The digital space has erased borders. Hostile actors and states have understood this well and are turning it into a new space of conflict. These deliberate strategies have direct consequences in the physical realm: attacks against French agents following online campaigns after the assassination of Samuel Paty in 2020; or the ransacking of a French cultural center in Burkina Faso in 2021 after a rumor circulated on social media.
On the national territory, our competitors advance in disguise and seek to influence our electoral cycles, national tragedies, histories, and memories. Internationally, they lead large-scale informational campaigns that involve information manipulation and exploitation of the truth.
This undermining work puts our diplomatic footholds, agents, and citizens in danger. These aggressive strategies seek to dilute our messages, constrain our actions, and weaken our reputation. In short, these operations aim to portray us as something we are not.
Faced with these exploitations, the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs acts in the informational field to protect our nationals, explain our foreign policy, promote the integrity of information, and defend our democratic principles.
Check out Jean Noël Barrot’s speech at the Gaieté Lyrique (Thursday, May 7, 2026)
Program of May 7, 2026
– 8:30 – 9:00: Welcome – Coffee – Modern & Historical Foyers 2nd – 9:15: Opening session by Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs – Grand Hall 2nd – Expert Interventions: – Paul Charon: French researcher, director of “Influence and Intelligence” at IRSEM, specializing in informational strategies. Recently published “Chinese influence operations” (2024) and “The Intelligence Worlds” (2024). – Arnaud Miranda: Political theory doctor associated with Cevipof (Sciences Po) and postdoctoral researcher at the Tech-ILL program (Inalco). Specialist in contemporary political idea history, focusing on digital and transnational circulation of reactionary ideas. Recently published “Dark Enlightenment” (Gallimard, 2026). – Elena Volochine: Independent journalist, videographer, and director specializing in Russia and the Ukraine war. Received the Albert Londres Prize in 2025 for her book “Propaganda, Vladimir Putin’s Weapon of War”.
– 10:15 – 12:15: Free participation in various interactive workshops conducted by the Ministry and many partners: – Storytelling Workshop with Arnaud Miranda and Maxime Audinet – Auditorium -1 – Response Workshop to defend France’s voice in the informational sphere – Auditorium -1 – Disinformation workshop with Gregoire Darcy – Workshop 1 – OSINT & EMI class with CLEMI – Workshop 1
And other workshops focusing on innovation, countering information manipulation, and podcast recordings.
– 12:30: Closing – Grand Hall 2nd
