On October 27, 2022, the French investigative program Complément d’enquête aired an in-depth report on Putin’s networks in France. Stand With Ukraine thanks the journalists for their meticulous work, which exposes how certain French politicians have aligned themselves with a foreign power.
The program first examined the case of François Fillon. Marginalized and humiliated by Nicolas Sarkozy, Fillon was courted by Putin as early as their 2008 meeting in Sochi. At the time, he publicly supported Russia’s intervention in Syria, which caused more civilian deaths than ISIS. Hervé Mariton, an ally of Fillon, even backed Alain Juppé during the 2016 elections due to concerns over Putin’s influence on the former prime minister. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Fillon echoed Kremlin rhetoric in his public statements. Beyond ideological affinity, Fillon’s ties were financial—he was appointed to the board of two Russian oil companies in 2021, with an estimated annual salary of at least €80,000.
The program then turned its focus to the National Rally (RN). Thierry Mariani, an RN MEP, has openly supported Russia’s annexation of Crimea. While Complément d’enquête highlighted this, it failed to mention that Mariani is married to a Russian woman he met during Nicolas Sarkozy’s presidential campaign. Furthermore, as revealed by Le Nouvel Observateur, Mariani has vested interests in a major Russian investment fund.
Lastly, the investigation spotlighted Philippe Olivier, a political advisor to Marine Le Pen and husband of her sister, Marie-Caroline. In 2018, the couple attended the FIFA World Cup final in Russia, invited by Konstantin Malofeev, an oligarch and close Putin ally. Malofeev, described as a “mobster” by a former RN treasurer, is a far-right oligarch who maintains ties with both Putin and Philippe de Villiers. Sanctioned by the EU and the US, Malofeev aims to build a European far-right network, the “alt-intern,” modeled after the Comintern. His tool? Money, lots of it. As the FN faced financial ruin in 2015, Marine Le Pen publicly supported Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Soon after, the FN secured a loan enabling the party to fund its operations and campaigns. As of today, the RN reportedly owes €6 million to its Russian connections.
While these politicians remain complicit in Russia’s aggression, Stand With Ukraine continues to expose Russian influence in France. Our mission is to amplify Ukraine’s voice in public discourse, countering Moscow’s propaganda.
