Questioned in the National Assembly by François Piquemal, the LFI deputy for Haute-Garonne, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed on Wednesday, May 20, the existence of foreign-origin cyber interference targeting La France Insoumise during the municipal election campaign, describing these actions as an "extremely serious matter" with an "obviously malicious nature." He simultaneously announced that the matter would be referred to the judicial authorities and promised the publication of the report by the Election Coordination and Protection Network.
The modus operandi described by the minister relies on social media networks fueled by demonstrably inauthentic accounts, amplified by artificial intelligence, and directed against several identified candidates. Among the targets are François Piquemal in Toulouse, David Guiraud in Roubaix, and Sébastien Delogu in Marseille, falsely accused of rape.
The trail leads back to a company based in Israel.
French investigators have identified the Israeli company BlackCore as one of the vectors behind this interference operation during the municipal election campaign. However, no mastermind has yet been formally identified. The electoral judge will also have to determine whether the manipulation had an impact on the election results.
Earlier in the day, Sébastien Delogu held a press conference to warn the government about the risk that similar foreign interference could compromise the 2027 presidential election. A warning that the context of the affair makes difficult to ignore, as France has so far received no answers on the identity of those who financed the operation.
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