EditRussian disinformation targets centrist candidates ahead of French presidential election
Cloned websites, AI-generated deep fakes and networks of automated accounts illustrate how malign actors exploit the architecture of social media
In recent weeks, French security services have alerted several prominent figures that they are the targets of sophisticated disinformation operations attributed to Russian-linked networks. As France approaches the 2027 presidential election, the contest is already being shaped by forces beyond its borders.
These efforts, involving fabricated media sites, deepfake videos, and coordinated bot activity, seek to undermine candidates perceived as obstacles to Moscow’s interests. With President Emmanuel Macron constitutionally barred from seeking a third term, the race has drawn a crowded field of contenders, and authorities warn that foreign interference will only intensify in the months ahead.
The latest wave of attacks has focused on three figures positioned as potential standard-bearers for the pro-European center and moderate left. Raphaël Glucksmann, a Member of the European Parliament and leader of the center-left Place Publique movement, publicly disclosed that France’s Secretariat-General for National Defence and Security had informed him of a “Russian operation” directly controlled by the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence service. The campaign centered on a website designed to mimic the left-leaning news outlet Blast, le souffle de l’info, accompanied by social media videos. These materials alleged that Glucksmann’s partner, Léa Salamé, the high-profile host of France’s main public television evening news, had attempted to bribe journalists to generate favorable coverage of his prospective presidential bid.
Glucksmann, a longstanding critic of the Kremlin who took part in Ukraine’s 2013 Maidan uprising, described the episode as “merely a foretaste of what is to come,” warning that the presidential campaign would be marked by interference and fabrications. He has urged French and European authorities to confront platforms such as X and TikTok more forcefully if they fail to curb such operations.
Shortly before, former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe, who has already declared his candidacy, was targeted by the same pro-Russian network known as Storm-1516. False claims circulated about his health, an early signal of the pattern now emerging. Within days, another former prime minister, Gabriel Attal, leader of the centrist Renaissance party and a confirmed candidate, received a similar alert. This time the operation was attributed with high confidence to the Matryoshka bot network. Researchers identified multiple fake videos styled to resemble reports from established outlets including Le Monde, AFP, France 24 and Le Figaro.
The content attributed invented Attal statements, claimed his father had died of a cocaine overdose, alleged that Attal himself struggled with addiction, and suggested a fabricated medical diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. Other narratives accused him of improper influence in elite recruitment and of laundering funds linked to Ukraine aid. Security sources characterized these campaigns as low-visibility efforts, often reaching only a few thousand views, yet deliberately designed to erode trust and fragment public opinion.
The candidates in Moscow’s crosshairs
Understanding why these particular figures have drawn Russian attention requires a closer look at their political profiles and records. Raphaël Glucksmann, born in 1979, is the son of the late philosopher André Glucksmann. Before entering electoral politics, he worked as a journalist and adviser to Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili during a period of heightened tension with Russia. He later documented human-rights struggles and participated in the early stages of Ukraine’s pro-European movement. Returning to France, he co-founded Place Publique and led joint lists with the Socialist Party in the European elections, achieving notable results in 2019 and especially in 2024. Glucksmann embodies a social-democratic, firmly pro-European and pro-Ukrainian left that rejects both the radicalism of La France Insoumise and any accommodation with authoritarian regimes. His personal life, including his relationship with Salamé, has made him a familiar public figure, but also a convenient target for personal smears.
Édouard Philippe, mayor of Le Havre and founder of the Horizons party, served as Macron’s first prime minister from 2017 to 2020. A former member of the center-right, he is widely regarded as a competent manager with appeal across moderate voters. His early declaration of candidacy positioned him as a leading contender within the broad centrist space that once coalesced around Macron.
Gabriel Attal, who became France’s youngest prime minister in 2024, represents a younger generation of Macron loyalists. Openly gay and previously in a relationship with European Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné, Attal rose rapidly through government ranks, serving as education minister and government spokesman. He now leads Renaissance and has entered the presidential race with a message of energetic reformism and stronger stances on security and immigration. Both former premiers compete for the same centrist electorate, raising the risk of vote-splitting that could benefit the extremes.
On the far right, Marine Le Pen of the National Rally has confirmed she will run after an appeals court upheld her conviction for embezzling European Parliament funds yet adjusted the ineligibility period in a way that permits her candidacy. She remains a frontrunner in many polls. Other potential contenders include figures from the traditional right and the radical left, but the recent Russian operations have concentrated on those who have been most outspoken in support of Ukraine and European unity.
Marine Le Pen says she will run for president in 2027, appeal her conviction
Safeguarding the vote amid rising threats
French authorities have long anticipated that the 2027 election would attract foreign digital interference. Viginum, the state service monitoring online foreign influence, documented multiple operations during earlier local votes, some attributed to known pro-Russian actors. Macron has identified protection of the presidential contest as a priority for the remainder of his term. Security officials describe the current campaigns as part of a routine pattern of low-intensity activity intended to sow division, weaken the pro-European republican front, and amplify distrust in institutions.
The methods employed – cloned websites, AI-generated audio and video, and networks of automated accounts, illustrate how modern disinformation exploits the architecture of social media. While many of the claims are crude and quickly debunked, their cumulative effect can still corrode confidence. Political voices across the center and moderate left have called for stricter enforcement of European rules on platforms and, in some cases, temporary restrictions during election periods if interference is proven.
Sources: Le Monde, Franceinfo, Le Point, France 24, FocusEurope.pl
Caption: Raphaël Glucksmann (in white shirt) during meeting with cultural figures in Avignon on 16 July 2026. [Raphaël Glucksmann’s Facebook page]
Updated: August 6, 2026 - 10:02
