Russian Disinformation Campaign Targets French Presidential Candidates Ahead of 2027 Vote

Security sources say pro-Russian networks have launched a series of digital operations that include deep-fake videos, fabricated newspaper front pages and impersonated media accounts on platforms such as X. The material is designed to attribute false statements and actions to three declared or prospective candidates: former prime minister Gabriel Attal, former prime minister Édouard Philippe, and Member of the European Parliament Raphaël Glucksmann. Attal’s lawyers note that some posts attempt to sow doubt about the origin of the deepfakes by suggesting the target himself orchestrated the disinformation.

RFI (Radio France Internationale)

Gabriel Attal, secretary-general of the Renaissance party and a declared candidate for the 2027 presidential election, filed a complaint in Paris after being alerted by France’s national defence and security secretariat (SGDSN) and its Viginum unit. His lawyers, Sacha Ghozlan and Lucas Veil, identified the specific false media artefacts and warned that the campaign could “rig” the vote if left unchecked.

RFI (Radio France Internationale)

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu referenced a draft bill presented at the end of July that would increase penalties for the dissemination of false information. X’s chief executive Elon Musk responded by accusing Tondelier of “betrayal of France” and demanding she be “silenced.”

RFI (Radio France Internationale)

Critics on the left argue that the draft legislation does not go far enough, urging measures that would target foreign platforms directly. The Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened a judicial investigation into the disinformation campaign targeting Glucksmann, and similar probes are expected for the other candidates.

RFI (Radio France Internationale)

> “If we do nothing to protect ourselves, the election could be rigged,” — Gabriel Attal, French prime minister

RFI (Radio France Internationale)