Raphaël Glucksmann, a likely candidate in next year's French presidential election, stated that French authorities attributed a disinformation campaign against him to Russia's military intelligence agency, the GRU. The operation aimed to destabilize the upcoming election.
The alleged Russian disinformation campaign targeting a prominent French presidential hopeful highlights ongoing efforts by foreign actors to interfere in democratic elections and destabilize political landscapes.
Center-left MEP Raphaël Glucksmann, widely considered a likely candidate for the next French presidential election, has stated that French authorities have identified a disinformation campaign targeting him as being directly controlled by Russia's military intelligence agency, the GRU.
Glucksmann, who is expected to announce his presidential bid in the coming weeks, shared on social media that he was informed by the French Secretariat-General for National Defence and Security about the "Russian operation." He asserted that Russian agencies have initiated efforts to destabilize the 2027 presidential election, describing the attack as a preview of future actions.
The alleged disinformation effort involved the publication of an article on a website designed to resemble the well-known left-wing news outlet Blast. Additionally, a social media clip falsely claimed that Glucksmann's partner, Léa Salamé, a prominent host on French public television, attempted to bribe journalists to speak favorably about his potential candidacy.
Glucksmann is a known critic of the Russian government and participated in the 2013 Maidan uprising in Kyiv. The Russian Embassy in Paris had not immediately responded to a request for comment. French President Emmanuel Macron has previously stated that protecting the 2027 presidential election from foreign interference is a key priority as he approaches the end of his term.