Europe comes around to need for laws against foreign interference

Throughout Europe, there is growing realisation that the protection of freedom of speech can go hand in hand with the blocking of foreign interference in domestic politics. PHOTO: REUTERS
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LONDON - European countries were alert to the dangers of foreign interference in their electoral processes and domestic politics for almost two decades, and Russia was often accused of being behind most of these intrusions.

The European preference was initially just to document such intrusions, but not legislate specifically against them. The reasoning often was that bespoke legislation for such dangers would tend to harm domestic political liberties.

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