The Paris prosecutor's office is investigating suspected Russian interference targeting two former prime ministers, Édouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal, both candidates in France's 2027 presidential election, according to AMNA.
In early August, the Paris prosecutor's office had already disclosed that it had opened an investigation into similar suspicions concerning MEP Raphaël Glucksmann, a potential presidential candidate.
Eight months before the first round of the presidential election, due to be held on 18 April 2027, a series of destabilising actions attributed to pro-Russian networks has targeted three declared or potential candidates, AMNA reported. The centre-right candidate Philippe was targeted by false claims about his state of health, the left-wing MEP Glucksmann was targeted through his wife, the journalist Léa Salamé, who was accused of having "bought media favour" on her husband's behalf, and Attal was targeted through claims that he suffers from Parkinson's disease.
Although these actions have not been highly visible, a security source told AMNA they are the first of their kind directed against candidates since the start of the campaign. The prosecutor's office opened its investigations on its own initiative, before even receiving the formal complaints later filed by those targeted.
Complaints filed by Attal and Glucksmann
Attal, leader of the centre-right Renaissance party, filed a complaint on 7 August alleging "foreign interference originating from Russian networks," his lawyers said. According to his legal team, numerous accounts on X, some impersonating French and international media outlets, published fake video reports, fabricated newspaper front pages and content mimicking the logos and appearance of those outlets, falsely attributing statements and actions to Attal and people close to him in an effort to discredit him as a candidate.
"If we do nothing to protect ourselves, the election could be rigged," Attal said, accusing Russia of seeking to steal the vote from French citizens.
Glucksmann announced on 12 August that he had filed his own complaint. "It's important to state one simple thing: we cannot allow Vladimir Putin's Russia to manipulate a vote of existential importance for the French people, the 2027 presidential election," he said.
Source: AMNA
