Radio France strike challenges appointment of France Inter commentator
Staff began a two-day walkout over Charles Sapin’s appointment, exposing a dispute over pluralism and the public-service role of France’s national broadcaster.
Staff at France’s public broadcaster Radio France began a planned two-day strike on Sunday over the appointment of Charles Sapin as a political commentator on France Inter.
Sapin, deputy editor-in-chief of Valeurs Actuelles, has presented a weekly political segment on the station since late August. Unions and other staff members argue that the publication’s editorial values, and what they describe as Sapin’s promotion of far-right ideas, conflict with Radio France’s public-service mandate.
The dispute has disrupted France Inter’s programming. Sapin’s scheduled Sunday column was not broadcast, while some morning segments were replaced with music. Morning programmes on the public group’s franceinfo and France Culture stations continued normally.
Radio France management has defended the appointment as an expression of political pluralism ahead of France’s expected April-May presidential election. France Inter director Celine Pigalle said she trusted Sapin not to put the station’s airwaves at risk.
The publication describes itself as conservative and has faced legal controversies, including convictions for racial public insults. About 300 public figures, including filmmakers, writers and lawyers, called for Sapin to lose his commentary slot in an opinion piece published by Le Parisien.
The signatories said pluralism should operate within republican values and should not be confused with complacency towards ideas they said threaten democracy and fundamental rights.
