The Paris prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into alleged Russian interference, through fake news spread on social media, aimed at damaging two candidates for the Élysée, former prime ministers Édouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal.
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Philippe and Attal share the common denominator that they were heads of government under Emmanuel Macron and that, if one of them were to surpass the first round of the presidential elections on April 18, they would likely face the far-right Marine Le Pen in the second round on May 2. By sowing doubts about their health, the aim is to weaken two moderate alternatives to lead the country.
The prosecutor’s office in the French capital indicated that its AC2 section on the protection of fundamental freedoms had taken the initiative to investigate the two cases, as well as that of Raphaël Glucksmann – close to the socialists and a potential candidate, although not confirmed – even before the respective complaints were filed. Philippe is mayor of the Norman city of Le Havre, which hosts the country’s second largest port, and presides over the center-right party Horizons, which in recent years has been an ally – although critical and not total – of the Macronists in the National Assembly. Attal, for his part, leads the Renaissance party, promoted by Macron when he launched his bid for the Élysée ten years ago.
Through networks like Storm1516, linked to the Russian secret services, Philippe’s mental health was questioned. Attal was said to show signs of Parkinson’s disease and to have a drug addiction problem. About Glucksmann, the rumor was spread that his wife, TV presenter Léa Salamé, had tried to bribe journalists to speak well of her husband.
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With the campaign approaching and the certainty that Moscow will again seek to interfere by underhanded means, the Government recently presented a bill in Parliament to toughen sanctions against those who, through false information and other procedures, try to manipulate the democratic process. The green candidate, Marine Tondelier, even proposed banning the X network, owned by Elon Musk – who has publicly shown his support for Le Pen – during the electoral period.
Russian interference in France, part of the hybrid war against the West and the destabilizing effort, has taken various forms and has included shady campaigns to simulate anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, such as graffiti of Stars of David on facades or the appearance of pig heads in front of mosques.
Russian maneuvers already affected Macron’s first campaign for the Élysée, when malicious lies about him were spread. The French president himself did not hesitate to publicly reproach Vladimir Putin when he received him with great pomp at the Palace of Versailles, a few days after taking office, a courtesy gesture that is still considered a serious mistake today because Russia had already taken part of Ukraine. Macron mentioned the interference suffered at the press conference, with Putin dodging the issue.
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