The Paris administrative court ordered France 2 on Monday to invite Benoît Hamon (Génération s), Florian Philippot (Les Patriotes) and François Asselineau (UPR) to its Thursday debate on European women, or failing to include them in a similar appointment before April 23.
Asked, the public channel did not wish to comment on the decision at this stage.
The sequel after the ad
“The decisions not to invite these three candidates to the debate on April 4 are likely to seriously and manifestly illegally undermine the fundamental freedom constituted by respect for the principle of the pluralistic nature of the expression of currents of thought and opinion. »adds the court in a press release.
The three leaders contested in summary release the decision of France 2 not to invite them to the debate, where the heads of lists in the European elections Manon Aubry (LFI), Jordan Bardella (RN), François-Xavier Bellamy (LR) were invited. , Nicolas Dupont-Aignan (DLF), Raphaël Glucksmann (joint list Place Publique-PS), Yannick Jadot (EELV) and Nathalie Loiseau (LREM), as well as Ian Brossat (PCF) and Jean-Christophe Lagarde (UDI) – these two last “drafted” after being discarded.
The court says it has “enjoins France Télévisions, under the control of the Superior Audiovisual Council, to invite Benoît Hamon, François Asselineau and Florian Philippot to the debate organized on April 4 on France 2 or to another major information and debate before April 23, 2019”.
“It will make case law”
He considers that Génération s “is distinct from the Socialist Party, brings together a deputy, a senator, three MEPs and is credited with 2.5 to 4% of the voting intentions in the next elections in question. Also, the fact that the current of thought embodied by it during the last presidential elections of 2017 is represented during the debate on April 4 is inoperative. »
The sequel after the ad
In a letter addressed to Generation s activists and published by the party on Wednesday, France 2 explained that it had taken into account the representation of the parties in the European Parliament and the French Parliament, voting intentions and “the demand for pluralism in the presentation of currents of political thought”.
“I am happy, and sad too, to have had to go through this to denounce the unequal treatment”reacted Benoît Hamon to AFP. “This will set a precedent: the public service has obligations linked to its charter for fair and equitable criteria that apply to all”he estimated.
Florian Philippot welcomed in a press release a decision “which blows a breath of fresh air on the French democratic debate and which puts an end to the unbearable inter-society of the old parties”. This supporter of an exit of France from the EU, also defended by the UPR, underlined “the need to respect the pluralism of ideas”.