France warns foreign actors, including Elon Musk, of meddling in 2027 election

At the closing of an OECD gathering, French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot warned that foreign actors are intensifying efforts to destabilise France ahead of the 2027 presidential election. He identified a range of tactics, including the exploitation of immigration, secularism and the Israel-Palestine conflict to fuel hatred and tension. Barrot specifically named a Israeli company that allegedly set up fake accounts to manufacture artificial disputes over Palestine, and highlighted massive online harassment campaigns orchestrated through Elon Musk's social media platform to undermine European leaders.

He also cited disinformation suggesting the future French election would be rigged, and noted that hostile narratives are being amplified from Russia, China, Iran and the MAGA community. The minister reiterated France's zero-tolerance stance on any foreign interference, framing it as a matter of national sovereignty.