Two months after the publication of an article from World which revealed that he collaborated very closely on the autobiography of the president of the National Rally (RN), Jordan Bardella, the political journalist Jean-François Achilli denounced the “eminently political dimension” of his dismissal from Radio France, in an interview published Saturday May 25 on the website of Figaro.
“I committed the crime at Radio France of being approached by the president of the RN for a book project”, says Jean-François Achilli. But, “in the end, we did not succeed (…) to an agreement, which is why there is no book, no contract, no money”. So, “I did not commit professional misconduct and there is an eminently political dimension in my dismissal” at the end of April, he says in this first speech since the decision, which he contests with the industrial tribunal.
The journalist was “dismissed for serious misconduct, due to repeated breaches of ethical obligations relating to external collaborations”, according to an internal Source at the public group at Agence France-Presse. It is also a question of an activity of “media training” (from training to communication), led by Jean-François Achilli and not declared to his superiors. The journalist sweeps “undocumented accusations of alleged benefits”in this interview with Figaro Magazine.
“It’s a collaboration »
Jean-François Achilli interviewed a political figure daily on - in the late afternoon and co-presented the current affairs talk show “Les Informés” in the evening. The boss of -, Jean-Philippe Baille, had estimated in The Parisian that “when a journalist corrects the proofs of a politician’s future book, it’s a collaboration”. And “when this collaboration takes place during an electoral period, it amounts to participating in a strategy of conquest of power”.
The head of the RN list in the European elections had, for his part, assured the World that ” alone [son] close entourage [l]‘help to write this book, for proofreading’. Its publication is planned after the European elections in June. For his part, Jean-François Achilli assures that he has not “never campaigned in any way for any political figure”. He claims to be ” curious “ and D’“get in touch, while remaining at a distance” politics.
Asked about the support enjoyed within Radio France by the comedian Guillaume Meurice, also threatened with dismissal and marked on the left, Jean-François Achilli criticizes a “one-way mobilization” who doesn’t have it “not surprised”. “It marks the partisan character which now runs through the corridors of the Round House”, “in the service of a single ideological orientation”he asserts. “Regaining a form of balance and neutrality will undoubtedly be one of the major challenges of the future reform” merger of public broadcasting, he concludes.
Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers Behind the Guillaume Meurice affair, the political humor in question
Add to your selections
