French Green candidate Tondelier urges one-month X shutdown, accuses Musk of backing Le Pen
Marine Tondelier, French Green party leader and 2027 presidential candidate, has renewed her call for a one-month shutdown of social media platform X, accusing owner Elon Musk of using it to interfere in French politics and boost Marine Le Pen ahead of the 2027 election. She claims the platform's algorithm is manipulated and that Musk, who she says holds a supremacist ideology, wants Europe to submit to the US. Despite her calls, Tondelier remains marginal in the race, with an IFOP poll showing her at about 4% support, while other surveys range from 3% to 5%. Le Pen, meanwhile, stands at 35%.
Marine Tondelier, national secretary of the French Greens and a declared candidate for the 2027 presidential election, has again called for the temporary shutdown of the social media platform X, accusing its owner, Elon Musk, of using the platform to interfere in French politics and to build support for Marine Le Pen ahead of the 2027 vote. She said the platform cannot be viewed merely as a matter of free speech or corporate freedom, because it is controlled by a boss based in the United States who holds a supremacist ideology and explicitly wants Europe to submit fully to America.
Tondelier accused Musk of wanting Le Pen to win, and said his intervention exposed the "hypocrisy" of the National Rally's so-called patriotism. She claimed the social network's algorithm is manipulated, and that the "rating" system used to flag the veracity of posts has now become a means of producing further fake news. She also complained that her environmental positions on the platform are frequently challenged, and noted that female politicians have long suffered online bullying.
In January 2025, Tondelier said the network must be banned in Europe, arguing that whether or not she left it, it would have an impact on the real world and would destabilise the next election, while describing X as "painful" for politicians and women. Her latest remarks follow Musk's public endorsement of Le Pen last month.
Despite her calls, Tondelier remains on the margins of the presidential race. A recent IFOP poll put her support at about 4%, with other surveys ranging between 3% and 5%. Le Pen, by contrast, stands at 35%.