Macron’s speech at the Sorbonne counted against Valérie Hayer’s speaking time

POLITICS – Arcom was predictable! The Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication (Arcom) announced this Thursday, May 2 that the speech of the President of the Republic at the Sorbonne, on April 25, was to be counted in its “ entirety » of the speaking time of the majority candidate in the European elections Valérie Hayer.

This speech, supposed to set France’s priorities on a European scale for the coming years, was presented by Emmanuel Macron’s entourage as an institutional exercise devolved to the French head of state. Arcom therefore decides otherwise.

“If the words of the President of the Republic did not express explicit support for the list led by Ms. Valérie Hayer, they nevertheless presented, in their entirety, a direct link with the election”considers the media policeman in a letter sent to the Republicans and published on social networks.

“Political manipulation unmasked”

This decision should delight the opponents of the tenant of the Élysée who all quickly denounced the use of state resources for the benefit of the Macronist campaign. Éric Ciotti and his troops, in the lead. “ Political manipulation unmasked », now rejoices President LR, who had asked Arcom to decide.

In his letter, the media regulator underlines in particular that the remarks of the President of the Republic that day, “contributing to taking stock of past action and exposing the elements of a program, could have an impact on the vote” from June 9. The independent authority also observes that this speech, lasting almost two hours, was delivered “while the electoral campaign is fully underway”.

The Head of State returned to the subject in front of journalists in Strasbourg on Friday: “It was a word from the President of the Republic yesterday. Afterwards, the rules are defined by others and that is very good and independent”. “But I think we shouldn’t be hypocritical on the subject. We must take responsibility for the policy that we have pursued, the role that France has led in recent years and the fact that I have put Europe at the heart of the project that is ours.”he added.

Since April 15, and as before each election, TV and radio stations are required to respect a principle of fairness in the treatment of political forces. Arcom had not given any specific instructions for the Head of State’s speech at the Sorbonne.

The rules provide that interventions by the President of the Republic who “are part of the political debate linked to elections, in particular those which include the expression of support for a candidate or a list of candidates, a party or political group, are the subject of a separate statement” through the airwaves, compared to his other interventions unrelated to the election.

Main consequence of the media regulator’s decision: The different channels which broadcast the speech will therefore have to take it into account, by balancing the speaking times of the other political camps.

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