russian interference in France’s elections: investigation launched
The Paris Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into suspected russian interference in France’s upcoming presidential campaign. Authorities are currently examining the dissemination of fabricated materials targeting potential candidates Gabriel Attal, Édouard Philippe and Raphaël Glucksmann.
▫️On August 7, Gabriel Attal filed a complaint, accusing russia-linked networks of interference. According to his lawyers, social media users circulated deepfakes and fake front pages of French media portraying the politician as a drug user and claiming he suffers from Parkinson’s disease. Similar false claims about Édouard Philippe’s health, including an alleged Parkinson’s diagnosis, were also circulated. In the case of Raphaël Glucksmann, the disinformation targeted his partner, journalist Léa Salamé, who was accused of “bribing the media.” On August 12, Glucksmann also announced that he had filed a complaint.
▫️France’s Viginum agency, which monitors and counters foreign interference online, identified russia-linked networks Storm-1516 and “Matryoshka” as possible organizers of the campaign.
The main goal of such large-scale russian operations is to polarize society, discredit political figures, and undermine trust in democratic institutions and the electoral process.
Interference in the electoral processes of democratic countries is a systematic russian practice. Earlier, the Center also reported on the activity of the russian disinformation network “Matryoshka”, which spread fake stories disguised as publications by well-known media outlets targeting French politicians.
