Advertising for Jordan Bardella's book will not be broadcast in stations, the president of the RN is outraged

Jordan Bardella censored? Advertising for the book by the president of the National Rally Jordan Bardella, entitled “What I'm looking for”, will not be broadcast in French stations, Mediatransports said on Monday. Asked by AFP, the company which manages the advertising panels in SNCF stations and the Paris metro, specified that the visual of the poster contravened “the principles of neutrality” specific to the advertising agency. SNCF unions had previously considered that an advertising campaign “in the service of a far-right political party” had no place in stations.

Jordan Bardella “outraged” by the non-broadcast

Jordan Bardella expressed his “deep indignation” on Monday after the announcement of the non-broadcast of advertisements for the release of his book in train stations, made earlier in the morning by Mediatransports, the company which manages the advertising panels in the stations. SNCF and RATP networks. “I ask the SNCF to reconsider this unacceptable act of censorship, which undermines its duty of neutrality. If necessary, legal recourse will be taken,” warns the head of the National Rally, whose work is due to be published on November 9. The president of the RN threatened to take “legal action” to win his case. Faced with the start of the controversy, Mediatransports confirmed in mid-October that it had received a request for an advertising campaign from the publishing house Fayard, without having seen the chosen visual.

A “major campaign” was nevertheless planned

The agency has since taken note of the poster campaign and judged that the visual used, the cover of the book – a portrait of Jordan Bardella crossed out with the title “What I am looking for”, contravened its principles of neutrality.
Jordan Bardella “is a Member of the European Parliament and president of a political party” and the title of the book underlines that it is not simply an autobiographical story, explained Mediatransports. The campaign planned just over 500 displays in several stations in France, in several waves, from the end of November, i.e. “a major campaign”, according to the advertising agency.

A decision that delights some

The CGT-Cheminots, which had shared its strong opposition to the initiative, welcomed this decision. “This is very good news,” rejoiced the union’s general secretary Thierry Nier. “It was a real provocation (…), everyone is put in their place and we can always say that the RN is not a party like the others,” he insisted to the AFP.

The release of the book, which will be printed in 155,000 copies, must be accompanied by an intense communication plan on the channels of the Bolloré group, also owner of the Fayard publishing house.