France suspects Russian meddling in run-up to presidential polls: Source

The propaganda network Storm-1516 has also been connected to an effort to spread false claims linking President Emmanuel Macron to Jeffrey Epstein.France suspects Russia has sought to spread fake stories about two top French politicians running or likely to run in next year’s presidential elections, a security source and one of the politicians have said.French authorities last week detected a disinformation campaign targeting Raphael Glucksmann, a left-wing member of the European Parliament and vocal Kremlin critic expected to run for France’s top job next year, a source within the security services told AFP on Tuesday.The effort was traced to propaganda network Storm-1516, which has been linked to Russian intelligence, the source said, asking to remain anonymous because they were not authorised to speak to the press.“The Russian security services have begun their operations to destabilise the 2027 election campaign,” Glucksmann wrote on social media on Monday night.The fabricated story – claiming a plot to boost his candidacy – appeared on a website imitating the legitimate online outlet Blast and included false documents, reproduced voices using AI and a “completely fake video”, he said.“The aim is to make a complete lie go viral to smear figures considered hostile by the Russian regime,” said Glucksmann, who has repeatedly spoken out against Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.France’s far right is eyeing its best chance yet at winning the elections next year, with Marine Le Pen vying for the Elysee for a fourth time despite a fraud conviction.Storm-1516 last month also targeted presidential candidate Edouard Philippe, a centrist ex-prime minister thought to be the most able to take on the far right, through social media posts spreading false information about his health, the security source has said.It is also suspected of being linked to an effort detected in February to spread false claims linking President Emmanuel Macron to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.__© Agence France-PresseSubscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads