Ahead of France’s 2027 presidential election, support for far-right political forces is growing. According to an OpinionWay poll conducted on 21–22 October 2026, National Rally leader Marine Le Pen would receive 36% of the vote in the first round. In a modelled second round, she would garner 56% against 44% for both Édouard Philippe and Raphaël Glucksmann. Against this backdrop of strengthening far-right positions, French billionaire Vincent Bolloré is expanding his media empire and plans to launch a new information project aimed at promoting ultra-conservative views. At the same time, former employees of Russian propaganda outlets are playing an increasingly prominent role in his media assets, creating additional opportunities for the spread of pro-Russian narratives in France and beyond.
According to the French outlet Blast (29 October 2026), Bolloré made two transfers from his personal bank account to Xenia Fedorova, the former director of the Russian propaganda channel RT France who was expelled from France. The transfers took place in June and July, each amounting to tens of thousands of euros. Journalists claim the financial support is linked to plans to create, with Fedorova’s involvement, an international news agency capable of competing with Agence France-Presse (AFP). According to Blast, Bolloré considers AFP’s editorial policy biased because, in his view, it does not sufficiently reflect far-right perspectives. The billionaire therefore intends to establish an alternative news agency with a corresponding editorial line and is prepared to invest substantial sums in the project.
The new agency’s primary audience is expected to be Europe and the countries of the Global South, particularly Francophone Africa, where the Bolloré-linked company Canal+ — in which his group retains a significant stake — already has an extensive information distribution network. Positioning itself as an independent French media outlet, the new agency could become an additional channel for the dissemination of pro-Russian narratives. In such a scenario, the Kremlin would gain the ability to influence an international audience through a French news agency that would not be formally linked to Russian state media, which are banned in many countries.
Xenia Fedorova, who enjoys Bolloré’s personal support, plays a key role in the creation of the new agency. After the closure of the French branch of Russia Today, she continued working in media outlets linked to the billionaire — CNews, Europe 1, and Le JDNews. As Le Monde reported in an investigation published on 18 June 2026, her activities were accompanied by the active promotion of Kremlin narratives and restrictions on the participation of experts holding opposing views. In particular, despite photo and video evidence, Fedorova questioned Russia’s responsibility for strikes on Ukrainian cultural and religious heritage sites and justified the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia as a “humanitarian evacuation.” The hiring of former RT France staff by Bolloré’s media companies also created conditions for them to continue their information activities after the Russian channel was shut down.
Bolloré continued to support Fedorova even after French authorities decided to expel her and impose financial restrictions. In late July 2026, she was ordered to leave France on the grounds that she posed a threat to the fundamental interests of the state. However, according to Blast (29 October), the billionaire allowed her to temporarily reside on his private yacht, which was first in the Mediterranean and later in the Adriatic Sea. After French courts rejected her requests to suspend the expulsion order, Fedorova moved to Dubai (UAE), where, with Bolloré’s financial support, she continues to participate in the preparation of the new international news agency.
In parallel, Bolloré is strengthening his position in the French information market. As AFP reported on 4 September 2026, Lagardère News, part of his media group, acquired a 25% stake in the publisher of the far-right outlet Frontières, known for its anti-immigration rhetoric and nationalist ideas. The head of Frontières, Éric Ténèze, also collaborates with CNews. In this way, the billionaire is expanding his network of television, print, and online outlets oriented toward a far-right audience.
The scale of Bolloré’s media business is examined in the report “Le Système Bolloré,” published on 23 October 2026 by Attac France and the Observatoire des multinationales. According to the authors, media, culture, and communications account for approximately 90% of Bolloré’s business empire, with profits from certain assets being partially used to finance less profitable media that promote far-right views. Researchers consider this concentration of media resources a threat to political pluralism, especially ahead of the 2027 presidential election, the outcome of which could affect France’s domestic and foreign policy, including its relations with Russia.
Cooperation between Bolloré’s media companies and former representatives of Russian propaganda outlets has already raised concerns among French authorities. As Le Monde reported on 10 September 2026, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez contacted the media regulator ARCOM, warning of possible criminal prosecution of CNews if it allowed Fedorova to participate remotely in television broadcasts. The Interior Ministry stressed that such actions could be regarded as circumvention of the established restrictions and as facilitating Russian information interference. Subsequently, on 24 September, the Council of the EU imposed personal sanctions on Fedorova for her involvement in Russian information manipulation and interference operations. These sanctions include asset freezes, a ban on providing her with funds or other financial or material support, and a ban on entry into and transit through the territory of the EU.
Despite the measures taken by French authorities, Bolloré continues to expand his media empire amid rising support for far-right political forces ahead of the 2027 presidential election. His information projects could help strengthen the positions of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella’s National Rally as well as Éric Zemmour’s Reconquête, particularly on issues related to revising France’s foreign policy course. The combination of the billionaire’s financial resources, substantial media assets, and the experience of former RT employees creates the conditions for the wider dissemination of pro-Russian narratives in France and in Global South countries, especially in Francophone Africa. This aligns with the Kremlin’s interests in weakening European unity, reducing support for Ukraine, and bolstering political forces that advocate restoring relations with Moscow.
