Only the statement is authentic
Ladies and gentlemen ministers,
Ladies and gentlemen parliamentarians,
Ladies and gentlemen presidents,
Dear friends,
This moment had to come! And here he arrived. In a few days, as the magistrates of the Court of Auditors say in the autumn of their journey, I will have to “put down the dress”. A dress that I was careful not to wear this evening!
In these moments, I can't help but think back to “Forrest Gump” when he reminds us at the beginning of the film of this almost “existential” precept: “Mom always said, life is like a box of chocolates: we you never know what you're going to run into.” And I tell myself that in the end I would have had a rather lucky hand and a lot of luck.
First of all, fortunate to have served some of the finest institutions of the Republic for nearly 45 years. Our Capital, the City of Light; the gold of the rue de Valois, where the shadow of André Malraux still hovers; the Comédie-Française, the first of our national theaters; the Presidency of the Republic, holy of holies of our Institutions; the Court of Auditors, an influential judiciary if ever there was one; and above all, the independent Authority – how should I put it? – perhaps the most “peaceful”? – of our administrative landscape: the CSA yesterday, the Arcom today.
Lucky then, to have encountered, in my long-term wandering between numbers and letters, extraordinary personalities. I have always thought that the salt of life is found in encounters. And I was not disappointed. How can I not think back to all these figures who have marked and often illuminated my path? Exemplary and dedicated servants of the State, who knew how to transmit to me the values and ethics of public service. Exceptional artists, as flamboyant in life as in their art. Figures of our national political life: François Léotard, father of the great law of 1986 which bears his name and which I did not imagine, as a young advisor in his cabinet, one day having to ensure the implementation; and of course President Jacques Chirac, whom it is difficult for me not to think of this evening in this wonderful Museum which bears his name. And all of you, women and men of communication, women and men of culture, often long-time companions and friends, who have made these years of navigation on the sea of media happy years, certainly “stimulating” and certainly exciting. .
I cannot thank enough everyone who made this happiness possible.
First of all, the President of the Republic, who did me the honor of entrusting me with this wonderful responsibility. I am grateful to him for his trust and for having guaranteed the independence of the Authority over these 6 years.
The parliamentarians of the two assemblies and the successive ministers who will have carried out, accompanied, supported, through numerous legislative texts, the transformation of the Institution by giving it the means to cope with its multiple missions.
The members of the college then: Nicolas, Nathalie, Jean-François, Carole, Hervé, Benoît, Juliette, Anne, Denis, Laurence, Bénédicte, Antoine and Michèle, of whom I often think as her sudden departure on a May night brought us all upset. Each of you, with your temperaments and experiences, has allowed our collegiality to live – the word is not too strong – and to deliberate in the service of the general interest.
Finally, the Authority's teams: Alban and Guillaume, two exceptional directors general; Frédéric and Pauline, their talented assistants; Marie and Sara, communications fairies, without forgetting my two successive cabinet directors, Yannick and Justine, the flower of the new generation of state servants. Through you, dear friends, I want to pay tribute to the directors and all the employees of Arcom whose competence, know-how and commitment do honor to public service.
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1. Over the past 6 years, France's media and the relationship of the French to the media have changed a lot and regulation could not be left behind.
New institution, new governance, new skills, new location, the Authority has transformed over the years to better support our stakeholders and better serve the French. “Neither quite the same, nor quite another”, Arcom is now establishing itself, not as a simple policeman, but as a modern regulatory authority, recognized and respected in Europe.
1.1. First of all, it consolidated and affirmed its independence and legitimacy.
By reading the memories that Michèle Cotta recently published, I was able to measure the progress made over the past 40 years. In any case, I can testify here that, during these 6 years, our college will have ruled on each file with complete impartiality and complete independence with regard to both political authorities and economic interests. This was a constant requirement for us. Our only compass will have been fidelity to the principles established by the law. On the one hand, freedom of communication, editorial freedom, freedom of expression, these precious goods without which there is no democracy. On the other hand, the responsibility, that of publishers, to ensure the protection of the public. Under the permanent control of the judge, our hand has never wavered, whether it is a matter of protecting a fundamental public freedom on a daily basis or of reminding a failing publisher of its obligations. Far from pressure and controversy, the Authority has fulfilled its missions, attentive to society's expectations, but assuming that the time for its decisions is never that of social networks.
