France probes suspected Russian disinfo in 2027 race

French prosecutors have opened a probe into a suspected Russian disinformation campaign targeting centrist candidates in France's 2027 presidential election, the Paris prosecutor's office said Tuesday.

The office said prosecutors are examining deepfakes and fake video reports posted on social media targeting former prime ministers Edouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal, two main centrist contenders.

Prosecutors had already opened a probe into a disinformation campaign against left-wing politician Raphael Glucksmann, who has not formally declared but is widely expected to stand.

The fabricated content appeared on X in posts impersonating legitimate French media outlets. It falsely claimed that Attal had Parkinson's disease and that Philippe had contracted an illness. Glucksmann was targeted through false information about his partner, news anchor Lea Salame.

France's Viginum watchdog attributed the campaign targeting Attal with a high degree of confidence to the pro-Russian Matryoshka network. A security source said another Russian-linked propaganda network, Storm-1516, was behind campaigns targeting Glucksmann and Philippe.

Attal's legal team said the investigation showed judicial authorities were taking digital interference seriously. Glucksmann said France could not allow Vladimir Putin's Russia to manipulate the 2027 election.