False social media posts have portrayed French presidential contenders Gabriel Attal, Édouard Philippe and Raphaël Glucksmann as ill or corrupt. French authorities suspect pro-Russian networks are behind the campaigns.
DR reports that the three pro-Ukraine politicians have all been targeted by coordinated disinformation on social media in recent weeks. All are candidates or expected candidates in the French presidential election, which is due in April 2027.
Per BFMTV, cited by DR, the fake posts claimed Attal shows early signs of Parkinson’s disease and is the son of a drug dealer. Philippe was falsely said to have been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and to be guilty of corruption. Glucksmann was accused of receiving favorable press because his wife, journalist Léa Salamé, allegedly pays media executives.
Viginum, the French state unit that monitors foreign digital interference, suspects the pro-Russian networks Matryoshka and Storm-1516, according to Radio France. Le Monde reported that Viginum attributes the operations against Attal to Matryoshka with high confidence. The material included fake reports and forged front pages imitating outlets such as RFI, BFM TV, France 24 and AFP.
AFP reported that Viginum has counted at least four operations against Attal since early August 2026. Some posts alleged that people around him were involved in cyberattacks against the French tax administration.
Paris prosecutor investigating
The Paris prosecutor’s office has begun examining whether the suspicions hold, DR notes, citing Le Monde. Euronews reported on August 18 that the case was opened through the office’s fundamental freedoms section, covering Attal and Philippe, after a complaint from Attal.
DR’s international correspondent Stéphanie Surrugue said the striking element is the pattern rather than the individual stories. According to her, the operations have had no measurable effect on public debate. She noted that French authorities still treat the threat very seriously, pointing to the hack of Emmanuel Macron’s campaign days before the 2017 election.
Surrugue said France is comparatively well prepared after years of systematic work against influence operations. Legislation on foreign interference was tightened in 2024, including expanded surveillance powers and a register of foreign influence activities. This summer, authorities also set up an independent commission that can inform the public and candidates when interference has been identified.
A bill proposing prison sentences of up to six years for foreign interference is also pending, DR reports. Surrugue described the measures as part of an election preparedness system facing its first major test at next year’s vote.
Attal has linked the attacks to the war in Ukraine and to shifting American and Chinese power, according to BFMTV. Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot wrote on X two weeks ago that France will not tolerate any attempt at foreign interference in its democratic debate or electoral processes.