1.2. Secondly, we invested in the new areas of expertise entrusted to us.
With 6 European regulations and directives, often at the initiative of France, and a dozen national laws, the institution has seen its responsibilities expand massively. To keep up with the times, it has embraced the digital revolution in all its dimensions. The adoption of the European regulation on digital services, which owes much to the determined action of France, and the designation of Arcom as coordinating authority will have marked a decisive step in this regard. With this new horizon, the regulator is part of the great ambition of building, alongside the Commission and all our European counterparts, a more secure and responsible Internet.
-1.3. We finally supported the media in their changes.
Deployment of digital terrestrial radio, integration of streaming platforms into the field of regulation, strengthening of our tools to fight against piracy, renewed initiatives in favor of parity and diversity on the air, ever greater commitment to the accessibility of programs and the protection of minors, renewed control of respect for pluralism, these years will have been years of metamorphosis.
Of course, everything was not easy. But the unity of the college, the know-how of the services and the unfailing support of the public authorities, have enabled this regulator to undergo its transformation to better support the operators of our audiovisual landscape and above all in the interest of the public.
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2. But beyond this assessment, I do not forget from experience that public service is an eternal school of humility and that history is never finished. When passing the torch, many challenges remain for the media, the regulator and the public authorities.
2.1. The first issue, perhaps the most important in my eyes, is that of freedom.
“Without freedom, there is nothing in the world” wrote Châteaubriand. I was struck during my mandate by the rise of intolerance, the polarization of public debate, the accentuation of divisions, the difficulty in listening to each other and in dialogue. Through interventions with the Authority, I have sometimes seen sweeping positions expressed. And I perceived the temptation among some to make Arcom play a role that is not and should not be its own, that of a thought police or a court of opinion, in cutting back on our liberal-inspired model. I think we need to be careful about that. With the 1881 law on freedom of the press and the 1986 law on freedom of communication, the regulation of written and audiovisual media in our country is based on a subtle and precious balance between freedom and responsibility. Let us work together to preserve this priceless heritage.
2.2. The second issue, no less essential, is that of pluralism.
As the hour of global media has come, this question is central to our democracy. We all know here that the omnipotence of the major digital players threatens our content media, written press, radio and television, whether public or private. However, the plurality of publishers is at stake, to avoid concentrations in a few hands, and the competition of ideas, to guarantee the vitality of public debate.
In this regard, the main point of vigilance is that of the robustness of the economic model of our media. Preserving the attractiveness and competitiveness of our national players is – I repeat – a democratic issue and I would like to salute the capacity for innovation of our publishers here present to adapt to the transformation of their environment.
The European Union made no mistake in adopting its regulation on media freedom last May and the States General of Information made strong proposals in this area. Today there is a form of urgency to act.
2.3. The third issue is finally that of trust.
How can we allow our fellow citizens' distrust of the media and information fatigue to persist and prosper when it is not now an information exodus? The issue of trust has become a real challenge for all of us. Better represent France in all its diversity, in all its reality, in all its complexity. Ensure more than ever the honesty, rigor and pluralism of information. Resolutely fight against “engineers of chaos”, against online hatred, disinformation, conspiracy and interference. Give its full place to media education and digital citizenship. The task remains immense.
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Dear friends,
In a week, and even if the institution's files have and will continue to occupy us until the last minute, I will leave my position not without emotion, as these years shared with all of you will have been fascinating.
With Martin Ajdari, to whom I will pass the baton, I know that the house will be in good hands and that he will be keen not only to strengthen the institution but above all to give it new impetus.
For now, Pierre Dac pulls my sleeve and reminds me that “the shortest speeches are the shortest”. It remains for me to bow out by thanking you and wishing each and every one of you a beautiful and happy new year 2025.
For my part, I am going to follow to the letter the excellent advice of Voltaire's Candide by hastening to “cultivate my garden”. And I will finally be able to say in my turn without any more restraint: “But what does Arcom do? » ! Thank you.
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