'Fake News' Hits French Presidential Race Amid Suspicions of Russian Ties

Political circles in France are on high alert as online disinformation, suspected to be linked to Russia, is spreading targeting candidates running in next year's presidential election.

According to reports by the daily Le Monde on August 7 (local time), former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe from the ruling bloc, Raphael Glucksmann, leader of the center-left party Place Publique, and former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, leader of the ruling party, have become targets of online disinformation campaigns.

Fake reports, videos, and headlines impersonating the logos of several French media outlets, followed by tweets from unidentified accounts, have started spreading absurd rumors about them.

Examples include fake news alleging that a well-known journalist, who is the spouse of Glucksmann, attempted to bribe media outlets to boost her husband's approval ratings.

VIGINUM, France's watchdog against digital foreign interference, has pointed to pro-Russian networks as being behind these operations.

Glucksmann, who has been a vocal critic of the Russian regime, warned via social media, "This attack is merely the prelude to what is to come. The 2027 presidential campaign will be marred by massive (foreign) interference."

Former Prime Minister Attal also appeared on BFM TV the previous day and expressed concern, saying, "I expect that the Kremlin regime will continue to carry out interference operations targeting candidates like myself."

Attempts at online intervention by pro-Russian networks are being met with heightened sensitivity from the left wing.

Green Party leader Marine Tondelier stated in an interview with the daily Libération that the algorithm of X (formerly Twitter) "itself has a much more structural, daily, minute-by-minute, and second-by-second impact on the spread of disinformation," suggesting that if the threat of foreign interference grows, a suspension of platform operations in France should also be considered.

In response, X owner Elon Musk hit back at Tondelier in a post on X, stating, "Her operations should be suspended for the crime of betraying France."

Tondelier's targeting of X is not unrelated to Musk's previous public expression of support for French far-right politician Marine Le Pen.

Former Prime Minister Attal also claimed that foreign interference by the Russian side is ultimately "intended to support Le Pen," noting that "her party has always supported Russia."

Le Pen, who currently leads in preference polls for the next presidential race, countered by accusing former Prime Minister Attal of exploiting the incident as a means to boost his own approval ratings.

Jean-Philippe Tanguy, a lawmaker from the far-right National Rally (RN), argued, "Russian interference in France is being systematically thwarted, and according to relevant authorities, it has no impact on the elections."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.