SIE dismantles the gold accusations: the head of the French Foreign Intelligence Service did not visit Romania before the elections
The Foreign Intelligence Service reacted to the gold accusations, which requested, on May 23, to verify by the SRI and SIE control committees, the reason for the visit of the head of the external services in France to Romania. Sie said that Nicolas Lerner did not visit our country before the elections.
Gold claims that Nicolas Lerner paid a visit to Bucharest before the elections. Photo Reuters
“Following the continuous carriage in the public space of the information according to which the head of the French Foreign Intelligence Service, Mr. Nicolas Lerner, would have paid a visit to Romania, a few days before the second round of the presidential elections, to ensure the correct information of the citizens, we mention that such a visit did not have a visit.”said SIE in a statement sent on Wednesday, May 28.
SIE: attempts of misinformation meant to generate distrust in state institutions
The Foreign Intelligence Service specifies that it will not respond to the attempts to handle and misinform in the public space.
“The activity of the Foreign Intelligence Service is apolitical, clearly and transparent by law, having as central objective the defense of national security interests, in compliance with the rule of law. As a result, the Foreign Intelligence Service will not occur to attempts to manipulate and deform in the public space, the insinuations regarding a possible political involvement in the state, being lacking in the state. We reiterate the firm commitment before Romania's citizens of respect for the constitutional values and we urge both the public opinion and the media to treat with responsibility, awareness and objectivity any information with potential for misinformation.
What misinformation has launched gold
A few days ago, Gold stated that Nicolas Lerner, the director of the General Directorate for External Security (DGSE), would have paid a visit to Bucharest before the presidential elections held on May 18, later going to the Republic of Moldova.
“The Alliance for the Union of Romanians (Gold) transmitted … through its representatives in the two parliamentary commissions for the activity of SIE and SRI, requests to investigate the involvement of foreign interference in the electoral process in Romania. According to the information published in the public space, Nicolas Lerner, the director of the General Directorate for External Security (DGSE)-the main external intelligence service in France-would have paid a visit to Bucharest just two days before the second round of the presidential elections of May 18, 2025.“, Gold said in a statement.
The party led by George Simion also discussed the message of the founder of the Telegram platform, Pavel Durov, who warned that the French government would have asked him to silence the conservative voices in our country.
Subsequently, in a post on the X platform, Durov said the request came directly from Nicolas Lerner.
Gold asked the two commissions to control the SRI and SIE activity to verify the following aspects:
– if the Romanian Intelligence Service and the Foreign Intelligence Service were informed about the visit of the DGSE director, Nicolas Lerner, before the elections;
– If his visit involved official meetings with representatives of the Romanian Intelligence Services;
– if SRI and SIE are aware of the statements of the founder of Telegram, Pavel Durov;
– If, in the opinion of SRI and SIE, these actions can be considered as an interference form of a foreign state in the electoral process in Romania.
France rejected the accusations about an alleged interference in the Presidential Rudrin in Romania
The spokesman of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs subsequently transmitted that the accusations circulating about an alleged interference in France in the Presidential Vower in Romania are completely unfounded.
