French prosecutors in Paris have launched an investigation into suspected Russian interference targeting 2027 presidential candidates Édouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal.
The fundamental freedoms protection section of the Paris prosecutor's office announced the probe on Tuesday, August 18, after being contacted by news agency AFP. Prosecutors confirmed they initiated the investigation on their own authority before receiving formal legal complaints regarding either politician.
The 2027 French presidential election will select the successor to President Emmanuel Macron, who cannot run again due to constitutional term limits. Both Philippe and Attal served as prime ministers during Macron's presidency and are considered prominent contenders for the upcoming race.
Social media disinformation campaigns
The inquiry follows a wave of summer disinformation campaigns targeting Philippe, Attal, and a third presidential contender, Raphaël Glucksmann. Prosecutors noted that all three political figures were targeted using identical methods across social media platforms, including X and TikTok.
The campaigns relied on fake video reports and fabricated magazine front pages that impersonated established French news outlets. These posts were shared heavily across social networks to spread false claims about the candidates.
Social media platforms X, formerly Twitter, and TikTok have faced increased European regulatory scrutiny over political disinformation. Impersonating news organizations has become a common tactic in foreign influence campaigns aimed at misleading voters ahead of major elections.
Fabricated health claims and legal action
Attacks against Philippe focused on his personal health. In late July, fact-checkers at French television channel TF1 reported that a widely shared post falsely claimed the mayor of Le Havre was suffering from dementia, an assertion that has since been refuted.
Philippe served as Prime Minister of France from 2017 to 2020. He is currently mayor of the northern port city of Le Havre and leads the center-right Horizons party.
Attal faced similar fabrications that falsely portrayed him as potentially suffering from Parkinson's disease. Lawyers for Attal, who leads the Renaissance party, said the former Prime Minister filed a formal complaint on August 7 alleging foreign interference originating from Russian networks.
Attal served as France's Prime Minister earlier in 2024 before taking over leadership of Renaissance, the main pro-Macron political party in the French parliament.
Earlier probe into Raphaël Glucksmann
The latest inquiry follows an earlier announcement by the Paris prosecutor's office in early August that it had opened a probe into identical acts targeting Glucksmann, founder of the Place publique party.
Glucksmann, a member of the European Parliament, spoke about the attacks during a trip to the department of Aude. He warned that France must not allow Vladimir Putin's Russia to manipulate the 2027 presidential election, which he described as an existential vote for the French public.
