The audiovisual regulatory body, Arcom, will look into Emmanuel Macron’s European campaign speaking time from next week following his speech on Europe at the Sorbonne on Thursday, we learned from her on Friday.
The head of state returned to the topic on Friday in front of journalists in Strasbourg: “It was the word of the president of the republic yesterday. The rules are then determined by others and that is very good and independent.”
“But I think we should not be hypocritical on this subject. We must take responsibility for the policies we have implemented, for the role that France has played in recent years and for the fact that I have put Europe at the center of our project,” he added.
A countdown of speaking times will be broadcast soon
Television and radio must broadcast their current number of speaking times for each camp in this European election campaign on Monday. “They will be scrutinized and after they pass the plenary assembly, they will be published on Arcom’s website,” the authority said.
“We will also check the recommendations regarding the speaking time of the President of the Republic,” added the Arcom spokesperson.
Republicans wrote to the regulator on Thursday to have the entire speech, which they described as an “electioneering propaganda operation”, removed from the “oratorical period of the Renaissance list”.
“Inter-App Injustice Subject”
In the public senate on Friday, he announced his intention to ask Arcom and the head of the PS, Olivier Faure: “It is strange that the head of state at this moment speaks in sequence, mobilizes TV channels, does it as if he is the head of his own list, but without was counted out. He mentioned “the subject of unfairness between the candidates”.
The TV channels themselves questioned themselves and some questioned the regulator, such as BFMTV. “We are waiting for Arcom’s decision,” we learned from the channel.
From 15 April, as before every election, TV and radio stations must adhere to the principle of fair treatment of political forces before the vote on 9 June.
Arcom did not give any specific instructions for this speech. The rules state that the interventions of the President of the Republic which “are part of the political debate connected with the elections, in particular those which include the expression of support for a candidate or a list of candidates, a party or a political grouping, are the subject of a separate report” of the channels compared to his other interventions, which with they are not related to the elections.
Channels will “take this into account by ensuring that other candidates, lists, parties or political groups benefit in return from fair access to broadcasting”.