France Denies Requesting Durov to Influence Romanian Elections

The French General Directorate for External Security (DGSE) has refuted the claims made by Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov, who stated that they had asked him to influence the upcoming Romanian presidential elections. This information was reported by TASS, citing Agence France-Presse.

The intelligence agency acknowledged that "they have indeed had to contact Pavel Durov several times over the past years to remind him of his company's responsibility to prevent threats related to terrorism and child pornography." However, DGSE "firmly denies any allegations that, in these instances, requests were made to shut down accounts in connection with any electoral process."

Earlier, Durov claimed that Telegram refused to block channels of Romanian conservatives ahead of the elections, following a request from "one of the Western European countries." Later, he posted a record on X, clarifying that in spring 2025, the head of France's DGSE, Nicolas Lerner, had approached him with such a request.

Meanwhile, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a denial regarding any interference by Paris in Romania's presidential elections. On the Orsay embankment, officials condemned the spread of "unsubstantiated accusations" against France via Telegram and X, rejected these claims, and called for "respect for Romanian democracy." A screenshot of Durov’s post, with the word "FAKE" written in red, was attached to the French MFA’s statement.