French Mayoral Candidates Targeted in Foreign Disinformation Campaign

Foreign Disinformation Campaign Targets French Left-Wing Politicians Ahead of Local Elections

French authorities have identified a foreign disinformation operation targeting two left-wing lawmakers running in France’s municipal elections, marking the third such attack on public figures in recent days.

The campaign specifically targeted members of the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party who are campaigning to become mayors of Marseille and Toulouse, with voting set to begin this Sunday.

France’s VIGINUM agency, which monitors foreign digital interference, reported detecting suspicious websites and social media accounts bearing “foreign technical markers” that were directed at “a French political party and… some of its candidates in the municipal elections in Marseille and Toulouse.”

A security source identified the targets as LFI lawmakers Sébastien Delogu and François Piquemal, though the exact origin of the campaign remains under investigation. Both politicians have been vocal critics of Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

In response to the attacks, Marseille prosecutors have opened a defamation investigation after Delogu filed a formal complaint. The disinformation operation included an online blog purportedly written by a former associate, claiming that Delogu had “hurt me and destroyed my life.” Posters featuring QR codes linking to the blog appeared throughout Marseille, though the blog has since been taken offline.

French newspaper Le Monde connected the blog to “a network of fake accounts” on X (formerly Twitter) that typically promotes content from the pro-Israeli lobby group European Leadership Network (ELNET), which is registered in France. The report indicated that this network had targeted both Delogu and Piquemal.

“I am being targeted by the far-right Israeli government because I have denounced the ongoing genocide in Palestine, for having defended international law, and because I speak out against all forms of corruption that are damaging our city and our republic,” Delogu said on Tuesday. He added, “Two far-right governments are targeting me – the United States and Israel.”

Delogu’s outspoken position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict previously resulted in a two-week suspension from France’s National Assembly after he waved a Palestinian flag during a parliamentary debate on Palestinian statehood in May 2024.

Piquemal echoed his colleague’s concerns, calling on judicial authorities to “shed light on all the ins and outs of these malicious acts” and noting that “this is not the first time we’ve faced threats and online harassment from Israeli far-right groups.”

This incident comes at a particularly sensitive time in French politics, with municipal elections widely viewed as a preview of the 2027 presidential race. The elections represent a crucial test for President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance, which faces challenges from both the left and right.

The disinformation campaign against the LFI candidates follows a separate incident earlier this month when VIGINUM accused a Russian group connected to military intelligence of foreign interference. That operation allegedly targeted Pierre-Yves Bournazel, a center-right candidate running in the Paris mayoral race, using fraudulent websites to spread misinformation.

These repeated foreign interference attempts have raised concerns about the vulnerability of France’s democratic processes to external manipulation. President Macron has pushed for new legislation to more rapidly block digital disinformation, particularly during election periods.

The incidents highlight the growing sophistication of foreign disinformation campaigns and their potential impact on democratic processes across Europe. France, which has historically maintained a strong stance on digital sovereignty, now faces increasing challenges in protecting its electoral integrity from foreign interference as digital platforms become more central to political campaigns.