Quentin Bataillon weakened after his time on the set of “Touche pas à mon poste”. This Tuesday, the president of the commission of inquiry into TNT frequencies carried out an assessment of his work in the program of Cyril Hanouna, who had been interviewed in mid-March by the said commission. Quentin Bataillon particularly criticized the attitude of host Yann Barthès, competitor of the star presenter of C8, whom he had also heard.
The deputy of the presidential majority has attracted the wrath of the left as well as members of his own parliamentary group. Several officials have asked that Quentin Bataillon, who they criticize for this interview even though the commission's work will only end at the beginning of May (the conclusions must be rendered on May 7), resign from his functions after his television appearance.
What did Quentin Bataillon say to “TPMP”?
The Renaissance deputy tackled a host competing with Cyril Hanouna, Yann Barthès, who was also heard: "I think it's the first time that I got angry, he had a fairly arrogant attitude from the start, he refused to answer our questions,” said Quentin Bataillon about the presenter of “Quotidien”, on TMC.
"It's the first time that I got angry (...) He had a fairly arrogant attitude from the start!"@qbataillon, the President of the TNT Inquiry Commission of the National Assembly, reacts to the attitude of Yann Barthès! #TPMP pic.twitter.com/ey2W7ygt2c
— TPMP (@TPMP) April 2, 2024
Quentin Bataillon also congratulated Hanouna for “inviting everyone” to his set, before explaining that C8 – a channel that is regularly sanctioned by the audiovisual police – respected the rules imposed by Arcom. The Renaissance MP was also offered a t-shirt on which it was written: “It’s snack time”. A reference to the sentence pronounced by Cyril Hanouna during his audition at the Palais-Bourbon: the TPMP presenter indicated that he would have to leave his audition at 4:30 p.m. to prepare for his daily show and to “snack”.
Read alsoCyril Hanouna denounces “relentlessness” before the Commission of Inquiry of the National Assembly
Quentin Bataillon also provided education on the work of the commission, devoted to the allocation of TNT frequencies, including those of C8 and CNews (Canal + group) brought into play this year. Its rapporteur, the rebellious Aurélien Saintoul, will write his report "alone" by the beginning of May, and "I imagine that he will be marked", said the elected official, wishing to "get away from the witch hunt, of the hunt for presenters, journalists, channels”, while those in the fold of Vincent Bolloré are in the sights of LFI. “We need to make recommendations on the framework” for the choice of frequency holders, he said.
Through this flagship early evening program, Quentin Bataillon - a claimed fan of the television series "House of Cards" - also addressed a certain popular electorate: "We don't enter people's homes for their to say what is good, what is bad” and, “sometimes, the contempt that some may have for your program is transferred to those who watch it,” argued the parliamentarian.
Battalion called to order within its political camp
Since his visit, Quentin Bataillon has suffered a barrage of criticism, some coming from his own political camp. While awaiting the conclusions of the commission of inquiry, we must “show reserve and discernment” in public “positions”, lectured the President of the National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet, in a communicated.
After the participation of @qbataillon in @Cyrilhanouna's show, @YaelBRAUNPIVET recalls that the members of a commission of inquiry "must exercise discernment in their public expressions, in order to guarantee the credibility of the investigations". #DirectAN pic.twitter.com/bf7wH966hI
— LCP (@LCP) April 3, 2024
According to the entourage of Sylvain Maillard, president of the Renaissance group in the National Assembly, the latter called Bataillon on Tuesday evening “to reproach him for the comments he made”. “We didn’t understand. It's surprising that the president of the commission goes to Hanouna to hit Barthès. It’s an error of judgment,” said an executive advisor. “It's going very badly, many deputies are wondering what got into him,” was also admitted in Sylvain Maillard's entourage.
Tensions with the Insoumis rapporteur
For the rebellious Aurélien Saintoul, rapporteur of the commission, this “denigrating maneuver (…) constitutes a fault”. Relations between him and the president became strained over the course of the hearings, from that of Vincent Bolloré to that of the Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati.
“Mr. Bataillon clearly wanted to preempt the work of the rapporteur and instill doubt on the quality of the report yet to be written. He therefore acted doubly against his mission and must draw all the consequences, if necessary by resigning,” said the LFI deputy for Hauts-de-Seine Aurélien Saintoul, rapporteur of the commission of inquiry.
🔴 Quentin Bataillon's appearance on the show #TPMP: my reaction. pic.twitter.com/kxlTsHxh2i
— Aurélien Saintoul (@A_Saintoul) April 3, 2024
Aurélien Saintoul also joked about the presence of Quentin Bataillon in “TPMP”. “Thank you for your experimental approach to moving the commission of inquiry forward. Don't forget to check if we can now name or even criticize V. Bolloré in TPMP without risking being attacked by C. Hanouna. It will always be that,” he wrote on X. A reference to an episode from November 2022, where LFI deputy Louis Boyard, guest on the show, was insulted live. For this sequence, C8 was sentenced to a record fine of 3.5 million euros.
With Aurélien Saintoul, “I did everything to keep the relations as cordial as possible,” said Quentin Bataillon on C8. According to a person close to Bataillon at AFP, the latter “feels released from his duties of neutrality” because Aurélien Saintoul “abandoned at the first second of the first minute of the first hour of the commission any position of neutrality”.
On the left, officials demand his resignation
The strongest condemnations come from the left. A large number of rebels tweeted in unison to demand the resignation of the MP. “The president of the TNT commission of inquiry covers Hanouna, despite being widely sanctioned by Arcom”, the audiovisual regulator, said Manuel Bompard, coordinator of La France insoumise, whose deputies are at the origin of this commission.
“Macronism is sinking into collusion with Bolloré”, a conservative billionaire who controls the Canal + group including C8, judges Bompard. “Quentin Bataillon is disqualified, he can no longer chair this commission,” he insists.
The president of the TNT inquiry commission covers #Hanouna, despite being widely sanctioned by Arcom.
After the interviews with ministers at the JDD, Macronism is sinking into collusion with Bolloré. @qbataillon is disqualified, he can no longer chair this commission.
— Manuel Bompard (@mbompard) April 3, 2024
It is “a real scandal”, for the mayor of Paris (PS), Anne Hidalgo, who also called for Bataillon’s resignation. The environmentalist deputy, Sophie Taillé-Polian, announced that she had contacted the ethics officer of the National Assembly, requesting “the dismissal” of Quentin Bataillon.
“He must now be relieved of his duties. He participated in the discrediting of the Assembly, going so far as to smile at his final humiliation when Hanouna gave him a t-shirt where he openly mocks the commission,” said the boss of the Socialist Party, for his part. Olivier Faure.
The CEO of the TNT commission of inquiry must now be relieved of his duties. He participated in the discrediting of the Assembly, going so far as to smile at his final humiliation when Hanouna gave him a t-shirt where he openly mocks the commission. https://t.co/ND7vYFgw7v
— Olivier Faure (@faureolivier) April 3, 2024
Can Quentin Bataillon be removed from office?
Although the oppositions raise the question of Bataillon remaining as president of the commission of inquiry, only he can decide to withdraw. In the regulations of the National Assembly, no dismissal procedure is provided for a chairman of a commission of inquiry, a parliamentary source confides to Libération.
From then on, the Renaissance group could theoretically dismiss Bataillon, but this possibility does not seem to be on the agenda. “If there must be a sanction, it is on the side of the President of the Assembly, but this is obviously not planned”, indicates the parliamentary group to Libération. To this end, the Socialists sent a letter to Yaël Braun-Pivet to request the appointment of a new president.