Presidential contenders Edouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal were purportedly targeted by Russia-affiliated networks this summer.
PARIS — The Paris prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into disinformation efforts targeting two prominent candidates in France’s upcoming presidential election, according to Agence France-Presse.
Edouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal, two former prime ministers who are high-profile contenders for the 2027 race, were reportedly the subject earlier this summer of fake news reports posted on social media aimed at undermining their campaigns.
Fabricated videos posted on X that used branding from leading French news platforms claimed Philippe, who suffers from alopecia, was diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease, while fake reports on X and TikTok alleged Attal had Parkinson’s disease and was using drugs.
Attal denounced the reports as fake and filed a complaint. Philippe has refrained from publicly commenting on the posts, though his top allies have framed them as likely Russian interference.
France’s specialized agency in charge of monitoring online foreign interference, Viginum, has pointed to Russia-affiliated networks Storm-1516 and Matriochka as likely suspects for the disinformation operations targeting Philippe and Attal, respectively.
Center-left MEP and likely presidential contender Raphaël Glucksmann was also targeted by a similar disinformation operation. The prosecutor’s office announced the launch of a separate probe into that case earlier this month.