The names of birds have flown in the corridors of France Télévisions. This Friday, February 21, the editors of public broadcasting learn that the main candidates for the town hall of Paris will debate live on LCI, then between the two rounds on BFMTV. And France Télé, which has been offering a debate for months? Nothing! The affront is all the more scathing as the first debate takes place on March 4: right on the day planned by the public group.
Since December, France Télévisions repeats that it will organize the three Wednesdays which precede the first round a hundred debates on the local antennas of France 3. "For us, it is the double punishment…", fumes a leader of the local Ile-de-France . Because while the Parisians will post their differences on LCI, France 3 Ile-de-France invited the candidates from Levallois then those from Argenteuil. An evening that risks being short-circuited by that of LCI.
Furious, Yannick Letranchant, the director of information for France Televisions, wrote to the candidates: “To our amazement, (you give) preference to two private actors […]. This is not understandable in substance and contravenes the commitments made by several candidates and campaign directors, all of whom told us of their attachment to public service. ”
"Dati pushed for LCI, Hidalgo had promised to BFMTV"
Already during the presidential election, France 2 had suffered the affront of not gathering the favorites, who had agreed to compete on TF1 and then at a joint BFMTV / CNews evening. This time, the disappointment is due to an appointment postponed following the Griveaux affair. The bosses of France 3, France Bleu and France Info were to meet the campaign directors on February 14 at 10:30 a.m.
But at 9 am, entangled in his sextape affair, Benjamin Griveaux, head of the LREM list, threw in the towel. "The time to talk about it with Agnès Buzyn ( Editor's note: the replacement LREM ), the meeting was postponed to Monday 24." But the debate has been organized in the meantime ... with LCI. "We should, of course, have insisted on seeing them earlier, but everything was done behind our backs," mutters a manager.
On the morning of the 24th, the embarrassed candidates proposed a second debate before the first round. But March 11 is the day of debates in Lyon, Marseille, Rennes, Nantes, Bordeaux, Montpellier ... And Anne Hidalgo must be at the Parc des Princes, for the eighth final PSG return to the Champions League.
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So let's head to Tuesday March 10. Everyone agrees ... except Rachida Dati, who is still thinking. Everyone is passing the buck so as not to be designated as responsible for this fiasco, ”breathes one of the personalities present.