France has called the U.S. ambassador to the Foreign Ministry amid reports from WikiLeaks that the National Security Agency had been spying on the last three French presidents, Fox News reports.
Current President Francois Hollande was outraged at the security breach by his fellow American allies. French diplomats released that U.S. Ambassador Jane Hartley was in fact summoned to the Foreign Ministry amid these allegations.
France now joins fellow American ally, Germany who had also been targeted by the NSA. According to officials in Paris, the documents from WikiLeaks supposedly detail frank conversations regarding Greece’s economy and relations with Germany. (RELATED: NSA Spying Reaches Its Dirtiest Levels Yet)
The release of the documents comes right before a crucial vote in the French Parliament on a bill that would bequeath new surveillance powers to the government for counterterrorism purposes. On Tuesday, the Senate voted in approval of the bill and the National Assembly is expected to give its support in a Wednesday vote.
Although the accuracy of the documents cannot be confirmed, many French officials appear to be angered by the news. Former President Nicolas Sarkozy believed the methods being used by the NSA were entirely unacceptable especially while interacting with an ally as close as France.
However it is important to note that France and other American allies depend on U.S. spies for counterterrorism purposes.