SUD-Rail protests against an advertising campaign promoting Jordan Bardella’s book in SNCF stations

An advertising campaign to promote Jordan Bardella’s book is displayed in many SNCF stations, denounces the SUD-Rail union.

“Today we learned of the communication plan from the publishing house Fayard for the next book by RN president Jordan Bardella, which includes a massive poster campaign in many SNCF stations”declares the SUD-Rail federation in a letter sent, Wednesday October 16, to the CEO of SNCF Jean-Pierre Farandou.

The publishing house plans to promote the book by the president of the RN via posters in 67 stations in Île-de-France, and 43 large stations in other regions from December 1 to 17. “At a time when the Council of State has confirmed the far-right positioning of a party created by the Waffen-SS, the federation wishes to call on you to recall the total opposition of far-right “values” of this reactionary party to those of our union and, we hope, those of the SNCF.”

SUD-Rail recalls that at the start of the year, “the SNCF advertising agency had no problem removing the posters of the comedian Waly Dia, although initially validated, under the pretext that it presented ‘a political character incompatible with the duty of neutrality which is required in public transport’, but it would not be a problem to participate in the promotion of the president of a party recognized and condemned for racist remarks.

“The SUD-Rail federation demands that Gares et Connexions, via its advertising agency, refuse this poster campaign in the service of a far-right political party”, she concludes. Contacted by franceinfo, Médiatransports, the advertising agency which operates advertising spaces for the SNCF and RATP, declares that it “only discovered today that the campaign booked by Fayard was for Jordan Bardella’s forthcoming book.” On the other hand, she declares “not having received the visuals of this campaign”and specifies that she will study them “in their entirety, whether images or annotations” when that will be the case.

The company recalls that it “can refuse a poster campaign, even if it has been reserved. We check whether it complies with the law and with ethical and contractual obligations. In this case, stations are public places, so for example there is a obligation of political neutrality which applies”. But she concludes, “we will judge the visuals we receive, we do not refuse a poster campaign on principle.”