French prosecutors probing alleged foreign interference against hard-left candidates, minister says
French prosecutors are investigating an alleged foreign interference campaign targeting hard-left candidates in the upcoming municipal elections. The campaign, reportedly linked to an Israeli firm called BlackCore, involved deceptive online tactics against candidates from the France Unbowed party. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez has promised a full report on the matter, describing the situation as 'extremely grave.'
- ▪French prosecutors are probing an alleged foreign interference campaign ahead of the March municipal elections.
- ▪The campaign targeted at least three candidates from the France Unbowed party and involved deceptive websites and social media accounts.
- ▪Interior Minister Laurent Nunez pledged to release a full report into the operation, which he called 'extremely grave.'
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| Original publisher | Straits Times — World |
| Canonical URL | https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/french-prosecutors-probing-alleged-foreign-interference-against-hard-left-candidates-minister-says |
| Publication time | Wed, 20 May 2026 23:59:11 +0800 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-20T16:05:02.641Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-20T16:05:02.641Z |
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French prosecutors probing alleged foreign interference against hard-left candidates, minister saysSign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxPublished May 20, 2026, 11:59 PMUpdated May 20, 2026, 11:59 PMPARIS, May 20 - French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on Wednesday prosecutors are probing an alleged foreign interference campaign ahead of the March municipal elections that targeted a hard-left party, and pledged to release a full report into the operation.Reuters last week revealed that French authorities suspect the campaign, which targeted at least three mayoral candidates from the France Unbowed (LFI) party, was carried out at least in part by an obscure Israeli firm called BlackCore.
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