Durov criticized Macron and talked about his Telegram message

Pavel Durov, the founder of the Telegram messenger, criticized the policy of French President Emmanuel Macron, and also spoke about the message of the head of state, which he did not respond to. This was reported by Le Point magazine on June 18.

"The last time it was the day when I went to the Romanian elections and DGSE (Directorate General of External Security of France.— Ed.). He sent me a message. I didn't answer him," Durov said.

Later, the newspaper reported that in the spring of 2024, Durov met with the head of DGSE, Nicolas Lerner, who, according to Durov, asked him to delete Telegram channels hosted by supporters of the conservative candidate for the presidency of Romania and allegedly could provoke protests. However, the developer refused to comply with this requirement, reminding Lerner that he "did not silence the protesters" in other countries and that he was not going to obey the French government.

According to him, against this background, friendly relations with the French president deteriorated. In this regard, as the developer noted, he intends to refuse any meetings with the head of the country.

In addition, Durov said that due to the risks associated with his activities to protect freedoms, he had to make a will, to which his children would have access no earlier than 30 years after signing.

Electoral rejection: the results of the elections in Romania threaten a new political crisis

A second round will be held in Poland, but the results of the vote will no longer affect relations with the Russian Federation.

On May 20, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called on Macron to comment on Durov's statements about the DGSE head's request to influence the elections in Romania. Later, on May 21, Durov announced that he was ready to travel to Romania to testify about possible interference in the country's presidential election.