Attal warns of Russian interference in French election, names Le Pen as potential beneficiary

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has issued a stark warning about escalating Russian interference in the upcoming presidential election, stating that the vote could be "stolen from the French people" if adequate protective measures are not taken. Attal revealed that he himself was a victim of a Russian interference operation just eight months before the first round of voting.

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If we do nothing to protect ourselves, it is an election that can be distorted, stolen from the French people.

"For me, this is not a surprise. Obviously, I expected these destabilization maneuvers. They are not new, we prepared for them with my team, we strengthened our security measures, we changed our internal messaging, we are exercising the utmost vigilance," Attal stated. He further alleged that alongside interference "against" candidates, interference "for certain candidates, like Marine Le Pen" could emerge, citing her past defense of Kremlin interests. Attal claimed to have observed similar Kremlin interference favoring certain candidates, particularly the National Rally, during the 2022 European election campaign when he was Prime Minister.

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For me, this is not a surprise. Obviously, I expected these destabilization maneuvers. They are not new, we prepared for them with my team, we strengthened our security measures, we changed our internal messaging, we are exercising the utmost vigilance.

The French agency Viginum, responsible for combating foreign digital interference, confirmed detecting a disinformation operation targeting Attal. The agency attributes this campaign with "high confidence" to the pro-Russian Matriochka network. Other candidates, including Edouard Philippe and Raphaël Glucksmann, were also targeted. Fake content on X (formerly Twitter) impersonated French media outlets like France 24, BFM, and Ouest France to spread false claims about Attal, including that he exhibited "signs of Parkinson's disease" or advocated for policies favoring squatters.

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There had been interference from the Kremlin against certain candidates, but also in favor of certain candidates, notably the Rassemblement national.

Attal cautioned that these "destabilization operations" are expected to "multiply throughout the campaign." In response to the growing threat of foreign digital attacks, Raphaël Glucksmann and Marine Tondelier have called for greater accountability from foreign digital platforms like X and TikTok, demanding they swiftly remove disinformation content amplified by foreign powers.

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These destabilization operations will multiply throughout the campaign.