France accuses Elon Musk of harassing European leaders

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Tuesday accused Elon Musk of running what he called online harassment campaigns against European leaders, as he warned of foreign interference risks before France's 2027 presidential election.

Speaking at a conference organised by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris, Barrot said “the enemies of democracy” would try to destabilise France before the April-May election.

Barrot also said an unidentified Israeli company had created fake French accounts to post about the Israel-Palestinian conflict. He said online coverage of recent French high school student protests had included hostile narratives originating from Russia, China, Iran and the MAGA community.

US President Donald Trump wrote last week on Truth Social that France was facing “out of control mass migration.” Musk later wrote on X that it was “an invasion in slow motion” and said those who supported it were “traitors who deserve the fate of all traitors.”

Barrot said France would not tolerate foreign interference “from wherever it may come.”