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France called alleged US spying on its presidents “unacceptable” in June 2015 and summoned the US ambassador to demand answers. The allegations came from leaked documents published by WikiLeaks and reported by French outlets; Washington did not confirm whether the past surveillance described in them had occurred.
What France did after the allegations surfaced
After WikiLeaks published material alongside reporting by French outlets Libération and Mediapart, President François Hollande convened an emergency defence council. France summoned US ambassador Jane Hartley, and Hollande spoke by phone with US President Barack Obama. French intelligence officials were also expected to travel to Washington for further discussions.
French government spokesman Stéphane Le Foll captured Paris’s objection: “We find it hard to understand or imagine what motivates an ally to spy on allies who are often on the same strategic positions in world affairs.”
Which French presidents were named, and what did the leaks allege?
The reporting said the leaked documents alleged that the US National Security Agency had surveilled three French presidents: Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy, and François Hollande. The alleged period was 2006 to 2012. These are claims attributed to the leaked material and contemporaneous reporting, not independently established findings in the public statements described at the time.
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According to those reports, the documents included summaries of discussions concerning the financial crisis, the European Union, relations between France and Germany, UN appointments, and an earlier dispute over US surveillance.
What did Obama and the US government say?
The French account of Hollande’s call with Obama said the US president reaffirmed a commitment to stop practices that had operated in the past and that France considered unacceptable between allies. Separately, the US National Security Council said the United States was not targeting and would not target Hollande’s communications.
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That US statement addressed current and future targeting, not whether the alleged surveillance had happened before. It therefore did not confirm or deny the historical claims.
Why the story also raised questions about French surveillance policy
The disclosures emerged while France was considering broader domestic surveillance powers, a proposal that had drawn criticism. The timing prompted attention to that context, but contemporaneous reporting did not establish whether the release was deliberately timed to influence the debate.
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What remains unresolved
The public response established that France treated the allegations as a serious diplomatic issue and sought explanations and assurances from Washington. The US statements reported at the time offered a prospective assurance about Hollande’s communications; they left the question of past surveillance unanswered.
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