Sébastien Delogu, La France Insoumise's candidate in the Marseille municipal election, speaks at a rally on March 7, 2026. MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP
A strange smear campaign has targeted Sébastien Delogu, the radical left La France Insoumise (LFI) candidate in Marseille's mayoral election, for several weeks. Since mid-February, a blog and pages on Facebook and X under the name of a certain "Sophie" have accused the MP of rape and violence.
One or more individuals went to great lengths to boost the visibility of "Sophie" just weeks before the vote. Flyers were posted at several spots in Marseille, including on official election billboards, each displaying a QR code linking to the website. Several journalists covering the municipal election, including Le Monde's correspondent, have also been contacted via an anonymous email address to draw their attention to the site. A request for comment sent to that email address went unanswered.
However, a quick check revealed that the "Sophie" profile was riddled with inconsistencies and signs of manipulation. On Facebook, its posts generated many comments and "likes," but all were fake. These interactions came from automated fake accounts, many based in Asia. Despite the financial investment – the account owner paid for certification and bought likes – the story failed to go viral on social media. Delogu filed a defamation complaint on Monday, March 2.
