Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Taiani said today, Saturday, that his personal data was published on the “dark web” by what he described as pro-Russian hackers, adding that this targeting is linked to the Rome government’s support for Ukraine.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, considered one of Ukraine's strongest supporters among Western leaders, expressed her support for Tayani, and said that the sale of confidential information belonging to government officials "is a matter of great concern."
Moscow did not comment on the incident. Russia constantly denies any involvement in cyber attacks or hacking operations abroad.
Tayani, who also holds the position of Deputy Prime Minister, said in a post on the “X” platform that “supporting the freedom and independence of a sovereign state in a transparent manner” made him a target for attack, adding that electronic hackers are seeking more information about him and his family and are willing to pay money for that.
He stated that the attacks were also a response to the efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to strengthen cybersecurity.
Screenshots, seen by Reuters, showed Taiani’s image among a list of 18 “hostile citizens of the Russian Federation,” which also included cybersecurity experts.
A source close to the minister told Reuters that these materials were found in a section of the dark internet that can be accessed via the Tor network, as part of the monitoring activities carried out by cybersecurity authorities.
He added that additional investigations are still underway.
New demonstrations took place today (Saturday) in France, “against the high cost of living and for the sake of youth,” for the fourth weekend in a row, amid strict security measures, especially in Paris, where the “yellow vest” movement intends to approach the centers of power.
This new mobilization, which follows massive union demonstrations that took place on Thursday, aims to maintain pressure on the authorities before a conference that the government called for on Monday morning with the participation of unions and employers, before meetings with student organizations in the afternoon.
Less than six months before the presidential elections led by far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, Sebastien Le Cornu's government cannot rely on a majority in the National Assembly, while President Emmanuel Macron faces a new social crisis that the radical left candidate, whom opinion polls expect will move to the second round of elections, intends to exploit.
On Saturday, Jean-Luc Mélenchon will hold a huge gathering to launch his campaign. The crisis began with a movement of high school students protesting the state of national education, before demands were added regarding the high cost of living and a protest against Macron, who is leaving the presidency in May after ten years in power.
Unions representing students and teachers in France called for a new strike on Tuesday, to maintain pressure on the government to increase spending on education.
In a letter he addressed on Friday to the social partners, Lecornu stressed that he is listening to “the aspirations expressed regarding wages and purchasing power” and the “concerns” of employers, stressing that the conference “will allow for the presentation of concrete responses to the aspirations of the French.”
The Federation of Youth Syndicates and local unions called for a demonstration on Saturday “against the high cost of living and for the sake of youth” as part of an authorized march heading from La Republique Square in the heart of Paris to La Nation Square.
At noon, demonstrators began arriving at La Republique Square.
For its part, the “Yellow Vests” coordination called for a separate gathering, which was banned by the authorities, in Place de la Concorde near the headquarters of the National Assembly.
Police were deployed in large numbers on Saturday morning around the square, close to the Elysee Palace, to enforce compliance with the ban.
In total, the “yellow vests” are organizing about 120 movements on Saturday in various locations in France, after holding about 1,700 movements on October 17.
For its part, the authorities intend at all costs to avoid a repeat of the acts of violence, looting, and vandalism that accompanied the first day of mobilization on October 17, after Thursday’s movements went “generally well,” according to the Ministry of Interior.
Consequently, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced yesterday (Friday) the “renewal” of the intensive security measures taken two days ago, with the deployment of 70,000 police and security personnel across France, warning that “the danger is the same as on previous Saturdays.”
The Police Directorate on “X” announced that 847 inspections would be conducted by 11:00 at train stations in and around Paris.
Decisions were issued to ban demonstrations in the center of some cities, including the city of Rennes in western France, due to the “serious acts of violence” that occurred Thursday in the city.
The future of the movements depends to a large extent on the responses that the government will present on Monday during the social conference.
The trade union coordination, which includes the eight main national unions, announced that it would announce its position on Monday evening. The unions wrote, “The only thing that will stop the mobilization is responding to the demands that wage earners, employees, youth, and retirees have been expressing for weeks.”
Marielise Leon, general secretary of the French Democratic Confederation of Labor (CFDT), the largest French union, said that the scale of Thursday's demonstrations "should make the government realize that it cannot wait until the presidential elections."
The union is demanding an increase in the minimum wage by 100 euros net. The government has been indicating for several days that it is open to taking action regarding the minimum wage, but it will not be as high as the unions demand.
