France accuses Musk of 'online harassment' ahead of 2027 election
Foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot warns of election interference risks as Musk amplifies messages about France's protests and migration.
What to know
- France's foreign minister formally accused Elon Musk of conducting "massive online harassment campaigns" against European leaders via X, characterizing it as election interference targeting France's April-May 2027 presidential vote.
- Musk posted to 241.5 million followers that French student protests represent "an invasion in slow motion," echoing language used by President Trump and amplifying narratives that concern French officials.
- Barrot framed the accusations within broader warnings of coordinated foreign disinformation from Russia, China, Iran, and Trump supporters targeting France ahead of an election where far-right candidate Marine Le Pen has her strongest prospects.
“They exploit our divisions and exploit issues such as immigration, secularism, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to stoke hatred and tension.”
Jean-Noël Barrot, France's foreign minister · Arab News ↗ · Oct 12
Jean-Noël Barrot France's foreign minister
Elon Musk X owner and tech billionaire
Marine Le Pen Far-right French presidential candidate
Donald Trump US President
How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts
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Barrot warns of coordinated foreign disinformation from multiple state and non-state actors
Barrot reported that coverage of French student demonstrations online has been marked by "hostile narratives originating from Russia and China, as well as Iran and the MAGA community," and separately noted an Israeli company created fake French accounts to post about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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background
Barrot details Musk's comments amplifying narratives on French student protests — Barrot cited Musk's post to 241.5 million X followers characterizing recent French student protests as "an invasion in slow motion," which followed Trump's claim that "what's happening in France is nothing less than out of control mass migration."
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background
Barrot raises 2027 election interference concerns ahead of Le Pen's strongest bid — Barrot warned that ahead of France's April-May 2027 presidential election—in which far-right candidate Marine Le Pen has her strongest chance of winning—foreign actors "will do everything to destabilize us" by exploiting divisions on immigration, secularism, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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Barrot accuses Musk of online harassment targeting European leaders
France's foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot accused billionaire Elon Musk of "massive online harassment campaigns" against European leaders at an OECD conference, warning that such campaigns aim to influence national debates by exploiting X's viral nature.
“massive online harassment campaigns by Elon Musk against European leaders, aimed at influencing national debates by exploiting the viral nature of his social network.”
— Jean-Noël Barrot