French politicians Édouard Philippe, Raphaël Glucksmann and Gabriel Attal have been targeted by online disinformation campaigns attributed to Russia, less than a year before the presidential election.
Speaking on LCI on Thursday, Aug. 6, Russia digital influence strategy specialist Maxime Audinet outlined the goals behind these operations. Audinet said a fundamental objective of the actions is to raise doubt about the integrity of the vote and cause the election itself to be judged irregular.
Risks to the presidential election
Audinet cited events in Romania in 2024, where the presidential election was canceled on the basis of foreign interference. He warned that interference could sit at the center of the race for the Élysée and create chaos, particularly when election results are declared.
According to Audinet, disinformation campaigns will not weaken in the coming months and will instead intensify. He noted that the actors involved are waiting for people to speak about them constantly.
