity to defend itself.
The French minister advocated greater European sovereignty and strategic autonomy, including stronger military and technology industries. Albares backed that approach, linking it to the need for a European digital market capable of limiting external interference. He also supported the development of a European capital market and a common military structure, while saying that this would not necessarily weaken NATO.
Darmanin further argued that Europe should focus on innovation rather than concentrating first on regulating technologies developed elsewhere. He cited concerns over a French Justice Ministry modernisation project involving artificial intelligence, saying that using an American platform could have exposed critical Airbus data to a foreign company.
He concluded that Europe needs its own digital infrastructure and tools before it can regulate effectively or reduce its dependence on the United States and China.
Sources: El País Internacional.