(Radio France Internationale).- Last month, a parliamentary meeting of the committee approved the principle association of the public sector of television and radio broadcasting (France Télévisions, Radio France, INA, France Médias Monde – France 24, RFI and MCD) by 2026. The bill, championed by Culture Minister Rachida Dati, was due to be considered in the National Assembly in the coming days, from June. from 24 to 26. But like all the others, the project was buried, swept away by Emmanuel Macron’s decision to dissolve on the night of his party’s defeat in the European elections. The status quo is expected to be short-lived. The National Rally (RN) could come to power for the first time after early legislative elections on June 30 and July 7. Jordan Bardella, President of the RN, has confirmed several times that if he becomes Prime Minister, privatization of public television and radio broadcasting It will be part of their program even if “it won’t be done in 24 hours.”

“The idea is privatize state mediaBut support both RFI and France 24 because they represent France Abroad, Information about Francenews channel, and radio stations France Bluewhich are local radio stations,” said Damien Sumy, RN candidate for the Somme department, in an interview in France Bleu Picardy. Sébastien Chenu, vice president of RN, even raises the figure:3 billion eurosstate revenues from this sale. A figure that is not based on any specific plan and which various media experts consider absolutely fantastic. The point is that the threat of a “split” sale is being taken seriously by the various media unions involved who have mobilized.

The threat is taken seriously

Sophie Binet, general secretary of the trade union CGTalso mentioned this when he first gave voting instructions to his members: “We know that a certain number of bosses, starting with Vincent Bollore, will be happy to be able to buy and send Radio France And TVs in France“. Businessman shadow, powerful boss Channel+looms over legislative elections. Your media C8, CNews, Europe 1 And Journal du Dimanche They make openly campaign for the “union of the right” between the LR (Ciotti tendency) and the extreme right (National Rally and Reconquet).

The project also worries private mediawho are afraid to share with new actors advertising profits that have stagnated for years. financial markets were not wrong: in the days after dissolution stock prices from TF1 And M6 HE collapsed. This contrasts with what happened in 2008, when President Nicolas Sarkozy announced an end to late-night advertising in TVs in Francewhich was perceived at the time as a gift to his friend Martin Bouygues, owner TF1but also to another friend of the “godfather” of the French right: Vincent Bollore, director of the advertising agency Havas.

Privatization, even partial, of public broadcasting in France would be first in Europe, although RN isn’t the only one advocating the idea. Argentina has a far-right president Javier Miley He also included this in his program. In the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson when he was prime minister he tried to sell Channel 4 public television, considered hostile to the Conservatives… before being forced to resign and abandon the project. In the French media, concerns extend beyond the issue of privatization.

“The far right always prefers to take control of the media rather than dismantle it.”

“The far right always prefers to take control of state media, which are exceptional communication tools, rather than dismantle them,” media historian Alexis Levrier told EURACTIV. “This is what we are seeing in Hungary and Italy.” In Rome, Georgia Meloni Government recently forced Paradise To convey government messages without any journalistic mediation. You can add the example of Poland. After winning the legislative elections, one of the first measures of new Prime Minister Donald Tusk was to fire the entire staff of the public broadcaster, given that the ultra-conservatives in power for 10 years had turned it into a propaganda tool.