Héloïse Goy, with Alexis Patri
modified to
10:05 a.m., April 14, 2022
In a context of controversy around the refusal of Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron to debate in front of Anne-Sophie Lapix, TF1 and France 2 announce the two journalists chosen to animate the debate between the two rounds. An announcement that does not appease the controversy and which raises the question of the power of politics over the media.
It will take place on Wednesday April 20. Four days before the second round of the presidential election, candidates Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen will debate on France 2 and TF1. And the two chains have officially chosen their respective journalist to arbitrate the face-to-face between the two qualified for the second round. The debate will be moderated by Léa Salamé and Gilles Bouleau. The announcement comes after Jordan Bardella, the interim president of the National Rally, said that Marine Le Pen did not want Anne-Sophie Lapix to co-host this debate.
“It’s not up to politicians to choose the journalists who interview them”
Officially, the director of information for France Télévisions Laurent Guimier assures that he did not think of Anne-Sophie Lapix for this exercise. But the delegation of the National Union of Journalists (SNJ) within the public audiovisual group denounces the sidelining of the journalist. The union recalls that “it is not up to politicians to choose the journalists who question them”.
For its part, the team of candidate Emmanuel Macron denies sulking this journalist. But the entourage of the Head of State, who shunned France 2 until the first round, would judge his newspaper too “critical” and “declining”.
Ahead of this debate between the two rounds, which will therefore be arbitrated by Léa Salamé and Gilles Bouleau next Wednesday, TF1 and France 2 must establish the specifications for the program, in order to respect perfect equality and neutrality. A meeting also very prepared by the two candidates, who had already debated in 2017.