French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on the United States and Denmark on Monday to provide clarifications regarding allegations of spying on certain European officials. Following a French-German ministerial meeting, President Macron stated, "This is unacceptable among allies, and also unacceptable between allies and European partners." Merkel later supported Macron's stance.
This comes as a spokesperson for the German government stated today that they are monitoring reports about the U.S. using its partnership with Denmark to spy on high-ranking officials in neighboring countries, including Chancellor Angela Merkel. Spokesperson Steffen Seibert said in a regular press conference, "The federal government is aware of the report and is in contact with all relevant national and international authorities for clarification." He added, "As you know, I would like to ask for your understanding that the federal government does not publicly comment on matters related to intelligence activities."
For his part, French Minister for European Affairs Clément Beaune told France Info radio, "This is very serious." He added, "We need to know whether our partners in the European Union, the Danes, made missteps or mistakes in their cooperation with the American agencies." He emphasized that the possibility of Washington spying on European Union leaders is extremely concerning. The minister stated, "There must be trust and a minimum of cooperation among allies, so these potential truths are serious." He noted the need to "verify" the matter first and then "draw conclusions regarding cooperation."
For their part, neighboring countries Sweden and Norway also requested explanations from Copenhagen, although the tone was more cautious. Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg stated, "It is unacceptable for countries to feel the need to spy while maintaining close relations among allies." She added, as reported by NRK television, "That is why we hope to learn more from Denmark. They have formed an investigative committee. We have requested the information in their possession."
In a Sunday investigative report, the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, in cooperation with several other European media outlets, revealed that the U.S. National Security Agency intercepted undersea internet cables from 2012 to 2014 to spy on senior politicians in Germany, Sweden, Norway, and France. The report indicated that the NSA managed to access text messages, phone calls, and internet traffic, including search services, chats, and messages, including those belonging to Chancellor Merkel, former German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and then-opposition leader Peer Steinbrück.
