France, Nov. 28 -- Speaking in the north-eastern town of Mirecourt on Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron said he had asked his government to draw up proposals for new summary proceedings that could be used when defamatory or harmful claims spread across social networks.

The aim, he said, is to have a mechanism firmly anchored in French legislation "as soon as possible".

The French leader revealed that he had convened a defence council dedicated to "information warfare", tasking officials with completing their work by the end of the year.

It forms part of a broader campaign to tackle what Paris sees as an escalation in hostile foreign propaganda, particularly from Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Did Frenc...