Note: The views and opinions expressed in blog/editorial posts are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the views or opinions of Misbar.
As France holds the European Union presidency until July, the ongoing 2022 French presidential elections have more weight for European countries. But, as in every election campaign, many false and misleading claims have been circulated online. Misinformation has broken into political debates and shows.
Do Asylum-seekers Receive a Card With 450 Euros in France?
Before the first electoral tour, the extreme right candidate Eric Zemmour said, during the Elysée 2022 program on the France Television, that asylum-seekers are given cards with 540 euros as soon as they arrive in France. Many social media users have also circulated the claim on social media platforms in the French language.
Translated from French, the candidate precisely declared: “I remind you that upon arrival, an asylum-seeker is given a card with 540 euros. It is still absolutely scandalous.” However, this statement is false. According to the French Office for Immigration and Integration, asylum-seekers can receive a conditional transfer which is around 204 euros per month, meeting numerous specific criteria. And not all asylum-seekers receive this allocation, according to documents by the OFII.
“Electoral Cards With QR Codes To Modify the Votes”
On Feb. 2, 2022, the French Ministry of Interior announced that the electoral cards of voters for the 2022 elections include a new Quick Response Code. This announcement inspired a slew of rumors. Several social media users have shared the false claim that the QR code on French electoral cards extracts personal data and will modify the votes. Many users also suggested voters use the 2021 electoral cards.
The claim that the QR code will help modify the votes is false. The code only allows easy access to a page dedicated to the election on the Ministry of Interior's official website giving information about the election procedures.
The electoral cards contained a QR code, which can be used to verify citizens' registration on electoral lists and provide access to the results once they are published. It is not necessary to provide personal information to scan the code or access the election page. Moreover, the French Ministry of Interior made it optional to use the electoral card in the polling stations. However, the voters are obliged to prove their identity.
No, France Will Not Use Dominion Voting Systems
Other users claimed that France decided to use The Dominion Voting Systems to validate the results of the first round of voting. However, the Canadian company did not mention any information about compiling the French election's results on their official website. The French government has not announced that it will not use any external services in counting the votes.
It is worth mentioning that former U.S. President Donald Trump falsely accused the Canadian company of facilitating widespread electoral fraud during the 2020 elections. According to Forbes, the Trump company claimed: “Dominion had used voting technology from rival voting machine Smartmatic, whose machines were also involved in election fraud claims.”
Marine Le Pen Confused Algeria With Tunisia
Interviewed on France Inter during the Elysée 2022 morning show on April 12, 2022, Marine Le Pen, the National Rally's President, confused Algeria with Tunisia. The show’s co-host, Léa Salamé, confronted Le Pen about the ban on the veil, saying: “But we would become the only country to ban the veil on the streets and to forbid women from wearing the veil at metro stations,” the candidate answered the journalist: “Well, excuse me, but Mr. Bourguiba had banned the veil in Algeria.”
However, Habib Bourguiba was not an Algerian president. He was the President of the Tunisian republic between 1957 and 1987.
French President Emmanuel Macron has warned against fake news ahead of the French elections. Macron mentioned that “people spreading fake news online should be held accountable and possibly brought to justice.” He considered online fake news a threat to democracy, suggesting new laws to allow internet platforms and influencers to be held accountable like journalists.
The French president has also noted that “It must be the same for foreign media,” since these outlets are authorized to circulate news on the French territory.”
Misbar’s Sources:
Démarches Administratives
Dominion Voting
France Inter
Le Soir
ABC News
Forbes
