In France, prosecutors are investigating Russian interference in the presidential election
The Paris Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into possible Russian interference targeting French presidential candidates Édouard Philippe, Gabriel Attal, and potential candidate Raphaël Glucksmann.
The investigation was initiated by the Department for the Protection of Fundamental Freedoms within the Paris Prosecutor’s Office.
The prosecutor’s office noted that law enforcement officials took up the case “on their own initiative,” even before receiving official complaints from the politicians.
According to French sources, this summer, pro-Russian networks may have carried out a series of destabilization operations targeting three officially declared or potential candidates in the 2027 presidential election.
In particular, attempts were made to discredit Édouard Philippe through statements about his health, Raphaël Glucksmann through his partner Léa Salame, and Gabriel Attal was portrayed as someone who allegedly might have Parkinson’s disease.
According to a source in French security agencies, these operations remained largely undetected but were the first such campaigns directly targeting presidential candidates from the very start of their campaigns.
The French prosecutor’s office confirmed that the investigation was launched on its own initiative.
“The AC2 Unit, which is responsible for protecting fundamental freedoms, took the initiative to launch an investigation into the three individuals mentioned even before receiving any complaints filed with the prosecutor’s office,” the office stated.
Meanwhile, Gabriel Attal and Raphaël Glucksmann subsequently contacted law enforcement on their own initiative.
On August 7, Gabriel Attal filed a complaint regarding possible foreign interference by Russian networks. This was reported by his attorneys, Sasha Gozlan and Lucas Veil.
Attal is a candidate in the 2027 presidential election, leads the Renaissance party, and previously served as Prime Minister of France.
Meanwhile, on August 12, Raphaël Glucksmann announced that he had filed his own complaint.
“It is extremely important to state this simple fact: we cannot allow Vladimir Putin’s Russia to manipulate the 2027 elections, which are a matter of survival for the French people,” the politician said.
French law enforcement agencies are now working to determine the origin of the disinformation campaigns, their organizers, and any possible links to Russian networks.
This was reported by BFMTV.
Former French Prime Minister and presidential candidate Gabriel Attal filed a complaint regarding an alleged Russian disinformation campaign targeting him ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Earlier, the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. refuted President Donald Trump’s claim regarding Beijing’s alleged interference in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
